Chapter 20 sec. 1

Crime  in  American  Society    

 

I. The  Types  of  Crime     Crimes  Against  People     • Crimes  against  people  are  also  called  “violent  crimes.”    These  are  acts   that  threaten,  hurt,  or  end  a  person’s  life  and  include  some  of  the  most   serious  offences  such  as  murder,  rape  and  assault.     • Within  this  category  of  crimes  there  are  different  levels  of  severity.     These  are  distinguished  by  “degree.”    There  are  also  different  charges  for   different  actions—for  example,  “placing  someone  in  fear”  is  called   assault,  while  actually  striking  someone  is  called  battery.   •

Killing  someone  intentionally  is  called  murder,  while  a  killing  that   happens  by  accident  is  called  manslaughter.  

             Crimes  Against  Property     • Crimes  against  property  are  the  most  common  types  of  crime.    Most   involve  stealing,  and  charges  include  larceny  (stealing  without  violence),   robbery  (stealing  by  force  or  threat),  and  burglary  (breaking  into  a   building  for  illegal  purposes).     • Other  crimes  against  property  include  arson  and  vandalism.                White-­‐Collar  Crime     • White-­‐collar  crimes  are  non-­‐violent  crimes  committed  by  office  workers   for  personal  or  business  gain.     • Fraud,  embezzlement  and  tax  evasion  are  all  examples  of  white-­‐collar   crimes.                    

           Victimless  Crimes     • Some  activities  are  considered  crimes  because  they  go  against  common   social  values,  not  because  they  harm  innocent  people.     • Examples  of  “victimless”  crimes  include  drug  use,  prostitution  and  some   forms  of  gambling.     • Some  question  whether  such  activities  ought  to  be  considered  criminal,   while  others  argue  that  there  are  certainly  innocent  victims  of  each  of   these  behaviors  (and  thus  they  should  not  be  considered  “victimless.”)                  Crimes  Against  the  Government     • Some  of  the  most  serious  crimes  are  crimes  against  the  government.     These  include  treason  (helping  the  enemies  of  our  country)  and  terrorism   (using  violence  or  the  threat  of  violence  to  try  to  get  what  you  want  from   the  government).     II. The  Causes  of  Crime     In  the  United  States,  millions  of  crimes  are  committed  each  year.    Obviously,  it  is   difficult  to  pinpoint  why  this  is  the  case.    Some  suggested  causes  of  crime  include:     • Poverty   • Social  Change  and  Changing  Values   • Poor  Parenting   • Drug  Use  and  Mental  Illness   • Permissive  Courts   • Not  Enough  Money  for  Police   • Violence  in  the  Media   • No  Single  Cause