English 0 Crime Essay: Definition, Types, Theories, and Examples

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of crime, beginning with its definition as an act or omission prohibited by law, with associated punishments. It explores the evolving nature of this definition, highlighting how perceptions and cultural contexts influence what is considered a crime. The essay categorizes various types of crime, including antisocial behavior, cybercrime, and violent crimes, and references the 'Crime Index for Country 2019', illustrating the varying crime rates across the globe. It also delves into digital terrorism and crimes, referencing a book that explores these issues and suggests strategies for maintaining digital privacy and security. Furthermore, the essay examines the history of crime in the United States and discusses the FBI's role in documenting crime statistics. Finally, it presents three theoretical models—psychological, sociological, and biological—to explain criminal behavior, emphasizing the interplay of individual, societal, and biological factors in the development of criminal tendencies.

Running Head: ENGLISH 0
Crime
Essay
Student Details

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Crime
The crime is defined as an act or an omission that has been prohibited by the laws and the
punishments regarding criminal activities (Lawnotes.in). Usually, the offender has to pay the
fine or individual gets the punishment of imprisonment, depends upon the level of the crime.
The crime is considered as the wrongful action includes those activities, which are harmful to
society and dangerous as a whole for the public (Henry and Lanier 609-627).
There are so many perceptions about the definition of crime. Defining the Crime appears to
be change in the last preceding years and still, there is the scope of changes in it. For
example, earlier in the marital rape had not been considered as the crime but as per the
situation, it is morally wrong as it promotes the false assumption for that kind of males,
which consider the women as their property at that time. However, in the U.S., there are
certain punishments established, so this kind of crime would not be promoted. As it can be
seen that the definition of the crime varies from place to place (Stephens 4-51). Hence, it very
typical to define crime as it changes as per culture, in which the change depends on the
perception of what is considered to be the crime or not. The main negative aspect for defining
the crime is that it seems to be failing as some considered the behaviour of the individual as
the offender while some of them will not consider them as the criminal. Thus, the meaning of
crime changes as per the perception and culture.
The crime can be defined as itself a dynamic and variable subject, which includes various
types of crime. Some of them might be similar and others can be greatly differing. There are
different categories of crimes and the people differently react to these crimes. Some of the
major types of crime are antisocial behaviour, Arson, Burglary, Childhood abuse, Crime
aboard, Cybercrime, Domestic abuse, Fraud, Hate crime, Morden slavery, Murder or

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manslaughter, Rape & sexual assault and Violent crimes (Victim Support). All these types of
crimes are punishable under the eyes of the law, as they are the illegal practices in nature.
It had been observed that as per the “Crime Index for Country 2019”, Venezuela ranked as
the first place where the crime index value is 83.23 (Numbeo). Venezuela has to face
multiple kinds of widespread crimes out of which kidnapping and murder are increasing
annually. Due to the highest crime rate in the United Nations, the political conditions and the
economic environment affected in such a negative manner that the condition of the country
has been declining day by day. Additionally, this country has second-highest murder rate
worldwide.
Moreover, apart from the above-mentioned crime, in this techno-savvy era, people also have
to face digital terrorism and digital crimes. To understand the concept of these criminal
activities there is a book published by Robert W. Taylor, which explains the digital terrorism
and crimes. This book includes the issues related to the types of crimes and the terrorist
activities in which they use computer technologies for illegal activities. Additionally, this
book contains the theories of hackers that how they attempt the digital crimes (Robert W.
Taylor 464). For reducing the digital crimes, the government generate some legal strategies
and these strategies overview had been overviewed in this book. Additionally, the reader
would able to understand the growing problems due to digital crimes. This book also suggests
the recommendations, which helps society in maintaining digital privacy and security.
In the United States, the crime had been recorded since the period of colonization. The US
crime rates have been changed and varied over time, with the rise in 1963, reaches to the
peak in between the duration of the 1970s to 1990s. However, after this period the crime rate
starts declining in the United States. Currently, the crime rate in the US is the same as in the
1960s. The “Federal Bureau of Investigation” annually indexes the statistics on the criminal

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activities in the “Uniform Crime Report”. Additionally, the “National crime victimization
survey” by the “Bureau of Justice Statistics” annually been conducted in the United States
(Criminal Justice Degree Hub). The FBI publishes the uniform crime report on law
enforcement in the US, which defines the crime. Many of the law enforcement agencies in
America consider this report. As per this report, according to the FBI, the index crime
involves the property and violent crimes in the US. The violent crime is divided into for
criminal offences such as robbery, murder, rape and non-negligent manslaughter.
Additionally, property crime is divided into four parts such as Arson, burglary, motor
vehicles theft and larceny.
The individual starts developing the motivation to commit criminal acts and skills to do the
crime because of the people from which he or she is associated. Additionally once the person
is labelled as a criminal in society, the society would not accept them and as a result, the
individual enhances its criminal behaviour. To understand criminal behaviour, there are three
types of a theoretical model named as psychological, sociological and biological (Owlcation).
The psychological approaches include the four basic aspects, which states that the crime
happened due to some kind of failures. These aspects are aggression in behaviour, violence,
mental illness and inherent personality traits. This approach includes the social learning and
social conflict theory, which states that the people learn the criminal behaviour because of the
people live around them and class warfare is responsible aggression in behaviour, violence,
mental illness and inherent personality traits. The sociological approach specifies that the
individual involves in criminal activities is influenced by society for their criminal behaviour.
The biological approach explains the behaviour contrary to the expectations in society and
states that the reason behind such kind of criminal behaviour is due to genetics and
physiology.

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Therefore, it can be said that crime happened in the society is due to criminal psychology
which is also known as criminology psychology. This is the study of the intentions, actions,
views, reactions and thoughts of the criminal and its unusual behaviour in the society.

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Bibliography
Criminal Justice Degree Hub. What Are The Most Common Crimes In The United States?
n.d. 28 July 2019. <https://www.criminaljusticedegreehub.com/what-are-the-most-
common-crimes-in-the-united-states/>.
Henry, Stuart and Mark M. Lanier. “The prism of crime: Arguments for an integrated
definition of crime.” Justice Quarterly 15.4 (2009): 609-627.
Lawnotes.in. Definition of Crime. n.d. 28 July 2019.
<https://www.lawnotes.in/Definition_of_Crime>.
Numbeo. Crime Index for Country 2019 Mid-Year. n.d. 28 July 2019.
<https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings_by_country.jsp>.
Owlcation. Three Theories of Criminal Behavior. 15 June 2016. 28 July 2019.
<https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Three-Theories-of-Criminal-Behavior>.
Robert W. Taylor, Kall J. Loper. Digital Crime and Digital Terrorism. 4th. London: Pearson,
2015.
Stephens, Amanda. The Crime and the Criminal: Perceptions of Crime Seriousness. Abilene:
Digital Commons , 2017.
Victim Support. Types of crime. n.d. 28 July 2019. <https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/crime-
info/types-crime>.

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