Definition Of Crime Essay

How we view crime is constantly changing as the year goes by, and that is why they aren’t an absolute definition of a crime. The Oxford English dictionary defines crime as: “An action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law” .What we know about crime isn’t always accurate, due to factors such as media & social norm.
Crime is a complex issue to discuss this is because two people could commit the same crime but the context determines who gets prosecuted. For example killing someone is considered a crime in the community, one could be prosecuted for it. But when people kill during wars they aren’t being prosecuted for it instead, society sees them as heroes. Based on this we could argue that crime is defined and based on social construction.
Reasons why people commits crime varies, it could be due to lack of knowledge on new legislation or our status in society. The strain theory argues that cultural goals and our ability to achieve these goals can push individuals to commit a crime. …show more content…
This may be due to lack of knowledge or family issues. For example cybercrime, such as debit card fraud. Older individuals tend to be victims of this type of crime this is because they don’t know how to use technology. The individual may not be aware that money has been taken out their account unless they have been told. Which then lead to unreported crimes, this is one of the main reasons why police statistics isn’t always an accurate way of getting information about a crime. Other reasons why crimes go unreported is due to a criminal offence such as domestic abuse within a family, behind closed doors. The victim may be afraid of what might happen to them if they report it. For example, if their abuser is the only person they can rely on for basic human needs like shelter, they may not report them because they are afraid of becoming