White-Collar Crime and Criminals

There are many definitions of "white-collar" crime. (Edelhertz, 1970) White-collar crime - “An illegal act or series of illegal acts committed by nonphysical means and by concealment or guile, to obtain money or property, to avoid the payment or loss of money or property, or to obtain business or personal advantage.” (Edelhertz, 1970) White-collar crime are crimes can be committed by: “persons working on an individual basis for personal gain in a non-business situation (personal crimes); crimes in the course of their occupations by those operating inside businesses, Government, or other establishments, or in a professional capacity, in violation of their duty of loyalty and fidelity to employer or client (abuses of trust); crimes incidental to and in furtherance of business operations, but not the central purpose of such business operations (business crimes); and white-collar crime as a business, or as the central activity of the business (con games).” (Edelhertz, 1970) In regards to the criminal acts of white-collar crime, the range of possible acts is extensive. (Edelhertz, 1970) The perpetrators responsible are very diverse in regards to character, status, and motivation. (Edelhertz, 1970) Common elements to all white-collar crime: intent to commit a wrongful act or to achieve a purpose contradictory with law or public policy; disguise of reason or intent; dependence by perpetrator on the lack of knowledge or negligence of victim; compliance by victim in what he/she believes to be the true nature and substance of the deal; and concealment of crime by preventing the victim from realizing that he/she has been wronged. (Edelhertz, 1970) In other crime types once the intent is created it is followed by the execution of the act. T...

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...inal justice system carries the sanctions that can deter. Together these two methods can have a chance at reducing white-collar crime. (Benson & Simpson, 2009) Make it more complex for white-collar offenders to cover up their illegal behavior or deceptions. (Benson & Simpson, 2009)

The strategies used to prevent or reduce white-collar crime have to be effective in treating these types of offenders as criminals. (Benson, 1985) Most white-collar offenders are able to avoid being recognized and treated as a criminal by the criminal justice system and society. (Benson, 1985) By promoting white-collar offenders to maintain their self-identity and commit illegal acts and reputation is untarnished, then the principal functions of the criminal justice system and laws that govern the figurative division of the criminal from the community is null and void. (Benson, 1985).