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Dodge, M., Bosick, S. J., & Van Antwerp, V. (2013). Do men and women perceive white collar and street crime differently? Exploring gender differences in the perception of seriousness, motives, and punishment. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 29, 3, 399-415.

Summary: Public perceptions of white-collar crime have shifted from indifference to awareness based on recent, highly publicized corporate collapses and Ponzi schemes. This research explores perceptions of white-collar crime with a focus on gender. Participants (N = 900) read one of six crime scenarios involving either a white-collar crime (Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, corporate crime) or a street crime (auto theft, burglary, prostitution) committed by a male or female offender. Respondents then rated the behavior on seriousness, harshness of punishment, and offender motivation (i.e., greed and stress). Overall, the results support previously observed patterns showing that citizens see white-collar crime as a serious societal problem. Ponzi schemes are seen as more serious than the three street crimes. The findings also show differences between male and female respondents on the issues of offense seriousness, punishment, and offender motivation, but attitudes toward offenders’ gender are more ambiguous.

Questions to Consider:

1. How have recent high profile white collar crimes such as the Enron scandal changed the public’s perception of white collar crime?
    
2. How do perceptions of crime vary by gender?
    
3. Based on the findings of this study how do perceptions and views of white collar and street crime vary between males and females?
    

Unnever, J. D., Benson, M. L., & Cullen, F. T. (2008). Public support for getting tough on corporate crime: Racial and political divides. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 45(2), 163-190.

Summary: The recent wave of corporate wrongdoing has raised the issue of whether the public is concerned about the control of lawlessness in the business world. Using a national probability sample, we explore whether Americans want to enact stricter regulations of the stock market and advocate more punitive criminal sanctions for corporate executives who conceal their company's true financial condition. The findings reveal that Americans generally favor getting tough on corporate illegality. The analysis also indicates, however, that group differences exist in public support for punitive corporate crime control policies. Although liberals and conservatives equally support punishing corporate criminals more harshly, African Americans are more likely than Whites to endorse more restrictive and more punitive policies toward corporate criminals. We conclude that punitive attitudes are socially constructed beliefs that reflect the dynamics of conflicted class and racial relations.

Questions to Consider:

1. What did the authors discover about public opinion of penalties for white-collar offenders?
    
2. Which characteristics were found to influence an individual’s opinion of punishments for white-collar criminals?
    
3. What factors explain the divergent opinions of different groups toward white-collar offending?