Ch 9. Crime Flashcards
behaviour that violates the criminal law and is punishable by fine, jail term or other negative sanction
Crime
Summary Convictions vs Indictable Convictions
Summary Convictions: relatively minor crimes that are punishable by a fine or less than a year in jail.
Indictable Offenses:
serious crimes, such as murder or aggravated assault, that are punishable by more than a year’s imprisonment.
reported crime substantiated by police investigation. collects crime/traffic statistics reported by all police agencies in Canada
Only reflects crimes that are reported, the actual crimes committed are substantially higher.
Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
Dark Figure of Crime
Unreported/Unknown Category of Crimes
Victimization reports (3)
from the General Social Survey indicates more crimes are committed than reported (not official data).
- Responses may be based on recall
- Respondents may not be truthful
- Workplace crimes are not included
Media and Crime (2)
Much of what we “know” about crime comes from the media
Media sources often act as claims-makers about crime
7 Types of Crime
- Violent Crime
- Hate Crime
- Property Crime
- Occupational Crime
- Corporate Crime
- Organized Crime
- Youth Crime
Moral Panics
are based on perceptions, rather than on the alleged reality of a problem
actions involving force or threat of force against others
Violent Crime
Homicide: Mass Murder and Serial Murder (under violent crime)
Mass Murder: 4+ people
Serial Murder: 3+ people in a month
an act of violence in which sex is used as a weapon against a powerless victim. (3 levels from touching to aggravated assault, including date rape)
Sexual Assault (under violent crime)
Sexual Offences 3 levels
Level 1: An assault committed in circumstances of a sexual nature such that the sexual integrity of the victim is violated. Level 1 involves minor physical injuries or no injuries to the victim. (98%)
Level 2: Sexual assault with a weapon, threats, or causing bodily harm.
Level 3: Sexual assault that results in wounding, maiming, disfiguring or endangering the life of the victim.
crimes motivated by the offender’s hatred of certain characteristics of the victim (upward trend against black, east Asian, and Southeast Asian people)
(race, ethnicity, national/ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, mental/physical disability
Hate Crime
Taking of money/property from another without force, the threat of force, or the destruction of property.
- theft $5000 & under (most reported)
- Auto theft
- shoplifting ($1 billion losses)
- identity theft (collecting)/identity fraud (using)
Property Crime
the taking of money or property from another without force or threat of force has declined, but…
…breaking and entering is serious because of possible confrontation
illegal activities committed by people in the course of their employment or normal business activity.
(Fraud, Bribery, money laundering, embezzlement, insider trading)
Occupational (white-collar) Crime
illegal acts committed by corporate employees on behalf of the corporation and with its support, e.g., selling defective products, pollution, and obstructing justice
(Pollution, manufacturing defective products, deceptive advertising, copyrights, unlawful labour practices, financial fraud)
Corporate crime
business operation that supplies illegal goods and services.
(drug trafficking, prostitution, gambling, loan sharking, money laundering, controlling labour markets, large-scale theft)
Organized crime
involves a violation of law or the commission of a status offense by a young person 12-17 years of age.
- Property crime is the most common type of offense
- Assaults are rare but do occur
- Serious offenses are also rare but receive a lot of public attention
Youth Crime
Durkheim’s Perspective (functionalist)
Crime is a normal part of society and has it’s functions in society
Merton’s Strain Theory (functionalist)
People who do not have legitimate means to an approved goal (e.g., wealth) use illegitimate means (e.g., crime).
Social Control Theory (functionalist)
“Why do people not engage in deviant behaviour?” People are constantly pulled/pushed toward deviant behaviour.
Reasons that people don’t commit crime (social control theory, functionalist) (4)
Social bonds:
- Attachment to other people
- Commitment to conformity
- Involvement in conventional activities
- Beliefs in the legitimacy of conventional values/norms
Subculture of Violence (functionalist)
violence is part of normative expectations among some young adults in lower classes
Lifestyle-routine activity approach (functionalist)
crime occurs when a motivated offender finds a suitable target and no guardianship. (Critics say the emphasis is crimes committed by lower not upper classes)
Social Conflict Perspective
Explains criminal behaviour in terms of power differentials and/or economic inequality in society. Conflict approach is useful for pointing out how inequalities of power, class, and racialization can contribute to criminal or delinquent behaviour.
Radical Critical Conflict Approach
social institutions create a superstructure that legitimizes the class structure and maintains capitalists’ superior position. Crimes people commit are based on their class position.
Differential Association Theory - Edwin Sutherland (interactionalist perspective)
Individuals have a greater tendency to deviate from the social norms wen they frequently associate with people who tend toward deviance
Labelling Theory (interactionalist perspective)
delinquents/criminals are people who have bee successfully labelled as such by others. Criminal label becomes a master status
Primary Deviance: initial act of rule-breaking
Secondary Deviance: when a person who has been labeled as deviant accepts that new identity and continues in deviant behaviour.
Liberal feminism
crime is a rational response to discrimination
Radical feminism
patriarchy contributes to crimes
Socialist feminism
crime caused by patriarchy and capitalism
Power-control theory (feminist perspective)
relates differing rates of male and female youth crime to socialization
two components of dealing with crime in Canada
- the act (actus reus)
- intent (mens rea)
