Understanding White Collar Crime
S E C T I O N
II
Understanding White-Collar Crime
Definitions, Extent, and Consequences
S ecti on Hi g h l i g h ts
•• •• •• •• •• •• White-Collar Crime: An Evolving Concept Modern Conceptualizations of White-Collar Crime Extent of White-Collar Crime Consequences of White-Collar Crime Public Attitudes About White-Collar Crime Characteristics of White-Collar Offenders
A
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s noted in the introduction, Edwin Sutherland created the concept of white-collar crime more than 70 years ago to draw attention to the fact that crimes are committed by individuals in all social classes. As will be seen in this section, one of the largest difficulties in understanding white-collar crime has centered on an ongoing debate about how to define white-collar crime. After discussing various ways that white-collar crime can be defined, attention will be given to the extent of white-collar crime, the consequences of this illicit behavior, public attitudes about white-collar crime, and patterns describing the characteristics of white-collar offenders.
Section II Understanding White-Collar Crime
35
As a backdrop to this discussion, consider the following recent white-collar crimes described in the media: •• A jury convicted [then-Baltimore mayor Sheila] Dixon . . . of embezzling about $500 worth of gift cards donated to the city for needy families. Dixon then pleaded guilty last month to lying about thousands of dollars in gifts from her former boyfriend, a prominent developer. (Nuckols, 2010) •• The money manager and technology investor convicted of stealing some $22 million from clients and using his gains to support charitable causes in Colorado and elsewhere was sentenced in New York Friday to nine years in federal prison. (Harden, 2010) •• The secretary of a St. Peters business has been indicted in connection with the embezzlement of $573,388 from her employer. (“Secretary Charged With Embezzling,” 2010) •• A former Redondo Beach police officer accused
II
Understanding White-Collar Crime
Definitions, Extent, and Consequences
S ecti on Hi g h l i g h ts
•• •• •• •• •• •• White-Collar Crime: An Evolving Concept Modern Conceptualizations of White-Collar Crime Extent of White-Collar Crime Consequences of White-Collar Crime Public Attitudes About White-Collar Crime Characteristics of White-Collar Offenders
A
34
s noted in the introduction, Edwin Sutherland created the concept of white-collar crime more than 70 years ago to draw attention to the fact that crimes are committed by individuals in all social classes. As will be seen in this section, one of the largest difficulties in understanding white-collar crime has centered on an ongoing debate about how to define white-collar crime. After discussing various ways that white-collar crime can be defined, attention will be given to the extent of white-collar crime, the consequences of this illicit behavior, public attitudes about white-collar crime, and patterns describing the characteristics of white-collar offenders.
Section II Understanding White-Collar Crime
35
As a backdrop to this discussion, consider the following recent white-collar crimes described in the media: •• A jury convicted [then-Baltimore mayor Sheila] Dixon . . . of embezzling about $500 worth of gift cards donated to the city for needy families. Dixon then pleaded guilty last month to lying about thousands of dollars in gifts from her former boyfriend, a prominent developer. (Nuckols, 2010) •• The money manager and technology investor convicted of stealing some $22 million from clients and using his gains to support charitable causes in Colorado and elsewhere was sentenced in New York Friday to nine years in federal prison. (Harden, 2010) •• The secretary of a St. Peters business has been indicted in connection with the embezzlement of $573,388 from her employer. (“Secretary Charged With Embezzling,” 2010) •• A former Redondo Beach police officer accused
References: Aubert, Vilhelm (1952) ‘White-Collar Crime and Social Structure’, American Journal of Sociology 58(November): 263-71. Braithwaite, John (2001) ‘Conceptualizing Organizational Crime in a World of Plural Cultures’, in Henry Pontell and David Shichor (eds) Contemporary Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice: Essays in Honor of Gilbert Geis, pp. 17-32. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Bryant, Clifton D. (1974) Deviant Behavior: Occupational and Organizational Bases. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally. Clinard, Marshall B. and Richard Quinney (1973 [1967]) Criminal Behavior Systems: A Typology. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Douglas, Jack D. and John M. Johnson (eds) (1977) Official Deviance. New York: J.B. Lippincott Co. Ermann, M. David and Richard J. Lundman (eds) (1996) Corporate and Governmental Deviance, 5th edn. New York: Oxford University Press. Friedrichs, David O. (1992) ‘White Collar Crime and the Definitional Quagmire: A Provisional Solution’, Journal of Human Justice 3(3): 5-21. Friedrichs, David O. (1996a) Trusted Criminals: White Collar Crime in Contemporary Society. Belmont, CA: ITP/Wadsworth Publishing Co. Friedrichs, David O. (1996b) ‘Defining White Collar Crime: In Defense of an Inclusive Approach’, in James Helmkamp, Richard Ball and Kitty Townsend (eds) Definitional Dilemma: Can and Should There Be a Universal Definition of White Collar Crime?, pp. 263-74. Morgantown, WV: National White Collar Crime Center. Geis, Gilbert (1962) ‘Toward a Delineation of White-Collar Offenses’, Sociological Inquiry 32(Spring): 160-71. Geis, Gilbert (1982) On White-Collar Crime. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Geis, Gilbert (1992) ‘White-Collar Crime: What Is It?’, in Kip Schlegel and David Weisburd (eds) White-Collar Crime Reconsidered, pp. 31-52. Boston, MA: Northeastern University Press. Geis, Gilbert (2002) ‘White-Collar Crime’, in Gary W. Potter (ed.) Controversies in White Collar Crime, pp. 37-52. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Publishing Co. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. How is occupational crime different from occupational deviance? 2. What policy implications arise from the way that white-collar crime is defined? 3. Is workplace violence a form of white-collar crime? Explain.