NCJ Number
15279
Date Published
1971
Length
63 pages
Annotation
DISCUSSION OF LABELING THEORY WHEREBY THE JUDICIAL PROCESS USUALLY HAS A PERMANENT HARMFUL EFFECT ON FIRST OFFENDERS, MAKING OUTCASTS OF THEM.
Abstract
LABELING INDIVIDUALS, BOTH FAVORABLY AND UNFAVORABLY, IS EXPLAINED AS RESULTING FROM MAN'S COMPULSIVE NEED TO CATEGORIZE HIS ENVIRONMENT. UNFAVORABLE LABELING MAY REFLECT MAN'S NEED FOR A SCAPEGOAT ON WHICH TO VENT HIS FEELINGS OF AGGRESSION AND FRUSTRATION. A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE USE OF LABELING IN HISTORY IS GIVEN, INCLUDING REFERENCES TO JEWS AND THE ROMAN SLAVES AS EXAMPLES OF GROUPS TO WHICH LABELS WERE APPLIED. DISCUSSED ARE GROUPS AND TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS LIKELY TO BE SELECTED AS TARGETS OF UNFAVORABLE LABELING AND ROLE-PLAYING BOTH BY LABELERS AND THE TARGETS OF LABELING. THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES JUDGES AS PRIMARY, THE PUBLIC AS SECONDARY LABELERS OF OFFENDERS, AND THE TRIAL AND SENTENCING OF AN OFFENDER AS A 'DEGRADATION CEREMONY'. TWO METHODS OF APPROACHING FURTHER THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FIELD OF LABELING ARE PRESENTED, BOTH HAVING TO DO WITH THE LANGUAGE USED WITH RESPECT TO OFFENDERS. --IN DUTCH