State Crime

Question 1

What is state crime?

Answer 1

State crime is illegal or deviant activities perpetrated by or with permission of state agencies

Question 2

Give 2 examples of state crime

Answer 2

1. Genocide (holocaust)

2. War crimes

Question 3

What are Mclaughlin’s 4 categories of state crime?

Answer 3

1. political crime - corruption and censorship
2. Crimes committed by security/police force: genocide (holocaust), torture
3. Economic crimes: official violations of health and safety laws
4. Social and cultural Crimes: institutional racism

Question 4

explain the scale of state crime

Answer 4

State crimes are hard to investigate into how much of it actually goes on
Normally this is because they are perpetrated by big organisations/companies that are wealthy and powerful (also Bouigsie) therefore they have the money and power to hide what they are doing.
Often they are invisible and hidden from the public eye

Question 5

Give a case study that explains the scale of state crimes + state why

Answer 5

An example of this is Cambodia 1975-1978 where Pol Pot the leader of the Khmer Rouge Government is believed to have killed up to two million people (a fifth of the countries entire population) because of slave labor, malnutrition, poor medical care).
This was kept hidden because the government perpetrated it – therefore they controlled what went into the media and stopped it from coming out

Question 6

explain the problem of national sovereignty

Answer 6

States like Cambodia are the supreme authority within their borders.
This makes it extremely difficult for external authorities such as the united nations to intervene because the the state rules what happens.

This means that the state is the source of the law meaning they decide what crimes are. They also manage the CJ system and prosecute offenders. This meaning they can INVADE THEIR OWN LAWS

Question 7

what are cohens 3 stages of the spiral of denial?

Answer 7

1. they simply say ‘IT DIDN’T’ HAPPEN’ e.g. the state claims there was no massacre – but then human rights organisations, victims and the media show it did happen e.g. through graves or photos
2. They would say that ‘IF IT DID HAPPEN IT IS SOMETHING ELSE’ e.g. they will say its not what it looks like / or it was self defense
3. They will say ‘EVEN IF IT IS WHAT YOU SAY IT IS, ITS JUSTIFIED’ e.g. to protect national security

Question 8

what are Matza’s 5 techniques of neutralisation?

Answer 8

1. Denial of injury: they started it, we are the real victims
2. Denial of victims: they exaggerated it, they are terrorists, they are used to violence
3. Denial of responsibility: they would say that they are just obeying orders
4. Condemning the condemners: the whole world is picking on us
5. Appeal to higher loyalties: self righteous justification