Chapter 14

Deviance 10e Alex Thio Chapter Fourteen: Underprivileged Deviance

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Introduction 

Underprivileged deviance: deviance among the relatively poor and powerless; this form of deviance is less profitable and more disreputable

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Robbery 

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Robbery: unlawfully taking a victim's property; includes use or threat of violence Targets chosen according to:   

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desire for money risk of arrest difficulty in planning

Unarmed robbery has an increased risk of violence than armed robbery but less risk of death or serious injury

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Robbery – cont. 

Patterns of robbery:  

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More frequent in big cities More common among strangers More frequent in cold winter months More frequently occurs indoors (about 60%) Most robberies are armed Most robbers who get arrested are relatively young More interracial than other crimes

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Robbery – cont. 

Amateurs: rob for small amounts of money, with less planning and more chance of arrest, and tend to be  

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opportunists addicts alcoholics

Professionals: carefully plan their robberies; execute them with others; target large sums of money Relative deprivation: most popular theory behind robbery – signals an increase in concentrated resources, unequal access and ownership, and increased opportunities to steal

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Figure 14.1 Location of Indoor Robberies

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Auto Theft and Carjacking 

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Auto theft: recent increase; most significant property crime; provides quick profit Carjacking: can be violent; half are successful Insurance fraud: some car owners arrange for the theft of their own cars or report falsified damage claims “

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Burglary 

Burglars are characteristically rational and calculating, and commit their crimes when homes are empty

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Shoplifting    

Shoplifting: stealing products from a store Costs businesses about $31 billion a year Drives up prices for all consumers Motivation: 

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economic need social-psychological reasons

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A Social Profile of Shoplifters 

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Only a small percent are “boosters” (professional thieves) Predominantly a juvenile offense Small items are typically stolen for personal use Men shoplift more than women, but women are more likely to commit this crime than other property crimes “

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Organized Crime 

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The media sometimes glamorizes organizes organized crime Most organized crime groups form along racial lines The largest known organized crime group is the 6,000-strong Herrera family, founded by Mexican immigrants who smuggle drugs from Mexico “

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Organized Crime – cont. 

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Primary goods and services provided: illicit gambling, loan sharking, and narcotics Securities and credit card theft; extortion Corruption of public officials Infiltration of legitimate businesses under the guise of “paid protection”

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Global Perspective: Organized Crime 

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O.C. in foreign countries is similar to the U.S.: provides a way for lower-class youths to get rich; it is organized in a hierarchical way; and loyalty to the organization is essential The U.S. has been more successful in controlling organized crime than the governments of other countries “

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