HOW SERIOUS A CRIME? PERCEPTIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL AND COMMON CRIMES (FROM WHITE-COLLAR CRIME - THEORY AND RESEARCH, 1980, BY GILBERT GEIS AND EZRA STOTLAND SEE NCJ-65757)

• NCJ Number: 65756
• Author(s): L S SCHRAGER; J F SHORT
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

USING DATA FROM A SURVEY OF PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS ON THE SERIOUSNESS OF A VARIETY OF WHITE-COLLAR AND 'STREET' CRIMES, THE ASSUMPTION OF PUBLIC INDIFFERENCE TOWARD WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES IS EXAMINED.

Abstract

DATA WERE DERIVED FROM A SURVEY OF PREDOMINANTLY WHITE AND BLACK CENSUS TRACTS IN BALTIMORE, MD., WHICH WERE SEPARATELY STRATIFIED INTO THREE GROUPS ON THE BASIS OF MEDIAN INCOME; ONE TRACT WAS RANDOMLY CHOSEN FROM EACH INCOME GROUP FOR WHITES AND TWO TRACTS FROM EACH INCOME CATEGORY FOR BLACKS. THE INTERVIEW CONSISTED OF QUESTIONS ON VICTIMIZATION DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR, RESPONDENT BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS, AND A RATING OF SEVERITY FOR 80 CRIMES. EACH CRIME WAS SORTED INTO ONE OF NINE CATEGORIES ON A CONTINUUM FROM MOST TO LEAST SERIOUS, BASED UPON ECONOMIC AND PHYSICALLY INJURIOUS IMPACTS OF THE OFFENSE. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE PUBLIC TENDS TO EVALUATE BOTH 'STREET' AND ORGANIZATIONAL OFFENSES IN TERMS OF IMPACT. BOTH ORGANIZATIONAL OFFENSES AND 'STREET' OFFENSES RESULTING IN DEATH FOR VICTIMS WERE VIEWED WITH EQUAL SERIOUSNESS. THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL AND 'STREET' CRIME, VIEWED WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF SERIOUSNESS, WERE ALSO SEEN AS LESS SERIOUS THAN OFFENSES INVOLVING PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH. THUS, STUDIES CLAIMING PUBLIC INDIFFERENCE TOWARD ORGANIZATIONAL OFFENSES ARE NOT SUBSTANTIATED. FINDINGS IMPLY STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE SETTING OF ORGANIZATIONAL REGULATORY SANCTIONS IN PROPORTION TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF VIOLATION IMPACTS. SUGGESTIONS ARE OFFERED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. TABULAR DATA, NOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)