State crime

Question 1

Ross, 2000

Answer 1

• Omission (Govs failing to prevent)
• Commission (Govs acting criminally)
• Direct (Govs acting criminally)
• Indirect (States acting criminally)
• Within state (crimes against your own state)
• Between state (crimes against other states)

Question 2

Transgressive sociologist

Answer 2

• Green and Ward

- state organised ‘deviance’ involves the violation of human rights.

Question 3

Human rights

Answer 3

• Set of guidelines of treating people.

- Outlined by the UN in 1948 in their ‘Universal Declaration of Human rights.’

Question 4

Why is it hard to research state crime?

Answer 4

• States have their own laws.

- There’s often disagreement about what should be defined as criminal.

Question 5

Green and Ward two part model in explaining state crime

Answer 5

• Integrated theory: Crimes happen for reasons similar to other crimes. Eg. Opportunity, lack of control and rational choice.
• Crimes of obedience: States give permission for criminal behaviour with loose laws. States may also promote policies that favours one group over another.

Question 6

Crimes of obedience (Kelman)

Answer 6

• Authorisation- loose laws
• Dehumanization- unequal laws
• Routinisation- violent crimes seem ‘normal’ by removing excitement and danger from repetition.

Question 7

Cohen

Answer 7

• Culture of denial
• State often look to hide or legitimize their actions in 3 stages. (1. Denial 2. Suggests it’s not a crime 3. Justify it’s not a crime)

Question 8

Holocaust 1942-1945

Answer 8

• Torture and illegal treatment of citizens

- 6 million jewish people were killed under state control.