Criminology
Exam Resources
,1.1: Types of Crime
Assessment Criteria: Analyse different types of crime. (Explain the crimes in detail.)
Must include:
Definition Awareness
Examples Statistics/case studies
Victims/offenders Criminal/deviant?
WHITE COLLAR C RIME :
Sutherland (1949) defines white collar crime as “crime committed by a person of respectability and high
social class in the course of his occupation”. He used this term to raise awareness that crime is not only
committed by those in the working class.
White collar crime is typically done for financial gain, so they tend to be non-violent.
For example, there are organised, corporate and professional white-collar crimes which are all committed
for money.
The offender is typically a white, middle-class male or someone who is powerful and has a high social
status e.g., politicians or business executives.
The UK loses around £190 billion per year to fraud and white-collar crime.
The typical victims are contractors aged 40-60 or those with funds to invest in financial schemes.
This crime has a low level of awareness because there is a lack of media interest and coverage due to
several reasons such as the offender, who has a high social status, can cover up their crime from the
media due to bribery being involved. Furthermore, white collar crimes are complex and difficult to prove
due to high status of the criminal which lessens suspicion.
All white-collar crimes are criminal and deviant however their deviance relies of public awareness of the
type of white-collar crime as most of them go unreported and are quite complex.
Example: Bernie Madoff
- A money manager responsible for one of the largest financial frauds in modern day history.
- Tens of billions of dollars were stolen from thousands of investors by his Ponzi scheme.
- He was swindling money until 2009 when he was sentenced to 150 years in prison and forced to pay up $170
billion as restitution for committing fraud.
ORGANISED CRIME :
Organised crimes are criminal activities which are planned and controlled by large, powerful groups on a
large scale. They are typically done for financial gain however trafficking, drugs and prostitution is also
involved in their illegal activities.
Organised crime has a high level of awareness as many people are involved or fall victim to their offences.
This falls under the media’s interest so officials are also aware that this is a large-scale problem.
For example, the Italian or American mafia consist of many criminal gangs who are usually related by family.
They tend to have a strict hierarchy such as the ‘boss’ who controls all illegal businesses and ‘soldiers’ who
commit the crimes. They are not close together due to staying out of each other’s way. They commit crimes
such as extortion, drug dealing and illegal gambling.
Another example is the Yakuza, the Japanese crime group that is the largest in the world as it has
approximately 60,000 members made up of 22 families. They can be identified through their tattoos. Their
crimes involve nightclubs, gambling pits and heroin & opium dealing, and human trafficking.
This is both criminal and deviant as it also violates social norms.
C ORPORATE CRIME
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, This refers to crimes that are committed by a corporation or by individuals who are doing so on behalf of
other businesses.
Typical offenders are powerful and people with a high social status like politicians and business executives
who are trusted by their victims.
Victims can range from anyone from workers to customers who trust businesses.
Some examples include paperwork and non-compliance, environmental crimes, and manufacturing
offences.
There have been some serious cases of corporate crime such as the Thalidomide case which was a drug
that was given to pregnant women in 1950 and resulted in 10,000 infants being born with deformed limbs.
There is a low level of public awareness due to limited media coverage and under-reported cases. Victims
tend to believe that their report will not be taken seriously as the police cannot manage such complex
cases involving such important people.
Example – Nicholas Levene
- At an early age, he decided to drop out of school to join the London Stock Exchange and went on to become a
former stockbroker and vice chairman at a football club.
- Between 2005 and 2009, he swindled £250 million and more from investors. His estimated wealth is £15 to
£20 million.
- He conned people to believe he was a successful trader, but he was a gambler – a classical Ponzi scheme used
to make money.
- He was later caught by his clients (restaurant owners, company founders, firm owners etc) and soon after
went bankrupt in 2009.
Corporate crime is both criminal and deviant.
INDIVIDUAL CRIME :
D OMESTIC ABUSE:
Domestic abuse is abuse against a partner or family member that happens within the home, often in
secret. This may involve threats, violence or verbal and physical abuse.
Some examples include assault, murder, torture and controlling behaviour.
Victims of domestic abuse tend to be women in their 20’s for 90% of reported cases however men are also
victims, only less frequently.
Offenders are typically males who ensure that their victim does not speak out about their hidden crimes.
Statistics show that 75% of victims of abuse resulted in physical injury and mental health problems. They
also show how 1 in 4 men think that hitting a nagging woman is okay.
There is a low level of public awareness, despite publicity for awareness, due to lack of reports and the
public ignoring this type of crime as it is considered a personal problem. However, the police are trained
to take such crimes seriously, especially if the victim is a woman.
Domestic abuse is both criminal and deviant, especially hitting a woman or a child is negative in most
cultures and societies.
Example – Ali Blake
- Ali Blake met with her significant other in 2014 after her friends introduced them to each other.
- Soon after, her friends and family suspected and had doubts about her fiancée however she chose to marry
him and later faced the consequences of manipulation and controlling behaviour.
- Throughout this, she was in denial and soon after this verbal abuse turned into physical abuse after she
questioned him about drug use in the home.
- He became manipulative, apologising enough to keep her close to him after he changed. He later was close to
killing her when he stamped on her ribs and spinal cord which became permanently damaged.
- He was charged with abuse by Ali Blake who was diagnosed with PTSD and a permanent disability.
H ATE C RIME :
A hate crime is a crime that is perceived by the victim, or the witnesses as being motivated by prejudice
against the person’s race, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or if they are transgender.
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