Crime refers to any action or behavior that goes against the laws or legal code. There is a wide variety of types of crimes. Examples range from victim-less crimes to crimes against persons and white-collar crimes to violent crimes. The study of deviance and crime is a subfield in sociology. It pays more attention to crime perpetrators and the types of crimes. A highlight of some of the common types of crimes is given below.
Crimes Against Persons
Also referred to as personal crimes, crimes against persons include rape, murder, aggravated assault, and robbery, among others. In most regions or countries, personal crimes are usually not distributed evenly. The people who are most affected include the young, poor, urban, and individuals from racial minorities. The same groups also form the highest numbers of people arrested for personal crimes. The upper and middle-class people are the least affected, according to statistics.
Crimes Against Property
Property crimes are those in which no bodily harm is inflicted on the victims when their properties are being stolen or vandalized. Larceny, burglary, arson, and auto theft are good examples of crimes against property. Similar to personal crimes, individuals who are poor, young, or from racial minorities are statistically the most arrested for such crimes.
Hate Crimes
Hate crimes refer to either personal crimes or crimes against property, which are committed with prejudice of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, or religion being invoked. The rate of hate crimes is usually not as high compared to others, but it does happen often.
Victimless Crimes
Victimless crimes are also referred to as crimes against morality. As the name suggests, they usually do not involve any victim or complainant. Good examples of crimes against morality include prostitution, illegal drug use, and illegal gambling, among many others.
White-Collar Crimes
White-collar crimes refer to those that are committed in the context of occupation, usually by people who have high social statuses. Good examples include insider trading, embezzlement, and tax evasion, among many others. White-collar crimes typically do not generate a lot of concern to the public compared to the other types. However, they have a worse impact on society.
Organized Crime
Organized crimes refer to those committed by structured groups. Typically, it involves the sale or distribution of illegal services and goods. Any group that controls large criminal enterprises like illegal gambling, drug dealing, weapons smuggling, money laundering, and prostitution falls under organized crime.