NCJ Number
53304
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 683-696
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTS OF EXECUTION PUBLICITY ON THE INCIDENCE OF HOMICIDE IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE EXAMINED TO TEST THE BRUTALIZATION THEORY THAT THE DEATH PENALTY DECREASES RESPECT FOR LIFE AND THUS INCREASES HOMICIDES.
Abstract
THE LINK BETWEEN NEWSPAPER STORIES ABOUT EXECUTIONS AND THE MONTHLY INCIDENCE OF HOMICIDE IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS EXAMINED BY COMPARING THE OBSERVED AND EXPECTED NUMBERS OF HOMICIDES IN A GIVEN MONTH. THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF HOMICIDES WAS CALCULATED BY TAKING AN AVERAGE OF THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES FOR THE SAME MONTH OF THE YEARS DIRECTLY PRECEDING AND SUCCEEDING THE YEAR UNDER CONSIDERATION. IF THE PRECEDING OR SUCCEEDING YEAR HAD AN EXECUTION STORY IN THE NEWSPAPERS DURING THE MONTH UNDER CONSIDERATION, THEN THE YEAR PRIOR OR SUBSEQUENT TO THAT YEAR WAS USED. IT IS BELIEVED THIS AVERAGING PROCESS CONTROLS FOR SEASONAL VARIATION AND LINEAR TRENDS IN THE DATA. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT IF NEWSPAPER STORIES ABOUT EXECUTIONS HAVE A BRUTALIZING EFFECT, THEN IN THE MONTH OF THE STORY, THE OBSERVED NUMBER OF HOMICIDES SHOULD EXCEED THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF HOMICIDES. HOMICIDE STATISTICS TAKEN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA VITAL STATISTICS ARE USED FOR THE YEARS FROM 1950 TO 1963. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE DATA REPORTED DO NOT SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS, ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME INDICATION THAT EXECUTION PUBLICITY MAY HAVE A DELAYED BRUTALIZATION EFFECT IN THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE APPEARANCE OF AN EXECUTION STORY. IT IS ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE DATA DO NOT SUPPORT THE DETERRENCE HYPOTHESIS EITHER. THE ONLY VALID CONCLUSION FROM THE DATA IS INDICATED TO BE THAT NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY ABOUT EXECUTIONS BEARS LITTLE RELATIONSHIP TO THE INCIDENCE OF HOMICIDE IN THE STATE UNDER STUDY. DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)