Crime Education – Helping To Reduce Burglary
By Dr Bill Robb

 “Crime education” is a strange term. It could be interpreted as teaching people how to commit crimes! However, we know that crime education is about getting people to willingly refrain from criminal activity, whatever it is. One major crime is burglary. Official figures put the number of burglaries anywhere between 645,000 and 880,000. That’s up to 100 burglaries every hour of the day and night costing the UK economy about £2.8 billion a year. We cannot qualify the human misery, fear and anguish involved in having one's home or car broken into. We can  however quantify  the

cost of increased household insurance, car insurance, and the fitting of burglar alarms and other security devices. It runs into hundreds of millions – funds that could be spent on making life better, instead of mitigating and recovering from loss. 

So how do we go about educating people so they don’t want to commit crimes – or even if they want to – still don’t. Clearly, lectures and instruction are not working and although threats of punishment work, we don’t know to what extent. 

I propose a values education approach to crime education where you take a topic such as burglary and explore every angle of it in an open and honest extensive dialogue. Here’s an initial attempt to show what a dialogue on burglary would look like. The bold text is the facilitator’s questions. The text in square brackets is responses of the educands or a note from me about the question. 

Why do people break into people’s houses and cars? [Responses: a) to get money to buy things and drugs b) to get things they want c) excitement – something to do and to feel important]. 

What other ways could they get money? [Responses: a) ask friends and relatives b) go on the dole/welfare c) get a job]. 

What if their friends and family don’t have money and if they are disqualified from benefits or they don’t want to work? [Responses: a) just give people the money anyway – at least it would stop burglary b) people should be made to work – given work to do to contribute]. 

Do all poor people steal? [Response: of course not – so it’s more than just lack of money].

 How else can we get excitement and feel important? [Responses: a) by finding a job and making a real contribution b) voluntary working helping people c) taking up a dangerous sport and doing well and even d) turning away from crime and talking to other kids on not to do burglary and helping the Police combat burglary]. 

So is it okay to burgle sometimes? [Responses: no because a) people work hard for what they have b) it will cause great worry and inconvenience c) people will worry all the time because it could happen again d) people will have to spend more money to replace the stolen items and fix broken doors and windows e) most people won’t like you f) if you get caught you’ll be fined or maybe go to jail and g) eventually you’d feel bad because people despise thieves. 

What about burgling a house of a very rich person – they wouldn’t miss the things stolen and could easily replace them? [Responses: it would still be wrong  for  the reasons given above]. 

Don’t you think rich people would feel just as upset at having their house invaded? [Response: yes]. 

Has anyone here been burgled – what did they take and how did it affect you and your family? [Allow lots of personal stories and focus on the pain caused]. 

Why would you not steal? [Responses: a) it would upset my parents b) people would not want to play with me c) I would feel bad d) I don’t want to get caught and be punished]. 

Did you know that all the costs to prevent and recover from burglary amount to  £2.8 billion each year (article 26895 on website secritypark.net)  – what does that mean for you and me? [Responses: a) people are wasting money when they could use it on better things b) insurances costs will go up and the prices of everything go up and we are poorer as a result. 

I admit that the sample dialogue I’ve presented is a very poor beginning and much more work needs to be done in this field. For example, the types of questions asked and concepts used (economics) would have to fit the age-group of the educands. I hope colleagues in crime education will explore this further. The free e-report  What is Values Education and so What? will give you more ideas on how to conduct this kind of Socratic dialogue.

There is considerable scope for research in the field of crime education and Dr Bill would be happy to assist postgraduate students (with approval of their university or college) design and undertake a study. Contact him on bill.robb@valueseducation.co.uk
 

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