TYPES OF CRIME So far we have been looking at the kinds of offenses most people think about with they think of crime. We now look at some types of crime that tend to be forgotten or not thought of as crime.

What is crime  In groups write down as many things that you think of as crime. You have five minutes.  Group the crimes into categories  Violence  Theft  Sexual assault  Finance Which group was the biggest?

What is crime?  Most people think of murder, theft and violent assault when they think of crime.  This is because these are the crimes most people are afraid of.  Statistics, TV programs and books focus on these crimes.

 People forget that there are other types of crime.  These crimes are less likely to be reported.  These crimes are more likely to be committed by members of the upper or middle class (think back to the lesson on crime statistics, why is this less likely to be considered crime?)

Crime in the workplace  Most jobs have chances to commit crime.  Think of crimes your teachers could commit in school.  Crimes you commit in your workplace are called occupational crimes.

White collar crime  Some occupations have greater opportunity to commit bigger crimes.  Middle class and upper class people have greater likely hood of working on their own.  People may give them greater trust.  The crimes that they may commit are called white collar crime.

White collar crime  The size of the crime can vary a lot.  It could be a supermarket worker keeping some small amounts of money or food.  It could be a banker stealing a lot of money.

Examples of white collar crime  Embezzlement – stealing money from a company, for example making fake accounts.  Fraud – claiming for expenses that you haven’t had.  Fraud – claiming you have qualifications that you don’t have.  Pilfering – stealing from the company.  Tax evasion  Bribery and corruption – offering or receiving money in return for favours.

Occupational crime - opinions  People often don’t thing of occupational crime as being crime.  We even use different words, such as perks.  Occupational crimes, when found out, are often dealt with by the company and not by the police.  This could be because of bad publicity.

Corporate Crime  These are crimes that are committed for the company.  They are committed with the knowledge and approval of those running the company.  These crimes may have big consequences but also may never be found out.  It is unusual for directors of companies to face trial or prison.

Examples of corporate crime  Sale of goods known to be dangerous.  Breaking health and safety rules  Polluting the environment and dumping dangerous waste. Companies committ corporate crime to increase their profits. Marxists see Corporate crime as being a result of the capitalist system.

Victims of Corporate crime  Consumers  Employees  The public It is difficult to decide who to blame with corporate crime. It is very expensive to prosecute. Some people think there are other corporate crimes, such as child labour and cigarette sales.

Government crime  Government makes laws  Government can break laws  In some countries, governments are responsible for murder, torture, imprisoning and executing their opponents or minorities.  These acts may not be against the law in one country but are against international law.

Homework  Use the internet to find news stories that illustrate each type of crime.  White collar crime.  Corporate crime  Government crime Complete the questions.

Questions  What is meant by corporate crime?  What occupational crimes are possible for a)doctors, b)supermarket checkout operators.  What is the difference between white collar and corporate crime? Use examples in your answer.  Which three groups of people can be victims of corporate crime? Give an example of corporate crime affecting each one.  What are Marxists particularly interested in corporate crime?