CRIM12: Ch. 10-15

men are victims to?

strangers

women and children are victims to?

acquaintances

interpersonal violence

the threat, attempt, or actual use of physical force by one or more persons that results in physical or nonphysical harm to one or more other persons

what crime is more likely to become known to the police

homicide

what UCR classification is homicide

part I

first-degree murder

malice aforethought

second-degree murder

intent was serious bodily harm short of murder- resulted in death anyway

manslaughter

killing considered less serious or blameworthy

voluntary manslaughter

committed out of intense emotion (anger/fear)

involuntary manslaughter

committed because of acting recklessly (shaking baby, car accident)

aggravated assault

unlawful attack by one person upon another for purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury - use of weapon or other means likely to produce death or great bodily harm (some states your fist is a weapon)

simple assault

no weapon, no serious or aggravated injury to victim

percentage of homicide offenders/victims that are african-american

half (about 13% of population)

is homicide interracial or intraracial?

intraracial

percentage of male homicide victims/offenders

89% (about 50% of population)

age overlap of young people

45%- 14% of population

where, geographically, is crime likely to occur

large cities, the south, U.S.

percentage killed by someone they knew

79%

percentage of unknown relationship

44%

firearms are used in what fraction of homicides

two-thirds 2/3

handguns are used in what fraction of homicides

half 1/2

what are the typical circumstances of a homicide

spontaneous event, when an argument gets out of hand

are homicides increasing or decreasing from 1993

decreasing

the u.s. has the highest rate of homicide among the world's industrialized nations

true

2015: 13k+ homicides

as low as early 1960s

when did homicides begin to rise again

post-1985

who did homicides rise by/against post 1985

young urban males

when did homicide drop again

1993- has been declining since

does the drop in 1993 match overall crime

yes- fewer young people, fewer gang wars over drugs, however- rising incarceration, also improved emergency care

is aggravated assault similar to homicide in the dynamics and geographic patterns

yes

fraction of aggravated assaults that include a weapon

one-fourth 1/4

why does u.s. have a higher homicide rate?

inequality, high handgun ownership rates

why are u.s. homicides and aggravated assaults more common in urban areas?

social disorganization (anomie and strain)

why do men commit almost all homicides and aggravated assaults?

gender differences, poverty

why do non-whites have high rates of homicide and aggravated assault

anger/frustration, social disorganization, negative experiences, deviant peers

in 2016, how many people experienced nonfatal workplace violence?

16,890- 70% were healthcare and social assistance industry

in 2016, how many people were killed from workplace violence?

500- 82% were male

1966-2018, how many people died from mass shootings in the u.s.?

1,077 people

2000-2010, how many people died in all firearm-related homicides

131,000

how many guns do americans own

over 300,000,000

what fraction of guns owned by americans are handguns?

one-third 1/3

what percentage of households can you find guns in?

43%

property criminals are generally...

poor, do it to improve financial status, cause less financial loss, injury, death, than white-collar crime

property amount stolen each year

$16 billion

burglary

unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft

larceny-theft

unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another- involves stealth but not force or deception

larceny-theft includes:

shoplifting, pickpocketing, theft from cars, etc. (NOT fraud or embezzlement)

motor vehicle theft

the attempted or completed theft of a motor vehicle

arson

any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

forgery/counterfeiting

making, altering, uttering, or possessing with intent to defraud, anything false in the semblance of the which is true

fraud

obtaining money or property by false pretenses

fencing

buying, receiving, and possessing stolen property

embezzlement

the misappropriation or misapplication of money or property entrusted to one's care, custody, or control

in 2019, ucr and ncvs reports on property crime

ucr- 7 million, ncvs- nearly 13 million

ncvs likeliness for a household to suffer at least one burglary over a 20-yr period

72%

when did property crime begin to decline

early 1990s

why did property crime begin declining

target hardening, changes in behavior/habits, demographic changes

where is property crime highest?

the south, urban areas

where is property crime lowest

new england, rural areas

property crime offenders are typically...

young (under 25), male, white

professional thieves...

older/more skilled, plan carefully, learn from others

amateur (opportunistic) thieves are...

most of the offenders, often young, unskilled, gain small profits

what are the two parts of burglary support system

tipsters and fences

what do tipsters do

let burglars know about safe, attractive targets (not just the criminal world... attorneys, repair persons, police, bartenders- help middle-range and high level)

what do fences do

dispose of stolen property by selling stolen goods to a cutsomer

in 2019, how much did victims of property crime lose

$15.8 billion (avg. lost over $2k)

psychological costs of property crime

-violation of privacy
-1/3 report depression, loss of sleep
-females living alone report fear

burglary costs/circumstances

-more likely to happen during the day
-victimization more likely for poorer households
-1/2 are reported to police (depends on amount lost)

larceny cost

$5.9 billion

motor vehicle theft costs

$6.4 billion

cultural explanation of property crime

we want more
-rich was more because they cannot have enough
-poor want more because they do not have the american dream
-things = status

differential opportunity

social class affects how you commit property crime (poor do not commit corporate fraud, rich do not rob houses)

techniques of neutralization

-rationalizing illegal behavior (store ripping me off, everyone else does it, the business has insurance)
-fencing

routine activities and social process factors

certain lifestyles put you more at risk (empty home, hot outside, unemployment, criminal peers)

can committing property crime be a thrill

yes! both the act itself and the property you acquire

percentage of HS seniors who reported shoplifting in past year

25%

shoplifting

$13 billion stolen annually, 225-300 million incidents/year

justifications for shoplifting

-overcharging
-lines too long
-store won't miss it
-treated poorly
-everyone does it

why is shoplifting so common

exciting, peer pressure, routine activities (large stores, motivated teens, nice stuff)

how do we prevent property crime

cj system (harsher sentences/punishments)
situational prevention (camera surveillance, improves lighting)

situational prevention- target hardening (individual level)

make property less vulnerable to theft, be at home, have a dog

situational prevention- community prevention (community level)

focus on streets (street lights, cameras, reconfiguring physical space)
neighborhood watch

identity theft

acquiring someone else's credit card number, SSN, bank account info, then using for illegal economic gain

cost of identity theft

$56 billion, 9+ million Americans victims annually

tax fraud (tax evasion)

intentional failure to pay all taxes owed

cost of tax fraud

$1 trillion/year estimated

how is tax fraud often committed

self-employment, false deductions, hiding assets offshore

cost of insurance fraud

$100-400 billion annually

how much does insurance fraud raise a household's insurance premium

over $1000/year

auto insurance fraud

paper accidents (false reports), minor accidents, staged accidents, exaggerated injuries, staged theft, staged injuries

who coined "white-collar crime"

edwin sutherland

white-collar crime definition- according to edwin sutherland

a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation
- does not include blue collar, excludes crime outside of work

occupational crime

crime committed by individuals in the course of their occupation for personal gain

corporate crime

committed by corporations for corporations' financial gain

organizational crime

crime done by organizations on behalf of organizations, some corporations. but also some small businesses, including blue-collar business

pilferage

theft of merchandise, tools, stationary, and other items

embezzlement

theft of cash and the misappropriation or misuse of funds

cost of employee theft

$15 billion/year

professional fraud

physicians, lawyers, and other professionals- easy to commit- "how do I know what something costs?"

health care fraud costs

estimated $68-230 billion/year