White-collar crime and criminal theories - Essay Example

White Collar Crime and Criminal Theories One of the notable theories that remarkably explain white collar crime is the rational choice theory. The purpose of this theory in the explanation of white collar crime entails the explanation of the circumstances under which offenders choose to engage in crime. According to the rational choice theories, there tends to be situational factors that can be regarded as the main causes of white-collar crime. The theory stipulates that certain factors within the institution can be used as the basis upon which white-collar crime can be explained.

There is a connection between white-collar crime and rational choice. Based on the rational choice theory, individuals engage in crime deliberately, and they have the conscious that the act they engage in is criminal. The theory also holds that people engage in white-collar crime on their own and as a result of their own free will (Shover & Hochstetler 2).The rational choice theory states that individuals willing to engage in white-collar crime first evaluate their actions. Based on their evaluation of the situation, the individual then makes an assessment on whether there is a possibility that they will complete the action without any sanctions.

The rational choice theory is also states that people who carry out white-collar crime tend to be motivated to do so because of the desire to make illegal gains (Shover & Hochstetler 4). The theory further argues that the entities and individuals engaging in white-collar crime know the consequences of such a crime, but they choose to ignore these consequences and engage in crime regardless of the consequences. For example, a white-collar crime like fraud is carried out intentionally with the aim of getting unscrupulous gains.

Corporate entities also engage in white-collar crime intentionally since they know the consequences of such crime (Vito and Jeffrey 63).The other theory, which explains white-collar crime, is the social disorganization theory. According to this theory, the factors around a person have a profound impact on the possibility to commit a crime. The conflicts and inconsistency of institutions play a key role in determining whether the white-collar crime will be committed (Payne 224). The key theorist who advanced the social disorganization theory was Edwin Sutherland.

According to him, the social disintegration of society can be regarded as the basis upon which white-collar crime takes place. The disorganization of institutions contributes to white-collar crime since it enables criminals to have an easy way. White-collar crime becomes rampant when an organization is in disunity since people can commit crime and go unnoticed (Vito and Jeffrey 144).The social disorganization theory is also based on the premise that social disorganization makes people break the law and disregard the rules in an organization.

As a result, criminals found an easy way to carry out crime and engage in criminal behaviour. This theory also holds that systematic crime in an organization emanates from social disorganization. This means that white-collar crimes tend to be rampant since social disorganization leads to the occurrence of patterned, organized and repetitive crimes. Thus, social disorganization theory contends that white-collar crime can be explained on the basis of disunity and lack of harmony in an organization (Krohn et. al. 227).

Works CitedKrohn, Marvin D, Alan J. Lizotte, and Gina P. Hall. Handbook on Crime and Deviance. Dordrecht: Springer, 2009. Print. Payne, Brian K. Crime and Elder Abuse: An Integrated Perspective. Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas, 2005. PrintShover, Neal & Hochstetler, Andy. Choosing White-Collar Crime, 2006. Web. 25 March 2013.http://assets.cambridge.org/97805216/65544/frontmatter/9780521665544_frontmatter.pdfVito, Gennaro F, and Jeffrey R. Maahs. Criminology: Theory, Research, and Policy. Sudbury, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2012. Print.