Proposed changes of either criminalization or decriminalization of the legal codes involve controversies over definitions, the extent of the social harm, and the relationship of civil and criminal law. Enforcement and prosecution of persons exhibiting these behaviors becomes complicated. Public resistance to traffic and environmental regulations exemplify the problems of enforcing laws that can be broken without causing visible damage. Legal codes criminalizing harmful acts should define specific criteria of harm and emphasize victim crime reporting and testimony. Criminalization in the form of heightened penalties for acts already on the books as minor violations of public order may be less effective than intensified enforcement of the existing law. Furthermore, criminalization of socially detrimental acts may heighten a sense of persecution precipitating rather than hindering the behavior. Limitation of civil rights may be involved as may issues of coerced conformity. Formal decriminalization of petty theft and minor drug use is likely. Informal decriminalization can be counteracted through intensified crime awareness, targeted enforcement, and victim cooperation. Areas to be affected by informal decriminalization, including petty forms of theft, white-collar crime, and pollution, all fall within the purview of private litigation. The criminalization of new crime forms will place disproportionate burdens upon the law enforcement and court systems and will fail without attendant increases in resource appropriation.