SOCIAL STATUS AND THE APPLICATION OF SANCTIONS TO HYPOTHETICAL CRIMINAL OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 58959
• Journal: Sociological Focus Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: (AUGUST 1976) Pages: 251-264
• Author(s): G F WHITE; J F MCCARTHY
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 14 pages
• Contract Number(s): PHS MH 21887
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: North Central Sociological Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESPONSES OF 523 ADULTS TO HYPOTHETICAL EPISODES OF CRIMINAL ACTS WERE USED TO TEST THE PROPOSITION THAT PERSONS REACT TO CRIMINAL OFFENDERS AND VICTIMS PARTIALLY ON THE BASIS OF SOCIAL CLASS IDENTIFICATION.

Abstract

TWO MAIN HYPOTHESES WERE TESTED: (1) RESPONDENTS WHO SHARE SIMILAR STATUS LEVELS WITH OFFENDERS WILL ASSIGN LESS SEVERE PUNISHMENT TO OFFENDERS; AND (2) RESPONDENTS WHO SHARE SIMILAR STATUS LEVELS WITH VICTIMS WILL ASSIGN MORE SEVERE PUNISHMENT TO OFFENDERS. THE SEVERITY OF PUNISHMENT, THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE, WAS MEASURED BY RESPONSES TO HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. EACH EPISODE DESCRIBED A SPECIFIC CRIME, A VICTIM, AND AN OFFENDER. EPISODES WERE CONSTRUCTED SO THAT CRIMINAL ACTS REFLECTED VARIOUS LEVELS OF SERIOUNESS (MINOR ASSAULTS AND PROPERTY DAMAGE UNDER $10, MEDIUM SERIOUS OFFENSES RESULTING IN LOSSES UP TO $5,000, AND HIGH SERIOUS OFFENSES INVOLVING SEVERE ASSAULTS AND VICTIM HOSPITALIZATION) AND ALL POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS OF THREE RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS (STATUS OF THE OFFENDER, STATUS OF THE VICTIM, AND SERIOUSNESS OF THE OFFENSE). ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO DATA INDICATED NO SUPPORT FOR EITHER HYPOTHESIS. RATHER, FINDINGS SUGGESTED THAT SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE SOCIAL STATUS OF RESPONDENTS AND THE SOCIAL STATUS OF HYPOTHETICAL OFFENDERS AND VICTIMS HAS LITTLE INFLUENCE ON OPINIONS ABOUT APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT. THREE EXPLANATIONS ARE OFFERED AS TO WHY DATA DID NOT SUPPORT STUDY HYPOTHESES. FIRST, HYPOTHESES WERE NOT VALIDLY TESTED BECAUSE OF HOW INDIVIDUALS REACT TO HYPOTHETICAL ITEMS PRESENTED IN SURVEYS AS OPPOSED TO ACTUAL EVENTS. SECOND, DIFFERENCES IN SOCIAL STATUS BETWEEN OFFENDERS AND VICTIMS WERE NOT SALIENT ENOUGH TO ELICIT PARTICULARISTIC RESPONSES. THIRD, THE PARTICULARISTIC APPLICATION OF SANCTIONS BASED ON CONSISTENCY AMONG RESPONDENTS, OFFENDERS, AND VICTIMS WAS NOT A VALID MODEL OF SANCTIONING BEHAVIOR. SUPPORTING DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)