Defining and Classifying Crime

What this unit covers

This unit looks at what counts as a crime and how crimes are sorted. The notes titled Crime - created from Mind Map start with the early legal definition, a breaking of the criminal law, and then show why the idea is contested. It is a social construct, and it depends on the power of those who campaign to shape it.

Other maps describe crime as an act or omission that harms society and is punishable by the state. One map also notes that crime changes with time, place and culture.

Where to start

Begin with the mind map What is crime? or The Nature Of Crime, which set out the basic meaning. Then open the flashcard deck Crime. It covers key terms such as mens rea, actus reus, causation, indictable and summary offences, and white collar crimes.

Classifying crime

• Types of Crime and Crime Typologies sort offences into categories.
• Hate Crimes covers victims targeted for race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
• Cyber Crime and Technological Crime look at newer offences.
• Problems in defining crime and Why does crime go unreported? link to measurement.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then test yourself. The quiz Ways of measuring and defining crime asks for two problems in defining and measuring crime, and has gap-fill questions on the legalistic definition. The Criminology quiz tests ideas such as moral entrepreneurs and interest groups. If a question trips you up, go back to the matching map and look again.

Some resources mention WJEC Criminology, so they suit students working to that course. Others are case-based, such as the map on the Boston bombing.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Foundations of Criminology strand of the Criminology subject. Choose a resource that suits you, then add your own cards or maps to fill any gaps.