globalisation and crime

• globalisation

  Ongoing process that involves interconnected changes in the economic, cultural, social and political spheres of society. involves the ever-increasing integration of these aspects between nations, regions, communities and ever seemingly isolated places
• HELD - globalisation of crime is growing interconnectedness of crime across national boarders - transactional organised crime
• CASTELLS - there is now a global criminal economy of over £1 trillion per annum
• globalisation and new types of crime

  • drugs trade
  • human trafficking
  • financial crimes
  • cyber crime
  • transnational organised crime
  • terrorism
• globalisation and new types of crime

  Drugs trade

  • the global drugs trade is worth £300 billion per year
  • drugs are often cultivated in third world countries such as Colombia and Peru which have large impoverished population
  • drug is an attractive trade as it requires little investment but commands high prices especially in the western world
• globalisation and new types of crime

  Human trafficking

  • can include the trafficking of women and children as well as illegal immigrants and human body parts
  • over 2000 organs per year are trafficked from condemned or executed criminals
  • women and children are often trafficked for sex trade or slavery - over half a million people are trafficked to western Europe annually
• globalisation and new types of crime

  financial crime

  • e.g money laundering
  • easier with the relaxing of international banking laws meaning that people can move money between offshore accounts much easier or to haven countries where national laws do not allow law enforcement access to accounts
• globalisation and new types of crime

  cyber crime

  • cyber crime had developed out of the growth In technology and take a number of forms including cyber fraud, cyber theft, cyber terrorism and cyber violence
  • it is a transactional crime as the hacker can be in one country whilst hacking a system in another country
• globalisation and new types of crime

  transactional organised crime

  • there has been a growth in organised crime networks based on economic links
  • GLENNY - 'McMafia' which developed from the deregulation of global markets and the fall of the soviet union
  • the old-school mafias such as the Italian mafia and the triads began to disperse around the world - like USA
• globalisation and new types of crime

  terrorism

  • technological and communication advancements have made international terrorism easier - groups are able to communicate with members all over the world and cultivate in-state members through online radicalisation
• impact of globalisation on crime

  • individualism
  • opportunities
  • disorganised capitalism
  • risk society
  • problems with policing
  • more inequality
• impact of globalisation on crime

  Individualism - BAUMAN

  • growing individualism and consumer culture means that individuals are left to weigh the costs and benefits of their decisions and choose the best course to bring them the highest rewards
  • can lead to people taking part in criminal activity to achieve the consumer lifestyle which is otherwise unobtainable
• impact of globalisation on crime

  opportunities

  • growing globalisation, technological advancements and communications has led to newer types of crime as well as new ways in which to carry out crime
  • Dark web - allows criminals to communicate and conduct crimes whilst undetected
  • crimes can be committed in one nation whilst the criminal is in a different country
• impact of globalisation on crime

  disorganised capitalism

  • LASH AND URRY - increased deregulation and fewer state controls over business and finance
  • corporations now act transnational moving money, manufacturing, waste disposal and staff around the world to increase profits and lower regulation
  • TAYLOR - led to greater job insecurity, less social cohesion and fewer job opportunities in the west which can increase crime rates
• impact of globalisation on crime

  Risk society

  • BECK - growing instability in the globalised world has led to people being more risk conscious
  • the causes of the risk are often global in nature which can make it hard to pinpoint who is responsible and the media can play on this fear
  • fears = lead to hate crimes and racially motivated crimes
• impact of globalisation on crime

  problems with policing

  • due to crimes becoming transnational it requires cooperation between many different law enforcement agencies to bring the criminals to justice
  • what is illegal in one country is not in another - difficult to determine jurisdiction
• impact of globalisation on crime

  more inequality

  • TAYLOR - globalisation creates new patterns of inequality
  • winner from the process - rich financial investors and transnational corporations
  • losers - workers
  • the disadvantaged in both the developing and developed world are faced with greater insecurity and greater relative deprivation which then feeds criminal behaviour
• AO3 - globalisation and crime strengths

  • valuable - focuses on the newest most dramatic and serious of crimes
  • has led to more connectedness between law enforcement agencies around the world
• AO3 globalisation and crime limitation

  • difficult to investigate due to secretive and global nature
  • dependency on secondary sources and reliable statistics are not available - primary research = dangerous
  • easily exaggerated in terms of impact