Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
A.C.1.1 - Analyse Different Types of Crime (White Collar Crime (Criminal…
A.C.1.1 - Analyse Different Types of Crime
White Collar Crime
Criminal Offences
White-collar crime covers a wide range of offences by businesses and professionals, including defrauding customers, tax evasion, breaking health and safety laws, polluting the environment, and illegally discriminating against their employees.
Types of Offender
The criminologist Edwin Sutherland defined white collar crime as 'a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of their occupation'. This can include people such as company directors and managers, as well as professionals such as accountants, lawyers, doctors and dentists.
Corporate Crime
When crime is committed by or on behalf of a company (for example, by cheating it's customers or evading tax to increase it's profits), this is known as corporate crime.
Professional Crime
When crime is committed by professionals, (for example, accountants stealing their clients' funds), this is known as professional crime.
Types of Victim
White-collar crime is sometimes said to be 'victimless' but in foot there are many victims:
Consumers
For example, companies may make false claims when advertising their products, or sell unfit or dangerous goods.
Tax Payers and the Government
Companies who evade tax are defrauding other tax payers and depriving the government of funds to pay for public services.
Employees
For example, employers may subject their workers to bullying, sexual harassment or racial discrimination. Criminologist Steve Tombs calculates that as many as 1,100 work-related deaths a year result from employers breaking the law.
The Public at Large
We all suffer when companies pollute the environment, for example through illegally dumping toxic waste or selling cars that breach emissions standards.
Level of Public Awareness
White-collar crime is often said to be 'invisible' - public awareness of it is relatively low compared to street crimes such as assault or burglary. There are several reasons for this: