Question

Could a general theory be constructed that would explain all forms of white collar crime? If so, what would it look like? If not, what are the obstacles to constructing such a theory?

Answer 1

Question - Could a general theory be constructed that would explain all forms of white collar crime? If so, what would it look like? If not, what are the obstacles to constructing such a theory? Answer -  Advocates of the concept of white-collar crime have failed to make the case for its scientific value. Steffensmeier's efforts to save the concept further support our view that it is flawed and misleading. His efforts support our contention that the correlates of white-collar crime are the same as the correlates of crime, that the age distribution of offending is the same for white-collar crimes as for other crimes, that official statistics have sufficient validity for many etiological purposes, and that the search for a general theory of crime holds great promise for criminology.

Typical white-collar crimes could include wage theft, fraud, bribery, Ponzi schemes, insider trading, labor racketeering, embezzlement, cybercrime, copyright infringement, money laundering, identity theft, and forgery.

The focus of this chapter is to review the utility of individual‐level criminological theories in explaining white‐collar crime. These theories use individuals as the unit of analysis in an attempt to explain differences in offending. The theories discussed in this chapter include rational choice theory, social learning theory (SLT), a general theory of crime, general strain theory, and subcultural theory. The chapter begins with a brief discussion of the utility of theories in the field of criminology, followed by a discussion of definitional and methodological issues in studying white‐collar offending. Finally, each theory is discussed in terms of its historical development, central propositions, and relevance in explaining white‐collar offending.

The detection of white-collar crime can arise from a tip-off from a whistleblower or as official information if the police or an economic crime prosecutor performs a search locally. Whistleblowers in many cases alert journalists to serious crime and are sometimes the true detectors, not the journalists or media.

White collar crime has such a high financial impact on business and society that it becomes far more widespread. When a company shuts down due to a criminal act, there are jobs lost at all levels, as well as investors who lose money, upset consumers, and years' worth of litigation involved.