Theme E: Key Terms & Refs Flashcards
Addiction
Being dependent on a particular substance; can be a cause of crime (eg stealing money to pay for illegal drugs).
Community service
Punishment involving the criminal doing a set number of hours of physical labour/work in their local community.
Corporal punishment
Punishment in which physical pain is inflicted on the criminal.
Crime
Action which breaks the law; can be against the person (eg murder), against property (eg vandalism), or against the state (eg treason).
Death penalty
Capital punishment; the execution of a criminal which is sanctioned by the state.
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)
Evil intentions
Having the desire to deliberately cause suffering or harm to another.
Forgiveness
Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on.
Greed
Reason for committing crime – wanting or desiring something or more of something.
Hate crime
A crime committed because of prejudice views about a person or group.
Prison
A form of punishment where a criminal is locked in a secure guarded building for a period of time.
Law
The rules a country demands its citizens follow, the breaking of which leads to punishment.
Mental illness
A medical condition that can cause changes to a person’s behaviour; can be a cause of crime.
Murder
Unlawfully killing another person.
Poverty
The state of being without the things needed for a reasonable quality of life; can be a cause of crime.
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).
Reformation
Aim of punishment; helping the criminal see how and why their behaviour was wrong, so that their mindset changes for the better.
Retribution
Aim of punishment; getting the criminal back for their crimes.
Sanctity of life
Belief that life is sacred/special because it was created by God, or because we are each unique individuals.
Theft
Taking something without the owner’s consent.
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.
Upbringing
The environment a child lives in, and the instructions they receive, while they are growing up; can be a cause of crime.
5 Key Refs
- ‘turn the other cheek’
- ‘he who is without sin [i.e. no one] can cast the first stone’
- ‘God will forgive us our sins.’
- ‘God will judge his people.’
- ‘I was in prison, and you visited me.’
