White Collar Crime

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The foundation of our country, the keystone to our democratic system, is the integrity of social institutions that we not only assume we can trust but have come to rely on for most aspects in our daily lives. The integrity of these social institutions can only be achieved through building blocks such as internal controls and independent, verifiable information. White collar criminals build a sense of false integrity around them in order to gain the trust of their victims, ranging from the young to the very old. Friedrich’s (2010) Trusted Criminals defines the foundation to white collar crime, the level of trust we have for those in power. We trust those in charge, those with power, and those who represent the integrity of our social institutions.

Many times white collar criminals play a prominent role in society, especially in smaller communities, such as the college town of Penn State. Because this educational institution is so beloved by those who go there and the local community, many people cannot even see that an actual crime was committed and that not just Sandusky is guilty. This case is a white collar crime due to the fact that it was at an institutional level. While he may have committed the actual act, several people at different levels were notified, and the act covered up. This is not only a failure at this educational institution, it is a crime. Sandusky was in a position of power where he had gained the trust of his coworkers and the people around him. Therefore, he took advantage of this gained trust to commit unspeakable crimes upon those children around him. Penn State is a trusted institution; well know university that many people love and support. Jeff Anderson said, “Well, in our practice across the count...

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...o be intense for arrests for white collar crime than for predatory violence or drug dealing. Indeed, political pressure is more likely to be exerted in blocking or derailing white collar crime investigations than in conventional crime cases, and the police can operate effectively against white collar crime only to the extent that they are relatively free of political influence” (2010:278). Until political influence and the powers of corporations are subdued little can be done to battle this type of crime. People who commit this type of crime have the power to avoid prosecution primarily due the powerful corporations they work for or the institution they are a part of.

Works Cited

Freidrichs, David O. 2010. Trusted Criminals. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/sports/july-dec11/pennstate_11-09.html

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