Chapter 2: Crime and Crime Causation

Types of Crimes

Classifies crimes by the nature of the act

Visible Crime

Offense against persons or property, committed by mostly lower class

Occupational Crime

Crimes committed in the context of a legal business or profession

Organized Crime

Framework within which illegal services are provided

Victimless Crime

Willing and private exchange of goods or services that are illegal

Political Crime

Criminal acts by or against the government for ideological purposes

Cyber Crime

Use of computers and the internet to commit acts against people, property, public order, or morality

Felony

Serious charges with death penalty or minimum sentence of a year or more

Misdemeanor

Minimum sentence is less than a year

Violent Crimes

Acts against people resulting in death or physical injury

Property Crimes

Acts that threaten property held by individuals or the state

Public Order Crimes

Acts that threaten society and challenge moral principles

Money Laundering

Moving proceeds of criminal activities through businesses, banks, and brokerage accounts to disguise their origin

Dark Figure of Crime

Crimes that are never reported to the police

Uniform Crime Reports

Statistical summary of crimes reported to police

National Incident-Based Reporting System

Reporting system where police report all crimes committed during an incident

National Crime Victimization Surveys

Self-reported measure of criminal behavior through surveys

Classical Criminology

Views behavior as stemming from free will and demands responsibility and accountability

Neoclassical Criminology

Crime may result from rational choice and factors like severity of punishment

Positivist Criminology

Views behavior as stemming from social, biological, and psychological factors

Biological Explanations

Explanations of crime that emphasize physiological and neurological factors

Psychological Explanations

Explanations of crime that emphasize mental processes and behavior

Sociological Explanations

Explanations of crime that focus on social factors and social class

Social Structure Theories

Explain criminal behavior as a result of social class and structure

Social Process Theories

Explain criminal behavior as a result of social interactions and learning

Critical Theories

Theories that view criminal law and the system as a means of controlling certain groups

Life Course Theories

Explain factors that shape criminal careers and why individuals start and stop committing crimes

Integrated Theories

Combine different theoretical perspectives into a larger theory

Women and Crime

Women commit crime less often than men, but theories must explain why and why they commit different types of crime