Who coined the term "white-collar crime"?

The term "white-collar crime" was coined by Edwin H. Sutherland in 1939. Sutherland introduced the concept to describe crimes committed by individuals and organizations in positions of trust and authority, typically involving deceit and violation of trust. He aimed to highlight that these crimes, often overlooked by the criminal justice system, can cause significant harm to society, despite not being violent in nature. By focusing on the socioeconomic aspects of crime committed by business and government professionals, Sutherland's work emphasized the importance of examining the behaviors and motivations behind such criminal acts, thereby shaping the field of criminology and encouraging further research into corporate and institutional misconduct.