White Collar Thomas Edison State College

White Collar Written Assignment 5

Name and discuss the principal issues that a theory of White Collar Crime attempts to explain, then identify and discuss some of the main underlying assumptions for any such theory.

There are three main issues that any theory of white-collar crime must address if it is to be considered as a valid theory. Criminality, the crime, and criminalization are the three main issues that must be addressed by a valid theory of white-collar crime. (Friedrichs, 2007, p. 199)

The first issue that must be addressed by any white-collar crime theory is criminality. The criminality of white-collar crime “focuses on individual or organizational motivations and on the forces that promote motivations and lead to the commission of white collar crimes.” (Friedrichs, 2007, p. 199) In simpler terms criminality answers the question: what makes a person/organization commit whit-collar crimes.

The second issue that any white-collar crime theory must address is that of explaining the crime. In this case the theory must explain why white-collar crime is not the same among occupations. (Friedrichs, 2007, p. 199) When it comes down to this level of analyzing a white-collar crime, situational factors play a much bigger role. (Friedrichs, 2007, p. 199) Some of the factors that are believed to play a vital role in criminal behavior are: motivation, freedom of social constrains, skill, and opportunity. (Friedrichs, 2007, p. 199)

Criminalization is the third and final issue that must be explained by any white-collar crime theory. Criminalization is the process in which “particular activities, entities, and individuals come to be defined as criminal.” (Friedrichs, 2007, p. 199) In a poor man’s definition of criminalization it is how a person or a certain action is defined as criminal. This part of a white-collar theory shows us how some actions that used to be innocent goes from completely legal to ultimately illegal.

There are many assumptions that must be...