Understanding White Collar Crime Essay Sample

In the United States. there are many different types of offenses that are committed. One type of offense that is considered non-violent would be white-collar offense. Under white collared offenses there are 100s of different types of offenses that would fall under this class. Sociologist and criminologists have come up with many different theories to what white-collar offense is and what type of people commit these offenses. In the following few paragraphs I will explicate what white-collar offense is and my sentiment on how white-collar offense should be dealt with. Harmonizing to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s ( FBI ) . white-collar offense can be defined as offenses that are built around lying. cheating and larceny ( FBI. Web ) . Although white-collar offense is a wide term that encompasses many different types of non-violent condemnable discourtesies that involve illegal minutess covering with fiscal fraud. White-collar offense can run from graft. peculation and theft to white-collar strategies like car fix.

look into kiting. voucher salvations. ponzi and pyramid strategies ( Schmalleger ) . Although these are merely some of the offenses that are considered white-collar. there are many more offenses mediate these that are considered white-collar every bit good ( FBI. Web ) .

Though white-collar offense is a major job. it is hard to document the extent of these offenses because the FBI offense statistics collect information on merely three classs: fraud. counterfeiting and counterfeit. and embezzlement. All other white-collar offenses are listed in an “other” class ( FBI. Web ) . White-collar offense didn’t merely get down in the past few old ages. Con work forces. defrauders. forgers and defalcators have been perpetrating these offenses for many old ages ( Friedrichs ) . In political relations. white-collar offense polluted the 19th century and. for illustration. tarnished the disposal of President Ulysses S. Grant ( Friedrichs ) . The Teapot Dome Scandal of the mid-1920s did the same for President Warren G. Harding’s disposal. But during these times. because of these high powered work forces that were involved. the United States showed deficiency in penalty towards these types of deceitful offenses ( Friedrichs ) .

After the clang of 1929 and the clip of the Great Depression. the public and political attitudes toward white-collar offense began to alter. Thankss to modern media mercantile establishments. these types of behaviours began to pull the public’s attending. In the 1930s. federal Torahs regulated the banking and securities industries ( Friedrichs ) . In 1934. the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) was created to protect investors from white-collar offenses committed against them. Though the SEC has non ever succeeded in catching these white-collar offenses. many agents have been prosecuted since its being ( Friedrichs ) . Edwin H. Sutherland. a sociologist in the early 20th century. gave his definition of the term white-collar offense while giving a address to the American Sociological Association in 1939 ( Schmalleger ) . Sutherland was besides the publishing house of the book White-collar Crime. which he wrote ten old ages subsequently. Sutherland believed that there was a immense difference between offenses of robbery. burglary and slaying. which he called “blue-collar offense. ” and white-collar offense.

Criminals of blue-collar offenses were typically “street criminals” ( Schmalleger ) . Their offenses had no nexus to their businesss and they were most likely hapless. Persons of higher economic and societal position. committed white-collar offenses and their offenses were linked to their socially respected professions. Sutherland besides stated that few felons of white-collar offenses spent any prison clip compared to the blue-collar felons. He besides said that white-collar felons had more of a negative impact on U. S. society than street felons ( Schmalleger ) . In the recent old ages. with more province and federal Torahs against these white-collar offenses. it has become more hard to acquire off with such offenses.

There are more bureaus out at that place today that aid prevent and Help catch these white-collar felons before they hurt many persons and investors. Agencies like the FBI. the National Check Fraud Center and the National White Collar Crime Center which teaches little to big concerns how to forestall and cognize how to descry a white-collar offense within their company. Even though there are many protections out at that place today. it is still a difficult offense to forestall. Most local jurisprudence enforcement officers don’t see these types of white-collar offenses go on due to the felons perpetrating the offenses are in a private scene when perpetrating these types of offenses ( Schmalleger ) . Normally. the persons perpetrating white-collar offenses are trusted employees within a concern and the offense isn’t caught till after the discourtesy has been made.

In decision. white-collar offense has become more of a common thing within concerns today than of all time before. Or. it may going more noticeable as more bar is put into topographic point to catch these white-collar offenses. I do believe most of the white-collar offense committed is due to greed. I besides believe some of these offenses may be caused because of the persons strain in their life the clip of the offense takes topographic point ( Agnew pg. 48 ) . Though a batch more persons are being prosecuted for white-collar offenses that they commit. I still believe that power and money help the single acquire off easier because of their societal position. I blame how the authorities foremost set the societal category stigma between offenses that were committed by so called “poor” people and “sophisticated” people.

The footings white-collar and blue-collar should hold ne’er been established by an individual’s societal category. The term non-violent offense mentioned by the FBI may be technically right but tell that to the 1000000s of victims that have suffered from the corrupt felons that destroyed their households. places and even pushed their victims to perpetrate suicide. Although we can non alter the yesteryear. we can merely alter how we approach the hereafter.

Mentions

Agnew. Robert. ( 1992 ) . Foundation for a general strain theory of offense and delinquency. Criminology. 30 ( 1 ) . 47-87.
Schmalleger. Frank. ( 2012 ) . Criminology Today an integrative debut. Friedrichs. David O. 2004. Trusted Criminals: White Collar Crime in Contemporary Society. FBI. Gov. 2012. ( Web )