Scribd
Upload
14 views

Classification of Crime

1. Crimes are classified in several ways under the law, including by the law violated (felony, offense, infraction), manner of committing (intentional or unintentional), stage of commission (attempted, frustrated, consummated), plurality (simple or complex), and gravity (grave, less grave, light). 2. Criminologists also classify crimes in other ways such as by the result (acquisitive or extinctive), time period, length of commission, location, mental state, type of offender, and manner of commission. 3. Crime statistics are collected and studied to measure crime levels and include classifications of index crimes (significant crimes like murder and theft) and non-index

Uploaded by

cristina.viacrucis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
14 views

Classification of Crime

1. Crimes are classified in several ways under the law, including by the law violated (felony, offense, infraction), manner of committing (intentional or unintentional), stage of commission (attempted, frustrated, consummated), plurality (simple or complex), and gravity (grave, less grave, light). 2. Criminologists also classify crimes in other ways such as by the result (acquisitive or extinctive), time period, length of commission, location, mental state, type of offender, and manner of commission. 3. Crime statistics are collected and studied to measure crime levels and include classifications of index crimes (significant crimes like murder and theft) and non-index

Uploaded by

cristina.viacrucis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

WEEK 8: CLASSIFICATIONS OF CRIMES

LEGAL CLASSIFICATIONS OF CRIMES:


1. According to law violated
a. Felony – an act or omission punishable by law which is committed by
means of dolo (deceit) or culpa (fault)and punishable under the Revised
Penal Code
b. Offense – an act or omission in violation of a special law
c. Infraction – an act or omission in violation of a city or municipal ordinance

2. According to the manner of committing crime:


a. By means of dolo or deceit – if the crime is committed with deliberate
intent. Thus, it is called intentional felonies.
● freedom or voluntariness

● intelligence

● intent
b. By means of culpa or fault -felonies committed by means of culpa (fault)
- the act or omission of the offender is not malicious and the injury caused by the
offender is unintentional, it being the simply the incident of another act performed
without malice
● lack of foresight

● lack of skill

● negligence

● imprudence

Dolo is deliberate intent otherwise referred to as criminal intent, and must be coupled with
freedom of action and intelligence on the part of the offender as to the act done by him.
Culpa – The act or omission is not malicious; the injury caused being simply the incident of
another act performed without malice.

3.According to the stages in the commission:


a. Attempted – the crime is attempted when the offender commences the
commission of a felony directly or over acts, and does not perform all the
acts of execution which should produce the felony by reason of some
cause or accident other than this own spontaneous desistance.
b. Frustrated - when the offender performs all the acts of execution which
would produce the felony as a consequence but which, nevertheless do
not produce it by reason of causes independent of the will of the
perpetrator.
Attempted Frustrated
Definition An attempted crime occurs A frustrated crime occurs
when an individual takes a when the offender takes
substantial step towards substantial steps to commit a
committing a criminal act but crime, but external factors
does not successfully beyond their control prevent
complete it. its completion.
Intervention The crime is thwarted by The frustration typically
external factors, such as results from unexpected
intervention by law obstacles or defensive
enforcement, the victim, or actions by the victim,
unforeseen circumstances. rendering the crime
incomplete.
c. Consummated - when all the elements necessary for its accomplishment
and execution are present

4. According to plurality:
a. Simple Crime – is a single act constituting only one offense.

b. Complex Crime – single act constituting two or more grave felonies or an


is a necessary means for committing the other
Two (2) Kinds of Complex Crime:
1. compound crime (delito compuesto)
2. complex crime proper (delito complejo)

5. According to gravity:
a. Grave felonies - are those to which the law attaches the capital punishment
or penalties which in any of their period are afflictive.
b. Less grave felonies - are those which the law punishes with penalties which
in their maximum period are correctional.
c. Light felonies - are infraction of laws for the commission of which the penalty
of arresto menor or a fine not exceeding 200 pesos or both is provided.

6. According to the nature of the act:


A. Crimes mala in se (“evil in itself”) – are acts that are inherently evil. Examples
are murder, robbery, rape etc.
Crimes mala prohibita (“prohibited evil”) – are acts which are prohibited only
because there are laws forbidding such acts.
B. Examples are Illegal Possession of firearms, Traffic Violations, etc.

Criminological Classification of Crime

Crimes are classified in order to focus a better understanding on their existence.


Criminologists consider the following as criminological classification of crimes
(Criminology Reviewer, 1996).

1. As to the result of crime:


a. Acquisitive Crime – when the offender acquires something as a consequence of his
criminal act.
b. Extinctive Crime – crime is extinctive when the result of criminal act is destruction

2. As to the time/period of commission:


a. Seasonal Crime – crime committed only at certain period of the year
b. Situational Crime – crime committed only when given a situation conductive to its
commission

3. As to the length of commission:


a. Episodial Crime – serial crime, committed by series of acts within a lengthy period of
time
b. Instant Crime –committed the shortest possible time

4. As to the place of the location of the commission:


a. Static Crime –committed only in one place
b. Continuing Crime –committed in several places

5. As to the use of mental faculties:


a. Rational Crime –committed with intent; offender is in full possession of his mental
faculties
b. Irrational Crime –committed without intent; offender does not know the nature of his
act

6. As to type of offender:
a. White Collar Crime –committed by a person of responsibility in the course of his
occupation
b. Blue Collar Crime –committed by ordinary professionals to maintain their livelihood

7. As to the standard of living of the criminals:


a. Upper World Crime –committed by individuals belonging t0 the upper class of
society
b. Under World Crime –committed by members of the lower or under privilege class of
society

8. As to manner of commission:
a. Crime by Imitation – “copy cat” crime, committed by merely duplication of what was
done by others
b. Crime by Passion – committed because of the fit of great emotion, such as anger
c. Occupational (service-related) Crime –committed by rendering all service to satisfy
the desire of another

CRIME STATISTICS
- refers to the measure of the level or amount of crimes.
- The collection or study of numerical data of crimes recorded/reported to the
police.
- it uses the terms index crimes and non-index crimes in classifying crimes.

Index crimes are crimes which are sufficiently significant and which occur with
sufficient regularity to be meaningful, such as murder, homicide, physical injury,
robbery, theft and rape.

Non-index crimes are crimes that are not classified as index crimes. Violations of
special laws and other crimes against moral and order. These crimes are generated
from the result of positive police initiated operations. (Vandalism, simple assault,
disorderly conduct, public intoxication, forgery, petty theft,

B. OTHER CLASSIFICATION OF CRIMES

1. Traditional Crimes – crimes that are committed every now and then.
e.q. robbery, theft, homicide
2. Crimes due to changing society (social change) – poverty crimes.
e.q. prostitution, child labor
3. Emergency Crimes – crimes that are committed to take advantage of an abnormal
situation, or the nature of a social problem, or the vulnerability of a person or groups of
persons.

IS THERE SUCH THING AS VICTIMLESS CRIME?


YES. Victimless crime refers to acts committed by consenting adults in private. In
victimless crimes, the acts involve only the participants and do not directly harm others.
Examples are: drug addiction, prostitution, and gambling.

 Victimless crime has the following applications:


1. The victim is the accused.
2. In common usage, victimless crime refers to behavior that is illegal but which is
claimed to not violate or threaten the rights of anyone and may be associated with the
implication that the behavior should therefore not be illegal.
3. In criminology, victimless crime is now termed public order crime.
4. In the law, case law has developed to discuss what used to be termed “victimless”
crime: It applies to adults, and specifically not to minors who have not yet reached the
age of consent, where age of consent is relevant.

You might also like