Have you ever heard the phrase “white collar crime”? No, not just the well-known tv show airing on the USA network, but the real criminal offense category termed thusly due to the class of individuals who usually commit the crime. There is a huge distinction between blue collar and white collar crimes in the United States, from the crime classifications to the punishments thereof.

Generally speaking, the standard attire of the individual committing that style of crime defines the crime’s classification. White collar refers to the dress shirts worn by these varieties of office workers wear, with white collars and ties. Blue collar would refer to the regular uniforms worn by several working class people. These are really general terms, and there is no law that states that a working class individual can’t commit a white collar crime and vice versa. The classifications refer a lot more to the crime itself as a general definition than the actual perpetrators.  Also, these are generalized classifications coined by the media and are not codified as crimes in the classic sense in our judicial system.

Definition of Blue Collar Crimes

A blue collar crime is a highly visible crime committed by the average working class or poor American, from violent crimes to thievery and even drug-related crimes. Most are perpetrated by folks who think that they have absolutely nothing to lose, and every thing to gain, by the success or failure of the crime, and the crime is committed due to a lack of hope, environmental pressures, peer pressure, or a easy feeling that there are no other choices.

Blue collar crimes are typically associated with Americans who work for a living, heading to day jobs or night shifts in order to earn an income and support a family the hard way. According to specialists, the unemployed are at highest risk for committing what is classified as a blue collar crime. Crimes in this category normally consist of theft, drug charges, DUIs, and violent crimes.  Maintain in mind that a lot of high-powered executives get charged with DUIs, crimes of violence and drug crimes.  The distinction is that they aren’t charged with these type of crimes at the very same high rate as blue collar workers.

White Collar Crimes

Opposite of blue collar crimes, white collar criminals are generally the high class men and women who inherited money or earn a lot of funds at upper level jobs, such as management, company or corporate bigwigs, et cetera. The types of crimes committed are usually technical or money-related in nature, such as personal computer-based crimes or embezzlement, and these crimes are steadily increasing as a lot more men and women discover the negative aspects of performing business primarily online.

There are several different sophisticated crimes that are classified as white collar crimes according to legal precedent. They consist of, but are not limited to: embezzlement, cash laundering, identity theft, credit card fraud, hacking, forgery, and comparable crimes. The punishments for the white collar crimes are drastically different as well, typically incurring probation or community service in conjunction with high monetary fines instead of focusing solely on incarceration, as is the case with several blue collar crimes.  Even so, with the Bernie Madoff scandal as well as the other recent wall street crimes, a lot more and much more white collar criminals are facing stiff criminal penalties that consist of long periods of incarceration in federal prisons.  This is due in significant part to the severe societal and economic impact of these crimes as well and the attention brought to these crimes by the media.

This information is provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.