Ch 5 Summary!
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"Certain actions are forbidden by the criminal code, and violators must receive the
specified penalties. Depending on what law enforcement officials consider to be criminal
behavior, the definition of criminality varies in practice. Researchers have looked for more
trustworthy ways to monitor criminal activity. Victimization surveys and self-report studies both
yield insightful information that is utilized to support the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. !
"A few examples of violent personal crimes are assault, robbery, and numerous
homicides. Typically, robberies happen between strangers, while murders happen between
friends or family. Property crimes on occasion include shoplifting, check fraud, and vandalism.
Offenders are frequently uneducated and unlikely to have a history of crime. White-collar
crimes are those committed by those who breach the law while conducting regular business.
They cover offenses including insider trading in the securities sector, fraud (including computer
crimes), and embezzlement. Occupational criminals typically think of themselves as
respectable citizens and present a decent image. Corporate crimes cover a wide range of
criminal business actions, including fraud against pension funds, insider trading, illegal hiring
practices, and the like. Controlling such crimes is really difficult. Prostitution, intoxication,
vagrancy, and other similar behaviors are public-order infractions. Because they only harm the
offender, they are frequently referred to as victimless crimes.!
"A system known as organized crime is one in which illicit operations are carried out as
part of a strategic plan created by a sizable organization for financial gain. The main source of
income is the public provision of unlawful goods and services. Robberies, burglaries, and other
crimes are committed routinely by conventional criminals as a way of life. These criminals
typically start out as members of youth gangs before evolving into professionals who are
committed to a life of crime and are rarely apprehended. Blackmailers, check forgers, and
safecrackers are some of them. Cybercrime, particularly identity theft, is a more and more
prevalent type of traditional crime. Hate crimes are offenses where the offender purposefully
chooses a victim based on that person's real or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity,
gender, disability, or sexual orientation. They are frequently committed by children acting on
feelings that have been socialized into them by adults. !
"Many different reasons for the occurrence and causes of crime have been put forth. A
few of these are biological reasons, demographic variables, such as age and gender, and
sociological justifications based on conflict theory, functionalism, and interactionism.
Inequalities in money, status, and power are viewed by conflict approaches to the study of
crime as the fundamental factors that give rise to criminal behavior. The reason why black
people are overrepresented in official crime statistics is believed to be due to these inequities.
Racial profiling is a related issue in which law enforcement officials are more likely to conduct
searches, make arrests, and take other actions against black persons than other races. !
"The anomie theory, which holds that crime results from an imbalance between
authorized aims and the means of fulfilling them, forms the basis of the functionalist
explanation of crime. Differential association, which holds that criminal behavior is acquired
from family and peers, and ideas concerning the genesis and nature of delinquent subcultures
are examples of interactionist explanations.!
"The four main approaches to crime control are punishment-deterrence, rehabilitation,
prevention, and criminal-justice system reform. Retribution-deterrence aims to stop future
crimes by punishing the offender and discouraging others from committing the same ones.
Work release is the most effective type of rehabilitation since it is based on the principle of
curing offenders. Parole, probation, training facilities, and other experimental programs are
some of the initiatives to reduce crime and delinquency.!
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