Crimes Against Public Decency and Morality

Many criminal statues are enacted based upon moral grounds rooted in religious beliefs. Mala in se acts such as rape, robbery, and murder are commonly accepted as both immoral and illegal. Other acts categorized as mala prohibita, meaning they are forbidden only because they are illegal, are also based in moral beliefs, though they are not as widely supported.

Crimes against public decency and morality include concepts such as victimless crimes, acts of obscenity and illegal substances, and the efforts by some to change existing drug laws.

This resource provides instruction for users to:

• Define victimless crimes Identify categories of crimes against public decency and morality
• Discuss crimes against public decency and morality
• Analyze laws that regulate public decency and morality
• Determine when laws related to the transfer of computer-generated information have been violated