Definition of white-collar crime
According to criminologist Edwin Sutherland�these are offenses committed by the "upper, white-collar class, which is composed of respected, business and professional men" (1949).
- Occurs in a legitimate occupational context.
- Motivated by economic gain
Types of deviance against customers (corporate crime)
Deviance against employees: Violence against workers.
Deviance against customers: Unsafe products
Occupational deviance: Committed by individual employees.
Crime committed by professionals
Corporate crime against employees (causes)
Reasons:
- Corporations exist for one sole purpose-to maximize profits.
- Enacting safety measures cuts into productivity and profit.
- Corporate structure�short-term success goals take precedence over long-term gains.
- Publicly traded corporations have
Types of employee theft
Pilfering�petty theft.
Larceny�unauthorized taking of something of value.
Chiseling�cheating or swindling.
Fraud�theft through misrepresentation.
Embezzlement - A form of employee theft specifically referring to the stealing of money.
Occupational deviance
Committed by individual employees.
- One of the principal forms of white-collar crime.
- Includes small business crime, crimes committed by professionals, and crimes committed against employers.
- Usually less costly to victims, however more likely to be
Corruption
Corruption is defined as the use of public power for private gain.
- It is estimated that $1 trillion is paid out annually in bribes alone (World Bank, 2004).
- Victimizes citizens as a whole.
- Weakens legitimacy of governments and confidence in social i
Psychopathy and crimes of power
Are elite criminals psychopaths?
"Those who seek power are invariably the least fit to hold and wield it." Plato
"Power is something a good person will not seek, and a bad person should not have." Chinese Proverb
Robbery
The unlawful taking or attempted taking of property that is in the immediate possession of another by force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear. Both a property crime and a violent crime (crimes against persons).
Two facets of robbery: Amateu
Types of amateur robbers
Opportunist amateur
- Tend to target individuals.
- These targets chosen for easy accessibility and vulnerability-rather than large sums of cash.
- Rarely carry weapons (as crime is often spontaneous and unplanned).
- More likely to operate as a gang comp
Causes of underprivileged deviance
Relative depravation: The discontent people feel when they compare their positions to others and realize that they have less of what they believe themselves to be entitled.
Economic abundance: People become frustrated in times of economic abundance, when
Attributes of organized crime and theories explaining
Explanations for organized crime:
- Social disorganization and criminogenic neighborhoods.
- Shaw and McKay studied patterns of criminality in Chicago in the 1920s-1930s. They found that certain neighborhoods maintained high levels of criminality over tim
Attributes of Organized Crime
Absence of political goals.
Is hierarchical.
Has a limited or exclusive membership.
Constitutes a unique subculture.
Perpetuates itself.
Exhibits a willingness to use violence.
Is monopolistic.
Is governed by rules and regulations.
Boosters and snitches (shoplifting)
Boosters�Professional theft rings who steal items for re-sale. Typically rationally-planned, select goods to later "fence".
Snitches�The majority of shoplifters who steal small value items for personal use. Steal on impulse or if the opportunity presents
Controlled Substances Act and the DEA Drug Schedules (know what they are, you do not have to know the exact substances under each schedule)/classification of drugs (recreational/instrumental)
Drug scheduling was created as part of the Controlled Substances Act (1970). Drugs, substances, and certain chemicals used to make drugs are classified into five distinct categories or schedules depending upon the drug's acceptable medical use and the dru
Heroin
Heroin, crack + lower status linked
Drugs laws in the U.S. (historical)
1914-Harrison Narcotics Act: First federal anti-drug legislation. With a majority of the public's support, the drafter played on racist fears. Required persons dealing in opium, morphine, heroin, cocaine, and derivatives to register and pay a $1 annual ta
Causes of drug use/abuse/addiction
Positivist theories can be biological, psychological, and sociological
- Biological = causes of drug addiction are biological
- Psych = causes of drug use are specific personality traits
- Sociological = drug use stems from social forces
Economic deprivat
Social Dimensions of Drug Use
4 dimensions: 1) extent of use in the US, 2) how US society reacts to drug use, 3) impacts of drug use on AIDS 4) influence of drug use on crime
Strong link between drugs and crime: people who use illegal drugs commit more crime
Myths About Alcohol Abuse
...
Alcoholism
Alcoholism has many definitions.
Four types of problems: 1) excessive drinking over an extended period 2) psychological addiction 3) physical addiction 4) alcohol related problems
Stages of alcoholism: 1) social drinking 2) psychological addiction 3) phys
Social Factors in Drinking
Gender and age: male activity, 4x more likely to be alcoholic
- Male need for dominance and masculinity, more pressure to drink like a man
- Younger women drink more than older women
Racial and ethnic background
- African Americans: less likely to drink m
The effects of pornography�harmful vs. harmless perspectives and empirical evidence
There is First Amendment protection for "indecent pornography." "Obscene pornography" is not protected in the U.S.
The scientific literature is unclear concerning a causal link between pornography and sexual aggression or child-oriented sexual behavior.
F
Miller Standard for Porn
Miller Standard (Miller v. California (1973))�Basic guidelines for jurors:
(1) The material as a whole appeals to lustful ideas or desires,
(2) the material portrays sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and
(3) the work as a whole lacks serious lit
The Subculture of Prostitution
...
Techniques of neutralization
denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of the victim, condemnation of the condemners, appeal to higher loyalties
Types of prostitutes
Streetwalkers
House prostitutes (Brothels)
- May be licensed where legal (e.g., rural Nevada, parts of Australia, Netherlands, Germany).
- Disguised as legitimate business (e.g. massage parlors, spas).
Call girls/Escorts
- Arranged by hotels, taxi drivers
Other participants in Prostitution
Other participants = madam, pimp, customer
Customers are seeking quick/easy sex, untangled sex, variety of sexual experiences. Can be occasional johns or habitual (obsessed with developing a relationship with one prostitute) and compulsive johns (only wan
Theories of Prostitution
Functionalist theory = Davis 1971, there are 2 reasons why prosttution exists. 1) Sexual morality condemns prostitution but brings about prostitution as a social institution 2) prostitution strengthens sexual morality by keeping non-prostitutes pure. Pros
Other Victims of Social Stigma
Transgenderism: Refers to having the characteristics of both sexes
Transexuals: Belong to one sex but feel like members of the opposite sex
Intersexuals (Hermaphrodites): They are simultaneously male and female for being born with organs of both sexes.
Tr
Homophobia (difference between prejudice and discrimination)
Homophobia is defined as negative attitudes (prejudice) toward gays and lesbians and an unjust actions against them (discrimination).
Unfavorable belief�non-heterosexual orientations are "evil or unnatural".
Discrimination�denying employment, denial of ri
Same-Sex Practices among Straights and Bisexuals
Situational bisexuals:
- Are people who engage in same-sex acts in situations where the opportunity presents itself:
- Prison inmates, priests, strip-teasers
- Sometimes they are straight women who find something lacking in their marriage
- Situational le
Fetish v. paraphilia
Fetish specifically refers to a strong sexual preoccupation with an object, material or body part. Fetishism is not in itself recognized as a psychiatric disorder. Usually the focus of a fetish is something not traditionally considered sexual. Colloquiall
Seeking Easy Money Online
Identity theft, online gambling
Requires some computer skill or luck
Online identity theft: stealing credit card numbers or personal info to buy things for free
Phishing: targets individual consumers to provide their personal information
Trojans: hidden p
Cyberdeviance
Internet deviance or cyberdeviance = the commission of a deviant act through the use of a computer. 2 types:
1) disrupting a computer network as a target, such as hacking and cyberterrorism
2) using the computer as a tool to commit deviant acts like ident
Searching for Cybersex
Cybersex involves people who:
- Place and answer ads for sex on the Internet or by entering an online chat room
- Trade pornographic pictures/steamy conversation/masturbation
- Sometimes meet up with each and have sex
- Are White Male college educated men
Types of hackers
White Hat - Good guys. Report hacks/vulnerabilities to appropriate people.
Black Hat - Only interested in personal goals, regardless of impact.
Gray Hat - Somewhere in between.
Script Kiddies
Someone that calls themselves a hacker but really is not (relie
Cyberterrorism vs. Cyberwarfare
Cyberwarfare:
Using the internet to attack a country's computers in order to do damage. Instead of using bullets and bombs, computer viruses are used. Warfare is conducted remotely.
Cyberterrorism:
Use of internet-based attacks in terrorist activities. FB
Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking refers to a pattern of threatening or malicious behaviors. Cyberstalking may be considered the most dangerous of the three types of internet harassment, based on a posing credible threat of harm.
Burglary
The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft.
Characteristics:
- Compared to robbery, which is often a crime of opportunity, buglers are more rational and calculating.
- Most burglars commit their crimes when homes are empty-during the
The Sports Ethic and Deviance
It is argued that much deviance among athletes involves excessive overconformity to the norms and values embodied in sport itself. ... Living in conformity to the sport ethic is likely to set one apart as a "real athlete," but it creates a clear-cut vulne