Modern Studies
Social Issues in the UK
Crime and the Law in Society
Intermediate 1 and 2
4955
Spring 1999
Modern Studies
Social Issues in the UK:
Crime and the Law in Society
Intermediate 1 and 2
Support Materials
acknowledgements
The Higher Still Development Programme gratefully acknowledges permission granted by copyright owners to reproduce the following: extracts from Practical Ways to Crack Crime and Neighbourhood Watch, both Crime Concern publications reproduced on the Internet Neighbourhood Crimeweb website – http://www.nwatch.org/.
Every attempt has been made to gain permission to use extracts from the appropriate copyright owners. The Higher Still Development Programme apologises for any omission, which, if notified, it will be pleased to rectify at the earliest opportunity.
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes provided that no profit is derived from the reproduction and that, if reproduced in part, the source is acknowledged.
First published 1999
Higher Still Development Unit
PO Box 12754
Ladywell House
Ladywell Road
Edinburgh
EH12 7YH
Modern Studies: Social Issues in the UK: Crime and the Law in Society (Int 1 & 2)
cONTENTS
Introduction
Suggested Teaching Framework
Crime Quiz - Answers
Student Materials
Definitions of and Reasons for Crime
Age Limits
Case Study – Drugs
Road Traffic Legislation
The Police
Crime Prevention
The Scottish Legal System
Children’s Hearings
Glossary
Crime Quiz
Role Play – The Sale of Goods Act
Introduction
These support materials for Modern Studies were developed as part of the Higher Still Development Programme in response to needs identified at needs analysis meetings and national seminars.
Advice on learning and teaching may be found in Achievement for All, (SOEID 1996), Effective Learning and Teaching in Scottish Secondary Schools: Modern Studies, (SOED 1992) and in the Modern Studies Subject Guide.
This package provides staff and student materials to support essentially Study Theme 5: Crime and the Law in Society of the Social Issues in the United Kingdom unit at Intermediate 1 and 2.
There is brief advice that gives an indication of the amount of time to be allocated to each of the sections. There is a Glossary at the end. There is also a Crime Quiz (and answers), which students might undertake prior to studying the unit. A role play exercise on the Sale of Goods Act has also been included.
The material consists of eight sections of support notes for students with questions and activities included at appropriate points in each section.
The materials are designed to be used in a flexible way at the discretion of the teacher or lecturer. They can be used as they are or they can be adapted and/or added to by the teacher/lecturer. They are designed to be used in class for comprehension activities and as starting points for discussion or individual or group investigation. They could also be used as homework exercises or in a supported self-study mode, if required. Most students will benefit from direct teaching using the materials as a resource for reading, discussion and directed work using the activities provided and/or others determined by the individual teacher or lecturer. While students will tackle these activities individually for the most part, there may be opportunities for some collaborative working and staff will wish to discuss points raised with individuals, groups and the whole class.
Many of the questions contribute to the development by students of the core skill component, Critical Thinking. Attainment of the Modern Studies course at Intermediate 1 or 2 leads to the automatic award of Critical Thinking at the appropriate level. For further information on core skills, refer to Core Skills: Information for Senior Managers, (HSDU 1998).
suggested teaching framework
Section / Hours1. Definitions of and Reasons for Crime / 7
2. Age Limits / 2
3. Case Study – Drugs / 2
4. Road Traffic Legislation / 2
5. The Police / 4
6. Crime Prevention / 4
7. The Scottish Legal System / 12
8. Children’s Hearings / 5
The pattern outlined above gives a total figure of 38 hours. This is suggested as an indication of how time might be allocated. Time must be set aside for unit assessment and, if necessary, for re-assessment although some of this should come from the additional 40 hours time allocated for each course.
Crime Quiz – Answers
1. The 1940s and 50s
2. Theft of or from a vehicle
3. Violent crime
4. Four times as much
5. Once every 500 years
6. Once every 40 years
7. Once every 10 years
8. Poorest council estates
9. During the day
10. Less than £25
11. Less than 1%
12. 80%
13. 14
14. 30%
15. 75%
16. Young men
17. Asians
18. 25%
19. Two in three
20. 90%
2
Modern Studies: Social Issues in the UK: Crime and the Law in Society (Int 1 & 2)–
Staff Notes
Definitions of and Reasons for Crime
Laws and rules are necessary in all walks of life: on the football field; in the classroom; in the street. Rules and laws are necessary everywhere. If you break the rules then you can expect to get into trouble, and perhaps end up getting punished. Most people accept that rules and laws are necessary, because otherwise there would be a breakdown of law and order. When this happens the situation that arises is known as ‘Anarchy’.
In school, rules are laid down by the headteacher and the class teachers. Laws for the whole country are made by Parliament and enforced through the judicial system – the Courts.
Crime takes place when somebody breaks one of the laws of the country. It is the job of the police to prevent people from breaking the laws and to investigate cases when the law has been broken.
Criminal Law deals with identifying when the law has been broken and prosecuting people who have broken the law. This type of law deals with all types of offences. Some offences are relatively minor, such as driving a car without proper lights or committing a breach of the peace, but other offences are much more serious. Murder, rape and assault are all considered to be serious crimes and are dealt with severely.
Civil Law is used to settle disputes between individuals, and also sets the rules for various civil procedures such as buying and selling a house.
Our understanding of the law depends on knowing the difference between right and wrong.
Questions / activities
1. Why are rules and laws necessary?
2. What is meant by ‘Anarchy’?
3. What is the difference between Criminal Law and Civil Law?
Case study – School rules
1. Pupils must walk on the left-hand side in corridors. Movement in corridors should be as quiet as possible.
2. Playing fields and grass areas are out of bounds except when used for PE lessons.
3. All litter should be placed in bins.
4. Pupils should respect the property of the school, staff and other pupils.
5. Vending machines must be used only before 8.40 a.m., at intervals and at lunchtime.
6. Chewing gum is forbidden in school.
7. Pupils must follow the school’s dress code.
8. Pupils should respect the right of other pupils to learn in a purposeful, disciplined environment.
Questions / activities
1. Obtain a copy of your own school / college rules, or those of an establishment known to you. Compare them with the rules printed in this unit. What are the differences and similarities?
2. If you were writing the school rules for a secondary school, what would you include? Give reasons for your rules.
3. What do you think are the most effective ways of enforcing school rules?
Types of crime
The main types of crime are listed below.
Violent crime
Murder is the most extreme form of violent crime. In the United Kingdom there is no distinction between ‘first degree murder’ and ‘second degree murder’ such as exists in the United States. Instead, Britain makes the distinction between murder and manslaughter – the latter is when somebody dies as a result of another person’s actions, but killing them was not the motive for the action. All forms of assault are classified as violent crimes. Rape and indecent assault are also violent crimes, although they are sometimes classed as sexual offences.
SexualoOffences
These are offences that break the law regarding sexual activities. Over the centuries a moral ‘code of conduct’ has evolved which has made certain activities, such as incest, illegal. Sexual offences include having sex with an under-age person, prostitution, incest and indecency.
Property crime
Official categories of property crime include burglary, housebreaking, theft, fraud, forgery, robbery and criminal damage. Property crime involves stealing and dishonestly obtaining or damaging another person’s property. Car crime is an important sub-category of property crime.
Professional and organised crime
Some people regard crime as their ‘job’ and try to make a living out of it. There are many examples of organised crime, including drug-dealing, protection rackets, the sex industry, illegal gambling, producing counterfeit goods and many more.
Drugs and crime have become closely linked over the years. The people involved in the manufacture, importing and sale of drugs are committing criminal offences. Many people who become addicted to drugs need to steal in order to pay for their drug habit. These two aspects of drug-related crime are quite separate.
Corporate crime
Corporate crime can be carried out by individuals or by businesses. Individuals may use computers to hack into other people’s information. Employee theft through fiddling expenses, using work-related items for personal purposes and so on is also a form of corporate crime. How many people can say they have never ‘borrowed’ a pen or similar item from their work? Corporate crime by businesses can include crimes against consumers (e.g. selling them short-measures or inaccurately labelled items), corruption and health and safety offences.
Political crime
Many people held in jail in Northern Ireland regard themselves as political prisoners. Most other people would regard them as terrorists, as they have committed crimes such as bombings, sectarian murders and other violent acts. However, the definition of political crime can include crimes that are not carried out for personal gain, but in
support of a cause. Terrorists on both sides of the religious divide in Northern Ireland claim that their crimes have been politically motivated. Many of them were able to apply for release from prison as a result of the Good Friday Agreement, signed at Easter 1998.
While many people would disagree about whether these people should be regarded as political criminals, there is no debate about the status of individuals jailed simply because of their political beliefs. This is not now a problem in the United Kingdom, but organisations such as Amnesty International report political prisoners of this kind in many countries around the world.
State crime
Crimes sanctioned by governments can be categorised as state crime. In the war in the former Yugoslavia, various governments gave the go ahead for atrocities against people of different ethnic groups – this is an example of state crime. Sometimes people can be brought to court for these ‘war crimes’ and trials are normally held in the International Court at The Hague in the Netherlands.
Questions / activities
1. Give examples of violent crime.
2. What is meant by a ‘moral code of conduct’?
3. What type of crime is theft?
4. How can a ‘professional criminal’ be defined?
5. Give examples of corporate crime.
6. Why do many terrorists regard themselves as political criminals?
- Give recent examples of state crime.
Questions / activities
Now obtain a copy of a local or national newspaper.
Complete the following for each crime that is reported.
Local weekly newspapers tend to give the best court reports.
Title and date of publication:
Short description of crime:
Category (tick)
1. Violent or sexual crimes (assault, offensive weapons, robbery etc)
2. Crimes of indecency (sexual assault, lewd and libidinous behaviour, indecent exposure etc)
3. Crimes of dishonesty (housebreaking, theft, shoplifting, fraud etc)
4. Fire raising, vandalism etc
5. Motor vehicle offences (reckless and careless driving, drunk driving, speeding, driving without insurance etc, vehicle defects)
6. Others (specify what they are)
Court involved:
Number of people charged:
Number of other people mentioned:
What was the verdict of the court?
What was the sentence of the court?
From the information you have, do you think that the verdict and the sentence were justified?
Reasons for crime
The causes of crime have been explained in two ways – biological and social factors.
Biological explanations suggest that some people are ‘born into crime’. This explanation was fashionable in the 19th century but is less popular today. However, there is some scientific evidence that links criminal behaviour with certain gene patterns and combinations.
Social explanations believe that crime is caused by the conditions in which people live. The process of socialisation – how young people learn what is acceptable and normal behaviour – may break down and youngsters turn to criminal behaviour. Peer group pressure can also cause crime – some young people will commit crime to draw attention to themselves and to win popularity within a group.
The main form of social explanation is to do with the environment in which people live. If there is serious poverty, and if drug or alcohol abuse is commonplace, then crime may follow. Stealing happens either to meet basic needs for food and shelter, or to finance addictions to drugs or alcohol. There may also be an element of jealousy in some of this crime – people from poorer backgrounds may envy the quality of life and material possessions of people from a more wealthy background.
Questions / activities
1. What are ‘biological causes’ of crime?
2. What are ‘social causes’ of crime?
- What is meant by ‘stealing out of need’?
Problems with crime statistics
Statistics concerning crime are very difficult to interpret and use. The reasons for this include:
· much crime is never reported, therefore it doesn’t exist according to official figures.