Question

Explain the concept of social harm, and discuss the contention by some scholars that public order crimes are not necessarily victimless offenses. Write at least 4-5 sentences. I would like to see meaningful responses to this question as the answer has far-reaching implications in our criminal justice system.

Answer 1

• In contrast with "individual-based harms" such as theft, the notion of social harm or social injury incorporates harms caused by nation states and corporations. Examples of this type include: premature death or injury through medical treatment; violence such as car 'accidents'; work-related injuries; pollution, different forms of violence (including racism and sexism); lack of adequate food or shelter; death, torture and brutality by state officials.
• A victimless crime is an offense that lacks an identifiable victim who is the object of the crime. The offense is against society itself through norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs.
• Public order crime is one which involves acts that interfere with the operations of society and the ability of people to function efficiently.ex: Gambling, prostitution, drugs, public drunkenness.They are considered victimless crimes since they don't hurt anyone but the person undertaking the crime. But,this argument is not accurate since there are people that are being indirectly harmed from a person's behavior.
• An example of this would be when the occupy Norfolk movement was going on in downtown Norfolk. Many would see this as a victimless crime but in reality police officers had to step away from their normal patrol routines to “watch” over the protestors for occupy Norfolk. During this time additional crimes could have been taking place that could have been prevented if those officers would have been on their normal routines if those occupiers weren’t there.In a way,this public order crime could have been affecting or harming normal people indirectly if not directly.
• Those with a different point of view stress that there is no such thing as victimless crime. They argue that prostitution and pornography are degrading and often dangerous. Drugs destroy individuals and their families, often leading to thievery for drug money, and even death from drug overdoses.