The term crime can be defined as. a. A behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions. b. A harmful action directed at the authorities. c. A sequence of events leading to incarceration. d. An unintended consequence of necessary action.

Option A. A behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions.

Explanation:

Crime is a behavior that violates official law (formal norms) and is punishable through formal sanctions. A crime is therefore an act of deviance that breaks not only a norm, but a law. Deviance can be as minor as picking one’s nose in public or as major as committing murder. Within these systems of norms, societies have legal codes that maintain formal social control through laws, which are rules adopted and enforced by a political authority. Those who violate these rules incur negative formal sanctions. Normally, punishments are relative to the degree of the crime and the importance to society of the value underlying the law.

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