White-collar Crime

Definition of White-collar Crime

The Canada social science dictionary [1] provides the following meaning of White-collar Crime: As originally used by Edwin Sutherland in 1945, referred to the illegal activities of businesses and corporations committed to further the goals of the business. These acts were not regulated by criminal law but by regulatory laws of various kinds. These acts included false advertising, anti-trust violations, environmental pollution or dumping product on the market below cost. Criminologists now call this corporate crime or organizational crime and reserve the term white-collar crime for those illegal acts committed by people in positions of trust (usually in white-collar jobs) for personal gain. For example, making personal long-distance calls on an employer’s account.

White-collar Crime: Resources

Notes and References

• Drislane, R., & Parkinson, G. (2016). (Concept of) White-collar Crime. Online dictionary of the social sciences. Open University of Canada