How Does Teaching About the
Death Penalty Differ in the US and Europe

The topic of capital punishment is one of the most debatable topics in the entire world. Especially between the United States of America and Europe. As they have entirely opposing ideologies when it comes to capital punishment. Capital punishment is a legal penalty in 27 states of the US. While it has been abolished completely from all European countries, apart from Belarus and Russia, the latter of which has a moratorium.

As Albert Camus once said, “Capital punishment is the most premeditated of murders.” After the Derek Bentley case, the European countries had a sudden realization of the demerits of the death penalty. And from then on has held a strong ideology of abolishing capital punishment.

Due to their opposing views on the death penalty, the education system also has a varying approaches to teaching the topic of capital punishment to students. While it may take the approach of convincing the public in the US, it takes the approach to solidify the beliefs in Europe.





Differing Teaching Ideologies for Capital Punishment

As stated above, 27 states of the United States have a different view on the topic of the death penalty than Europe. “Different” would be a light statement. They have entirely opposite views, which can and are represented by their approach to the topic in the classroom.

Below are a few sectors where education might have a varying impact and result on the topic of capital punishment.


Approaches:

American teaching strategies can be of both polarities. Some may wish to provide arguments for capital punishment. While others may choose to stand against it. The target is to either convince the general mass to abolish the punishment. Or to reinstate it. Whereas Europeans have a firm belief in opposing the death penalty. And therefore they only educate their mass in order to further solidify their beliefs on said opinion. Therefore, their approach is a clear indication of their ulterior motive.


Goals:

As Americans may have varying perspectives on the topic of capital punishment, their personal beliefs do play a role in educating the mass. While some believe that the reinstation of the death penalty may reduce the crime rate. The other group acknowledges the cruelty and tries to raise awareness against it. On the other hand, the goal of the Europeans is straightforward. They wish to abolish the death penalty in all parts of the globe. Hence, their teaching approach will revolve around the idea of the negativity of capital punishment.


Methodologies:

As each perspective differs, so will the nature and direction of the methodologies to educate the general mass. Each ideology tries to get as many people to support it as possible. Therefore, this convincing may come in the form of lessons, assignments, or essays. This can help stimulate his mind to the ideology best suited to his belief. However, with compliance with human rights, it’s more humane to abolish capital punishment as a whole. There is no valid scientific evidence to support that it deters crime more effectively than other punishments.





Only a couple of distinctions have been discussed above. There may be several slighter connotations that may indicate a firm belief in either the support or opposition of the death penalty in the teaching approach.


The European Union’s Efforts to Thwart the Death Penalty

After the Derek Bentley case, the European countries have grasped the full extent of capital punishment. Where a mentally challenged 18-year-old boy was wrongfully charged with a crime that he did not commit. But yet he got the death penalty as it was lawful back then.

After which the reform slowly started to take shape and continues to this day. The European Union employs several steps to stand against the death penalty. The following are some of these steps, but it is not limited to these few only.


EU Steps to Oppose the Death Penalty:

1. The European Union has prohibited all trade in goods that have the possibility of being used with the motive to either torture or execute a human being.
2. The trade policy employed by the European Union encourages compliance with human rights.
3. The EU's trade strategy is also employed to convince countries to uphold their obligations under international human rights law. The GSP+ system gives countries that ratify and uphold a number of international agreements preferential status in trade negotiations.
4. All of the countries in the European Union have abolished the death penalty. This has been done in line with the European Convention on Human Rights.
5. Civil society organizations in countries where the death sentence is used are supported by the European Union as it provides a degree of assistance to them in order to raise awareness, monitor, and document the situation.
6. The European Union is a permanent observer in the United Nations. And it is a vocal supporter of any and all measures that may assist in the mission to end the death penalty all over the globe.
7. In addition to these steps, the European Parliament passes resolutions and has discussions denouncing the behavior of nations that continue to utilize the death penalty.
8. In conjunction with the Council of Europe, the EU has encouraged Belarus to abolish the death penalty and join the vast majority of states that have done so for good.

Conclusion

Given how conflicting the views are among the US and Europe on the topic of the death penalty, it is only natural for them to represent their ideals and beliefs in their education.

And as there are mixed views on the topic of the death penalty among most Americans, their personal opinions would also come into play during the lessons. As 23 states have abolished the death penalty, their approach may be in line with Europe. While the other states might not directly comply with such an ideology.