Public Perception and Hidden Impact of White-Collar Crimes
Introduction
White-collar crimes (WCC) present a severe issue for society due to the difficulties associated with the persecution of such offenders. The public weighs in on factors such as wrongfulness and the damage done by a perpetrator when deciding on the appropriate punishment. However, neither aspect is easily noticeable by society in the case of WCC (Simpson et al., 2022).
The consequences of these offenses are challenging to trace, while their victims struggle to identify their wrongdoers. The implications of this notion include the permissibility of such WCCs, insufficient measures taken against them, and the growth of their occurrence rates. It is essential to comprehend how white-collar crimes are perceived by society to seek proper ways to reduce the convenience of such actions.
How the Public Perceives White-Collar Crimes in the United States
The basis for white-collar crime relies on circumstances not unlike other criminal offenses, such as theft. Motivation for WCCs lies primarily in the convenience of such crime, as opportunities outweigh threats (Stadler & Gottschalk, 2021). High-ranking individuals may possess sufficient power within organizations to enable them to perform such activities.
Therefore, the issue with this type of offense is that white-collar offenders possess a high degree of public trust in their actions derived from their career successes (Stadler & Gottschalk, 2021). Society does not expect such persons to hold hostile intentions. Moreover, victims may fail to report WCCs due to their failure to identify that a crime has occurred (Dodge, 2019). People may not recognize that a person has committed a wrongful act against them without an in-depth explanation.
The factors that affect the public’s perceptions of WCCs are associated with the opportunistic nature of these offenses. When a high-ranking employee decides to exploit their position to commit financial crimes, they can learn ways of neutralizing the adverse impacts of their actions (Gottschalk, 2022). Society rarely sees the full extent of an offender’s machinations, giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Moreover, such crimes are non-violent despite their potential to worsen living conditions for millions of people (Dearden, 2019). This notion creates a false sense of diminished damage done by WCCs, causing people to overlook the damage done. The outcome of such a perception of white-collar crimes in the U.S. has severe detrimental effects due to the permissibility of these offenses and the lack of connections between victims and their wrongdoers. People underestimate the harmfulness of WCCs while failing to see their full impact.
There is a path to changing views on white-collar crimes, although their complexity poses a challenge. Protecting public interests requires a thorough explanation of the reasons behind WCCs, including greed, permissibility, and even narcissism (Gottschalk, 2022). Victims’ readiness to act against their offenders adds difficulties to diminishing the occurrence of WCCs. As of now, the issue remains unaddressed correctly by the public, as people hold optimistic views on being subjected to WCCs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, white-collar crimes pose a severe threat to the stability of the U.S. economy, yet they are not perceived as negatively by the public as they should be. White-collar offenders often possess a high degree of trust in society, which allows them to breach people’s confidence in their integrity. People may lose their life savings through WCCs, yet fail to recognize and address the issue to seek adequate punishment for perpetrators. It is essential to shift the public’s perceptions of white-collar crimes, as their adverse impact can lead to a financial crisis.
References
Dearden, T. E. (2019). How can modern psychology help us understand white-collar criminals? Journal of Financial Crime, 26(1), 61–73. Web.
Dodge, M. (2019). A black box warning: The marginalization of white-collar crime victimization. Journal of White Collar and Corporate Crime, 1(1), 24–33. Web.
Gottschalk, P. (2022). Trusted chief executives in convenient white-collar crime. Crime & Delinquency. Web.
Simpson, S. S., Galvin, M. A., Loughran, T. A., & Cohen, M. A. (2022). Perceptions of white-collar crime seriousness: Unpacking and translating attitudes into policy preferences. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. Web.
Stadler, W. A., & Gottschalk, P. (2021). Testing convenience theory for white-collar crime: Perceptions of potential offenders and non-offenders. Deviant Behavior, 43(7), 804–820. Web.