Introduction to Corporate and White-Collar Crime

White-collar crime costs the United States more than $300 billion each year. It is surprisingly common, with one in every three Americans eventually becoming a victim. The criminals often dismiss these crimes as victimless, but those unfortunate enough to fall prey would disagree. An Introduction to Corporate and White-Collar Crime provides readers with an understanding of what white-collar crime is, how it works, and the extent to which it exists in our society. The broad-based coverage in this text analyzes the opportunity structures for committing white-collar crime and explores new ways of thinking about how to control it.

Topics include:

Theories behind white-collar crime, including social and psychological theories

Routine activity, crime pattern, and situational crime prevention theories

Laws that govern the securities industries, including the Securities Exchange Act and Sarbanes–Oxley

Bank fraud, money laundering, racketeering, and organized crime

Crimes involving public officials and obstruction of justice

Control and prevention of white-collar crimes and sanctions for white-collar criminals

The material is organized and presented in a logical fashion, with each chapter building from the previous content. Every chapter begins with objectives to help readers focus on the topic and concludes with review questions to test assimilation of the material and promote debate. Several chapters conclude with a practicum to facilitate real-world understanding of the material.