SOC212 - 4. White Collar Crime

Question 1

White-Collar Crime

Answer 1

offenses committed by workers in course of their occupations - Sutherland

Question 2

Corporate Crime

Answer 2

offenses committed by companies, corporations + industries

consequences of white-collar crime are serious + can occur in many forms

Question 3

Corporate Crime

Answer 3

entire company or industry as opposed to specific individuals
white collar is not necessarily corporate crime
across all demographics
monopolies

Question 4

Egs

Answer 4

tax violations, embezzlement, fraud, expense-account misuse, illegal campaign contributions, bribery, environmental pollution

Question 5

Defining White-Collar Crime

Answer 5

Sutherland’s initial definition for white-collar crime intrigued him because He was able to distinguish white-collar crime from ordinary or street crime.

Question 6

Defining White-Collar Crime

Answer 6

White-collar criminals were not “needy” criminals who committed crimes our of necessity.
ex: Ponzie schemes, stock market crash
cost 300 billion dollars

Question 7

Defining White-Collar Crime

Answer 7

Enron: deceived shareholders into thinking they were worth more
improperly accounted for 4 billion dollars in cost
collective embezzlement of savings and loan industry

Question 8

Defining White-Collar Crime

Answer 8

In Canada Most Common: theft, fraud, accounting fraud, cyber crime, viruses, stolen data, phishing schemes
often don’t know we got hit
organizations often don’t report, but those who do lost 10 million dollars

Question 9

White-Collar Crime & Criminal Events

Answer 9

criminal event perspective examines white-collar crime in combination with victim & context in which the crime takes place

Question 10

White-Collar Crime & Criminal Events

Answer 10

Occupation: occupational dimension of white-collar crime is a special
status, one that confers power, trust + individual identity
has to be within legal

Question 11

White-Collar Crime & Criminal Events

Answer 11

Offenders can be professionals or nonprofessionals.
Fraud: deception for unlawful gain of resources or money
takes up most of white collar crime

Question 12

White-Collar Crime & Criminal Events

Answer 12

Power & Trust: need to have position of power + trust
power is abused
criminals are seen as respectable, charismatic, appearance of honesty - don’t have previous criminal record

Question 13

Nature & Types of Corporate Violations

Answer 13

Crimes against consumers: automobile industry, phone bills - unsafe products, unfair advantage of customers, repair - swindle
Crimes against owners: know how system works to exploit it, can be directed against owners - falsify reports, misrepresent success or failures

Question 14

Nature & Types of Corporate Violations

Answer 14

Crimes against employees: unsafe working environ

Crimes against community at large: spending pensions, child labour

Question 15

Nature & Types of Corporate Violations

Answer 15

not really a big priority

brought to light by whistleblowers - knowledge and skills to detect foul play

Question 16

Nature & Types of Corporate Violations

Answer 16

Enronization: ability of these crimes to victimize everyone (owners, customers, community, stockholders)
overlap number of victims with single crime

Question 17

Professional White-Collar Crime and Deviance

Answer 17

Professional crime + deviance amounts to misconduct of people performing professional, rather than occupational roles
Doctors, lawyers, clergy, professors

Question 18

Professional White-Collar Crime and Deviance

Answer 18

need knowledge, training and skills in order to manipulate
planning is meticulous
anticipate reactions of police + victims
calculate risk involved
account for all possibilities

Question 19

Professional White-Collar Crime and Deviance

Answer 19

see selves as respectables
high social standing
criminal past not common

Question 20

Explaining White-Collar Crime

Answer 20

sophisticated + result of considerable planning.
Self-concept, Motive
Requires a combo of opportunity + learning
environments

Question 21

Explaining White-Collar Crime

Answer 21

Coleman’s (2005) three factors:
•Motivation
•Culturally learned neutralizations
•Opportunity

Question 22

Explaining White-Collar Crime

Answer 22

Unethical business practices + law violations may attribute to the company’s internal structure.

Question 23

Costs of White-Collar + Corporate Crime

Answer 23

3 kinds of costs from white-collar and
corporate crime:
Financial Harm: can cost trillions of dollars
counterfitting, espionage

Question 24

Costs of White-Collar + Corporate Crime

Answer 24

Physical Harm: unsafe working conditions/products, pollution (air, water, noise)
Social Harm: trust
when prosecuted, views it as serious
cynism

Question 25

Costs of White-Collar + Corporate Crime

Answer 25

motive: greed
just wanna see if they get away with it
money, power, ego
learn how to rationalize, defend themselves, protect from guilt - from friends, peers, media

Question 26

Costs of White-Collar + Corporate Crime

Answer 26

conflict perspective: ppl with power have influence over laws
organization structure can lead to and even promote crime

Question 27

Controlling White Collar Crime

Answer 27

Criminal Law and Adminstrative Law
dealt with administratively
needs to be changes to both laws
criminal: needs to be punished - needs more deterrence, rehab,
administrative: needs to ensure compliance

Question 28

Controlling White Collar Crime

Answer 28

Public Education: prevent victimization, but also blames victims
Publicity: increase pressure on political system to be taken more seriously

Question 29

Controlling White Collar Crime

Answer 29

Business Ethics
Legislation / Governmental Regulation
Reform