Document Type : scientific
Authors
Department of Law. Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics. University of Isfahan. Isfahan. Iran
Abstract
Objective: The aim of the present study is to conduct a criminological analysis of state crime through the labeling theory. This theory emphasizes the constructed nature of criminal phenomena and their connection to power structures. It explains how behaviors are criminalized based on power, dividing crimes into those committed by the powerful and those by the powerless. It illustrates how numerous actions by ordinary citizens are labeled as criminal, while many harmful acts committed by elites—despite their significant social damage—are met with leniency and escape criminal labeling.
Method: This research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach
Results: applying labeling theory to state crimes reveals critical dimensions of how these crimes occur. Excessive labeling of citizens leads to the restriction of their rights and freedoms through over-criminalization, violating their access to civil, cultural, economic, and social rights. Conversely, selective labeling results in the non-criminalization of state crimes, making accountability difficult. Furthermore, the processes of dehumanization and devaluation—rooted in labeling perspectives—create fertile ground for victimization caused by state crimes.
Conclusions: State crime can be understood as a product of the labeling/de-labeling processes driven by power.
Keywords
- State Crime
- CrimesAgainst Human Rights
- Theoretical Criminology
- Criminology of State Crime Labeling Theory
Main Subjects
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