CRIME IS A DIFFICULT CONCEPT TO DEFINE

This essay aims to draw upon some of the elements which make up the idea of crime. There are many aspects to consider, including the definition, hidden crime and conflict within society.

According to the Sage Dictionary of Criminology, the ability to define crime is a difficult concept. It depends at what stage of time we are in and how we perceive things. The idea of crime also draws upon how an individual, or a set of individuals are linked with society, in that they show, or do not show solidarity within civilisation. The definition also draws upon the idea of ‘consensus’ meaning how much an individual agrees with societies’ norms and values (McLaughlin & Muncie, 2012, p.85).

Crime is a difficult concept to define. This is because it varies so greatly. It is not entirely about law-breaking, but also includes a number of other factors, such as the solidarity within society. It is important to remember that the term ‘law’ takes its own definition of, as Des Rosiers & Bittle (2004, p.7) cites within their chapter, “law can be said to have a distinctly social basis; it both shapes – and is shaped by – the society in which it operates.” This means that there are a variety of factors which shape our behaviour within society and how we respond to these behaviours (Des Rosiers & Bittle, 2004, p.7). In addition, crime is further difficult to define due to conflicting definitions within society. As Henry and