In the last couple of years, crime rates have been on the rise. Especially in our own News in New Zealand, there have been daily reports of youth crime and ram raids on businesses and thefts from schools. In this article, we will look at how character education can help reduce crime.
Despite comments made by the government and Police, the problem continues to persist if not grow. Solutions to this problem are many and varied and are bounded about on social media. From the perspective of prevention, one of the key reasons behind crime is the lack of character education.
Character education refers to the process of instilling moral and ethical values in individuals from a young age, to help them become responsible and contributing members of society. Let’s explore the concept of character education and how it can help reduce crime.
Character Education and its Importance:
Character education is an essential aspect of the overall development of individuals, both young and old. It helps people develop values such as responsibility, honesty, respect, empathy, and integrity. These values help individuals lead a fulfilling life and contribute positively to society. Through character education, individuals learn how to be accountable for their actions, make good decisions, and respect others.
If parents and schools continue to neglect this aspect of education, we will only see further increases in crime and a decline in security.
At Interweb Education, we have been suggesting this very solution to schools since 2003. We have also developed and promoted resources to schools and parents to help them ensure character education is a part of the education of every child rather than filling young minds with a “gender identity” ideology.
Character Education and Crime:
Crime is often the result of people making poor decisions and lacking moral values. Some people like to attribute crime to events that happened decades before they were born, their environment or because they are “victims of society”. This is totally wrong.
Crime is not a result of poverty or the environment in which they live, but wrong personal choices from a lack of character education. By teaching individuals to make better choices and instilling moral values, like personal responsibility, honesty and respect, character education can help reduce crime rates.
Research has shown that parental relations, peer pressure, education, and brain function are major influencers of criminal behaviour (“Causes of Crime”, encyclopedia.com). Individuals who have received character education though are less likely to engage in criminal activities. They are more likely to respect others, make good decisions, and be accountable for their actions. In addition, character education can help individuals develop problem-solving skills, which can be useful in avoiding or resolving conflicts without resorting to violence.
Parents are the main moral educators of our children but while there are false claims by the media, minority action groups and adherents to “Critical Race Theory” that many people are “victims” of things they have no control over or by an oppressive system, the true cause of crime is being brushed under the carpet. This cause is a lack of personal responsibility of the parent and the child. This cycle has continued until we now see teens stealing cars and ramming into shops every day!
Character Education in Schools:
As I said, parents are supposed to be the moral educators of their children but this is not happening to the degree that is needed for a civilized society. Unless schools start to fill this lack, we can only expect chaos in the future.
Character education should be an integral part of the curriculum in every school. Schools are the ideal place to teach character as they provide an environment where students can learn, practice and apply the values taught within their gates and the code of their students.
Teachers can use a range of teaching methods (as taught in our Character Education kit) to help students develop positive character traits, such as role-playing, group activities, storytelling, and community service projects.
Character Education in Communities:
In addition to schools, communities also play a role in character development. Parents, community leaders, and organisations should all work together with the school to promote character education in their local area. This can be done through community service projects, workshops, the School Farming Community and other activities.
Where to from here?
Character education is essential to combating crime. By teaching about moral values and how these traits of character help individuals in their lives, we can help them make better choices and become responsible members of society.
Again, It is not just the responsibility of schools and educators, but also of parents, community leaders, and organisations to promote character education. Only through a concerted effort can we hope to reduce crime rates and build a safer, more just society.
Get started today by downloading a copy of the Character Education kit for your school!
