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Chapter 1 - Introduction
There are many varieties of relatively innocuous hoaxes, those akin to practical jokes, those meant to fool on the first day of April, and even some meant to cause consternation. Throughout a long history of these varieties, a new breed of hoax has arisen that wastes public resources and violates societal expectations: the criminal hoax.1 I use the term “criminal hoax” to encompass the totality of the harmful hoaxes which consists of both an underlying criminal activity and the hoax. Even though harmful hoaxes have not yet been criminalized, because at least part of the event is criminal, the term “criminal hoax” is used throughout this paper.
This research project investigates an unexamined problem that requires greater public awareness, as well as scholarly analysis. This study introduces and delineates four different types or categories of harmful hoaxes, presents new definitions of hoaxes, and assesses the appropriateness of the responses of various entities to the range of hoaxes. In addition, this dissertation seeks to answer the question of whether further legislation is warranted and, if so, to provide a suggested model law for consideration. As with any burgeoning new area, there is a need for a relatively full description of cases to allow for broad understanding. Using a case study approach, this research undertakes a review of several prominent U.S. cases in each classification from the past twenty-five years that illustrate the circumstances of the different types of hoaxes, the prosecution of the hoaxer, and any consequences
1 The criminal hoax contains two elements, the underlying illegal activity and the hoax. While there is no actual codified statute criminalizing the “hoax” portion of an incident, many jurisdictions have criminalized the action associated with the hoax. For example, lying to a government official and filing a false police report. In addition, in most cases the underlying crime, whether murder, fraud, or another act is proscribed by statute. I use the term “criminal” to refer to those hoaxes which are associated with criminal offenses.
Object Description
| Title | An argument for the criminal hoax |
| Author | Pellegrini, Laura A. |
| Author email | user1963@yahoo.com; teachpolsci@yahoo.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Political Science |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2008-08-20 |
| Date submitted | 2008 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2008-10-13 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Renteln, Alison Dundes |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Wong, Janelle S. Newland, Chester A. |
| Abstract | Hoaxes are part of the fabric of history. While many provide humor and lighthearted joy, the criminal hoax does not. To date, researchers have included aspects of the criminal hoax in larger academic works. This is an original typology that sets forth the criminal hoax as a distinct part of the larger field of law and public policy. This work provides newly created definitions including four distinct categories of hoaxes: the monetary hoax, the attention getter hoax, the hate crime hoax and the racial hoax. It further illustrates these types with actual detailed accounts of hoaxes and provides insights to each one. It makes policy recommendations concerning the four categories of needs: 1. legislative action, 2. a nationwide statistical database of hoax events, 3. media involvement, and 4. law enforcement training and action to deal with criminal hoaxes. Finally, it recommends further research to identify the causes and motivations of vipers. The ultimate goal of this project is to find ways to eliminate criminal hoaxes. |
| Keyword | criminal hoax; hoax categories |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m1659 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Pellegrini, Laura A. |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Pellegrini-2397 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume26/etd-Pellegrini-2397.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 7 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 1 Chapter 1 - Introduction There are many varieties of relatively innocuous hoaxes, those akin to practical jokes, those meant to fool on the first day of April, and even some meant to cause consternation. Throughout a long history of these varieties, a new breed of hoax has arisen that wastes public resources and violates societal expectations: the criminal hoax.1 I use the term “criminal hoax” to encompass the totality of the harmful hoaxes which consists of both an underlying criminal activity and the hoax. Even though harmful hoaxes have not yet been criminalized, because at least part of the event is criminal, the term “criminal hoax” is used throughout this paper. This research project investigates an unexamined problem that requires greater public awareness, as well as scholarly analysis. This study introduces and delineates four different types or categories of harmful hoaxes, presents new definitions of hoaxes, and assesses the appropriateness of the responses of various entities to the range of hoaxes. In addition, this dissertation seeks to answer the question of whether further legislation is warranted and, if so, to provide a suggested model law for consideration. As with any burgeoning new area, there is a need for a relatively full description of cases to allow for broad understanding. Using a case study approach, this research undertakes a review of several prominent U.S. cases in each classification from the past twenty-five years that illustrate the circumstances of the different types of hoaxes, the prosecution of the hoaxer, and any consequences 1 The criminal hoax contains two elements, the underlying illegal activity and the hoax. While there is no actual codified statute criminalizing the “hoax” portion of an incident, many jurisdictions have criminalized the action associated with the hoax. For example, lying to a government official and filing a false police report. In addition, in most cases the underlying crime, whether murder, fraud, or another act is proscribed by statute. I use the term “criminal” to refer to those hoaxes which are associated with criminal offenses. |
