Social Danger

an essential element of a crime. Soviet criminal law describes a crime as a socially dangerous act that infringes the social relationships protected by the state. Because criminal offenses in socialist countries are directed against relationships which all the people have an interest in preserving and strengthening, the crime is dangerous for all society in the full sense of the word. The degree of social danger of an act, depending on the object of the crime, the intention of the criminal, the motives, and so on, determines the punishment. The personality of the criminal is important for determining the degree of social danger, for example, bribe taking is more dangerous if the crime is committed by an official in an important position. Among the conditions that determine the social danger of an act are the actual circumstances, frequently recognized by law as aggravating, such as the method of action, the causing of especially harmful consequences, and the use of a weapon.