Crimes Without Victims: Deviant Behavior And Public Policy-- Abortion Homosexuality Drug Addiction

By Edwin M. Schur

From the Preface: The three types of deviance discussed in this book lie at the borderline of crime.There has long been dispute as to whether they shouldbecon- sidered crimes, sins, vices, diseases, or simply as patterns of social deviance. In each case the offending behavior involves a willing and private exchange of strongly demanded yet officially proscribed goods and services; this element of consent precludes the existence of a victim--in the usual sense of the word. Each of these problems also has certain medical--as well as legal, psychological, and sociological-aspects. Although this complexity has fostered useful research and analysis by specialists in various fields, it has also produced a somewhat confusing range of views as to the methods with which such behavior should be dealt. To the extent that sociologists have studied these borderline problems at all, their goal of detached scientific observation (of "ethical neutrality") has inhibited whatever in- terest they might feel in directly challenging substantive criminal law provisions.

Englewod Clifs, N.J. Prentice:Hall.1965. 186p. CONTAINS MARK-UP