NCJ Number
49248
Date Published
1975
Length
114 pages
Annotation
DATA ON THE SELF-IMAGES OF VIOLENT ACTORS, THEIR VIOLENT CAREERS, AND THE INTERPRETATIONS THEY MAKE OF VIOLENT SITUATIONS ARE EXAMINED AS A BASIS FOR UNDERSTANDING VIOLENCE FROM THE ACTOR'S VIEWPOINT.
Abstract
SINCE THE HUMAN ACT IS TAKEN AS THE BASIC UNIT OF ANALYSIS IN THE STUDY, IT IS CONSIDERED A SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST'S APPROACH TO VIOLENT CRIMINAL ACTS. DATA WERE COLLECTED ON THE SELF-IMAGES, CAREERS, AND INTERPRETATIONS OF VIOLENT SITUATIONS OF 58 PERSONS CONVICTED OF VIOLENT CRIMES, THROUGH PRIVATE INTERVIEWS. THE PROCEDURE BY WHICH THE SUBJECTS WERE SELECTED FOR INTERVIEWS, HOW THE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED, AND THE PROCEDURE FOR VALIDATION IS DESCRIBED. OF THOSE INTERVIEWED, 58 WERE MALES, AND 11 WERE FEMALES, AND EACH WAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE COMMITTED A SUBSTANTIAL VIOLENT CRIMINAL ACT. THE EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE INTERVIEWS IS PROVIDED. THE MAJOR CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY IS THAT THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENT CRIME IS CAUSED BY PERSONS WHO HAVE VIOLENT AND INCIPIENT VIOLENT SELF-IMAGES THAT LEADS THEM TO INTERPRET A MULTIPLICITY OF SITUATIONS AS REQUIRING THEM TO ACT VIOLENTLY. SUCH PERSONS ARE BELIEVED RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BULK OF THE VIOLENT CRIMES COMMITTED. IT IS INDICATED THAT FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS TO DEAL WITH THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE FORMATION OF A VIOLENT SELF-IMAGE. DATA ON THE CONVICTED VIOLENT OFFENDERS INTERVIEWED ARE GIVEN AND AN ACCOUNT OF PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION OF VIOLENT ACTORS AND ACTS IS INCUDED IN THE APPENDIX. REFERENCES ARE ALSO PROVIDED. (RCB)