What constitutes a crime Understanding the various Acts that Constitute a Crime with Examples - Essay Example

? Understanding the various Acts that Constitute a Crime with Examples Crimes and all the actions which result in the unlawful act are explained in detail in the following paper. The discussion covers the key types of crimes, the acts through which a particular crime gets established and relevant examples to explain the general actions that suddenly become immoral acts. All the possible actions which lead to a crime are discussed. Understanding the various Acts that Constitute a Crime with Examples It is important to know what constitutes a crime. There are certain acts that get categorized as criminal activity and one must acquire knowledge about what comes under the boundaries that are considered unlawful according to the law of the land. Knowledge about the acts that constitute a crime is necessary for not just criminologists but ordinary people too. An understanding about the source behind a criminal activity helps in eradicating any sort of upcoming harm generated through that act. It also refrain people from heading towards the wrong (and unlawful) path. This paper discusses the most significant acts that propel a criminal activity or a crime in detail along with helpful examples. Any illegal or unlawful act comes under the category of crime. Crime is the commission of an act or it may be named as the omission of an act, through which the law is violated and results in punishments by the authorities (Milhorn, 2005). Crime serves several functions; it is because of crimes that the societies set the boundaries related to morality. There are three classified main types of crime that is conventional or ordinary, occupational and organizational. Conventional category includes the unlawful acts regarding violence such as assault, rape and murder, but mainly involves of property crimes for example theft, robbery and burglary. Usually people involved in such acts belong to the lower and blue collar classes. Whereas the occupational crimes comprise of acts which are entirely different like violation of laws named as white collar crime, performed by people of middle or upper social classes. The people may include business persons, government employee etc. Third category is the organizational crime, which is committed by organizations, industries, labor unions etc. (Yeager, 1980). In general, ordinary crimes can be further divided into two categories personal and property crimes. Personal crimes are violations against any other person which may include the crimes such as assault, battery, betrayal, false imprisonment, kidnapping, homicide crimes namely first and second degree, murders and involuntary manslaughters and vehicular homicides. The property crimes comprises of actions against properties such as larceny, arson, burglary, forgery, false pretenses and receipt of stolen goods etc. Above are some of the crimes which are equivalently affective both personally and property wise like robbery involves enforcement through physical force as well as theft of ownership. Organizational crimes are the white collar crimes that include embezzlement, bankruptcy fraud, mail and wire fraud, bribery, theft or trade secrets, etc. They are named as corporate crimes because the acts have impact on the state. Assault, is a crime by a person who has an anxiety of fulfilling a pending damaging or violent connection. An assault does not take place when merely words are used to threaten; rather it takes place when apprehension of harm, that is, use of certain action along with the threat is called an assault. For example, a man commits an assault when he sexually harasses a female either verbally or physically. Battery is said to be a type of common assault, which is the result of a volitional deed, which is an action executed to cause harm to another person. For example, if a person even throws a rock at someone with the cause of hurting him and the rock hits the person, then this will lead to battery. False imprisonment is a form of crime in which a person is confined against his will by another person or a group of people. For example, false imprisonment happens when a person goes in a room, and the other person stops him from leaving through physical force (Scheb, 2011). Kidnaping is a crime that occurs when a person perform actions like forcefully enforcing control over someone against his or her will, depriving someone from his or her freedom or take custody of another person without his or her consent (Gardner & Anderson, 2010). For example, kidnapping happens when a man snatches a child from a parent and takes him forcefully to another place for ransom. Physical Abuse is a crime that involves the exploitation of someone by exerting physical power. Women all over the world are the usual receivers of this sort of a crime mainly by husbands, ex husbands and/or boyfriends (Gardner & Anderson, 2010). Physical abuse may also be executed on elderly persons and kids. For example, if a husband beats his wife whether using his own power or an object and the act results in hurting her, then this will become a crime of physical abuse and the man will be convicted. Homicide crime is a legal name given to the act of killing a person by another person, like murder and manslaughter. Deliberately taking a life is the ultimate crime (Mayo, 2008). For example, a man kills another man because of family rivalry. Similarly manslaughter is a type of murder which is done culpably. For example, a man saw his girlfriend cheating on him, he shot her dead. Manslaughter may be voluntarily or non-voluntarily. Homicide crimes also include first and second degree, which means that degree of the killer’s viciousness; if he is extremely dangerous, then he comes under the category of first degree. Larceny may be defined as taking of one person’s property by another with the purpose to enduringly deprive the owner of his property (Arrington, 2006). It is simply stealing or theft of property. For example, a boy pick pockets the people coming at the market. The act of willful and malicious burning of a building owned by another person is known as Arson, which is a crime. For example, a person owning an apartment building, which is insured, and puts the building on fire, or tell someone else to do it, is found guilty of arson. The fraudulent making or altering of any writing in a way that the legal rights and liabilities are changed is a crime named forgery (Miller, 2011). For example an employee tries to copy the signature of his boss in the check in attempt to get money, he commits forgery. One of the most serious property crimes is burglary. This crime occurs when someone enters the dwelling of another person at dark with determination to obligate a delinquency. For example, a person breaks into someone’s house and uses deadly weapon with an intention to do offence is burglary. It is a criminal act when goods are obtained by false pretenses. For example, a person went to super store and makes the payment with the check, knowing that he does not have money in that account. To receive a receipt of stolen goods is also regarded as a crime. For example a person receives the stolen goods knowing that the goods are stolen, leads to deprive of the owner of those goods. The act of converting or taking any other person’s property as a result of a relationship of trust with the owner is embezzlement (Arrington, 2006). For example, an employee at a company transfers the assets on his name, because the owner told him everything, having trust on him. Bankruptcy fraud is a type of crime which involves big organizations like banks, for example an untruthful assertion may be reported by creditor against the debtor (Miller, 2011) Bribery is also a type of crime because it involves assistances to provide something that has worth to someone with the purpose of manipulating the other person, usually a public officer, to make him act in a way that serves to his interest. For example, a person goes to a government office, like education board and bribes the examiner to give him good marks in exams. One of the most common crimes executed in white collar crimes is mail and wire fraud. It is a deed of using the mails illegally to defraud the public. Even the used of telephone of others to defraud is a crime. For example, a company hacks other companies mailing address and mail a false scheme to the customers. A property (tangible like jewelry or intangible like codes and ideas/concept) that is extremely valuable, belongs to someone else and is stolen by another person leads to a crime. For example, a person buys or possesses trade secrets of another person while having the knowledge that the tread secrets were stolen. Above are some of the most prominent forms of crime, but there are many more types of crime that are executed and criminals are getting punished for it. Their names are cybercrime, which occurs when a person uses computer or internet to do fraud with someone. Sending virus into someone’s PC to corrupt the data. Hacking and doing illegal copyrighting of content is a cybercrime. The act of using and buying or selling drug is a crime which is also performed by many people. For example, a person who unlawfully possesses narcotics will commit a crime. Adultery is a grave crime; it happens when a married person performs sexual act (intercourse) with another person whom he or she is not married. There are many such crimes related to marriage like bigamy, fornication etc. Bigamy is a crime when a person does second marriage before ending the first one and fornication is living and having sexual intercourse with two individuals without being married. A crime named incest takes place when there is a sexual intercourse between two close relations like a father having sex with his daughter. The crimes mentioned above entails serious punishments in the form of fines and imprisonment; still these crimes take place and are usually practiced References Arrington, R. (2006). Crime Prevention: The Law Enforcement Officer's Practical Guide Gardner, T. J., & Anderson, T. M. (2010). Crimnial law.  Mayo, M. (2008). American Murder: Criminals, Crimes, and the Media Milhorn, H. T. (2005). Crime: Computer viruses to twin towers. Miller R. L. (2011).Cengage Advantage Books: Fundamentals of Business Law: Excerpted Cases, 3rd ed.: Excerpted Cases Scheb, J. M. (2011). Criminal law.  Yeager, P. C. (1980). Corporate crime. Read More