SOCW 6135

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Heilbrun, K., Marczyk, G. R., & DeMatteo, D. (2002). Forensic mental health assessment: A casebook. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. (2017). Criminal behavior: A psychological approach (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Chapter 11, “Psychology of Terrorism” (pp. 323-346)
Chapter 14, “Burglary, Home Invasions, Thefts, and “White-Collar” Offenses” (pp. 417-420, 427-435)
Chapter 15, “Violent Economic Crime and Crimes of Intimidation” (pp. 437-465)

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014f). Types of offenders III [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Dr. Scott Duncan discusses the similarities and differences among offender groups. Think about the characteristics of these types of offenders.

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.

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Discussion: White-Collar Offenders, Cybercriminals, and Terrorists

White-collar offenders are characterized by occupational status with a high level of trust, access, and opportunity for engaging in the criminal offense. Typical white-collar offenses include fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion, and workplace theft. While the consequences of white-collar crime are difficult to measure, the financial losses for victims can be great and ruinous.

Cybercriminals use electronic communication involving the Internet and web-based technologies as an instrument to carry out criminal offenses. Cyberoffenses include a variety of crimes from identity theft and fraud to drug trafficking, organized crime, hate crimes, and illegal sexual activities.

Terrorists use force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government or civilian population. Examples of terrorism include the 2005 bombings in London and the September 11, 2001 airplane hijackings and crashes in the United States. These horrific events reignited the study of criminal behavior associated with terrorism and facilitated in-depth study into types of terrorists.

Although characteristics associated with offenders who commit white-collar crime, cybercrime, and terrorism may be markedly different from those associated with other crimes, analyzing these characteristics undoubtedly contributes to a greater understanding of the causes of criminal behavior.

By Day 3

Post at least two similarities and two differences between characteristics of white-collar offenders and characteristics of either terrorists or cyberoffenders. Then, describe an insight you might have or a conclusion you might draw based on your comparison.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.