Problems in defining crime (Forensic Psychology)

Crime:

A legalistic definition: "breaking the laws of society"

A normative definition: "acts that can cause offence to moral norms and values held by society such as religion beliefs"

Problems in defining crimes:

There are many problems in defining crime. For example:

Historical context: the definition of what a "crime" is changes over time.

For example, homosexuality was regarded as a crime in the UK before 1967.

Culture: what is regarded as a crime in one culture, may not be seen as a crime in another.

For example, in some countries it is completely acceptable to have more than one wife - however, in the UK this is considered to be a crime (bigamy).

Age: determines whether the individual is viewed as a criminal or not.

For example, stealing is quite obviously a crime, but if a three-year old child wonders out of a shop carrying something they haven't bought, they wouldn't be considered a criminal.

Specific Circumstances: the individual circumstances may also determine if they're viewed as a criminal or not.

For example, is harming someone in self-defence a crime?