Access to White-Collar Crime Opportunities: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Demographic Profile of White-Collar Offenders

• In Event: White-Collar Crime Offenders

Abstract

The demographic profile of the people who commit white-collar crimes differs substantially from that of ordinary street offenders. Compared to their street level counterparts, white-collar offenders are typically older, more likely to be white, and more likely to be male. At least this was true in the 1970s according to two large studies of offenders in the U. S. federal justice system. However, since the 1970s American society has changed dramatically as women along with racial and ethnic minorities have made striking advances in educational and occupational attainments. If the opportunity perspective on white-collar crime is correct, these advances in education and occupation should have enhanced the access of women and minorities to white-collar crime opportunities and hence should have resulted in increased participation in white-collar crimes by members of these groups. We investigate this possibility with data from the U. S. Sentencing Commission on the demographic profile of white-collar offenders from 1996 to 2015.

Authors

• Michael L Benson, University of Cincinnati

• Hei Chio, University of Cincinnati