What Is Personal Crime?
Unfortunately, personal crime is a real danger that threatens individuals of all types – be it for physical, emotional or financial harm. Nobody is immune; therefore it’s essential for citizens, criminology students and anyone interested in personal crime to gain an understanding of its many forms.
Understanding personal crime is crucial in efforts to prevent and address these offenses, protecting our communities from further offenses. Therefore, this chapter will investigate various forms of personal crime.
Definition and Examples of Personal Crime: What Does It Involve?
A personal crime refers to any offense which utilizes direct violence against an individual or multiple individuals for personal gain. Personal crimes typically include bodily harm, emotional distress or even death as intended goals of their commission and are subject to legal prosecution and penalties in most jurisdictions.
Personal crimes involve physical violence, the threat of harm or any action which endanger another individual or people immediately in danger or lead to immediate injury. Some examples include assault, battery, homicide, sexual assault/abuse and domestic violence.
Note that these are crimes against individuals; hence their victims are always individuals. On the other hand, crimes committed with intent of gaining property such as bribery, robbery or burglary aim at obtaining money or personal belongings as gain.
Related: What’s the difference between theft, robbery, and burglary?
Violent personal crimes include acts which involve the use of force or infliction of bodily harm against another individual. Personal crimes may be punishable under either federal or state law and thus, be subject to various levels of legal punishment.
Forms of Personal Crime: What are the Major Types of Crime?
Crime classification can differ widely based on jurisdiction. Common crimes include those that target property and/or people as well as crimes that violate morality (hate crimes, etc). Organized Crime and White-Collar Crime may also fall into this category.
Assault: An assault occurs when there is an intentional threat or attempt to cause physical harm against another individual, from simple assaults with no actual physical contact occurring to more severe ones involving weapons and injuries of greater severity. Fear or injury must be caused by someone capable of producing it; thus if an 8-year-old child threatens a 38-year-old man it would not qualify as assault.
Stalking should also be mentioned here: this involves persistent and unwanted chasing after another individual with the aim of harassing or intimidating them and creating fear or distress for that individual.
Battery refers to the intentional use of physical force against another person with the intent to cause physical harm or injury. As opposed to assault which does not necessarily require physical contact between individuals, battery involves intentional physical contact between individuals.
Mayhem is a form of battery whereby victims have their body parts either taken from them, removed, or severely injured – potentially hindering their functionality and rendering them nonfunctional. This could include hands, legs, eyes or ears being targeted for harm.
Homicide, or murder, is the ultimate form of violent crime and involves killing another individual with or without intent to do so. There are two forms of homicide; first-degree (intended murder) and unintentional. Assault (unintentional homicide). Forensic homicide: when another individual kills another with specific intentions to murder them (forensic murder). These cases typically fall into two distinct categories. Typically first degree murder requires deliberate actions against their intended target while first-degree (intended homicide), involves killing another with intent, often for political or ideological motives (for example murderous intentions); second-degree (deliberate killing); Third-degree murder: When killing occurs with this intention (usually when one kills them by another means; hence First degree murder). Usually in its purest form this involves intentionally murderous actions from either party involved while, or unintentionally kills them with the sole intention to commit either intentional killing another with the aim of doing it to occur (although unintentionally killing).
There are several common types of Homicide: First degree murder involves the willful planning to kill someone, Second-degree murder occurs when someone kills another without planning or intent. Manslaughter occurs when this incident takes place accidentally without intent from either side and with no malice intended or maliciousness to it. Felony murder: When an accused person who committed a violent felony acts that resulted in death, they can be charged with murder.
Sexual Abuse: Commonly referred to as molestation, sexual abuse is defined as any unwanted sexual contact between two people without their consent that involves either force or the threat of harm being used against them. Therefore, sexual assault involves non-consensual sexual acts or contact between people that does not occur on consent and includes offenses like rape, molestation and child sexual abuse as well as other forms of sexual abuse.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence refers to any act of physical or emotional aggression between two individuals who live together intimately; for example spousal abuse, partner violence and domestic abuse within families. Child Abuse Child abuse refers to any psychological, physical and/or sexual exploitation, emotional harm or neglect against a child under 18 that results in real physical harm being done to him/her; it does not always lead to actual injury – often only the threat is involved.
Contact a Personal Crime Lawyer
Related: Questions to ask the criminal lawyer during a consultation
Personal crimes can be especially cruel, as they affect victims directly and severely. If you find yourself the victim of this form of criminality, seek the representation of an experienced attorney to represent your rights in court or help find solutions tailored to the laws in your state.
