Are White-Collar and Common Offenders the Same?: An empirical and theoretical critique of a recently proposed general theory of crime
This article examines the validity of propositions on white-collar crime derived from a recently proposed general theory of crime. In order to assess the validity, the authors investigate the criminal records of white-collar and common offenders and their respective levels of participation in devian...
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| Format: | Electronic/Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1992
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| In: |
Journal of research in crime and delinquency
Year: 1992, Volume: 29, Issue: 3, Pages: 251-272 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Availability in Tübingen: | Present in Tübingen. IFK: In: Z 31 |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Summary: | This article examines the validity of propositions on white-collar crime derived from a recently proposed general theory of crime. In order to assess the validity, the authors investigate the criminal records of white-collar and common offenders and their respective levels of participation in deviant activities. Contrary to the claims made by this theory, the authors find that those who commit even run-of-the-mill, garden-variety white-collar offenses can, as a group, be clearly distinguished from those who commit ordinary street offenses. However, as the general theory predicts, some white-collar offenders are involved in crime and deviance to much the same degree as typical street criminals. A large majority differs significantly from street criminals in these regards, contradicting the theory and limiting its generality. The authors argue that the theory's rejection of motives as important causal forces is misguided and that a more complex causal structure is needed to account for patterns of white-collar offending |
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| ISSN: | 0022-4278 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/0022427892029003001 |