Learning Resources

As well as providing a definition of crime, this briefing explores how it is decided which human behaviours should be considered a ‘crime’ and which should not.

Provides guidance for gathering and evaluating your own sources of information, including internet-based sources. A detailed section on ‘conducting your own social research’ is essential reading for Higher and Advanced Higher learners.

There is no one ‘cause’ of crime. In fact, crime is a highly complex phenomenon and criminologists, policy makers, law-makers and others are still trying to understand it. This briefing provides an overview of some of the key criminological theories which aim to explain the causes of crime. See Part 2 for more information.

This briefing provides an overview of some of the key criminological theories that seek to explain the causes of crime – however, this is not a complete list as there are numerous theories out there.