2020/06/03 by Klaus von Lampe, Arjan Blokland · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Environmental Science · Psychology · Medicine · #Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance #Crime Patterns and Interventions #Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses #Club #Globe #Criminology #Law enforcement #Political science #Organised crime #Public relations #Advertising #Business #Psychology #Law #Medicine
paper · doi:10.1086/708926
openalex publication_date 2020/06/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/19
Outlaw motorcycle clubs have spread across the globe. Their members have been associated with serious crime, and law enforcement often perceives them to be a form of organized crime. Outlaw bikers are disproportionately engaged in crime, but the role of the club itself in these crimes remains unclear. Three scenarios describe possible relations between clubs and the crimes of their members. In the “bad apple” scenario, members individually engage in crime; club membership may offer advantages in enabling and facilitating offending. In the “club within a club” scenario, members engage in crimes separate from the club, but because of the number of members involved, including high-ranking members, the club itself appears to be taking part. The club can be said to function as a criminal organization only when the formal organizational chain of command takes part in organization of the crime, lower level members regard senior members’ leadership in the crime as legitimate, and the crime is generally understood as “club business.” All three scenarios may play out simultaneously within one club with regard to different crimes.