Addiction — Being addicted to/dependent on a particular substance; can be a cause of crime (eg stealing money to pay for illegal drugs). (⇦ Go Back)

Community service — Punishment involving the criminal doing a set number of hours of physical labour/work in their local community. (⇦ Go Back)

Corporal punishment — Punishment in which physical pain is inflicted on the criminal. (⇦ Go Back)

Crime — Action which breaks the law; can be against the person (eg murder), against property (eg vandalism), or against the state (eg treason). (⇦ Go Back)

Death penalty — Capital punishment; the execution of a criminal which is sanctioned by the state. (⇦ Go Back)

Deterrence — Aim of punishment; the threat of punishment as a way to put a person off committing crime (eg knowing they could go to prison if they steal). (⇦ Go Back)

Evil intentions — Having the desire to deliberately cause suffering or harm to another. (⇦ Go Back)

Forgiveness — Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on. (⇦ Go Back)

Greed — Reason for committing crime – wanting or desiring something or more of something. (⇦ Go Back)

Hate crime — A crime committed because of prejudice views about a person or group. (⇦ Go Back)

Prison — Imprisonment is a form of punishment where a criminal is locked in a secure guarded building (prison) for a period of time. (⇦ Go Back)

Law — The rules a country demands its citizens follow, the breaking of which leads to punishment. (⇦ Go Back)

Mental illness — A medical condition that can cause changes to a person’s behaviour; can be a cause of crime. (⇦ Go Back)

Murder — Unlawfully killing another person. (⇦ Go Back)

Poverty — The state of being without the things needed for a reasonable quality of life; can be a cause of crime. (⇦ Go Back)

Principle of utility — The concept of acting out of the greater good for the most people. (eg removing a dangerous criminal from society in order to protect others). (⇦ Go Back)

Reformation — Aim of punishment; helping the criminal see how and why their behaviour was wrong, so that their mindset changes for the better. (⇦ Go Back)

Retribution — Aim of punishment; getting the criminal back for their crimes. (⇦ Go Back)

Sanctity of life — Belief that life is sacred/special because it was created by God, or because we are each unique individuals. (⇦ Go Back)

Theft — Taking something without the owner’s consent. (⇦ Go Back)

Unjust law — A legal requirement within a society that is believed to be unfair; a cause of crime if a person believes they cannot follow (or must act against) a law they believe is unjust. (⇦ Go Back)

Upbringing — The environment a child lives in, and the instructions they receive, while they are growing up; can be a cause of crime. (⇦ Go Back)