Research Outline on Types of Crime Essay

Crimes can take many different forms, from those committed against people or property to those committed without a victim.

Typically done against individuals, violent crimes can be broadly divided into the following categories:

Expressive violence refers to violent acts committed to express rage, annoyance, or irritation.

Violence that is used “instrumentally” is intended to raise the victim’s social or money status.

Violent offenses include robbery, homicide, rape, and assault and battery.

Criminal behavior is influenced by many variables. They provide justifications for criminal behavior. These are a few of them:

Personal Traits- These factors are present in every offender, but they hold some predictive power and provide insight into treatment models for criminals. Personal traits associated with violent crime are neurological impairment, below-average intelligence, mental illness, and family history of mental illness.

Evolutionary Factors- They are broad and include factors such as the drive to self-fulfillment and pleasure and self-destructive tendencies.

Substance Abuse- The effects of a particular substance could trigger violent behavior in a person. Addiction to a substance could also lead one to result to violence to support the behavior. Lastly, substance abuse is often associated with gang activities which are usually of a violent nature.

Socialization and Upbringing- This aspect of causes of violent crime focuses on an individual’s immediate environment. It is also referred to as the brutalization process and is evidenced by the following characteristics:

History of inconsistent discipline

Absent/ deviant parents

Lack of supervision

Extreme physical punishment

Physical/ emotional abuse

Exposure to and experience with deviant peers

Types of Violent Crime

Rape- This refers to sexual intercourse forcibly committed against the will of the victim. The perpetrator of the act seeks to demonstrate their power and control over the victim. Two major schools of thought dominate the study of rape: male socialization and psychological abnormality.

Despite the apparently straightforward nature of forcible rape as a violent crime, prosecuting it in a court of law is quite a task. This is because the prosecution must demonstrate that the alleged victim gave no consent and that there was a use of force or a threat of the use of force.

Homicide- This refers to the unlawful killing of a human being. The gravity of the offense produces the degrees of homicide.

First-degree murder- unlawful killing that is premeditated and deliberate. Second-degree murder- unlawful killing that results from a malicious afterthought rather than premeditation.

Manslaughter- a homicide that does not meet the standards of malice or the intentional infliction of harm.

Voluntary manslaughter is a killing that results from the heat of passion or during a situation that provokes violence. Involuntary manslaughter, on the other hand, involves the perpetrator’s negligence or where they act without considering the harm their actions may cause to other people.

Serial Murderers and Mass Murderers

Serial murderers kill numerous individuals over a period of time while mass murderers kill multiple people in a single, connected act.

There are a couple of general characteristics that are associated with serial murderers:

A long history of violence

Capable of maintaining only superficial relationships with others

Have trouble relating to the opposite sex

Are sociopaths who feel neither guilt nor responsibility when killing another human being

Assault and Battery- Battery is offensive touching such as slapping or punching a victim. Assault, on the other hand, does not require actual physical contact with the victim and as such may include threatening someone verbally.

Robbery- This is the taking or the attempt to take anything of value through the use of threat or force. Robberies are often crimes of opportunity since perpetrators choose victims who appear vulnerable.

Emerging Crimes- These are types of crime that are relatively new and are usually reflective of changes in societal values and in the available means for perpetrating crimes. They include the following:

Hate Crimes- These are violent acts towards a particular person due to the person belonging to a specific group which could be race, religion, or sexual orientation. In some cases, people retaliate by committing violent crimes in response to a hate crime.

Workplace Violence- The most common form of workplace violence involves assaultive acts against workers in the place of work committed by individuals who are either current or former employees.

Stalking- This involves the repeated pursuit of a person against their wishes. The perpetrator could use a variety of means to achieve his objective such as physically following the victim or using the internet.

Terrorism

This refers to “the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”

There are different types of terrorists:

Political terrorists- their motivations are political in nature

Cause-based terrorists- such as environmental terrorists

Criminal terrorists- become involved in criminal activities as a means of funding their other activities.

Property Crime

Theft and Larceny- Theft is an economic crime in which the perpetrator breaks the law to gain a financial reward. Professional thieves are skilled at a particular crime, and they make a career out of it. Occasional offenders, on the other hand, are opportunists who rationalize criminal behavior.

Larceny is a form of theft in which the perpetrator unlawfully takes/ uses another’s property for their gain. There are two forms of larceny namely:

Petit larceny- involves the theft of money or goods valued below a particular threshold. Misdemeanor.

Grand larceny- involves greater values of property. Felony.

Burglary- This property crime involves the perpetrator gaining entry into a property by force with the aim of committing or attempting to commit theft.

Arson- This is the willful and malicious burning of a home, public building, commercial establishment, vehicle, or property.

Enterprise Crimes- Are perpetrated at the marketplace.

White-Collar Crime- This categorization includes a variety of common offenses such as:

Tax evasion

Bankruptcy fraud

Securities theft and fraud

Credit card fraud

Medical fraud

Corruption

Embezzlement

Antitrust violations

False advertising

White-collar crimes have a significant impact on the business sector and consumers. Perpetrators are usually motivated by a belief that they deserve the gains they make through the criminal activity. The perpetrator may also believe that since they are stealing from a large organization, the crime is victimless and they are not harming anyone.

Corporate Crime- Involves criminal acts by companies that cause harm to the public but further the organization’s interests. They include illegal dumping of waste to reduce operational costs.

Cyber Crime- Involves the use of technology for the theft of information, resources, or funds. Examples of cybercrimes are identity theft, copyright infringement, internet securities fraud, and the illegal distribution of sexual materials.

Identity Theft- Involves the perpetrator stealing another person’s identity with the aim of misrepresenting themselves as the victim. Usually involves identity thieves accessing identification information such as social security number, bank account, and addresses.

Organized Crime- This involves criminal enterprise groups that seek personal gain for their members through illegal means. A perfect example is the Mafia.

Public-Order Crime

This is a type of crime that disrupts social order in the society. It, therefore, is highly dependent on what is viewed as moral by a particular society. Public-order is perceived as a subjective categorization since what could be a crime in a particular jurisdiction could be legal in another. It is based on the principle that one of the functions of the law is to protect the moral values that it reflects.

Paraphilias- Involves the use of nonhuman objects, children or people who cannot give consent as part of sexual acts which are usually characterized by violence and humiliation. Practices such as voyeurism, exhibitionism, and pedophilia fall under this group.

Prostitution and Solicitation- Solicitation involves an agreement between consenting individuals to perform a sexual act in exchange for money. Prostitution, on the other hand, is the ensuing sexual act for monetary gain.

Pornography- This is controlled by stringent regulations since it straddles the grey line when it comes to morality.

Drug Crimes and Substance Abuse

This categorization of crime includes:

Driving while under the influence of alcohol

Illegal use of legal drugs

The use of illegal drugs

Selling and distributing illegal drugs

Underage drinking

The use of illegal drugs is a real problem in today’s society. Government agencies have, therefore, formulated strategies to control illegal drug use. The most common strategy in the United States is the deterrence of drug sales.