REVIEW NOTES IN CRIMINAL

SOCIOLOGY, ETHICS & HUMAN

RELATIONS
Part 4
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust also in him; and he shall
bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5
 THE CONVENTIONAL CRIMES

Conventional crimes are those traditional, illegal behaviors that

most people think of as crime. Most crime is conventional crime.
Non-conventional crime may be organized crime, white-collar
crime, political crime, etc. Conventional crimes are groups of
crimes categorized as violent crimes (index crimes) and property
crimes. It has been argued that cyber crime is just a
conventional crime committed with high-tech devices.
Violent Crimes - Violent crimes are criminal acts, which in the
threat of or actual physical harm by an offender to a victim. It
presents not only index offenses that every one recognizes as
violent (murder, rape, robbery) or other acts involving force and
intimidation but also “violent crimes” that are commonly
categorized as “social problem” such as domestic violence, child
abuse, elder abuse, etc.
 Violent acts are in the forms of:

1. Interpersonal Violence - Forcible Rape. Murder, Serious

Assault, Family Violence, Robbery
2. Political Violence - Terrorism
3. Collective Violence - Riots, Mobs, Crowds, Urban Violence
Property Crimes - are crimes of economic interest. It includes
those crimes that would most commonly be categorized as theft
in ordinary language. It also includes but not limited to offenses
such as unlawful entry to commit theft, shoplifting, vandalism,
and arson. Property crimes are also in the forms of:
1. Occasional Property Crimes - Shoplifting, Vandalism, Motor
vehicle theft, Check Forgery
2. Conventional Property Crimes - Burglary/unlawful entry to
commit theft, Fence, Larceny/Theft
Violent Crimes (Index Crimes)

Murder – is the unlawful killing of human being with malice and

with the “act of violence”. Serial Murder – an act involving
killing of several victims in three or more separate incidents over
a week, a month or year. Mass Murder – it is the killing of four or
more victims at one location with one event. Spree Murder – the
killing of in two or more locations with almost no time break
between murders.
Homicide and Assault - Homicide is also unlawful killing with out
the qualifying circumstances of murder. It is generally regarded
as the most commonly committed of all the index crimes (based
on the UCR offenses). Assault is called “unlawful attack” to
another person purposely to harm or inflict physical injuries. It is
a crime that involves offering to give bodily harm to a person or
placing the person in fear.
Robbery - INTERPOL defined robbery as “violent theft”. It is the taking of
property belonging to another with intent to gain by means of force upon
things, violence of intimidation against the person. It could be in the form of:
1. Robbery of person – “hold up cases”
2. Robbery in open place following sudden attack – “snatching cases”
3. Robbery in private premises – “forcible entry”
4. Robbery after preliminary association of short duration between
victims and offender
5. Robbery in case of previous association between victim and offender.
Types of Robbers
1. The Professional Robber – robber who has long-term
commitment to the crime of robbery as a major source of
livelihood.
2. The Opportunist – the commonly known as “bandits”, one
who has little commitment to or specialization in robbery and
one who is all purpose property offender.
3. The Addict Robber – one who committed the crime of
robbery to support the drug habit. (Unplanned)
4. The Alcoholic Robber – like the addict robber who engages
to robbery occasionally in order to support his habit.
(Unplanned)
5. The Muggers – they are the most feared robbers. They are
semi-professional robbers who are sometimes called “strong
armed robbers” – the street robbers who commit everything
from snatching to the brutalization of the victim.
Rape - is commonly defined as “carnal knowledge of a woman
against her will”. Rape is the fastest growing of all UCR index
crime. It could be in the form of:

1. Real Rape – aggravated rape involving violence, weapons

and attackers.
2. Simple Rape – anything else not fall as “real rape” such as:
victims are viewed as suspicious, particularly if the victim did not
physically resist.
 Rape is a violent crime due to the means employed usually
characterized by violence, aggression and domination. It has the
general effect of “Rape Trauma Syndrome” – refers to the
adverse psychological impacts rape victims continue to suffer
long after the incident. It includes:
1. Sexual anxiety
2. Pervasive fear to the opposite sex
3. Problems in interpersonal relationship
4. General problem of unhappiness
Classification of Men who Rape
1. Anger Rape – sexual attack becomes a means of expressing
anger or rage and involves more physical assault upon the
victim.
2. Power Rape – assailant primarily wishes to express his
domination over the victim.
3. Sadistic Rape – perpetrator combines the sexuality and
aggression aims in psychic desires to often torture or otherwise
abuse the victim.
Family Violence - Family violence are violent crimes involving
physical assault by a family member to another family members
such as the following:

1. Child Abuse – an attack or assault of an adult against the

defenseless or people who cannot defend themselves, usually by
a parent to a child.
2. Spouse Abuse – “husband vs wife battering”
Types of Violent Offenders
1. Culturally Violent Offenders – those who live in cultures which
violence is an acceptable problem mechanism.
2. Criminally Violent Offenders – those who use violence as a
means to accomplish criminal acts.
3. Pathological Violent Offenders – those who commit violent
crimes due to mental disturbances.
4. Situational Violent Offenders – those who commit acts of
violence on rare occasions, often under provocations. They are the
criminals “by passion”.
Property Crimes (Non-Index Crimes)

Occasional Property Crimes - Occasional Property crimes are

group of property crimes committed by ordinary property
criminals with little progressive knowledge on criminal
techniques. Offenders injure or steal property on an infrequent
basis. They tend to commit crimes such as Auto theft of motor
vehicle theft, Shoplifting or good pilferage, Vandalism, Check
Forgeries
Conventional Property Crimes - These are group of property
crimes committed by professional criminals on a persistent basis,
which constitute form of career criminality. Conventional property
crimes include:
1. Burglary (Robbery) – unlawful entry of forcible entry in order
to commit a felony of theft.
2. The Fence – dealers of stolen properties, the act of “buy and
sale of stolen properties”
3. Larceny (theft) – simple taking of properties with intent to
gain and without the consent of the owner.
Destructive Property Crime – includes Arson – unlawful burning of
property on another such as:
1. Profit-motivated Arson – illustrated by insurance fraud
2. Revenge Arson – burning of properties due to hatred or spell
jealousy
3. Vandalism Arson – fire is employed as a means of expressing
vindictive vandalism toward the property of a group of people or an
individual.
4. Excitement Arson – those set by “pyromaniacs”
5. Sabotage Arson – fires during civil disturbances.
Cybercrime

Although the term cybercrime is usually restricted to describing

criminal activity in which the computer or network is an
essential part of the crime, this term is also used to include
traditional crimes in which computers or networks are used to
enable the illicit activity.
Examples of cybercrime which the computer or network is a tool of the criminal
activity include spamming and criminal copyright crimes, particularly those
facilitated through peer-to-peer networks. Examples of cybercrime in which the
computer or network is a target of criminal activity include unauthorized access
(i.e, defeating access controls), malicious code, and denial-of-service attacks.
Examples of cybercrime in which the computer or network is a place of criminal
activity include theft of service (in particular, telecom fraud) and certain
financial frauds. Finally, examples of traditional crimes facilitated through the
use of computers or networks include Nigerian 419 or other gullibility or social
engineering frauds (e.g., hacking "phishing", identity theft, child pornography,
online gambling, securities fraud, etc. Cyberstalking is an example of a
traditional crime- harassment - that has taken a new form when facilitated
through computer networks.
Additionally, certain other information crimes, including trade
secret theft and industrial or economic espionage are
sometimes considered cybercrimes when computers or
networks are involved. Cybercrime in the context of national
security may involve hacktivism (online activity intended to
influence policy), traditional espionage, or information warfare
and related activities.
Another way to define cybercrime is simply as criminal activity
involving the information technology infrastructure, including illegal
access (unauthorized access), illegal interception (by technical means
of non-public transmissions of computer data to, from or within a
computer system), data interference (unauthorized damaging,
deletion, deterioration, alteration or suppression of computer data),
systems interference (interfering with the functioning of a computer
system by inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating,
altering or suppressing computer data), misuse of devices, forgery
(ID theft), and electronic fraud.
THE VICTIMLESS CRIMES
In common understanding of what crime means is that the act
implies that there is both perpetrator and a victim of the wrongful
behavior. With victimless crimes, this general rule does not apply.
Victimless crimes refer to those crimes in which no clear victim is
readily identifiable. In other words, the only injured party is the
offender, who engages in self-destructive behavior. These crimes are
also called moral offenses or vice. Many of these crimes generally
refer to Public Order Crimes – an offense that is consensual and lacks
a complaining participant. It is rare in these cases are victims who
week prosecution.
Examples of Victimless Crimes
• Related to Sex Crimes (against Chastity): Adultery and, in general, sex outside
marriage where all those involved, including spouses, give consent. Adultery without
the spouse's consent is arguably not victimless, as it violates the spouse's marriage
contract rights, but it is also arguable that the non-consenting spouse is the victim of a
civil wrong, not a criminal wrong; Bigamy and other non-traditional marital and family
practices; Prostitution, other sex work, and related acts. According to some people,
prostitutes are "victims" of economic circumstances; others point out that many
strippers and ditch diggers are "victims" of economic circumstances, and arguably so is
anyone who performs a service only for the money, but that doesn't mean stripping,
ditch digging or performing any other services solely for the money is or should be a
crime; Incest between legal adults where offspring cannot result from the sexual
activity.
• Related to Religion: Practice of religions or cults or
superstitions other than those locally sanctioned. Practices
involving banned substances (such as hallucinogens) or banned
social arrangements (such as polygamy); Blasphemy; Apostasy.

• Related to Financial Matters: Ticket scalping

• Related to Political Matters: In general, most specifically
political crimes are necessarily victimless, as they by definition
are against the body politic such as Flag Desecration or
expressing negative opinion of prominent national figure (e.g.
Turkey, North Korea); Public obscenity, though offense (damage)
to others is possible; Treason; High Crimes and Misdemeanors,
and other abuses of Political power that do not involve specific
persons; Electoral fraud, where such fraud does not involve the
votes of specific persons
• Related to Self-Preservation and Public Safety: Suicide;
attempted suicide; euthanasia.
I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
 REVIEW NOTES IN CRIMINAL
SOCIOLOGY, ETHICS & HUMAN
RELATIONS
Part 4