State Crime and Technological Crime
State crime refers to illegal and deviant acts committed or supported by state agencies. These crimes can have far-reaching consequences and often target vulnerable populations.
Definition: State crimes include genocide, torture, war crimes, imprisonment without trial, assassinations, and police brutality.
Technological crime, also known as cybercrime or e-crime, involves criminal acts committed via the internet or other technologies.
Example: Cyber dependent crime includes hacking, releasing viruses, and other attacks on computer systems and networks.
Victims and Offenders
State crime victims are often citizens of the country, including those in other countries, and minority groups. Technological crime can affect anyone who uses the internet, with vulnerable groups like the elderly and young people being particularly at risk.
Highlight: State crime offenders are typically high-ranking government officials, politicians, civil servants, police officers, and armed forces personnel.
Technological crime can be committed by anyone with access to technology and the internet, often from overseas locations.
Public Awareness and Legal Status
Public awareness of state crimes can vary. If unknown, governments can conceal their crimes. However, if known, media reports can lead to high awareness due to the extreme nature of the crimes.
Example: The Rwandan genocide is a well-known state crime case study, where the majority Hutu population attempted to exterminate the minority Tutsi group.
Awareness of technological crimes can be low if people are unaware they've been scammed, but high when police, businesses, and governments run awareness campaigns.
Example: The Royal Mail scam texts requesting bank details for parcel collection is a recent technological crime case study in the UK.
Both state and technological crimes are considered criminal and deviant, breaking laws and societal norms.
