| The purpose of this study was to examine whether Sutherland's theory of white-collar criminality (i.e., "persons of the upper socioeconomic class engage in much criminal behavior...[and] this criminal behavior differs from the criminal behavior of the lower socioeconomic class...(1983, p. 7))," holds validity among New Jersey's adult and juvenile offender populations. Specifically, this study concentrates on recent trends in youth involvement in white-collar crimes (e.g., fraud, embezzlement, forgery, and counterfeiting of U.S. currency) which are occurring within New Jersey's borders.; This study posits a new term, "Consumptive-Criminality," to describe these activities, and provides an operationalized research equation based on this definition.; Through triangulation, this researcher examined what relationships, if any, exist between New Jersey's, per county, per capita personal income (PCPI) and Uniform Crime Report Part II arrest datasets for juveniles and adults (1990--1995), and PCPI and U.S. Secret Service case production data for the New Jersey area (1995--1997). Little or no correlations were found between these data.; The study also examined relationships between total households in the Newark District, Mercer County, and Atlantic County who own a computer, and U.S. Secret Service case production data (1997--1998). Strong, positive correlations were found between these datasets.; Lastly, this study examined the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and related statewide education planning reports, and found little discussion of ethics or the ethical use of technology in these documents.; The study provided four "recommendations for social change," including revising New Jersey's statewide Core Curriculum Content Standards to include teaching on information technology (IT) ethics, and expanding instruction in personal financial awareness; developing a Consumptive-Criminality train-the-trainer module for professional educators; preparing a multi-media presentation for law enforcement officials, public school educators, and parents on youth involvement in non-violent, IT-based crimes; and conducting additional research into Consumptive-Criminality at the state, federal, and international levels. |
