types of crime, crime vocab , defining crime

I. Crimes are categorized by type and seriousness:
1Violent Crime - murder, sexual assault, assault, battery, robbery

2.Property Crime - larceny, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson

3.Public Order Crime - considered "victimless crimes"; behavior that has been labeled criminal because it is contrary to shared social values, customs, and norms (public drunkenness, prostitution, gambling, illegal drug use)

4.White-Collar Crime - "business-related crimes"/nonviolent crimes committed by legal business entities or individuals to gain a personal or business advantage (tax evasion, insurance fraud, embezzlement)

5.Organized Crime - large-scale illegal organizations involved in illegal business operations (illegal gambling, prostitution, narcotics, human trafficking), which typically use extortion (violence or threats of violence) in carrying out its operations. 

6.Cyber Crime - crimes committed in the virtual community of the Internet (identity theft, hacking, cyber stalking, malware production)

II. CRIME VOCAB

  1. Crime:  an act that violates criminal law and is punishable by criminal sanctions

  1. Morals:  principles of right and wrong behavior, as practiced by individuals or by society

  1. Murder:  the unlawful killing of one human being by another

  1. Sexual Assault:  forced or coerced sexual intercourse or other sexual acts

  2. Assault:  a threat or attempt to do violence to another person that causes that person to fear immediate physical harm

  1. Battery:  the act of physically contacting another person with the intent to do harm, even if the resulting injury is insubstantial

  2. Robbery:  the act of taking property from another person through force, threat of force, or intimidation

  3. Larceny:  the act of taking property from another person without the use of force with the intent of keeping that property

  4. Burglary:  the act of breaking into or entering a structure (such as a home or office) without permission for the purpose of committing a felony 

III. The two most common models for determining which acts are criminal:

  • Consensus Model  - based on the assumption that there is a general agreement among the majority of citizens about what is right and what is wrong; if most people share the same values and beliefs, then they will agree on what is harmful to society

 

  • Conflict Model - based on the premise that in a diverse society, different groups have conflicting ideas about what is right and what is wrong, and it is the most powerful groups that determine what is criminal; economic, political, and social power have the most influence, and their values are imposed on the rest of society.