White Collar Crime Flashcards
How did Edward Sutherland describe white collar crime?
“A crime that is committed by a person of respectability and high social status int he course of his/her occupation.”
What is the difference between occupational and organizational crime?
Occupational is crime committed by an individual or a group exclusively for personal gain.
Organizational crime is a crime committed in the interest of advancing an organization’s goals.
In reality, what is the difference between occupational and organizational crime?
There is no actual difference, it’s a purely theoretical distinction. The two often go hand in hand.
Are all occupational crimes committed by those with white collars?
No. Blue collar workers such as mechanics may try to rip you off.
What costs society more? Corporate or street crime?
Corporate crime. By a lot.
Why is corporate crime not taken as seriously as it should be?
It’s not penalized as heavily as street crime is. It is also a recently recognized field in criminology, so not as much research has been done.
What is the trend when comparing deaths by in the workplace vs. on the street?
Way more die in the workplace.
Why is death in the workplace not considered crime?
Because it is difficult to determine mens rea or actus reus.
Who bears most of the costs of crime?
The victims.
What causes high status people to commit crimes?
They often have a competitive spirit, arrogance, and a sense of entitlement.
Why are white collar criminals not often held accountable?
The corporate structure diffuses responsibility, so it’s hard to pin on one person.
What is a criminogenic market market structure?
It refers to pressure put on people in the organization to produce a level of profit that cannot be achieved legally and ethically.
What industries have the highest rates of violation?
Oil, auto, pharmaceutical.
What is a brief summary of the Enron accounting scandal?
Illegal accounting methods made it appear as though profits were increasing. There was a huge culture of greed within Enron. Arthur Anderson accounting firm ignored violations.
What is a brief summary of the Worldcom accounting scandal?
It was America’s largest long distance phone company. Investors lost hundreds of billions. They inflated profits by delaying write offs. Arthur Anderson was the accountant - again. Bennie Ebbers - the founder - is not serving 25 in jail.
