Educating students about the dangers of carrying out a crime has become a contentious issue in today’s world. While some people suppose that the best way to do this is by inviting ex-criminals to give a talk to students, I believe that there are many more effective ways to teach students about the hazards of crime.
On the one hand, letting ex-criminals give a speech to students can bring certain benefits. Firstly, their talks are usually the most trustworthy stories compared to what is being shown in movies. Therefore, students can easily empathize with them and develop a sense of tolerance towards people who are reformed criminals. Furthermore, people who have rehabilitated from crime tend to gather information about many kinds of crime, even from other people, as they have gone through a long process to become a kind citizen. As a result, students may gain understanding about the dangers of criminal activities through vivid stories.
On the other hand, I am of the opinion that this is not the best way to educate school students about the adverse effects of crime. Firstly, introducing criminology as an elective subject at school may be an effective option. By this way, students can learn about the detrimental impacts of crime from reliable sources of information. For example, teachers can incorporate documentaries or some criminology courses that are carefully researched by professors to be suitable for students in certain age groups into lectures. In addition, schools can hold awareness campaigns that include activities for students, such as drawing posters about the dangers of criminals or making short films about them. All of these activities will help raise students’s awareness about criminals and actively learn to get rid of the risk of committing a crime through the lens of science.
In conclusion, while letting reformed criminals talk about the detrimental effects of carrying out a crime poses some potential benefits, I strongly argue that they are all overshadowed by the advantages of all the alternative solutions mentioned above. I predict these activities will be held in more and more schools in the near future.