Upbringing – The environment a child lives in, and the instructions they receive, while they are growing up

Note: This can be a cause of crime.

To remember the meaning of the term Upbringing, use the following mnemonic:

As you grow up, you're bringing (upbringing) with you everything from your past.

Religions generally place great emphasis on the value of family life. Christians, Jews, Muslims and many others believe that a loving family unit in which members respect and help each other is the ideal environment for parents, children and sometimes grandparents and other relatives who live in the same home.

However, over past decades a recognition has dawned that it is just as important to celebrate units outside what used to be the norm of mum, dad, children and perhaps a member or two of the extended family.

Single mothers, single fathers and members of the LGBTQ+ community must also be celebrated as units in which children are successfully reared.

There is greater recognition now that successful upbringings are not always the result of traditional family experiences, but simply the product of caring and loving relationships within diverse units, from a single mum or dad to a community of gay people.

There is also the point that traditional families are just as likely to be dysfunctional as other types of unit. Most people are capable of producing children, but lessons in bringing them up are learned as the children are growing, and it is far from a precise science.

Background is often cited in court as a reason, or a contributory factor, for someone having committed a crime. This should not affect a verdict, but it will normally be taken into account when sentence is passed. A person who, for instance, has been subject to violence or deprivations as they were growing up might get a more lenient sentence for an act of violence or theft.

Many religions teach that people from poor and difficult backgrounds should receive help, and that everyone – no matter their upbringing – can join the religion. However, while the principle that everyone is equal in the sight of God is great in theory, it often does not work like that in practice, and those from poorer or even just "different" backgrounds are often discriminated against.