Crimes of the powerful

Question 1

Abuse of trust

Answer 1

High-status professionals occupy positions of trust and respectability. They are trusted with our information, health and finances. This however gives these professionals more scope to commit a crime in the form of fraudulent claims to insurance companies

Question 2

Sutherlands view on the abuse of trust

Answer 2

White-collar crime is more dangerous to society that street crime as it promotes distrust of basic social institutions, undermining the fabric of society

Question 3

Why are crimes of the powerful invisible

Answer 3

Media give limited coverage to corporate crime, reinforcing the stereotype that crime is a mainly working-class phenomenon. They also sugarcoat corporate crime as technical infringements rather than actual crimes. Embezzlement becomes ‘accounting irregularities’ etc.

Underreporting - the victim of corporate crime is usually society as a whole rather than an individual. Therefore, individuals are unaware they have been victimised, and even when aware they do not see it as a real crime like they may see shoplifting.

Question 4

Sutherland DA

Answer 4

Crime is learned behaviour. Associate with criminals, become a criminal. Therefore if a companies culture justifies crime, employees are socialised into criminality.

Question 5

Techniques of neutralisation

Sykes and Matza

Answer 5

Sykes and Matza
Individuals can deviate more easily if they can justify their behaviour and win moral arguments i.e. ‘they should have read the small print, its not my fault’

Question 6

Labelling theory as an explanation for corporate crime

Nelken

Answer 6

Nelken - de labelling
Businesses have the power to avoid being labelled by being able to afford expensive lawyers and accountants to help them avoid activities they are involved in and are therefore not labelled criminal