White Collar Crime and Punishment
When we think of crimes, we typically think of them as being violent. However, not all crimes are violent and non-violent crimes still have the ability to hurt a lot of people. One of the most popular non-violent crimes are white collar crimes, which are financially drive and committed by corporations and business professionals. Why is it called white collar crime? The reason its called a white collar crime is because the people committing these crimes work in a professional environment. Below are white collar crime examples to give you an idea of what this type of crime looks like.
- Embezzlement: This type of crime is when someone takes money from a company they are employed at. Embezzlement can also be someone taking money from a person they are employed by. An example of embezzlement would be a politician using money from a campaign fund as their own personal piggy bank.
- Extortion: When someone uses coercion such fear, humiliation, or violence to get money or property from another person, that is considered extortion. An example would be blackmailing someone by saying you will hurt them with violence or accuse them of a crime.
- Fraud: Fraud is the act of deception in order to gain money from another person. There are different types of fraud such as corporate fraud, insurance fraud, ponzi schemes, and securities fraud. An example of fraud would be if someone burned down a building in order to get the insurance money.
- Money Laundering: When money comes from a corrupt source but is made to look like its coming from a legitimate and legal place, then that is considered money laundering.
- Tax Evasion: Tax evasion is when someone avoids paying taxes that are owed. People can lie on their tax returns or conceal some of their assets in order to make it look like they don’t have to pay taxes.
Who Commits White Collar Crime?
In 1939, the sociologist, Edwin Sutherland, coined the term white collar crime. He defined this type of crime as a “crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of their occupation.” So typically, this type of crime will be committed by a wealthy and educated person. If its a non-violent, financially motivated crime that is committed by people who work in business or the government, then it is considered a white collar crime.
What Causes White Collar Crimes?
A lot of people wonder, “Why white collar crime is committed?” There are so many reasons why this kind of crime is committed. Some people believe they are untouchable and can do whatever they want in order to gain money, some people have the mindset that they need to do whatever it takes to gain a certain amount of money, or someone isn’t receiving the bonuses they think they deserve so they turn to stealing. According to an article written by Roomy Khan in Forbes, “Most white-collar misbehaviors occur due to the perceived ambiguity in the environmental signals and cues. Work environments can elicit good or bad behavior out of individuals. Ambiguous cues subtly nudge individuals towards the slippery path of compounding ethical transgressions, leading to criminal acts. Certain individuals succumb to temptations and compromise their ethical values in this grey area. Rarely, is there a direct order to break the law.” So it can be a product of ones environment that white collar crimes are committed. Another thing that people ask is, “Is White Collar Crime deviant or criminal?” They can honestly be both depending on the individual circumstance.
What Is Blue Collar and White Collar Crime?
White Collar Crime Vs Blue Collar Crime
While we know that a white collar crime is committed by educated and wealthy business and government officials, many people might not know what a blue collar crime is. A blue collar crime is usually committed by a person from a lower social class. So white collar crimes are committed by people in higher social classes and blue collar crimes are committed by people in lower social classes. Another way to differentiate between the two is that white collar crimes are non-violent and blue collar crimes can fall under violent crimes. Some examples of blue collar crimes are burglary, sexual assault, and murder. Whether you need drug charge bail or bail for a white collar crime, you need to turn to bail bond agents at ATX Bail Bonds. We are able to offer bail bonds in Austin, TX if you have been accused of a white collar crime and need to be released from jail in order to prepare for your upcoming trial. To speak with a bail bondsman about bail for white collar crimes, please give us a call at 512.834.2245. We are ready to work with you and get you released from jail quickly!