5.2 Types of Crime

LO 5.2: Describe the different categories of crime.

Some deviance is socially constructed as a crime. Crime is a form of deviance that violates the law. However, within some subcultures taking part in crime may be viewed as following the norms of the subculture. For example, underage drinking may be the norm on a college campus even though it still violated the law. Most crime can be categorized into three broad categories: violent crime, property crime, and drug-related crime. The first two will be discussed in this section. Drug-related crime will be discussed in the section on tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use.