NCJ Number
65865
Journal
OESTERREICHISCHE RICHTERZEITUNG Volume: 56 Issue: 5 Dated: (MAY 1978) Pages: 95-104
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
REORIENTATION OF AUSTRIAN CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON WHITE-COLLAR CRIME TO CONSIDER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES OF OFFENSES RATHER THAN SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OFFENDERS IS ADVOCATED.
Abstract
PRESENT RESEARCH IS VOLUMINOUS BUT IS DEVOTED PRIMARILY TO SPECIALIZED PROBLEMS OR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL PROSECUTION UNITS, A SITUATION ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ABSENCE OF A CONCEPT INDEPENDENT OF CRIMINAL LAW WHICH UNITES THE WIDE VARIETY OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIME FORMS AND RELATES THEM TO CRIME IN GENERAL. CRIMINAL LAW HAS NOT BEEN ADJUSTED TO THE CHANGED CONDITIONS IN ECONOMIC TRANSACTIONS, AND TOO MUCH TIME IS SPENT DESCRIBING INDIVIDUAL CRIMES RATHER THAN ANALYZING INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS LEADING TO THE CRIMES. THE QUESTION OF WHETHR CRIME IS PARTICULARLY PREVALENT IN THE LOWER CLASSES AND WHETHER SOCIAL GOALS VARY FROM CLASS TO CLASS RENDER THE ANOMIE THEORY INADEQUATE FOR EXPLANATION OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIME. THE LABELING APPROACH EMPHASIZES THE ROLE OF SOCIAL AND POWER STRUCTURES OF SOCIETY IN CATEGORIZING VIOLATORS OF NORMS AS CRIMINALS AND COULD ALSO BE APPLIED TO UNDERSTANDING WHY CERTAIN WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINALS ARE NOT LABELED CRIMINALS. MARXIST THEORIES ATTRIBUTE CRIME TO THE CONFLICTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL WITH THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM AND SEEK TO ELIMINATE CRIME BY REPLACING CAPITALIST SOCIETY WITH SOCIALISM. CRIMINOLOGY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIME IN PRACTICE THROUGH (1) THE COLLECTION AND COMPREHENSIBLE INTERPRETATION OF EMPIRICAL DATA, (2) THE DISCUSSION OF BASIC CONCEPTS TO EXPLAIN THE VARIOUS MANIFESTATIONS OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIME, AND (3) THE REFORM OF TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR PROFESSIONALS ENGAGED IN COMBATTING WHITE-COLLAR CRIME TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES. THE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHITE-COLLAR CRIME IS REINFORCED BY THE INCREASING LIKELIHOOD OF CRIME RATES IN THIS AREA AS A RESULT OF EXPANDING TRADE AND REDUCTIONS IN THE CHANCES OF CRIMES BEING DISCOVERED. NOTES ARE FURNISHED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)