crime
Any behaviour that, in a given time and place, is prohibited by applicable statutory law. When a law is violated, a crime is said to have been committed.
conventional crimes
The traditionally illegal behaviours that most people think of as ‘crime’. For example, homicide and sexual assault are given the most media coverage but account for only 12 per cent of all crimes.
deterrence
A justice system based on deterrence assumes that crimes are rational acts in which the offender weighs the perceived benefits of committing the crime against the probability of being caught and the severity of the punishment. It assumes that the probability of being punished is high and that the law enforcement agencies are competent and efficient in apprehending offenders.
homicide
The killing of a human being by another, directly or
indirectly, by any means; includes murder, i.e., the unlawful killing of another human being with malicious intent, and manslaughter, the unlawful killing of another person without
sufficient intent to constitute murder.
vice crimes
Deviant behaviour that may be defined as immoral (for
example, gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking). These crimes provide the greatest opportunity for organized
crime.
white collar crimes
The crimes committed by white-collar workers
and management in the course of their
occupations. They always are distinguished from conventional criminal offences such as robbery or murder. White-collar crimes are performed in the course of normal
work and usually occur in reputable organizations.
laws
Rules of conduct that may provide for the punishment of violators. In other words, the formal rules about what
a society’s members can and cannot do.
social order
The prevalence of generally harmonious relationships; used synonymously with social organization. This condition exists when rules are obeyed and social situations are controlled and predictable. Rules serve not only to indicate
which behaviours are acceptable, but also to allow participants to anticipate the behaviour of others.
social disorder
The uncertain and unpredictable condition in which rules are not obeyed. The environment is generally unsafe, and the boundaries of acceptable behavior have broken down.
self-reporting
The victim reports to authorities that a crime has occurred. This is the most direct method of measuring crime rates. However, it is not the most accurate, as changes in the crime rate reflect changes in victims’ willingness to report.
victimization surveys,
Samples of people are asked how many times within a given time period they have been the victim of particular crimes.
organized crime
A group or system of professional criminals who practise illegal activities as a way of life and whose criminal activities are co-ordinated and controlled through a hierarchical system of bosses.
differential socialization
The processes whereby individuals learn to behave in accordance with prevailing standards of culture or gender. For example, boys and men learn to be less inhibited
in using aggressive and violent actions, and this may account for the disproportionate number of males involved in criminal activity.
strain theory
Merton holds that strain is produced when social structure
prevents people from achieving culturally defined goals through legitimate means, and, according to Durkheim, anomie is a condition characterized by a breakdown of norms and personal disorganization, which may lead to crime. Merton outlines various adaptive strategies:
conformity, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion, and innovation. Innovation is most commonly associated with criminal activities, which include theft, robbery, tax fraud, embezzlement, and organized crime.
social bond theory
A type of control theory. A strong social bond prevents most people from succumbing to the temptation to engage in criminal activities.
subculture theory
This approach to the study of deviance investigates the norms that set a group apart from mainstream society.
Specifically, it gives special insight into the subculture of the criminal, looking into the values and belief systems that
may be conducive to delinquent and criminal action.
