Myths and Reality of Crime

As we learn in the video, Crimes of the Powerful, our justice system tends to focus on street crime, often ignoring much more significant problems such as white-collar, corporate, and state crime. The video also discusses euthanasia, although the point of this reference is to illustrate how the law can be used as a tool for social change. The video also discusses moral values with a focus on media coverage of harm to children.

Laws have changed in direct response to these incidents and the resulting media coverage. In effect, this coverage becomes an engine for social change. The video ends with a discussion of crime theory, reminding us that many criminological theories fall short when applied to people with wealth and high status.

Write a paper discussing the myths and realities of crime. Please elaborate on the following points in your essay:

Imagine asking 100 strangers to describe a criminal. Predict whether those descriptions would be likely to focus on street criminals, or the variety of topics covered in this video.

Describe how society defines crime. Do not provide a definition - instead, explain how the definition is reached.

Discuss how society decides what to define as a crime.

Present a clear statement about a particular crime, something we know to be absolutely true. Illustrate how we know that this is an accurate statement.

Present an example of a widely held myth or misconception about crime and society. Determine how we know that this is a myth. Explain why this myth is so difficult to abandon.

The paper must be three to four pages in length and formatted according to APA style.