Problems in Defining Crime

• historical context in defining crime

  • Acts which are considered criminal at one point in time are not necessarily considered criminal at another point.
  • Another way of considering this issue is the way that technological advances have resulted in new forms of crime that previously did not have a legal framework, for example in the form of identity theft and cybercrime (Wall, 2007).
• cultural context in defining crime

  • across the world, different countries exercise different laws.
  • It is therefore important to consider cultural relativism when defining crime because it highlights that laws differ in different cultures.
• age context in defining crime

  • The age at which an individual is considered legally responsible is debated.
  • In the UK, the age of criminal responsibility is ten, but previously it was eight. What this means is that a 10-year-old can be tried in court as the legal system regards them as having sufficient understanding to tell the difference between right and wrong.