|
CRIME
|
|
|
|
CRIMINOLOGY
|
|
|
A
sub-discipline of sociology. The study of why people commit
crimes, and when is an act labelled a crime.
|
|
CRIMINAL
JUSTICE
|
|
|
The
study of what to do with people once they have been convicted of
crimes. Stakeholders from the criminal justice system
include police, judges, lawyers, paralegals, correctional officers,
etc... |
|
TYPES
OF CRIMES
|
|
|
There
are several typologies (or categorizations) of crimes. Here is one
typology with the list of types of crimes.
 |
Professional
crime: when crime is pursued as a career, a day to day occupation |
|
Organized
crime: groups which regulate relations between various criminal
enterprises, e.g. smuggling & sale of drugs, prostitution,
gambling, money laundering and other illegal activities; it is
secret and conspiratorial |
|
White-collar
crime or index crimes (individuals and businesses): illegal acts
committed in the course of business activities, e.g. individual –
income tax evasion, stock manipulation, consumer fraud, bribery
& extraction of kick backs, embezzlement, misrepresentation in
advertising, corporation – anticompetitive behaviour,
environmental pollution, tax fraud, stock fraud & manipulation,
production of unsafe goods, bribery & corruption, worker health
& safety violations |
|
Technology-based
or computer crime |
|
Victimless
crime: willing exchange among adults of desired but illegal goods
and services, supposedly no victim other than the offender |
|
|
OR
|
|
1)
Blue collar (otherwise known as crimes in the streets):
tends to be criminal law (individual’s moral responsibility to
society), easier to detect, values of US influenced by dominant groups
& institutions so public’s attention is directed towards crimes
committed by those in subordinate groups, people more afraid of these
crimes, more sensational crimes, pressure on police due to fear
|
|
|
|
Types
of blue collar crime:
|
|
1.1)
Juvenile
|
|
1.2)
Crimes against the person: involves violence or the threat of
violence against others, violent including homicide and
non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated
assault; |
|
1.3)
Crimes against property: involve theft of goods belonging to others,
including burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson; |
|
1.4)
Victimless crime: violation of laws in which there are no readily
apparent victims, a misnomer, including prostitution, gambling and
drug abuse; |
|
|
2)
White collar crime (otherwise known as crime in suits):
also known as business/economic and political crime, tends to be civil
law (regulates economic affairs between private parties), crimes
committed by people of high social position in the course of their
occupations, rarely involve violence, involve significant public harm,
victimizes everyone and no one, economic costs spread over large
population; estimate of cost: 200 billion, 14 x cost of
street crime
|
|
|
|
Types
of white collar crime: |
|
2.1)
Workplace crime: crimes against employers by employees for
individual gain |
|
occupational
crime: an individual or group’s illegal use of their professional
position to secure something of value, found at all levels of the
labour force, e.g. fraud; |
|
2.2)
Organizational crime: decision-makers of a corporation or government
engage in illegal activity for corporate or organizational advantage
as opposed to personal gain, terrorism, selling products which are
known to be unsafe or defective |
|
2.3)
Strategic bankruptcy: company is successfully sued, declares
bankruptcy and thus avoids having to pay up and co. is then
reorganized into new co. which is clear of personal/co. liabilities
(US legal system tends to protect organizations & private
property against acts of individuals rather than protecting
individuals and nation from organizations; |
|
2.4)
Patriotic crime: crimes committed in the name of achieving important
national goals, actions taken outside legitimate channels, e.g.
violation of international law, "protecting" national
security, undeclared warfare, false imprisonment, failure to
regulate pollution, tax laws |
Newest
category of crimes:
|
Hate
crimes: criminal act motivated by racial or other bias such as
religion, ancestry, sexual orientation or physical disability |
|
Computer
crimes |
|
|
Crime
statistics
|
|
|
-
FBI’s
Uniform Crime reports: arrest and conviction rates are far higher
for minorities
-
Victimization
surveys
-
FBI’s
crime index: includes street crime, e.g. homicide, rape,
robbery, assault, larceny, burglary, & auto theft –crimes
committed by low socioeconomic status people and with clear and
identifiable victims
|
|
Types
of violence: another way of viewing deviance and crime
|
|
|
|
physical
– most visible; |
|
psychological; |
|
structural
– societal institutions violence against people; |
|
cultural
– against a group of people; |
|
ecological
– against the environment |
|
|
Media
and crime
|
|
|
|
Most
people get their information from TV and thus info on crime |
|
Reinforce
stereotypes |
|
Equate
deviance and crime |
|