A crime occurs when a person breaks a law. Crime usually refers to a violation of a specific law, known as a criminal law, in a specific place such as a city or country. However, certain acts, such as murder, are considered crimes in all countries. Crime might also mean the breaking of a religious or moral law, but usually it refers to the breaking of a law written by a government. Sometimes religious or moral laws can lead to the creation of criminal laws by governments of cities, states, or nations. Crimes vary from one place to another. Some people might view a particular behavior as wrong, whereas people in another culture might not. For example, modern societies view killing someone as a crime, but some primitive cultures use forms of ritual murder as part of their tribal customs. Another example is euthanasia, or mercy killing, which is considered a crime in many parts of the world but not in others. The views of society at any given time define what is moral and acceptable behavior. As a result, actions that are considered illegal or criminal can change over time. For example, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution made it illegal to create or sell alcoholic beverages in the United States starting in 1920. That amendment was overturned in 1933, making the creation and sale of alcohol legal once again. Types of crimesCountries often divide crimes into various categories based on the seriousness of the offense and the harshness of the punishment. In the United States, failing to pay a parking meter is much less serious than robbing someone. The more serious crimes, such as robbery and murder, are called felonies. The less serious crimes are called misdemeanors. Punishment is usually different for felonies than for misdemeanors. A person might get only a fine or a short jail term for a misdemeanor, but a felony is usually punishable by longer jail terms. Great Britain also distinguishes between less serious and more serious crimes. The more serious ones are called arrestable, and the less serious ones are called nonarrestable. Besides felonies and misdemeanors, there is another type of crime called a “crime against the state.” This type of crime refers to activities meant to harm the whole nation. Treason is the crime of performing acts that are dangerous to a nation's security, such as giving military secrets to a country's enemies in time of war. Some countries also make it illegal to encourage people to rebel against their country, even in writing. This type of crime is called sedition. Nations also distinguish between crimes against people and crimes against property. In general, crimes against people are more severe. They include homicide (the legal term for murder), assault, rape, and kidnapping. Crimes against property include theft, robbery, burglary, and arson. The term white-collar crime refers to a violation where persons use their jobs to break the law. Examples of white-collar crime include fraud and cheating on taxes. Organized crimeThe term organized crime refers to a collection of crimes that is run by a group of people. Organized crime is usually associated with certain ethnic groups in the United States and other countries. It may include gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, and demanding money in exchange for protection. The United States was a breeding ground for organized crime in the early 20th century. As new groups of immigrants arrived in a land that promised opportunity, they were often prevented from getting jobs because of their ethnic background. As a result, some of them sought opportunities in the criminal world. They often preferred members of their own ethnic groups as partners, either because they were family members or because they simply trusted people from the same background. It should be noted that most people from all ethnic groups followed the law, but the few people who broke the law reflected poorly on their ethnic groups. Many movies have been made about organized crime, particularly among Italian immigrants in the United States. The Godfather and its sequels and Goodfellas are just a few examples. Some of these movies have been criticized for presenting crime in a way that seems exciting and dramatic. In the real world, crimes have consequences such as the harming or death of victims, and most criminals are forced to pay for their crimes. War and crimeIf murder is a crime, is killing someone during war also a crime? The answer is generally no. War breaks out when nations cannot resolve conflicts peacefully. During war, members of the military are allowed to kill members of their opponent's military. Governments allow this behavior even though those same governments have laws against their own citizens killing each other. Even war has laws, however. Nations on both sides of a war often agree not to tolerate certain behaviors during war. For example, many nations have signed the Geneva Convention, a set of treaties outlining laws about war. The Geneva Convention began in 1864 by setting rules to allow nations to treat wounded soldiers during wartime. The convention later covered rules about prisoners of war and chemical weapons. The United Nations, with representatives from almost every country in the world, also defines what is considered criminal during war. After the Germans killed millions of civilians during World War II, the United Nations adopted a set of rules outlawing genocide, or mass killings against a racial, religious, political, or ethnic group. When countries break the rules of war, their leaders can be charged with war crimes and put on trial by the United Nations or other international bodies. After World War II, many former Nazi leaders were put on trial for crimes against humanity in Nuremberg, Germany. In the early 21st century the United Nations tried the former president of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, with war crimes against the people of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. |