Whether following stated procedures or complying with implicit rules of conduct, modern humans willingly modify their behavior dozens of times each day. In this program, the conformity necessary for mass interactions and the flexibility required to learn and use the behaviors of conformity are investigated. In addition to conventions such as air travel protocol and museum manners, instances of the subversion and even outright abuse of conformity are...

Identity theft has become a major and common type of fraudulent crime worldwide. Whether it involves forging documents or stealing personal information, identity theft is not limited by borders and it affects people of all walks of life. In this episode of Scammed, we meet Detectives Glass and Staab as they each guide us through two separate, fascinating identity theft cases. In the first half, Officer Glass shares with us a crime of forgery, through...

In the early 20th century, Charles Ponzi duped countless investors out of their savings through an elaborate plan known today as a Ponzi scheme. In this episode of Scammed, we study the Saxton case to find out how a Ponzi scheme works and the devastating loss it can bring to all those who are innocently manipulated into investing.

Shame is an unspoken epidemic, the secret behind many forms of dysfunctional behavior. In this TEDTAlk, Brené Brown - whose earlier talk on vulnerability became a viral hit - explores what can happen when people confront their shame head-on. Her own humor, humanity, and vulnerability shine through every word.

The U.S. leads the world in firearm-related deaths, while next-door-neighbor Canada has significantly fewer. Why? In this program, filmed in the wake of the hate-motivated shootings at Los Angeles' North Valley Jewish Community Center, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel looks at America's love-hate relationship with guns, contrasting it with Canadian attitudes and policies. Seattle Chief of Police Norm Stamper and Vancouver Deputy Chief Constable Gary Greer...

This episode of Scammed takes us through three classic scams. First we examine how credit card skimming works; then we briefly consider the trust required for scammers to pull off an investment fraud; and finally we look at the case of a woman who loses her entire business due to the deceptive advance fee scam, one of the most common types of confidence frauds.

Not in My Backyard is about two convicted sexual offenders in Miami, Florida and deals with one of the great taboo topics of our society: the rehabilitation of child abusers. The film seizes the unusual perspective of the offenders and solely speaks from their point of view. Both sex offenders, Teofilo (49) and Elliott (33) are not allowed to leave Miami - Dade County in Florida. Their residence must be further away than 750 metres from places where...

Taking into account the dramatic shift in the focus of research in recent years from theories about criminal activity to applications of crime prevention, this multi-section program compares and contrasts the concepts of social causation, social construction, and social control as they relate to the sociology of crime and deviance. Topics include the influence of wider social forces on theories about crime, the reevaluation of criminals as victims...

The law is a set of rules found in all organized societies. In the modern world, many key aspects of human existence are governed by laws: registration of births, school attendance, traffic, taxation, business, procreation, and the pronouncement of death. This program discusses the application of law to regulate human conduct, including the subject of global human rights. But can any international law successfully influence sovereign nations that...

No one yearns to experience the inside of a prison-but to understand the American criminal justice system and those who enter it at an early age, spending a couple of nights behind bars yields powerful results. This ABC News program is the product of unprecedented access to Arizona's juvenile correction facilities, documenting six months in the lives of inmates between 12 and 17 years old. Although the settings can be violent, the young interviewees...