White Collar Crime and Its effect in our Society.
Many of us think that crimes are done by only poor class people to gain money. However with the evolution of the research field in this section, after analysis of numerous causative factors, it is proven that crime is present in all classes of people at all levels of society. But it is quite tough to identify the crimes of elite people because of their power and social position. To find out about elite people’s crimes for the first time in 1939, Prof. Edwin Sutherland introduced people to ‘White Collar Crime’.Let’s know more about White Collar Crime through this blog.
White Collar Crime is:
According to this concept, giver Edwin white collar crime is a violation of criminal law by the person of the upper socio-economic class in the course of his occupational activities . In the easiest way we can say that if any highest ranking officer does any crime for illegal monetary gain from the sector where he is assigned .Who is engaged with the white collar crime is a person of responsibility, respectability and high social status in the course of their occupation. The white collar crime is a non-violent crime and these criminals are opportunists who over time look for opportunities to take advantage of their circumstances to accumulate financial gain.To be white collar criminal a person must have to be :
- Intelligence.
- Affluent.
- Confident individuals.
- In the course of occupation.
The Factors of White Collar Criminality:
Criminology has observed several factors which are responsible for white collar criminality.Some of them are:
*The increment of wealth and prosperity of society.
*The passion and greediness of acquiring more property.
*The changing social economic structure of society.
*The monopolistic trends in the business world.
*The modern scientific and technological developments.
*The idea of a victimless crime. That means when someone commits a white collar crime it’s unclear who they are hurting. Many can justify stealing from a giant company because they don’t attach a face to that company.
Without this less possibility to expose,enough power to handle their act tactfully ect are also some factors for this crime.
Some examples of White Collar crimes:
Fraud, bribery, extortion, embezzlement,Cyber crime etc are the types of white collar crimes.Moreover in our country,Bangladesh the most committed white collar crimes are:
- Avoiding payment of taxes.
- Obtaining personal advantages like fall sales tax or income tax returns
- Councilman job assets in insolvency proceedings and so on.
- Showing laser value up immovable properties to reduce the incidence of stamp duty.
- By committing Criminal misconduct by a public servant.
- Under table exchange offer, demanding any big gift or any amount of money for any specific work for which he is assigned by any company or government.
Though it is tough to identify who has committed white collar crimes,in Bangladesh to prevent this crime has enacted many Acts. Such as:Anti corruption Commission act 2004, anti corruption Commission rules 2007, Money laundering prevention Act 2012, the prevention of money laundering rules 2009 etc.As it is not an easy task to prevent this problem directly, we all have to come forward to prevent this crime. It is important to make the general people aware of white collar crimes through several means.Moreover it is essential to implement all the laws regarding white collar crime properly and the political parties must start to practice pure democracy and stop criminalizing the politics.
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Writer
Dipannita Chakma.
Intern,Content Writing Department,
YSSE