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Theories of Crime Causation

Unit 1-Individual Project

3/27/2011

American InterContinental University

Brandi Norfleet
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Abstract

This paper will explain what duties a criminologist, criminalist, and forensic psychologist

perform, and misconceptions that come along with each job. It will also explore the difference

between white-collar and blue-collar crime, along with the types of crimes contained in Uniform

Crime Reports.
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Criminology is the study of different aspects of crime and crime prevention.

Criminologists study the psychological and social conditions that cause crime, the criminal

offenders, and ways to rehabilitate them. They gather and analyze data about arrests, crimes, and

convictions to understand the criminal’s sociological background. The data is analyzed to

determine crime trends, and if there are any trends found then criminologists make

recommendations on how to combat the crime (Echie, 2008). By studying the history of the

criminals, they can reveal why the crimes are committed. Criminalists really started coming into

play as technology began to advance in the 1970s and 1980s. When DNA and fingerprint

evidence started to become useful to law enforcement officials, criminalists were needed.

Criminalists include workers in the aspect of forensics such as botany, chemistry, biology, and

entomology. They deal with biological evidence including DNA and bodily fluids, trace

evidence, ballistics, impression evidence, crime scene photography, reconstruction, and drug

analysis. Forensic Psychologists study the behavior and mental processes of criminals, and must

have knowledge of psychology and criminal law. The study of forensic psychology combines

clinical psychology with the criminal justice system. Forensic psychologists are often called

upon to assess a criminals’ competency to stand trial (Montero, 2010).

The common misconception about criminologists is that they are mainly police officers

and crime investigators; the field is quite diverse. You can be a police officer, crime scene

investigator, crime researcher, policy advisor, government agent, private investigator, teacher,

medical examiner, laboratory technician, or forensic officer ("What does a Criminologist do?,"

n.d.). Another misconception is that criminologists do their work in the dangerous streets, when
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in fact most work behind the scenes analyzing minds. Criminalists in real life are not like they

are portrayed on television. They do not carry guns around on the street interviewing and

arresting people, actually it is quite the opposite. Criminalists spend their time analyzing

evidence, and doing the behind the scenes work that is not shown on television. (About

Criminalists, n.d.). Lastly, one very common misconception about forensic psychologists is that

their main purpose is criminal profiling when in reality they have so many more responsibilities.

These responsibilities range from advising police departments on criminal psychology and

mental illness to consulting with attorneys on mental health and other issues in the civil and

criminal court system. Forensic psychologists may also help with creating correctional programs.

White collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by

a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" (1939).

White- collar crimes are nonviolent illegal activities which occur in corporations or businesses

and include securities fraud, insurance fraud, computer fraud, and money laundering along with

many other crimes (Larson, 2000). White-collar crime usually incorporates legitimate business

with criminal behavior which in turn makes it harder to detect. Victims are less likely to report

white-collar crime and the criminals and their unlawful activities are often brought to light by

whistleblowers. A whistleblower is an employee who publicly uncovers illegal activities

happening within his/her own company (What is whistle blower?, n.d.). Blue-collar crime is

crime committed by working class individuals as opposed to white-collar crime which is

associated with crime committed by persons of a higher social class. Blue-collar crime

sometimes involves the use of physical force because most are crimes of violence against a

person. These criminal acts are reported more often than white-collar crime, and therefore

attract more active police attention.

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The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports Program (UCR) collects information from local law

enforcement agencies about crimes reported to police ("Crime Type," n.d.). The UCR crime

index includes eight offenses; rape, murder, aggravated assault, larceny, burglary, robbery, and

motor vehicle theft, and arson. The types of crimes which are contained in UCRs are considered

blue-collar crimes for the most part; however some of these same crimes can definitely be

committed by white-collar criminals as well.

Originally UCR data was divided into 7 categories of major offenses which included rape,

larceny, aggravated assault, murder, motor vehicle theft, burglary, and robbery. All of which are

a part of the FBI’s Crime Index. In 1979, Congress added arson to the list of major criminal

offenses, and this created difficulty in comparing crime indexes before and after the year 1979

(Schmalleger, 2009). This was one of the reasons the crime index was reorganized into what we

know today as Part 1 and Part 2 offenses. Part 1 offenses are violent crimes against a person(s)

such as aggravated assault, rape, robbery, and murder. Part 2 offenses are crimes against property

which include burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

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References

About Criminalists | eHow.com. (n.d.). EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To

Videos & Articles | eHow.com. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from

http://www.ehow.com/about_4567304_criminalists.html

Crime Type. (n.d.). Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=3

Echie, K. (2008, February 25). Criminologists and Why Criminologists are Needed in the

Criminal Justice Field. Ezine Articles. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from

http://ezinearticles.com/?Criminologists-and-Why-Criminologists-are-Needed-in-the-

Criminal-Justice-Field&id=1007097

Larson, A. (2000, March). Criminal Law - Corporate Crime. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from

http://www.expertlaw.com/library/criminal/corporate_criminality.html

Montero, J. (2010, September 22). Forensics vs Forensic Science. Ezine Articles. Retrieved

March 27, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Forensics-Vs-Forensic-

Science&id=5079595

Schmalleger, F. (2009). Criminology today: an Integrative introduction. 5th ed, Prentice Hall.

What does a Criminologist do? (n.d.). Criminal Justice Schools, Online Paralegal Schools,

Legal Assistant Training Programs. Retrieved March 30, 2011, from

http://www.criminal-justice-careers.com/a/what-does-a-criminologist-do.html
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What is whistle blower? Definition and Meaning. (n.d.). InvestorWords.com - Investing

Glossary. Retrieved March 29, 2011, from

http://www.investorwords.com/5304/whistle_blower.html