PERCEPTION OF CRIME - PROBLEMS AND IMPLICATIONS (FROM BLACK PERSPECTIVES ON CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, 1977 BY ROBERT L WOODSON - SEE NCJ-44997)

• NCJ Number: 44998
• Author(s): G NAPPER
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: G K Hall
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

INCONSISTENCIES IN SOCIETY'S DEFINITIONS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, IN INTERPRETATIONS OF CRIME STATISTICS, AND IN THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS ARE EXAMINED.

Abstract

MOST EXISTING THEORIES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR HAVE TRIED TO EXPLAIN THIS PHENOMENON IN TERMS OF QUALITATIVE (I.G., PSYCHOLOGICAL, BIOLOGICAL) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CRIMINALS AND NONCRIMINALS, WHILE SOCIAL FACTORS HAVE LARGELY BEEN IGNORED. PREVAILING IDEAS REFLECT A BELIEF THAT CRIME AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ARE INHERENT TO PARTICULAR RACIAL/ETHNIC AND ECONOMIC GROUPS. BLACK CRIME AND CRIMINALITY ARE SEEN BY THE AUTHOR IN THE CONTEXT OF A 'SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.' EXPERTS HAVE FASHIONED PUBLIC ATTITUDES BY: (1) SELECTIVELY CHOOSING EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION WHICH HIGHLIGHTS BLACK PARTICIPATION IN THE CRIMINAL ARENA; (2) USING THAT CHOSEN DATA AS THE BASIS FOR AN ULTIMATE STATEMENT OF THE REALITY OF CRIME IN THIS COUNTRY; (3) CULTIVATING THE BELIEF THAT BLACKNESS AND CRIMINALITY ARE SYNONYMOUS TERMS; AND THUS (4) BREEDING DISTRUST AND DISRESPECT IN ONE SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY, WHILE PROTECTING THE CRIMINALITY IN ANOTHER SECTOR THROUGH A POLICY OF BENIGN NEGLECT AND LENIENCY. IT IS CONTENDED THAT AS LONG AS THE NATURE OF THE CRIME PROBLEM IS CONFUSED WITH THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY, BUT ERRONEOUSLY, IDENTIFIED WITH IT, ONLY THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM WILL BE DEALT WITH, AND NOT ITS ROOT CAUSES. SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN CRIMINAL LAWS CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO THE DISTORTION IN CRIME STATISTICS. THE SOURCE OF MOST OF THESE STATISTICS, THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION'S UNIFORM CRIME REPORT, HAS TWO BASIC DEFICIENCIES: IT IS A GROSS UNDERESTIMATION OF THE ACTUAL CRIME RATE; AND IT DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE PHENOMENA OF ORGANIZED CRIME AND WHITE-COLLAR CRIME. IT OMITS CATEGORIES OF CRIME OVERWHELMINGLY DOMINATED BY WHITE PARTICIPANTS AND SINGLES OUT THOSE DISPROPORTIONATELY SHARED BY BLACKS. CHANGES IN MARIJUANA LAWS AND PENALTIES ARE CITED AS EXAMPLES OF HOW SOCIETY REDEFINES CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR DEPENDING UPON THE SOCIAL CLASS WHICH COMMITS IT: AS MARIJUANA BECAME WIDELY USED AMONG MIDDLE-CLASS WHITES, THE LAWS WERE RELAXED. THE SAME ATTITUDE IS REFLECTED IN SOCIETY'S FAILURE TO CONSIDER AND TREAT WHITE-COLLAR CRIME AS 'REAL' CRIME. (VA)