How Does the Psychology of White Collar Offenders Differ from Common Offenders

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

Edwin Sutherland famously coined the term “white collar criminal” and defined white-collar crime as crimes of the upper class. Numerous researchers have identified conceptual and methodological issues with this definition, and as a result, many prefer an offense-oriented definition of white-collar crime which focuses on the methods used in the offense as opposed to characteristics of the offender. These definitions are, however, not without short-comings as well. The current study seeks to determine whether or not substantial differences exist in white-collar offenders regardless of which definition is used. Previous research has shown that white-collar offenders tend to differ from common offenders in terms of their demographics, offending career and psychology. The current study employs a sample of recently incarcerated offenders to determine if the profile of the white-collar offender changes based upon which definition is used.

Author

• Emily Elizabeth Cox, University of Cincinnati