How does the law apply to young people?
I can describe how the law applies to young people and evaluate its effectiveness.
How does the law apply to young people?
I can describe how the law applies to young people and evaluate its effectiveness.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The justice system does not treat young people the same as adults.
- In the justice system, police interact with young offenders but also have broader responsibilities for all young people.
- All citizens, including young people, have the right to share their opinions on laws and issues and push for change.
- There are various arguments for and against the effectiveness of the legal system.
Keywords
Justice - fairness as a result of the application of a law, usually by a judge, in society
Law - rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves
Campaign - actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim
Common misconception
Young people are treated the same as adults in the justice system.
Young people are treated differently in the justice system. Youth courts focus on rehabilitation with alternative sentences to prison, like community service or rehabilitation orders, to help young people learn from mistakes and avoid re-offending.
To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: How does the law apply to young people?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: How does the law apply to young people?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the What are the strengths and weaknesses of the legal system? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Starter quiz
6 Questions
offender is let off with no punishment as long as they don't reoffend
offender is required to serve time in prison
offender is required to do unpaid work or attend rehabilitation
Exit quiz
6 Questions
fairness as a result of the application of a law, usually by a judge
rules, usually made by Parliament, to order society
actions or events organised by individuals to achieve an aim