Q. What is crime? How will you classify the crime?

What are the various theories of crime

causation?

Ans. Crime: Crime is a public wrong. It is an act of offense which violates the law of the state
and is strongly disapproved by the society. The term crime is derived from the Latin word
“crimen” meaning offence and also a wrong-doer. Crime is considered as an anti-social
behaviour.

The word crime is difficult to define, but an attempt at definition essentially must precede study
o f crime. To understand the meaning and concept of crime in its correct perspective, it would be
appropriate to examine some of the definitions propounded by jurists; Crime may be viewed
from various perspectives with the definitions put forth by various jurists or criminologists or
sociologists from time to time.

Blackstone defined crime as: “A crime is violation of the public ‘rights and duties’ due to the
whole community, considered as a community”

Stephen, definition is: “A crime is a violation of a right considered in reference to the evil
tendency of such violation as regards the community at large”.

Kenny defined crime as: “Crimes are wrongs whose sanction is punitive, and is in no way
remissible by any private person, but is remissible by the crown alone, if remissible at all.”

Tappan defines crime as “an intentional act or omission in violation of criminal law …,
committed without defense or justification, and sanctioned by the state as a felony or
misdemeanor.”

From the above definition of crime Tappan definition of crime is accepted as legal definition of
crime. Tappan also maintained that non – legal definitions were too loose, too ambiguous, and
left too much room to the definer to determine what is crime.

Thus, it may however be concluded that the legal definition of crime has been criticized because
of its relativity and variable content but it is perhaps more acceptable as compared to other
definitions because of its specific nature.

Types of Crime
Many types of crime exist. Criminologists commonly group crimes into several major categories:

(1) Violent crime;

(2) Property crime;

(3) White-collar crime;

(4) Organized crime; and

(5) Consensual or victimless crime.

Violent crime

A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or

threatens to use force upon a victim. Violent crime suggests that violence is a behavior by
persons, against persons or property that intentionally threatens, attempts, or actually inflicts
physical harm. The seriousness of the injuries to the victim(s), whether or not guns or other
weapons were used and/or whether or not the alleged perpetrator has a criminal record will alter
the crime's seriousness.

Often times, violent crimes against individuals and their property are typically infused with
hatred, or at the very least an incredible disregard for the worth and rights of another human
being which may also alter the crimes severity in the eyes of a judge or jury. The most common
violent crimes are aggravated assault, assault and battery, domestic violence, hate crimes,
homicide, manslaughter, mayhem, murder, terrorism and theft.

Property Crime

Property crime is a category of crime in which the person who commits the crime seeks to do
damage to or derive an unlawful benefit or interest from another’s property without using force
or threat of force. Property crimes are often high-volume crimes. Property crime includes
burglary, theft, arson, larceny, shoplifting, and vandalism. Robbery is not included as a property
crime since it involves use of force or threat of force, and therefore classified as a violent crime.
Property crime is also termed as crime against property.

White-Collar Crime

White-collar crimes are crimes 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, 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.
For example, the Great Recession can be understood as in part the result of a variety of white-
collar crimes committed within the home mortgage industry. Nonetheless, these crimes are
generally the least investigated and least prosecuted because they are protected by a combination
of privileges of race, class, and gender.

Organized crime

The term “organized crime” refers to the unlawful activities of members of criminal
organizations that supply illegal goods and services. 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 organizations engage in offenses such as cargo theft, fraud, robbery,
kidnapping for ransom, and the demanding of “protection” payments. The principal source of
income for these criminal syndicates is the supply of goods and services that are illegal but for
which there is continued public demand, such as drugs, prostitution, loan-sharking (i.e., usury),
and gambling.

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 profits, employees who manage and work for the business, and
clients who buy the goods and services that the organization provides.

Consensual Crime

Consensual crime (also called victimless crime) refers to behaviors in which people engage
voluntarily and willingly even though these behaviors violate the law. Victimless crime refers to
illicit behaviors in which the participants do not recognize that anyone involved in the illegal
transaction is directly victimized by the deed. These crimes are often referred to as
“complainantless” because nobody directly involved is likely to initiate enforcement by
complaining to the police. Examples of victimless crimes include prostitution, pornography,
illegal gambling, and drug use. Victimless crime is a contentious label because, while none of the
parties sees themselves as victims, many people argue that society itself is harmed by the
prohibited behaviors. For example, it is argued that illegal drug use drives up healthcare costs for
everyone, destabilizes families and communities, drains worker productivity, and leads to a
number of additional social problems.

Theories of crime causation

Criminologists, just like other professionals, use scientific methods to study the nature, extent,
cause, and control of crimes. Some of the key criminological theories that seek to explain the
causes of crime are:

A. DEMONOLOGY THEORY/Pre-classical theory

B. CLASSICAL THEORY (1764) – 16th to 18th Centuries.

C. POSITIVIST THEORY/SOCIOBIOLOGY (1810)

D. MARXIST/CONFLICT/CRITICAL THEORY (1848)

E. SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY/CHICAGO SCHOOL (1897)

F. DEVELOPMENTAL/MULTIFACTOR/INTEGRATED THEORY (1930)