Listen to an audio on Dr Christine Goodall, Director of the charity Medics Against Violence, talking about violence as a cause of crime in Scotland.

Reflective questions

What causes of crime does Dr Christine Goodall discuss?

What do you think the main causes of crime are?

Read the extracts below and decide whether you are a collectivist or an Individualist.

Collectivists

Individualists

What do 'collectivists' think? · Collectivists believe that if people commit crime because of wider issues – such as where they live, their family background and their occupation, for example. Collectivists think that if people are in work and are content with life, they will be less inclined to break the law. Collectivists would say that the government must tackle the social conditions which lead to crime – for example, better housing, employment opportunities and a more equal society to make crime less of an attraction.

What do 'individualists' think? · Individualists believe that if a person has chosen to commit a crime – it is exactly that – their choice. They think that if someone chooses to commit a crime, it is their responsibility and if caught, the individual should pay the consequences. Individualists think that society needs clear rules and strict punishments to reduce criminal behaviour. Overall they believe that if punishments were stronger and the police and the courts had more powers, there would be less crime.

Pre-reading Activities

In pairs or groups, discuss the following questions.

1. What kind of youth crime is most common in your country?

2. Which city in your country is believed to be the most dangerous in terms of crimes?

3. What are the motives of those young who commit crime?

4. What is done by the local authorities to prevent youth crime?

Reading Activities

1. Read the text and answer the questions underneath.

Youth crime

Until two years ago, Clearing, Illinois was a tranquil suburb of Chicago.

But residents grew alarmed when they noticed armed teenagers on the streets, giving gang signals and shouting at passing cars. Then came a series of burglaries and graffiti messages on storefronts. By the time local authorities realized they had a gang problem, it was too late.

Last December, two 13-year-old girls were shot outside their school as they sat in a car with two members of a local gang, the Ridgeway Lords.
Nearly all 50 states have recently passed laws that allow youths aged 14-17 to be tried in court as adults. In about 25 states they have passed laws to punish parents for their children's behaviour. And in 146 of the nation's largest cities, they have imposed curfews to reduce juvenile violence. When you look at the spectacular rise of violent crime among young people recently, it's easy to understand the concern. Over the past decade, there has been a decline in adult murders in the US, while murder rates have surged for youths between 14-17.

For young offenders who aren't sent to prison, the punishments vary: some are ordered to perform community service, others are placed in job training programs, still others sent to youth prisons. But the Republicans in Congress want to reverse a basic principle of juvenile justice: the separation of young criminals from hardened adult criminals in prison. The reasons are partly financial - to reduce the cost of having separate prisons for young people - and partly psychological - to end what Republicans consider as society's overly protective attitude towards young criminals.

 

1. Where is Clearing located?

2. Why were residents unhappy?

3. What happened in December?

4. What are “the Ridgeway Lords?”

5. Young people cannot be tried in court in the most US states T/F

6. Parents are not responsible for what their children do T/F

7. What is a “curfew?”

8. There is an increase in…

9. What would the Republicans like to do?

10. This would cost less money…