Crime refers to an act that is punishable by law. The word crime was originally derived from the Latin word crimen which implies to charge. The Greek expression Krimos means social order. So, in the simplest way, we can say that acts that go against the social order and are worthy of serious condemnation are the crimes.
According to William Blackstone, crime can be defined as an act committed or omitted in violation of public law that prohibits it or commands it.
According to James Stephen, crime can be defined as an act prohibited by law and that rebel the moral sentiments of society.
A person cannot commit a crime unless the act violates the law. There is no fixed, clear and objective definition of crime. Crimes are defined by societies, culture and the time in which we live. Example: getting married, selling drugs, breaking traffic laws, etc. Societies constantly evolve and change along with social values, beliefs, and norms. The concept of crime always depends on public opinion. As Terence Morris correctly explained, crime is what society says is crime by establishing that an act is a violation of criminal law.
Disobedience or violations of the law can be considered crimes. Crimes are those violations that endanger people’s society, their freedom and their property. Simply put, crimes are those acts that the people of society consider worthy of serious condemnation. Crime is a multidimensional problem. Few major examples of crimes are Murder, Robbery, Rape, Robbery, etc. Crime is increasing worldwide due to the adaptation of new techniques by criminals, the crossing of national borders and the revolution in the field of information technology. Law enforcement agencies require crime analysts to solve crimes and develop effective strategies to prevent future crimes.
Crime and Deviance
- The crime is the violation of social laws and the legal code. The punishment of the crime will be more severe than the deviation.
- Crime = Desire + Skill + Opportunity
- Differentiating the norms, values or accepted standards of society is known as deviation. For example: Breach of traffic signs.
- Deviance is a term used in sociology as a social deviant.
- Different and unexpected are words that are often used to describe deviation.
- These are the crimes that are definitely deviant because they are outside the norms and values. But there are deviant behaviors that are not crimes. For example: speeding.
- Crime is a socially constructed phenomenon, since it is transmitted through social learning.
- The concepts of deviant and non-deviant behavior are social constructions. This is because each society or culture creates rules of behavior by which its members are governed and necessarily controlled.