Criminology · Year 12

Active learning ideas

Agencies of Social Control

Agencies of Social Control explores the organisations responsible for maintaining order and managing offenders in the UK. This includes formal agencies like the Police, the National Probation Service, and HM Prison Service, as well as the role of the Judiciary. The topic also covers the vital work of voluntary organisations (NGOs) and charities, such as the Howard League for Penal Reform or Nacro. Students will examine how these agencies collaborate and the specific roles they play in achieving social control. This aligns with WJEC AC3.1 and AC3.2.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• WJEC AC3.1: Explain the role of agencies in social control
• WJEC AC3.2: Describe the contribution of agencies to achieving social control

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Multi-Agency Meeting

Students are assigned roles: Police Officer, Probation Officer, Social Worker, and a representative from a local charity. They must work together to create a 'management plan' for a high-risk offender being released from prison, balancing public safety with rehabilitation.

What is the role of the probation service in offender management?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 40 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: The Role of the NGO

Set up stations for different charities (e.g., Prince's Trust, Women in Prison). At each station, students must identify one way the charity supports social control and one way it might challenge the government's penal policy.

How do charities and NGOs contribute to social control?

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Formal vs. Informal Control

Students list five examples of formal social control (e.g., laws, police) and five of informal control (e.g., family, peer pressure). In pairs, they discuss which is more effective at preventing crime in their own community and why.

How do different agencies collaborate to manage high-risk offenders?

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• The Probation Service only exists to 'watch' criminals.

  While they do monitor offenders, the Probation Service's primary goal is to rehabilitate them and reduce reoffending through support and guidance. The 'Multi-Agency Meeting' simulation helps students see the supportive side of probation work.

• Charities and NGOs are not part of the justice system.

  While they are independent, many charities are funded by the government to provide essential services like victim support or offender housing. They are a crucial part of the 'voluntary sector' in social control. A station rotation helps students see these vital links.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Stations Rotation
• Think-Pair-Share