Types Of Crime

Crime is defined as any act that is contrary
to legal code or laws. There are many different
types of crimes, from crimes against persons
to victimless crimes and violent crimes to
white collar crimes. With each type of crime
also come different sociological phenomena
and demographic profiles.

Crimes Against Persons-

Crimes against persons, also called personal
crimes, include murder, aggravated assault,
rape, and robbery. Personal crimes are
unevenly distributed in the United States, with
young, urban, poor, and racial minorities
committing these crimes more than others.

Crimes Against Property-

Property crimes involve theft of property
without bodily harm, such as burglary,
larceny, auto theft, and arson. Like personal
crimes, young, urban, poor, and racial
minorities generally commit these crimes more
than others.

Crimes Against Morality-

Crimes against morality are also called
victimless crimes because there is not
complainant, or victim. Prostitution, illegal
gambling, and illegal drug use are all examples
of victimless crimes.

White-Collar Crime-

White-collar crimes are crimes that committed
by people of high social status who commit
their crimes in the context of their
occupation. This includes embezzling (stealing
money from one’s employer), insider trading,
and tax evasion and other violations of income
tax laws. White-collar crimes generally generate less
concern in the public mind than other types of
crime, however in terms of total dollars,
white-collar crimes are even more
consequential for society. Nonetheless, these
crimes are generally the least investigated and
least prosecuted.

Organized Crime-

Organized crime is crime committed by
structured groups typically involving the
distribution of illegal goods and services to
others. Many people think of the Mafia when
they think of organized crime, but the term
can refer to any group that exercises control
over large illegal enterprises (such as the drug
trade, illegal gambling, prostitution, weapons
smuggling, or money laundering).
A key sociological concept in the study or
organized crime is that these industries are
organized along the same lines as legitimate
businesses and take on a corporate form.
There are typically senior partners who control
the business’ profits, workers who manage and
work for the business, and clients who buy the
goods and services that the organization
provides.

A Sociological Look at Crime-

Arrest data show a clear pattern of arrests in
terms of race , gender , and class . For instance,
as mentioned above, young, urban, poor, and
racial minorities generally commit personal
and property crimes more so than other
demographic groups. To sociologists, the
question posed by this data is whether this
reflects actual differences in committing
crimes among different groups or whether this
reflects differential treatment by the criminal
justice system. Studies show that the answer
here is “both.” Certain groups are in fact more
likely to commit crimes than others because
crime is linked to patterns of inequality in the
United States. However, the process of
prosecution in the criminal justice system is
also significantly related to patterns of race,
class, and gender inequality. We see this in the
official arrest statistics, in treatment by the
police, in sentencing patterns, and in studies of
imprisonment.