CRJU110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Social Forces, Embezzlement, Uniform Crime Reports
13 Mar 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Large majority of citizens agree that certain behaviors must be outlawed or controlled and that criminal law is designed to protect citizens from social harm. The law is the instrument that enables the wealthy to maintain their position of power and control the behavior of those who oppose their ideas and values or who might rebel against an unequal distribution of wealth. Criminal law is structured to reflect the preferences and opinions of people who hold social power in a particular legal jurisdiction. Though consensus, conflict, and interactionists views differ, they generally agree that Social forces mold the definition of crimes. Criminal law has a social control function. Multiple murder (mass murder, spree killers, serial killers) Property crime- outnumbers violent crime by a margin of 7 to 1. Compiled by the fbi, this national survey compiles criminal acts reported to local police.
