CRIM 103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Victimless Crime

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRIM 103
• Professor: Evan Mccuish

Document Summary

All crime is socially constructed, differing between societies laws are majority viewpoint. Also been means to withhold power from certain groups via finances. Murder is a consensus, while drug use can be contested. Intentional crime involves criminal behavior knowing it is a criminal offence or without justification. Behaviors violating in and of themselves, or violate social and cultural norms. Conflict: assault with a weapon = threats and brandishing the weapon, not injury. Instrumental/predatory violence is for gain, eg robberies, usually against strangers. Reactive violence is in response to something, usually against those we know. Antisocial behavior is only applied to adolescents, involving crimes which are criminalized for teens but not adults consumption of alcohol. Crime is legally defined, antisocial behavior is socially defined. Case studies help with the study of serious offenders and atypical crimes but not good for generalizations. Often cases link dependent and invariable variables linking mental illness developed later in life to crime patterns.