White Collar Crime Essay Example

A present day study of the term white collar crime, is as controversial as it is general. If you log onto the F.B.I. website to see a host of crimes ranging from health care fraud to computer fraud. (www.fbi.gov) Criminologists, with a focus on the law, contend that many of the behaviors society believes to be white collar crimes are in fact not crimes at all. Without a statute to define a behavior as a criminal violation of law, behaviors could be labeled by individual standards rather than in the context of community value. An individual evaluation of what is or is not deviant allows for a subjective approach that softens the scientific objectivity of criminology (Tappan 1977). Additionally, the American system of criminal justice was built upon the premise of individual guilt. The penalty phase of a criminal action was never meant to impose sanctions against groups or organizations. Sociologists contend the term itself is fundamentally flawed. Studies have shown the vast majority of white collar crimes are carried out by individuals comprising the middle and lower classes of society, without regard to the color of their collar (Coral 1989; Levi 1987; Weisberg 1991). Sociology views white collar crime not from a statutory or legal definition, but rather as a class distinction emphasizing the unlikeness between the treatment of the rich and the poor. The majority of races that are involved with white collar crimes an Hispanic and white. And the age group varies between 20 and 80 years old. The amount of time you get for sentencing is based on the amount of money, or how bad your crime was.

The current definition of white collar crime has come about due to a cause of behaviors, variables, systems and theories. Unlike conventional crimes, white collar crime can be committed by an individual, a business, a corporation, government, and Hollywood stars like Wesley Snipes. The criminal element of intent has become less important as product liability