The Seriousness of Crime Revisited: Have Attitudes Toward White‐Collar Crime Changed?

Social commentators have often observed that the public is indifferent to white‐collar criminality. However, the growing attention that white‐collar crime has received in recent years raises the possibility of changes in the public's perceptions of such violations. By replicating Rossi et al.'s survey in 1972 of the seriousness of 140 offenses, the present research presents data indicating that white‐collar crime has increased in seriousness more than any other offense category, but that it is still viewed as less serious than most other forms of illegality. When different types of white‐collar crime were analyzed, we found considerable variation in ratings, with high a degree of seriousness attributed to offenses involving physical harm. Further, while all categories of white‐collar criminality increased in seriousness, attitudinal changes have been particularly apparent toward two types, Violent and Corporate Price‐Fixing.