Yr 12 HSC Legal Studies: Crime - Factors leading to criminal behaviour

NSW Legal Studies syllabus HSC course
Core topic: Crime
This learning activity is aligned to the syllabus 'learn to' statement:

• Examine a range of factors that may lead to criminal behaviour

The aim for this learning activity is to provide students with a deeper understanding of the course content through reference to either contemporary case studies, media events or amendments to legislation.

This learning activity will examine the factors that may contribute to the behaviour of people committing criminal offences. Each factors is further supported with a contemporary example that clearly demonstrates 

• Social factors – Sydney postcode gangs and Outlaw Motor Cycle Gangs
• Political factors – Environmental activists involved in Blockage Australia protest
• Economic factors – Melissa Caddick financial fraud scam
• Psychological factors – R v Wright [2020] NSWDC 162
• Self interest factors
• Christopher Dawson infatuated with a 16-year-old school girl as motive to murder his wife.
• Ronald Medich’s motive to murder his business partner as a means of revenge.
• Robert Xie’s motive to murder the Lin family based on jealousy and infatuation for his teenage niece.

The activity requires students to read reference material and to complete a series of review based questions.

This learning activity is also cross reference with syllabus outcomes as well as aligned to the relevant theme and challenge component.

The inclusion of contemporary media events and court cases is well suited to act as a supplement for student class notes.