IELTS Writing Task 2 topics: Crime, with practice questions and ideas
Quick answer
IELTS publishes no list of Task 2 topics, so crime is a theme that candidates report from practice material, not one IELTS confirms. It is commonly reported with punishment versus prevention, young offenders, alternatives to prison, surveillance and online crime. Prepare ideas and precise vocabulary for each angle, not a memorised essay, and answer the exact question you are given, whatever its shape.
The app marks a Task 2 essay on all four criteria and gives an Examiner's Summary, so you can see whether your position on crime stayed clear and your reasons were developed.
iOS and Android
Paid app: what it costs · billing and refunds · support
On this page
Crime as a Task 2 theme is about what societies do to prevent harm, how they respond when it happens and who is treated differently: young people, repeat offenders, victims of fraud. IELTS publishes no list of Task 2 topics. The themes on this page are commonly reported by candidates from practice material, so prepare by theme and by essay shape, and answer the exact wording of the question in front of you.
The angles this theme comes up with
- Punishment versus prevention. Questions ask whether longer sentences or earlier action, such as education and youth activities, does more to reduce crime. You weigh deterrence and justice against tackling causes.
- Young offenders. Questions ask whether young people who break the law should be treated like adults. You weigh accountability against a young person’s capacity to change.
- Prison and its alternatives. Questions ask whether community service or supervised programmes can replace prison for some offences. You weigh public safety and fairness against the chance to rebuild a life.
- Surveillance and policing. Questions ask about cameras, new technology and police presence. You weigh safety and detection against privacy and trust.
- Online crime. Questions ask why fraud and cyber attacks are rising and who should respond. You weigh individual care against the responsibility of companies and the state.
Practice questions
These ten questions are invented for practice, in our own words. They are not copied from any list or past paper. Each shape links to its guide the first time it appears.
- Prison is the most effective way to reduce crime in society. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (agree or disagree)
- Cameras should be installed in all public places to reduce crime. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (agree or disagree)
- Some people think that punishing criminals harshly is the best way to reduce crime. Others believe that rehabilitation is more effective. Discuss both views and give your opinion. (discuss both views)
- Some people believe that young people who commit serious crimes should be treated as adults. Others think they need special programmes. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. (discuss both views)
- In some countries, people who commit minor crimes are given community service instead of a prison sentence. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? (advantages and disadvantages)
- Police forces increasingly use facial recognition and other technology to find suspects. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages? (advantages and disadvantages)
- Fraud carried out online is becoming more common. What problems does this cause, and what can be done to reduce it? (problem and solution)
- In some neighbourhoods, young people damage public property and cause disturbance. What are the causes of this problem, and what can be done to solve it? (problem and solution)
- Many people who leave prison commit crimes again. Why do you think this happens? Is rehabilitation more effective than longer sentences? (two-part question)
- Crime is more common in some parts of a city than in others. What might explain this? Should those areas have a greater police presence? (two-part question)
Ideas for and against
Punishment versus prevention
- For punishment: a serious penalty shows that harm has consequences, which may stop people who weigh risks before acting. Victims and their families also expect the law to respond in proportion to the harm done.
- For prevention: young people with places to go, such as sports clubs, have less reason to drift into crime, so the problem is stopped at its source. Education and stable family support can change behaviour that punishment arrives too late to alter.
- Against relying on either alone: harsh sentences do little if offenders believe they will not be caught, while prevention programmes may seem weak to victims.
Young offenders
- For treating them as adults: a serious crime causes the same harm whatever the age of the offender, so a light response may suggest that the act was minor. Clear consequences can also warn other teenagers.
- For special programmes: young people’s judgement is still developing, and one mistake should not set the course of their whole life. Mentoring and education can turn a teenager away from crime, whereas a prison full of adult offenders may teach them more.
Prison and its alternatives
- For alternatives: an offender doing community service keeps their job and family ties, which makes it easier to live lawfully afterwards. It also repairs some of the harm, for example by cleaning a damaged public space.
- Against alternatives: for violent crimes, the public needs protection that only imprisonment can provide. A light penalty for repeated minor offences may suggest the law is not taken seriously.
Surveillance and policing
- For: cameras can help police identify a suspect quickly, and their visible presence may discourage theft in car parks or stations. People who feel safe are more likely to use public spaces at night.
- Against: constant monitoring can feel intrusive, since a person walking home is recorded whether or not they have done anything. Technology can also misidentify people, which damages trust between citizens and police.
Online crime
- For individual responsibility: people who use strong passwords and question unexpected messages are harder to deceive. Awareness lessons for older users could prevent many scams.
- For responsibility by companies and the state: criminals work across borders, so a single user cannot trace them. Platforms that make it easy to report and remove fraudulent accounts reduce harm at scale.
Vocabulary for this theme
| Word or phrase | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| deterrent | something that discourages people from acting | A visible police presence can act as a deterrent to street theft. |
| rehabilitation | helping an offender to return to a law-abiding life | Rehabilitation programmes teach prisoners skills they can use after release. |
| reoffend | to commit a crime again after being punished | Offenders with no job on release are more likely to reoffend. |
| juvenile offender | a young person who has broken the law | A juvenile offender may benefit more from mentoring than from a long sentence. |
| custodial sentence | a punishment that involves time in prison | A custodial sentence removes a dangerous person from the community. |
| community service | work for the public benefit, done without wages, given as a penalty | Community service lets an offender repair some of the damage they caused. |
| surveillance | close observation of people or places, often with cameras | Surveillance in train stations has made some travellers feel safer. |
| petty crime | minor offences such as small thefts | Petty crime often rises in areas with few youth facilities. |
| victim | a person harmed by a crime | A victim of fraud may lose confidence in using the internet. |
| law enforcement | the work of police and others in making sure laws are obeyed | Law enforcement agencies need to cooperate across borders to stop cyber crime. |
| crime prevention | actions that stop crime before it happens | Better street lighting is a simple form of crime prevention. |
| tackle the root causes | to deal with the underlying reasons for a problem | Governments should tackle the root causes of crime, such as poor opportunities for young people. |
A worked plan
Question 3: some people think that punishing criminals harshly is the best way to reduce crime. Others believe that rehabilitation is more effective. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Introduction. Paraphrase both views. Opinion: punishment is necessary for serious crime, but rehabilitation reduces repeat offending more effectively for most offenders.
- Body paragraph one (harsh punishment). Reason: severe penalties show that actions have consequences and protect the public while an offender is in prison. Consequence: some people may think twice before committing a serious crime, and victims see justice done. Example: a person who commits a violent attack is no danger to the public while imprisoned.
- Body paragraph two (rehabilitation, with my opinion). Reason: most prisoners are eventually released, and those who leave without skills or support have few lawful options. Consequence: they may return to crime, so the cycle continues. Example: a prisoner who learns a trade such as carpentry has a way to find work, which lowers the chance of reoffending.
- Conclusion. Harsh penalties have a place for the most serious offences, but a sentence that includes rehabilitation does more to protect society in the long run.
How the app marks it
IELTS Mentor AI marks a Task 2 essay on all four criteria, reports a band range for each criterion and adds an Examiner’s Summary. After you answer one of these questions, the Task Response comments are the ones to read first: they show whether your position on crime held from introduction to conclusion and whether each reason had a consequence or an example behind it.
Where this fits
This page is one theme among the commonly reported ones. The general answer, what are common IELTS Writing Task 2 topics, explains why the themes are candidate-reported and not an IELTS list. The shape guides cover how to plan each type of question: agree or disagree, discuss both views, problem and solution, advantages and disadvantages and two-part questions. To see a finished essay at three levels, read a problem and solution essay at Band 6, 7 and 8, and when you have written your own, the essay checker gives you feedback on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is crime a common IELTS Writing Task 2 topic?
IELTS publishes no list of Task 2 topics, so no one outside IELTS can say how often a theme appears. Crime is commonly reported by candidates from practice material, with themes such as punishment, young offenders and prisons. Prepare it as a theme worth knowing, not as a forecast.
What are typical IELTS essay questions about crime?
Practice material commonly reports questions on whether punishment or prevention reduces crime, how young offenders should be treated, whether alternatives to prison work, and the use of cameras. The ten questions below are invented in our own words to show the range and the five shapes.
Do I need legal knowledge to write about crime?
No. IELTS.org describes Task 2 as a point of view, argument or problem to respond to, and the marking criteria ask for a clear position and developed ideas, not legal facts. Reason from how people behave, and avoid statements about real laws or crime figures that you cannot be sure of.
Is it safe to write about harsh punishment?
IELTS publishes nothing that favours a side. Marking depends on how clearly your position is stated and how well your ideas are developed. Choose the view you can support with the most specific reasons and consequences, and use a tone suited to a formal essay.
Practise this with instant AI feedback
Record your answer in the app and get your grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronunciation analysed in seconds.
Paid app: what it costs · billing and refunds · support