Difference between revisions of "Victimless crime"
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==About== | ==About== | ||
[[category:concepts]]A [[victimless crime]] is any action which is deemed criminal even though it is not known to cause harm to any but the participants, at most.{{seedling}} | [[category:concepts]]A [[victimless crime]] is any action which is deemed criminal even though it is not known to cause harm to any but the participants, at most.{{seedling}} | ||
| + | In some cases, more problems are caused by the illegality of these acts than by the acts themselves. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Where the acts do cause problems, it's often not clear where the blame should lie -- but current laws often blame the victim | ||
| + | ==Purpose== | ||
| + | This is not ''necessarily'' to argue that these acts should all be legal (though clearly some of them should be legal and regulated) but to suggest that perhaps passing unenforceable laws banning them is the wrong model to use, and is in a sense "passing the buck" of solving complex social problems into the hands of law enforcement. | ||
==List== | ==List== | ||
When conducted between consenting, competent adults, the following are victimless crimes: | When conducted between consenting, competent adults, the following are victimless crimes: | ||
* [[gambling]] | * [[gambling]] | ||
| − | * [[ | + | * [[homosexuality]] (a.k.a. Sodomy) |
* [[illegal drug]] manufacture, usage, possession, or distribution | * [[illegal drug]] manufacture, usage, possession, or distribution | ||
| + | * [[prostitution]] | ||
| + | * [[sexting]] | ||
===religion-based=== | ===religion-based=== | ||
The following actions have no meaning outside of a [[religious]] context, and naturally are not considered as even mild crimes by [[secular]] society: | The following actions have no meaning outside of a [[religious]] context, and naturally are not considered as even mild crimes by [[secular]] society: | ||
Revision as of 16:18, 29 May 2010
About
A victimless crime is any action which is deemed criminal even though it is not known to cause harm to any but the participants, at most.
In some cases, more problems are caused by the illegality of these acts than by the acts themselves.
Where the acts do cause problems, it's often not clear where the blame should lie -- but current laws often blame the victim
Purpose
This is not necessarily to argue that these acts should all be legal (though clearly some of them should be legal and regulated) but to suggest that perhaps passing unenforceable laws banning them is the wrong model to use, and is in a sense "passing the buck" of solving complex social problems into the hands of law enforcement.
List
When conducted between consenting, competent adults, the following are victimless crimes:
- gambling
- homosexuality (a.k.a. Sodomy)
- illegal drug manufacture, usage, possession, or distribution
- prostitution
- sexting
religion-based
The following actions have no meaning outside of a religious context, and naturally are not considered as even mild crimes by secular society: