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CHAPTER
Types of Crime
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Breaking down crimes into categories is important
for measurement of crime, crime prevention, and
victim assistance
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There are six basic categories of criminal behavior
in American law
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Violent Crime
Property Crime
Public Order Crime
White-collar Crime
Organized Crime
High-tech Crime
Types of Crime
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Violent Crime
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Also referred to as crimes against persons
Classified by degree
Four categories
1
Murder – unlawful killing of a human being
2
Sexual assault/rape – coerced actions of a sexual nature
with unwilling participant
3
Assault/battery – two separate acts
4.
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Assault is the threat or attempt to do violence
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Battery is the act of physically contacting another
person with the intent to do harm
Robbery
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Taking property from another person through force
or the threat of force
Types of Crime
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Property Crime
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Crimes of economic gain or property damage
The most common type of crime
Categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Larceny/theft – taking property from another person
without force, intent to keep property
Burglary – breaking and entering into a structure
without permission with intent to commit a felony
Motor Vehicle Theft – theft or attempted theft of a motor
vehicle
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Includes any commonly used transport method
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Does not include watercraft or farm equipment
Arson – willful and malicious burning
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Home
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Automobile
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Commercial building
Types of Crime
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Public Order Crime:
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Linked to the consensus model
Behaviors considered contrary to public values and
morals
Sometimes (incorrectly) referred to as “victim-less”
crimes
May create an environment that causes violent and
property crimes
Include:
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Public drunkenness
Prostitution
Gambling
Illicit drug use
Discussion Question #1
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Are public order crimes really victimless?
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Do you think the government continues to spend
billions of dollars to apprehend, prosecute, and
sentence people who are guilty of public order
crimes?
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Are there any public order crimes you believe
should be decriminalized?
Types of Crime
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White Collar Crime:
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Illegal acts committed by an individual or business
entity
Broadly used term
Difficult to determine with any certainty
Estimates that white collar crime costs $3.5 trillion
per year worldwide
Organized Crime
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Illegal acts carried out by illegal organizations
engaged in the market for illegal goods or services
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Illicit drugs
Firearms
Prostitution
Gambling
Types of Crime
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High-Tech Crime
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Newest variation on crime
Crimes directly related to the increased use of
computers and technology by society
The Internet is the site of many cyber crimes
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Selling pornographic materials
Soliciting minors
Defrauding consumers through bogus financial
investments
Measuring Crime in the United States
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The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) is one major data
source for criminologists
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Produced by the FBI; began in 1930
18,300 policing agencies send annual data on:
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The data is presented as a:
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Number of persons arrested
Number of crimes reported by victims, witnesses, and
the police
Police employee data
Rate per 100,000 people
Percentage change from previous years
Divides criminal offenses into two categories
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Part I Index Offenses
Part II Index Offenses
Measuring Crime in the United States
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UCR Part I Offenses
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Crimes considered to be the most serious
Measuring Crime in the United States
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UCR Part II Offenses
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All other crimes recorded by the FBI
Outweigh Part I offenses
Generally less serious than part I and carry lighter
punishments
Nineteen categories; most common being:
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Drug abuse violations
Simple assaults
Driving under the influence
Disorderly conduct
Measured only by “arrest” data
Approximately 10 million arrests for Part II offenses
annually
Measuring Crime in the United States
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The National Incident-Based Reporting System
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) began seeking
ways to improve data system
NIBRS was the result
Local agencies collect data on single crime
occurrence
22 different offense categories with 46 specific
crimes (Group A)
32 states are now NIBRS certified
Benefits compared to UCR are that information is
provided on:
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Offenses
Victims
Offenders
Arrestees
Measuring Crime in the United States
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Differences between NIBRS and UCR
Measuring Crime in the United States
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Victim Surveys
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Alternate method of data collection
Criminologists or other researchers ask the crime victims
directly about their victimization
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First administered in 1966
Results indicate a much higher level of victimization than
UCR
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Measures reported and unreported crime
Unaffected by police bias and distortions in reporting
crime to the FBI
Gives a better indication of the “dark figure of crime”
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Email
Phone surveys
The actual amount of crime since most crimes are never
reported to the police
The government created an ongoing survey known as the
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) in 1972
Measuring Crime in the United States
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Questions from the National Crime Victimization
Survey (NCVS)
Discussion Question #2
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Play the role of crime analyst!
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Using www.fbi.gov find the most recent crime rates
in your city or the city closest to you.
What are the rates for violent and property crime?
Do a quick anonymous survey in the class about the
student’s victimization.
Do the crime rates in UCR compare to the
victimization rates reported in the class?
What may be the causes for the differences between
the two data collection measures?
Discuss the trends in crime rates for your selected
city.
Measuring Crime in the United States
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Self-Reported Surveys
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Third major data source for criminologists
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Participants report their criminal behaviors
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Personal interviews
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Telephone interviews
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Questionnaires
Research suggests they are forthcoming and honest
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There is no penalty for admitting to criminal activity
Compared to UCR and NCVS, self-report data offers
the best measure for the dark figure of crime
Crime Trends
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Presently enjoying historically low levels of crime
according to UCR and NCVS
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Theories to explain declining crime rates:
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Improvements in law enforcement
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Aging population
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DNA fingerprinting and information based policing
techniques
The median age in the U.S. is 37
Older people commit fewer crimes than younger
people
End of crack cocaine epidemic
Gentrification of former high-crime neighborhoods
Crime Trends
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Leveling Off: Crime in the 2010s
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In 2012, UCR showed no change in violent and
property crime rates
In 2012, NCVS measured a 15% increase in violent
crime and 12% increase in property crime
Crime Trends
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Crime, Race, and Poverty
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Not all societal groups benefited equally from this
positive crime trend
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Race
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There is a divergence in crime trends between the
races
Class
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Results have been less positive for African Americans
Neighborhoods with higher levels of disadvantage
have higher violent crime rates
Ethnicity
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Not a lot of research on the relationship between
ethnicity and crime
Starting to see more interest
Crime Trends
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Women and Crime
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Crime is mostly a male dominated activity
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13% of jail populations are women
7% of prison populations are women
26% of all arrests involve women
There is an increasing female presence in the
criminal justice system
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The life circumstances and behavior of women
dramatically changed in the past 40 years
The criminal justice system’s attitude toward women
has changed over the past 40 years
Discussion Question #3
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What are some local cases that show the increased
involvement of women committing criminal acts?
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What are some national cases that show the
increased involvement of women committing
criminal acts?
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What are some international cases that show the
increased involvement of women committing
criminal acts?
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What are your thoughts about how the women are
handled in the criminal justice system compared to
men?
What Causes Crime?
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Criminology:
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The scientific study of crime and the causes of
criminal behavior
There are different reasons why people commit
crimes
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Mental illness
Video games
Low self-control
What Causes Crime?
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Correlation and Causation
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There is a difference between the two
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Correlation is the relationship between two
measurements or behaviors that tend to move
together in the same direction
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Causation is the relationship in which a change is one
measurement or behavior creates a recognizable
change in another measurement or behavior
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Post partum depression and infanticide
Post partum depression does not cause violent
behavior
Correlation does not equal causation
There is a correlation between many factors and
criminal behavior
Difficult to prove that factors directly cause criminal
behavior
What Causes Crime?
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The Role of Theory
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Theory:
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An explanation of a happening or circumstance that is
based on observation, experimentation, and
reasoning
Hypothesis:
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A possible explanation for an observed occurrence
that can be tested by further investigation
What Causes Crime?
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The Brain and the Body
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Rational Choice Theory
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Trait Theories of Crime
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Thrill Offenders
Rational Choice Theory and Public Policy
Biological and psychological
Genetics and crime
Hormones and Aggression
Mental Illness and crime
Psychology and Crime
Trait Theories and Public Policy
Discussion Question #4
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Should we use brain scans on children to see if
there is a possibility for future criminal offending?
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Discuss the pros and cons of brain scanning.
What Causes Crime?
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Bad Neighborhoods and Other Economic
Disadvantages
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Social Disorganization Theory
Strain Theory
Social Conflict Theories
Life Lessons and Criminal Behavior
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Social Process Theories
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Learning Theory
Control Theory
Life Course Theories
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Self-control Theory
Victims of Crime
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Criminology has mostly focused on the offender
Only in the past decade has there been a focus of the
victim
Emergence of Victimology
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Relationships between victims and offenders and the
interactions between the victims and the criminal justice
system
The Risks of Victimization
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Routine Activities Theory believes that criminal acts
require:
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A likely offender
A suitable target
Absence of capable guardian
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Repeat Victimization
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The Victim-Offender Connection
Victims of Crime
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Women as Crime Victims
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Sexual Violence
Other Common Crimes Against Women
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Domestic violence
Stalking
Mental Illness and Victimization
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Mentally ill people are much more likely to be
victims of crime than perpetrators
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Recommendations for increasing services such as
treatment and temporary housing for the mentally ill
The Link Between Drugs and Crime
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The Criminology of Drug Use
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Many theories used to explain drug use
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Social disorganization theory
Control theory
Drugs and the learning process
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First time users
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Drug Addiction and Dependency
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Learn the techniques of drug use
Learn to perceive the pleasurable effects of drug use
Learn to enjoy the social experience of drug use
Drug Use vs. Drug Abuse
Addiction Basics
The Drug Crime Relationship
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Prescription Drug Abuse
Meth and Heroin
Marijuana Legalization