Types of Crime

Crimes are defined by criminal law, which refers to a body of federal and state rules that prohibit behavior the government deems harmful to society. If one engages in such behavior, they may be guilty of a crime and prosecuted in criminal court.
In today’s society, criminal behavior and criminal trials are highly publicized in the media and commonly the storyline in hit television shows and movies. As a result, people may consider themselves well-informed on the different types of crimes. However, the law can be quite complicated.
There are many different types of crimes but, generally, crimes can be divided into four major categories, personal crimes, property crimes, inchoate crimes, and Statutory Crimes:
  • Personal Crimes – “Offenses against the Person”: These are crimes that result in physical or mental harm to another person. Personal crimes include:
    • Assault 
    • Battery
    • False Imprisonment
    • Kidnapping
    • Homicide – crimes such as first and second degree, murder, and involuntary manslaughter, and vehicular homicide
    • Rape, statutory rape, sexual assault and other offenses of a sexual nature
  • Property Crimes – “Offenses against Property”: These are crimes that do not necessarily involve harm to another person. Instead, they involve an interference with another person’s right to use or enjoy their property. Property crimes include:
  • Inchoate Crimes – “Inchoate” translates into “incomplete”, meaning crimes that were begun, but not completed. This requires that a person take a substantial step to complete a crime, as opposed to just “intend” to commit a crime. Inchoate crimes include:
  • Statutory Crimes – A violation of a specific state or federal statute and can involve either property offenses or personal offense. Statutory crimes include:

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