NCJ Number
167219
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: (1996) Pages: 167-178
Date Published
1996
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A questionnaire survey gathered information from 169 college students at a midwestern university on the reasons for not becoming involved in illegal activities.
Abstract
The questionnaire contained a list of various illegal acts, along with possible factors that could account for refraining from criminal activity. The sample had an average age of 21 years and included 53 percent females and 47 percent males. Eighty-seven percent were white and 13 percent were black. Results revealed that 60.1 percent of the participants stated that they could have been arrested for an illegal act; 55.4 percent and 84.3 percent respectively stated that a family member or a friend could have been arrested. In addition, the reasons endorsed for not engaging in criminal activity differed depending on the nature of the crime. Informal sanctions were more likely to be endorsed as important in stopping participants from committing certain crimes such as rape and prostitution, while formal sanctions such as arrest and punishment were endorsed as more important for most crimes. The most common pattern was the following rank ordering: (1) fear of arrest, court, and prison; (2) hurting, disappointing, and losing the respect of family; (3) violating ethical and moral principles; (4) being labeled as a criminal; and (5) hurting, disappointing, and losing the respect of friends. Tables and 22 references (Author abstract modified)