Explanation
Coined by sociologist Edwin Sutherland in 1939, White Collar Crime refers to financially motivated, non-violent offenses committed by individuals in positions of trust and authority. Common examples include fraud, embezzlement, insider trading, tax evasion, and corporate misconduct. Unlike street crime, white collar crime is often underreported and less harshly punished, despite causing significant economic harm.
Theoretical Reference
White collar crime challenges traditional criminological focus on street-level deviance by showing how elite wrongdoing is systematically overlooked. It is central to Critical Criminology and aligns with C. Wright Mills’s Power Elite theory.