There are many perceptions about what defines crime. Definitions appear to change throughout history and continue to change today (Henry, S. and Lanier, M.M., 2001, p.139). For example, in the past marital rape was not considered a crime as it was thought that women were considered the “sexual property” of the male and, therefore, could not be classified as rape (Brownmiller, 1975, cited by Bergen, RK, 1996 , p.3). However, in the United States in 1978 a man was convicted of raping his wife (Russell, 1990, cited by Bergen, RK, 1996, p.4). This shows how difficult it is to define crime due to changes in opinions over time. Different cultures also have different perceptions of what is or is not considered a crime. For example, all states in the United States consider the possession or use of marijuana to be a crime (Boire, R.G., 1996, p.21). Others, however, see it in a positive light because, unlike tobacco smoking and alcohol, marijuana could be used for medical purposes. For example, the source claims that it can be used in medical situations to reduce pain symptoms, such as AIDS (Geringer, D., Mikunya, T., M.D., & Rosenthal, E., 1997, p.3). Situations like these make it difficult to pinpoint the exact definition of crime. However, several sources attempt to define the crime. For example, one definition of crime is that it is “an action for which you may be punished by law” (Collins Gem English School Dictionary, 1995, p.177). A further more specific definition is that crime is "an act or omission which constitutes an offense against an individual or the State and is punishable by law" (The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 1993, p.549). Both definitions state that it is due to the ability of the person to p...... center of the card ......Therapeutic use. California: Express Publishers. Henry, S., & Lanier, M. M. (2001). What is crime? Controversies over the nature of the crime and what to do about it. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield. Hollin, C. R. C. (1989). Psychology and crime: an introduction to criminological psychology. London: Taylor and Francis Group.Home Office. (2008). Saving human lives. Reduce the damage. Protection of the public. An Action Plan for Tackling Violence (2008-11) London: Home Office Slack, J. (2009) Europe's most violent country: Britain even worse than South Africa and US Retrieved 1 November 2009 from http ://www. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196941/The-violent-country-Europe-Britain-worse-South-Africa-US.htmlThe New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993). Oxford: Clarendon PressWebster, C. (2007) Understanding Race and Crime [Electronic version] Berkshire: McGraw-Hill