Next Chapter
The academic studies are behind you. You know all about the legal system, the criminal world and victimology. For my first chapter I choose to introduce you to the list of felonies according to the legal American system. Make sure you know and understand them – it will help you to better understand the behavior.
Understand the crime and you'll understand the criminal.
Following is a list of felonies:
Aiding, Abetting or Accessory.
When a person helps a crime by having knowledge of a crime before or after the fact, assisting through advising, actions or financial support up to the level of conspiracy.
Assault is often defined as an attempt to injure to someone else and in some circumstances can include threats or threatening behavior against others. One common definition would be an intentional attempt, using violence or force, to injure or harm another person.
In most states, an assault/battery is committed when one person: 1) tries to or does physically strike another; 2) acts in a threatening manner to put another in fear of immediate harm.
Aggravated Assault
Usage of weapon, the victim's status, the perpetrator's intent and the degree of damaged caused separated assault from aggravated assault.
Arson
Arson is defined as the willful and malicious burning or charring of property.
Attempt
When an individual has an actual intent to commit a crime and takes direct action towards completion of the crime.
Battery
The intentional offensively or harmfully touching of another person without their consent. It requires intentional touching, the touching must be harmful or offensive, no consent from the victim.
Bribery
The offer or acceptance of anything of value in exchange for influence on a government/public official or employee. Bribes are always intended to influence or alter the action of various individuals and go hand in hand with both political and public corruption. Both, the person offering and the person accepting the bride can be charged with bribery.
Burglary
The unlawful breaking or entry into almost any structure with the intent to commit any crime inside.
Child Abandonment
Occurs when a parent, guardian or person in charge of a child either deserts a child without any regard for the child's physical health, safety or welfare and with the intention of wholly abandoning the child or fails to provide necessary care for a child living under their roof.
Child Abuse
Any type of cruelty inflicted upon a child including mental, physical and sexual abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Child pornography
Is a crime to produce, possess, distribute, or sell pornographic materials that exploit or portray a minor.
Computer crime
Performing certain acts without authorization including – improperly accessing a computer, system or network, modifying, damaging, using, copying or taking programs or data, introducing a virus or other contaminant into a computer system, using a computer in a scheme or defraud, interfering with someone else's computer access or use, using encryption in aid of a crime, falsifying email source in information, stealing an information service from a provider
Conspiracy
When 2 or more people agree to commit almost any unlawful act and take action toward competition.
Credit/ Debit card fraud
Is a form of identity theft that involves a unauthorizated taking of another's credit card information for the purpose of charging purchases to the account or removing fund from it. When a person fraudulently obtains, takes, signs, uses, sells, buys or forges someone else's credit or debit card information or sells goods or services to someone else with the knowledge that the credit or debit card being used was illegally obtained or is being used without authorization, or uses hers or his own card with the knowledge that it is revoked or expired or that the account lacks enough money to pay for the items charged.
Criminal solicitation
Requesting, encouraging or demanding someone to engage in criminal conduct, with the intent to facilitate or contribute to the commission of that crime, most commonly to engage in prostitution.
Criminal contempt of court
Conduct that defies, disrespects or insults the authority or dignity of a court, "directly" or "indirectly" and may be a criminal or civil contempt.
Cyber bulling
The use of Internet and/or mobile technology to harass, intimidate, or cause harm to another.
Drug Possession
It a crime to willfully possess illegal controlled substances such as marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD, "club drugs," and heroin or possession of "precursor" chemicals used in drug cultivation and manufacturing, as well as certain accessories related to drug use.
Disorderly conduct
Being drunk in public, "disturbs the peace," or loiter in certain areas.
Domestic violence
Refers to violent acts committed by a family or household member against another, such as child abuse or the mistreatment of one’s spouse.
Drug distribution or trafficking
Are the selling, transportation, and illegal import of unlawful controlled substances, such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and other illegal drugs.
DUI
Driving under the influence (DUI)," "driving while intoxicated (DWI),"
Embezzlement
Is the Theft/larceny of assets, money or property, by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Four factors must be present:
(1)The actions were intentional, (2)There must be a fiducially relationship between the two parties,(3) The property was acquired through the relationship,(4) The defendant must have taken ownership of the property or transferred the property to someone else.
Extortion
Is the crime of obtaining money or property by threat to a victim's property or loved ones, intimidation, or false claim of a right.
Forgery
Is the making of a fake document, the changing of an existing document, or the making of a signature without authorization.
Fraud
The intentional deception of a person or entity by another made for personal or monetary gain.
Harassment
Criminal harassment entails intentionally targeting someone else with behavior that is meant to alarm, annoy, torment or terrorize them
Hate crimes
Violent actions intended to hurt and intimidate someone because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.
Homicides
Include all killings of humans.
Indecent exposure
Is a crime to purposefully display one's genitals in public, causing others to be alarmed or offended.
Identity theft
All types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.
Insurance fraud
It's happened when an insured individual or entity makes a false or exaggerated insurance claim, seeking compensation for injuries or losses that were not actually suffered.
Kidnapping
It's the taking of a person from one place to another against his or her will, or the confining of a person to a controlled space.
Involuntary Manslaughter
An unintentional killing that results from recklessness or criminal negligence, or from an unlawful act that is a misdemeanor or low-level felony
Voluntary Manslaughter
Is an intentional killing in which the offender had no prior intent to kill, such as a killing that occurs in the "heat of passion."
Minor in possession
Alcohol and drugs found in the possession of minors
Money laundering
The transfer money derived from any criminal activity into seemingly legitimate channels in an attempt to disguise the origin of the funds.
First-degree Murder
An unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated, meaning that it was committed after planning or "lying in wait" for the victim
Second-degree Murder
Ordinarily is defined as: (1) an intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned, nor committed in a reasonable "heat of passion"; (2) a killing caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's obvious lack of concern for human life.
Perjury
Knowingly misleading a court
Probation violation
Is an offense that occurs when one breaks the terms or conditions of his probation.
Prostitution
It's a crime to offer, agree to or engage in a sexual act for compensation
Public intoxication
Being "drunk and disorderly", is a legal charge alleging that a person is visibly drunk or under the influence of drugs in public.
Racketeering/ RICO
When organized groups run illegal businesses, known as “rackets,” or when an organized crime ring uses legitimate organizations to embezzle funds
Rape
It’s a non-consensual sexual intercourse that is committed by physical force, threat of injury or other duress.
Statutory Rape
Sexual relations involving someone below the "age of consent."
Robbery
The theft/larceny of property or money through the offender's use of physical force or fear against a victim.
Securities fraud
When someone makes a false statement about a company or the value of its stock, and others makes financial decisions based on the false information
Sexual assault
Any crime in which the offender subjects the victim to sexual touching that is unwanted and offensive.
Shoplifting
The theft of merchandise from a store or place of business.
Stalking
The unwanted pursuit of another person, such as following a person, appearing at a person's home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person's property.
Tax evasion
When a person or a company purposefully underpays its taxes
Theft
Are crimes involving the taking of a person's property without their permission.
Vandalism
When a person destroys or defaces someone else's property without permission.
As I mention in the first chapter, there are many, too many, types of crime. I'm going to concentrate on several groups in deep – crimes against children, crimes against adults, homicides, property crimes and sex crimes.
Crimes against children
Children are the most vulnerable victims of crime. They are innocent, trustful and dependent. Therefore, all adults, parents, relatives, caretakers, school and other pedagogical institutes, physicians, law enforcement are required to report any signs of abuse or crime against children. Following are the main crimes again children:
Crimes against any type of child cruelty, including child endangerment and neglect plus links to state and national child abuse laws and information clearinghouses.
Child abuse is broadly defined in many states as any type of cruelty inflicted upon a child including mental abuse, physical harm, neglect, sexual abuse or exploitation. The specific crimes charged in instances of child abuse can include assault and battery. Unfortunately, many cases of child abuse go unreported. A child who has been abused or neglected may experience a range of problems such as relationship difficulties, lack of trust of adults, emotional outbursts or retreat, low performance at school, depression, anxiety and anger.
State child abuse laws define child abuse as any act or failure to act that:
2. affects a child;
3. by a parent or caregiver who is responsible for the child's welfare.
In most states, the harm must have been inflicted by non-accidental means. This includes intentional acts, actions that were careless such as, allowing a known sexual offender or known abuser to be with a child alone and acts of negligence such as, leaving a child under a certain age at home alone. Also, the "harm" inflicted upon a child need not be actual, but may include "threats" or "risks of imminent harm".
In addition to state child abuse laws, all states have child protective services (CPS) agencies that investigate reports of abuse and neglect of children in a home. CPS also serves to place children who have been abused or neglected in safer homes, either through adoption or foster care.
Every state has mandatory reporting laws that require certain people to report apparent or suspected child abuse to a central authority, such as via a statewide toll-free hotline. The reports, which are often anonymous, are meant to promote early intervention of child abuse.
Many states require "any person" to report suspected child abuse, whereas other states require mandatory reporting by certain professional, such as doctors, nurses, social workers, school officials, day care workers, and law enforcement personnel. In some states, failing to report instances of child abuse is considered a misdemeanor punishable by fines, jail time, or both.
Examples of warning signs of abuse of a child may include:
- Physical abuse - unexplained burns, bites, bruises, and broken bones or parent's philosophy of harsh physical discipline
- Emotional abuse - extreme behavior, delayed physical or emotional development, attempted suicide, and belittling by a parent or caregiver
- Sexual abuse - difficulty walking or sitting, reports of nightmares or bedwetting, sudden changes in appetite, sudden refusal to change in front of others or participate in gym activities
- Neglect - frequent absences from school, obvious lack of medical or dental care, severe body odor, stays home alone
Child Sexual Abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent abuses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of CSA include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities regardless of the outcome , indecent exposure of the genitals to a child, displaying pornography to a child, actual sexual contact against a child, physical contact with the child's genitals, viewing of the child's genitalia without physical contact, or using a child to produce child pornography.
The effects of child sexual abuse include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, propensity to re-victimization in adulthood, and physical injury to the child, among other problems. Sexual abuse by a family member is a form of incest, is more common than other forms of sexual assault on a child, and can result in more serious and long-term psychological trauma, especially in the case of parental incest.
Sexual assaults on children are normally viewed far more seriously than those on an adult. This is because of the innocence of the child victim, and also because of the long-term psychological impact that such assaults have on the child.
Approximately 15% to 25% of women and 5% to 15% of men were sexually abused when they were children. Most sexual abuse offenders are acquainted with their victims; approximately 30% are relatives of the child, most often brothers, fathers, mothers, sisters and uncles or cousins; around 60% are other acquaintances such as friends of the family, babysitters, or neighbors; strangers are the offenders in approximately 10% of child sexual abuse cases.
Studies have shown that the psychological damage is often particularly severe when sexual assault is committed by parents against children due to the incestuous nature of the assault. Incest between a child or adolescent and a related adult has been identified as the most widespread form of child sexual abuse with a huge capacity for damage to a child. Often, sexual assault on a child is not reported by the child for several reasons:
In-depth explanation of what constitutes child abandonment in most states, consequences for physically or emotionally abandoning a child, safe-haven laws, mandatory reporting laws, and other matters related to child abandonment.
Child abandonment occurs when a parent, guardian, or person in charge of a child either deserts a child without any regard for the child's physical health, safety or welfare and with the intention of wholly abandoning the child, or in some instances, fails to provide necessary care for a child living under their roof.
While child abandonment typically involves physical abandonment - such as leaving a child at a stranger's doorstep when no one is home -- it may also include extreme cases of emotional abandonment -- such as when a "work-a-colic" parent offers little or no physical contact or emotional support over long periods of time.
Unfortunately, abandoned children (also called "foundlings") who do not get their needs met often grow up with low self-esteem, emotional dependency, helplessness, and other issues.
A person charged with child abandonment may face felony or misdemeanor penalties and other consequences.
The term "child abandonment" is broadly categorized and used to describe a variety of behaviors. Specific examples of child abandonment vary, but common actions that may lead to child abandonment charges may include:
- Leaving a child with another person without provision for the child's support and without meaningful communication with the child for a period of three months;
- Making only minimal efforts to support and communicate with a child;
- Failing for a period of at least six months to maintain regular visitation with a child;
- Failed to participate in a suitable plan or program designed to reunite the parent or guardian with a child;
- Leaving an infant on a doorstep, in trash cans and dumpsters, and on the side of the road;
- Being absent from the home for a period of time that created a substantial risk of serious harm to a child left in the home;
- Failing to respond to notice of child protective proceedings;
- Being unwilling to provide care, support, or supervision for the child
Child abandonment laws vary from state to state. Many states include child abandonment within its child abuse laws and vice versa, while some states have laws specifically targeting the act of child abandonment.
Most states classify child abandonment as a felony, which may include situations where a parent or guardian physically abandons a child in any place with the intent of relinquishing all rights and responsibilities to the child.
Other states classify child abandonment as a misdemeanor (with lesser penalties), including situations that involve non-physical acts of abandonment.
In general, child abandonment occurs when:
- A parent, guardian, or other person having physical custody or control of a child;
- Without regard for the mental or physical health, safety, or welfare of the child;
- Knowing leaves a child (typically under the age of 13) without supervision by a responsible person (typically over the age of 14);
- Fails to maintain contact with the child or provide reasonable support for a specified period of time.
In the criminal context, child abandonment is defined as physically abandoning a child, but may also include emotional abandonment such as failing to provide the necessary needs to a child. For example, in some states, a parent may be guilty of abandonment if they fail to provide necessary clothing, food, shelter or medical care for their child. In other states, however, parents are only punished for deserting a child with the intention to abandon.
Because child abandonment is considered child abuse in some states, certain people may be required to report known or suspected cases of child abandonment to the proper authorities. Check your state's child abuse laws to see if you qualify as a "mandatory reporter".
Most jurisdictions have exceptions to child abandonment in the form of safe haven laws. Safe Haven Laws allow mothers to safely abandon their newborn infants in safe locations - such as churches, hospitals, and fire stations - without fear of being charged with the crime of child abandonment.
While it is necessary in some instances to leave a child at home alone, states typically offer age guidelines to help parents avoid child abandonment charges. Under some state statutes, leaving a child at home alone may constitute child abandonment, depending on a number of factors, including the age of the child, duration of time the child was left without adult supervision, and economic hardship or illness of the parent or guardian. Read tips on leaving a child home alone.
Depending on the state, a person charged with criminal child abandonment faces a wide range of penalties and sentencing options, depending on whether the state makes it a felony or misdemeanor. A court will take the factors listed above into consideration - but the penalties may include fines, termination of parental rights, supervised access to the child, and jail time.
In addition, a person may face reckless abandonment charges of a greater penalty if a child dies as a result of the abandonment.
Including Description of laws prohibiting the production, possession, distribution, or sale of pornographic material involving a minor child, including links to state and federal laws related to child sexual exploitation.
Federal and state laws make it a crime to produce, distribute or sell pornographic materials that exploit or portray a minor. Increasingly child pornography laws are being utilized to punish use of computer technology and the internet to obtain, share and distribute pornographic material involving minors, including images and films.
Crimes against adults
Crimes against adults involve body harm, treat of body harm, and other crimes committed against an adult.
It includes definitions for the closely related offenses of assault and battery, which also are recognized as civil offenses, plus links to select statutes and additional, more in-depth articles about the crime.
In most states, an assault/battery is committed when one person: 1) tries to or does physically strike another, or 2) acts in a threatening manner to put another in fear of immediate harm. Many states declare that a more serious or "aggravated" assault/battery occurs when one: 1) tries to or does cause severe injury to another, or 2) causes injury through use of a deadly weapon. Assaults and batteries can also be pursued via civil (as opposed to criminal) laws. Assault and battery often bring up images of the typical fight or brawl, and some states combine the two offenses. However, the terms are actually two separate legal concepts with distinct elements. In short, an assault is an attempt or threat to injure another person, while a battery would be actually contacting another person in a harmful or offensive manner. Below is a more in-depth look at both offenses and their elements, which helps explain how these two offenses are so closely tied deadly.
The definitions for assault vary from state-to-state, but assault is often defined as an attempt to injure to someone else, and in some circumstances can include threats or threatening behavior against others. One common definition would be an intentional attempt, using violence or force, to injure or harm another person. Another straightforward way that assault is sometimes defined is as an attempted battery. Indeed, generally the main distinction between an assault and a battery is that no contact is necessary for an assault, whereas an offensive or illegal contact must occur for a battery.
Even though contact is not generally necessary f