CRIME

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CRIME!
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What is Crime?

• Some would say any behavior that is
  fundamentally wrong and deserving of punishment
• (natural definition of crime)
• But legally a crime is an act that violates the
  law, committed with culpability and without
  defense or justification
• (legal definition of crime)

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Elements of Crime

• 1) an act
• 2) violates the law
• 3) committed with culpability
• 4) without defense or justification

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Elements of Crime

• 1) an act
• Includes
• acting or behaving -- e.g.?
• NOT acting or behaving -- e.g.?
• ATTEMPTING to act or behave -- e.g.?
• AGREEING to act or behave -- e.g.?

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Elements of Crime

• 2) violates the law
• Specifics
• must violate the criminal law
• law must be codified before the crime occurs (no
  ex post facto laws)
• ANYTHING can be a crime
• NOTHING is automatically a crime

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Elements of Crime

• 3) committed with culpability
• (meriting condemnation or blame especially as
  wrong or harmful)
• Includes acts done
• Intentionally -- committed on purpose
• Negligently -- committed as a result of failing
  to meet expectations
• Recklessly -- committed without due regard for
  human life or property
• Knowingly -- committed with knowledge

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Elements of Crime

• 4) without defense or justification
• Examples
• Duress
• Self-defense
• Necessity
• Entrapment
• Immaturity
• Insanity
• Involuntary intoxication

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Types of Crime

• There are lots of ways to categorize crimes
• Well use
• Street crime
• White-collar deviance

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Street Crime

• Street crime are those acts committed on the
  streets of America
• These acts are viewed as most serious crimes
• What does serious mean?
• Serious means the act is very harmful, it
  frequently occurs, and is widespread across the
  country

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Street Crime

• Defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigations
  (FBI) in its Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)
• UCR contains PART I and PART II offenses
• PART I are more serious and PART II are less
  serious
• So, what can we say about PART I v. PART II
  crimes?

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PART I Street Crimes

• Homicide
• Forcible rape
• Robbery
• Aggravated assault
• Burglary
• Theft
• Motor vehicle theft
• Arson
• Compare this with PART II offenses

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White-Collar Deviance

• Term comes from Simon and Hagan (1999)
• Includes criminal acts committed by and against
  corporations, governments, wealthy individuals
• Also includes unethical acts, civil and
  regulatory violations, and other harms committed
  with culpability
• examples?
• Ford/Firestone, Big Tobacco ...

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White-Collar Deviance

• ENRON, WorldCom, TYCO, Arthur Anderson, etc ...

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White-Collar Deviance

• Other examples
• Lost or unaccounted for money in government
• Corporate welfare
• Congressional PORK
• Defective products, dangerous working conditions
• WHICH DO YOU THINK IS ACTUALLY MORE SERIOUS?

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Facts of Crime
Do the so-called facts of crime hold up for
white-collar deviance?

• Males
• 15-25 year olds
• Unmarried
• Large city residents
• Residential mobility
• Weakly attached to school

• Low school/work aspirations
• School problems
• Weakly attached to parents
• Friends with criminals
• Dont believe in law
• Poor