Expression Of Remorse Research Articles

Alcohol‐related violence defined by ultimate goals: a qualitative analysis of the features of three different types of violence by intoxicated young male offenders

Based upon a functional approach to understanding aggression, we aimed to identify the occurrence of and to describe the features of three types of alcohol-related violence defined a priori by ultimate goals: (1) violence in pursuit of nonsocial profit-based goals, (2) violence in pursuit of social dominance goals, and (3) violence as defence in response to threat. A sample of 149 young men with offences of violence that were alcohol related was interviewed. Cases were classified and detailed information from the first ten cases in each class (N=30) was subjected to thematic analysis. Intoxicated violence in pursuit of nonsocial profit-based goals was opportunistic and motivated by the desire for more alcohol or drugs. Violence, in these cases, although serious, appeared to be brief. Intoxicated violence in pursuit of social dominance goals was typically precipitated by past or current insult or injury, and was accompanied by strong anger and an adrenaline rush. Attacks were ferocious, and robbing the victim was not uncommon, perhaps to inflict additional humiliation. Feelings of pride and satisfaction were typical and expressions of remorse were uncommon. Regarding intoxicated violence as defence in response to threat, attacks were often expected, and in some cases the respondent made a pre-emptive strike. Weapon use was common in this group. Fear was experienced, but so too was anger. Feelings of excitement were not reported and remorse was common. Further validation of these types is warranted, and the potential implications of these findings for prevention and treatment are discussed.

Being and Doing: The Judicial Use of Remorse to Construct Character and Community

This article argues first that attributions of remorse are used in legal discourse to distinguish those whose character is perceived as different from their wrongful act (the remorseful) from those whose character is perceived as consistent with their wrongful act (the remorseless). It then advances an explanation as to why courts emphasize the showing of remorse more than the offering of an apology as the true measure of the wrongdoer's character. Next, using a population of Canadian judgments rendered between 2002 and 2004, It proceeds to identify how judges constitute the category of remorse through the criteria they use to decide which claims to remorse are valid and which are not. Finally, building upon work in the sociology of affect, the article looks at how judicial speech shapes the form that expressions of remorse are expected to take.

Remorse and neutralization among violent male offenders*

Expression of remorse by an offender to his or her victim represents healing in the aftermath of a crime. Thus, it is important to consider what may influence or impede remorse. This article analyzes interviews with 27 men who committed serious violent crimes to examine their talk about victims, responsibility, and remorse. Most of the men excused or justified their crimes using cultural discourses about violence and blameworthy victims. They spoke of feeling sorry for themselves, not for their victims. Men who expressed remorse perceived their victims as morally blameless. They humanized their victims, and their victims humanized them.

Professional Apology: Dilemma or Opportunity?

Society uses the apology, an expression of remorse, as a means to address wrongs. The legal system may view the apology as an admission against personal interest, and as a result, some states' legislation now limits the admission of an apology in determining guilt. Ethically, the apology may be a necessary tool to reestablish a relationship. The action of an apology involves not only legal and ethical issues, but also the practical issue of effective delivery. This article explores issues surrounding the apology in the current pharmacy practice and legal environment.

Race, remorse, and sentence reduction: Is saying you're sorry enough?*

Federal sentencing policy now allows for reduced penalties in cases where offenders formally accept responsibility for their crimes. Using data from a random sample of 12 district courts, the present research examines this structured adjustment in the sentencing process. The data provide controls for offender characteristics, both legally relevant and extralegal, and measures of offense type and severity. We use logistic regression procedures to analyze additive and interaction models. Results confirm that the offender's race/ethnicity, controlling for offender and offense characteristics, has a significant influence on the sentence reduction for acceptance of responsibility. Because the awarding of this sentence reduction involves displays of emotion, we draw on interviews with selected court personnel to explore how ethnic and cultural factors affect both the offender's expression of remorse and the court's perception of and reaction to those testimonies. The study suggests that cultural factors, through race/ethnicity, influence intermediate decisions under sentencing guidelines that were designed to be racially neutral.

The Significance of Remorse in Psychotherapy

Remorse was posited to be a significant experience in the healing of estrangement. The meaning of the expression of remorse is derived from the essential character of the estranged relationship. Drawing upon the contributions of Martin Buber, the working through of remorse within psychotherapy was proposed to include: illumination, perseverance, and restoration. The absence of remorse within the course of psychotherapy may be indicative of resistance or may suggest impairments in the patient's abilities for empathy and relationality.