White Crime in the United States

White Crime in relation to Crime and Race

White Crime is included in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime (1), beginning with: Understanding the idea of “White crime” requires not only an appreciation of modern statistics on crime commission but a broader perspective on the history and definition of “crime.” White Americans are, by some limited measures, less crime prone but have historically engaged in a host of “crimes” that are ignored or downplayed by official tallies and definitions. While it would be inappropriate to speak of criminality as stemming from genetic qualities essential to being White, it would be equally inappropriate to ignore the role of history and social situation in explaining and accounting for the entire reality of White crime. Despite this, it is also important to recognize that White crime cannot be inappropriately stereotyped as merely an act of racist hatred, despite the wide publicity that hate crimes against minorities may receive. Like members of all other races and ethnicities, White Americans engage in crime.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Entry about White Crime in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime

See Also