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White-Collar Crime

Code: 100470 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Criminology OB 3

Contact

Name:
Daniela Gaddi
Email:
daniela.gaddi@uab.cat

Teachers

Maria Jose Rodriguez Puerta

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

The course will be given taking into account the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The seminars will be taught in Spanish.


Objectives and Contextualisation

This course aims to provide students with introductory information on different aspects of White Collar Crime (WCC).
 
The objectives of the course are:
  1. To familiarize students with the problems concerning the delimitation and conceptualization of this kind of criminality
  2. To enable students to carry out a criminological research on crimes that can be categorized as WCC.
  3. To familiarize students with strategies for preventing WCC.
  4. To make students able to identify the specific elements of the more relevant white collar crimes.
  5. To provide students with tools for prevention and intervention in white collar crimes.

Competences

  • Ability to analyse and summarise.
  • Accessing and interpreting sources of crime data.
  • Analysing the conflict and criminology by using the criminological theories and their psychological and sociological foundations.
  • Designing a criminological research and identifying the appropriate methodological strategy to the proposed goals.
  • Drawing up an academic text.
  • Formulating research hypothesis in the criminological field.
  • Identifying existing social resources to intervene in the conflict and criminality.
  • Respectfully interacting with other people.
  • Students must demonstrate a comprehension of the best crime prevention and intervention models for each specific problem.
  • Students must demonstrate they comprehend the criminological theories.
  • Students must demonstrate they know a variety of criminal policies in order to face criminality and its different foundations.
  • Using the evaluation techniques of criminogenic risk and needs of a person in order to decide an intervention proposal.
  • Verbally transmitting ideas to an audience.
  • Working autonomously.
  • Working in teams and networking.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Ability to analyse and summarise.
  2. Accurately applying the prevention models in specific crime situations.
  3. Analysing with scientific criteria the information obtained in criminological databases.
  4. Applying the criminological theories.
  5. Applying the scientific criminological knowledge to the delinquency analysis.
  6. Appropriately choosing the social resource for each professional intervention case.
  7. Correctly drawing up every part of a criminological research project.
  8. Drawing up an academic text.
  9. Efficiently applying the foundations of the different crime policies in the professional activity.
  10. Inferring the intervention models in accordance with a previous needs assessment.
  11. Respectfully interacting with other people.
  12. Using the appropriate research methodology in accordance with the suggested criminological research.
  13. Verbally transmitting ideas to an audience.
  14. Working autonomously.
  15. Working in teams and networking.

Content

GENERAL PART

  • Topic 1: White-Collar Crime: legal and criminological approach
  • Topic 2: Criminological profile of authors and victims of White-Collar Crime
  • Topic 3: Corporate crime. The responsibility of companies (criminological and legal perspective)
  • Topic 4: Prevention policies (individuals and corporations). Compliance programs in both the private and public sector. International standards for preventing crime in multinational companies. The role of criminologists
  • Topic 5: Investigation and prosecution of white-collar crimes
  • Topic 6: Criminal justice response: The sentencing process (individuals and corporations).
  • Topic 7: Restorative justice response: Harms and types of victimization. Soft law mechanisms and harm repair. Reparation and restorative agreements.

SPECIAL PART

  • Topic 8: Corruption. Legal and criminological perspective. Corruption in Spain. Corruption related crimes. Prevention, sanction, and harm repair.

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 19.5 0.78 2, 5, 4, 10, 11, 14
Workshops 19.5 0.78 2, 5, 4, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15
Type: Autonomous      
Individual and group work 106 4.24 3, 2, 5, 4, 10, 8, 1, 13, 14, 15

Activities

  • Lectures, with the whole group. The professor, following an interactive methodology, will explain the main issues, stimulate reflection and propose activities
  • Workshops/Seminars, in which data and case studies will be analyzed. Seminars will use an active methodology to improve the learning of the contents of the course. All activities of seminars are carried out in groups and are intended to improve students' ability to collaborate and work effectively with others in their learning process.

Students will also attend lectures given by experts in the field, which will give them an insight into practical aspects of white-collar crime. 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Attendance and participation (lectures and seminars) 10% 0 0 11, 1, 13, 14, 15
Final test 35% 5 0.2 3, 9, 5, 4, 11, 1, 14
Individual examination (brief questions) 30% 0 0 3, 5, 4, 7, 8, 11, 1, 14
Work on specific issues and practical cases 25% 0 0 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 10, 8, 11, 1, 14, 12

Evaluation model. The evaluation model is continuous; therefore, the final mark will be obtained by evaluating the following activities throughout the semester:

  1. Two individual assessment activities will check the students’ understanding and knowledge of bibliographic and lectures material of the first and second part of the course and will consist in four brief questions to be answered in writing (individual work, 30% of the final mark, 15% each activity).
  2. One assessment activity will check the students' ability to apply theoretical concepts to problems and real-world cases: analysis and resolution of cases (25% of the final mark).
  3. A final assessment activity will check the students’ understanding and knowledge of all course contents and will consist of a multiple-choice test (35% of the final mark).

Active participation: Active participation, which demonstrates that students have achieved an above average mastery of the course material and objectives, will be positively evaluated (10% of the final mark).

Scoring criteria. Each activity will be graded on a scale from 0 to 10. In order to pass the course, students will need to obtain an average of 5 or above for any of the evaluated activities. Students who do not obtain the minimum mark will be able to resit for that activity during the reassessment period.

Requirements to be assessed. Students will be assessable as long as they have completed a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the final mark. If the value of the completed activities does not reach this threshold, professors may consider students as not assessable.

Attendance at lectures and workshops is compulsory. Therefore, a student who does not attend at least 80%of the classes will not be assessed. Absences will be allowed only in case of medical reasons or exceptional circumstances. An absence note will be required. Any academic reason for non-attendance should be previously authorized by the professor. Attendance will be supervised in both lectures and workshops. Absence at any assessment activity will only be justified for medical reasons.

Punctuality. Classes start on time. Late arrival or early exit is not admitted, save in duly justified circumstances.

Cheating. Cheating at any evaluation activity will imply a fail mark (0) and students will lose the right to a new assessment. Plagiarism will lead to a fail mark (0) and to a warning. In the case of reoccurrence, the student will be given a fail mark (0) and will lose the right to resit. The use of AI to write assignments will be considered a form of plagiarism.

Single evaluation model

For students who opt for single evaluation the final mark will also be obtained by evaluating three types of activities to be completed in 2 hours on the same day:

  1. One assessment activity will check the students’ understanding and knowledge of bibliographic and lectures material as well as their analysis and synthesis skills. This activity will consist in two brief questions to be answered in writing in 30 minutes (30% of the final mark).
  2. One assessment activity will check the students’ ability to apply the theoretical content of the course to resolv a practical case and to infer appropriate intervention models based on an effective prior assessment of needs. Students will first have to elaborate in 45 minutes an appropriate solution in class (without the possibility of consulting course material). Then, they will orally present to professors their conclusion in 10 minutes maximum  (30% of the final mark).
  3. Oneassessment activity will objectively check students’ knowledge of distinct aspects of the course and will consist of a multiple-choice exam to be completed in 35 minutes (40% of the final mark).

In order to pass the course, students need to know the content of the mandatory readings, as well as all the content of all class and seminars materials which will be published on the virtual campus.

Like all other students, those who opt for the single evaluation will have the right to seek assistance from the teaching staff during scheduled tutoring hours throughout the semester.

 


Bibliography

MANDATORY READINGS

GENERAL PART

Topic 1: White-Collar Crime: legal and criminological approach

  • Class material

Topic 2: Criminological profile of authors and victims of White-Collar Crime

  • Class material
  • Benson, M.L., & Hei Lam Chio (2020). Who commits occupational crimes?. In Melissa L. Roerie (Ed.), The handbook of white-collar crime (pp. 97-112). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118775004 (available online at the UAB library). Only pp. 101-110

Topic 3: Corporate crime. The responsibility of companies (criminological and legal perspective)

  • Class material
  • Davies, Pam, & Wyatt, Tania (2021). Crime and power. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57314-0 (available online at the UAB library). Only chapter "Corporations", pp. 167-190

Topic 4: Prevention policies (individuals and corporations). Compliance programs in both the private and public sector. International standards for preventing crime in multinational companies. The role of criminologists

  • Class material
  • Cigüela-Sola, J. (2019). Compliance más allá de la ciencia penal: Aportaciones de la sociología de las organizaciones al análisis de la criminalidad corporativa y de la imputación jurídico-penal, InDret, 2, 1-36

Topic 5: Investigation and prosecution of White-Collar Crimes

  • Class material

Topic 6: Criminal justice response: The sentencing process(individuals and corporations)

  • Class material
  • Dopico-Gómez-Aller, J. (2024). Responsabilidad penal de las personas jurídicas. In J.A. Lascuraín-Sánchez, A. Nieto-Martín, N.J. de la Mata-Barranco, J. Dopico-Gómez-Aller, Derecho penal económico y de la empresa (pp. 175-219). Dykinson (available online at the UAB library)

Topic 7: Restorative justice response: Harms and types of victimization. Soft law mechanisms and harm repair. Reparation and restorative agreements.

  • Class material
  • Aertsen, I. (2018). Restorative justice for victims of corporate violence. In G. Forti, Claudia Mazzucato, Arianna Visconti & Stefania Giavazzi (Eds.), Victims and corporations: Legal challenges and empirical findings (pp. 235-258). Wolters Kluwer

SPECIAL PART

Topic 8: Corruption. Legal and criminological perspective. Corruption in Spain. Corruption related crimes. Prevention, sanction, and harm repair

  • Class material
  • Villoria, M. (2015). La corrupción en España: Rasgos y causas esenciales. Cahiers de Civilisation Espagnole Contemporaine, 15(15), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.4000/ccec.5949

Other bibliography

For studying, it may be useful to consult the following bibliography as well:

  • Cid-Moliné, J., & Larrauri-Pijoan, Elena (2023). Teorías criminológicas. Bosch
  • León Alapont, J. (2023). Canales de denuncia e investigaciones internas en elmarcodel Compliance Penal Corporativo.Tirant lo blanch – Only chapter 1: “El modelo de atribución de la responsabilidad penal a las personas jurídicas previsto en el Código Penal Español” (pp. 23-53)    
  • Ministerio del Interior - Secretaría General de Instituciones Penitenciarias (2021). Programa de intervención en delitos económicos – PIDECO, Documentos Penitenciarios 28. https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/pdf/archivos-y-documentacion/documentacion-y-publicaciones/publicaciones-descargables/instituciones-penitenciarias/Programa_de_intervencion_en_delitos_economicos_PIDECO_126210489.pdf
  • Ministerio del Interior - Secretaría General de Instituciones Penitenciarias (2023). Delincuencia económica: Análisis del perfil delictivo, Documentos Penitenciarios 36. https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/pdf/archivos-y-documentacion/documentacion-y-publicaciones/publicaciones-descargables/instituciones-penitenciarias/Delincuencia_economica_analisis_del_perfil_delictivo_DP-36_126231175.pdf
  • Tombs, S., & Whyte, D. (2015). The corporate criminal: Why corporations must be abolished. Taylor & Francis Group. Only pp. 30-54

Note: Any possible update in the bibliography will be communicated through the Moodle.


Software

Basic software (MS Office tools)


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(SEM30) Seminaris (30 estudiants per grup) 11 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(SEM30) Seminaris (30 estudiants per grup) 12 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(SEM30) Seminaris (30 estudiants per grup) 13 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed