ABSTRACT
Contrary to what many believe based on their reading of the media's crime coverage, white-collar crime is far more damaging to human beings than conventional crimes. Few people ever really think systematically about white-collar crime. This chapter explores many of the "hidden" crimes committed by people in corporations and under the guise of business ventures. Sutherland was the first American criminologist to study white-collar crime, and he focused primarily on corporate crime. His early definition of white-collar crime, has since been expanded to include occupational crimes and transnational corporate crime. Motivated by direct personal gain for the individual doing the crime, occupational crime includes occupational theft, embezzlement and occupational fraud. Occupational theft stems from the traditions of privatized property "rights," which are actually privileges for a few and barriers for most others. Collective embezzlement involves the theft of funds from a savings and loan institution for personal gain, at the expense of the institution and with the approval of management.
