What is this task?

Welcome to the Causes of Crime investigation! In this interactive activity, you will work together to explore the complex factors that drive criminal behavior.

Instead of looking at crime as a simple issue, you and your group will be assigned one of six major causes to investigate: Poverty, Peer Pressure, Addiction, Mental Health Issues, Greed, or Lack of Education/Opportunities.

Using the digital guide below, you will explore background information, answer guided prompts, and ultimately decide how to present your findings to the rest of the class.

What will I learn?

• The Bigger Picture: You will discover that crime isn’t simply about “good” versus “bad” people – it is driven by complex, interconnected factors.
• Smart Solutions: You will learn that understanding why people commit crimes helps society think about smarter, more effective solutions.
• Targeted Prevention: You will see how different crimes have different root causes, which means they require completely different prevention strategies.

What Skills will I use?

• Researching: Finding and selecting reliable information.
• Critical Thinking: Analysing evidence and looking at issues from multiple perspectives.
• Teamwork: Collaborating with your group to build a shared understanding.
• Communication: Designing a way to clearly present your findings to others.

For Teachers: How to use this resource

This investigation is designed to promote collaborative, active learning while keeping the focus on inclusivity—encouraging pupils to look at the complex societal factors behind crime rather than passing surface-level judgments.

How it works in the classroom:

• Divide your class into six groups and assign each group a different cause of crime.
• Every group member is given a unique question to investigate within their topic.
• Pupils use the embedded digital help sheet to access background information, research signposts, and guided prompts.
• As a group, they synthesize their answers and decide how they want to present their findings to the rest of the class.

Differentiation Strategy: You can easily differentiate this task by strategically assigning the causes based on group readiness. Topics such as Poverty and Peer Pressure are slightly more accessible, while exploring Mental Health Issues or Addiction requires a bit more nuance and maturity.

Suggested Timing: This investigation is designed to take roughly one to two 50-minute periods, including the final presentation time.

Check out these other resources