Perceptions Of Crime Seriousness Research Articles

Perceptions of White-Collar Crime Seriousness: Unpacking and Translating Attitudes into Policy Preferences

ObjectivesTest the role of individual and crime characteristics on public opinions of white-collar crime seriousness and support for crime reduction policy; consider the relationship between perceptions of crime seriousness and support for public policies to reduce white-collar crime.MethodsData from a nationally-representative survey. Respondents ( n = 2,050) rated ten white-collar crimes, relative to a street crime (burglary) and also indicated their relative support (i.e., willingness to pay) for 16 policies to reduce various types of white-collar crime. Models incorporate respondent-level random effects to account for multiple ratings per respondent.ResultsCrimes committed by organizations are perceived more seriously than those committed by individuals. Perceptions of a white-collar crime as more serious than burglary increase the likelihood of supporting prevention programs. Race and political party are related to both perceptions of crime seriousness and support for prevention policy.ConclusionsThere may be less consensus around perceptions of white-collar crime seriousness than for other crime types. Perceptions of crime seriousness are a function of both individual and crime characteristics that structure assessments of risk, harmfulness, and wrongfulness. Group differences may be related to differences in awareness of the scope, harms, and perceived victimization risk associated with particular crime types.

Public Perceptions of the Seriousness of Crimes: To What Extent are They Driven by Television Exposure?

This article investigates the relationship between exposure to overall television content and television news on the one hand, and public crime seriousness perceptions, including the two main components of perceived crime seriousness, i.e., perceived wrongfulness and harm severity, on the other hand. Drawing on cultivation theory and additional literature, we have constructed three hypothetical models which, for the first time, also include conservationism and legal cynicism as mediating variables. Using structural equation modelling, we have tested the models empirically in a cross-sectional survey of 1278 adult Dutch-speaking Belgian residents. Our findings indicate that overall exposure to television content is not significantly related to perceived crime seriousness, wrongfulness, harm severity, or any of the mediating variables. Exposure to television news, however, is both directly and indirectly related to perceived crime seriousness, wrongfulness, and harm severity. These findings thus suggest the relevance of television news exposure as a predictor of people’s perceptions of crime seriousness.

Public perceptions of the seriousness of crime: Weighing the harm and the wrong

The seriousness of crime or ‘crime seriousness’ bears on at least four areas of criminal policy (sentencing, criminalization, crime control and prevention) but is poorly defined. After providing a novel conceptualization of crime seriousness, this article explores the logic – or normative philosophical principles – behind the public’s assessment of crime seriousness and considers how the public’s logic aligns with legal principles and policy requirements. A general population survey administered in 2014 in Belgium and eliciting 1278 valid responses indicates that the public’s logic is more moralist than consequentialist and raises doubts about the validity of public perceptions of crime seriousness as an indicator of crime seriousness for policy-making.

Predicting perceptions of crime seriousness among Native American Indians: a research note

Strongly held cultural values may lead to development of pro-social behaviors and subsequently values against committing crime among people belonging to targeted racial or ethnic groups. In this study, the author examines measures of Native American Indian cultural values and measures of collective efficacy to determine which set of values best predict perceptions of crime seriousness from within a population of Native American Indians. The author uses data collected from 312 Indians and 355 non-Indians during the Southern Ute Indian Community Safety Survey to determine which set of values are more closely aligned with perceptions of crime seriousness. This study found that those who held stronger Native American Indian cultural values also had stronger perceptions of crime seriousness. In the past, little scientific work has been done to associate specific cultural values to those held by cultural groups other than Euro-Americans. Findings from this work suggest that strengthening cultural values specific to a targeted group may be a promising method in the effort to reduce victimization among minority group members if said members view crime as serious and report it as such.

Moral Judgment, Crime Seriousness, and the Relations Between Them

The present study analyzes the relationship between moral judgment and perceptions of crime seriousness. This analysis is done with special attention to Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. Main research findings: Significant correlations exist between perceived seriousness of offenses and consideration of such conducts as immoral, and between the levels of the perceived seriousness of offenses and the levels of the moral judgment of their moral dilemmas. In addition, attitudes toward various moral dilemmas are found to be influenced by education, ethnicity and social strata. Main conclusions: Correlation between moral reasoning and perceptions of crime seriousness is weak at best, and that mature-level socio-moral development and perceptions of crime seriousness might not necessarily protect a person from identifying with criminal acts.

Assessments of Crime Seriousness on an American Indian Reservation

Data from a survey of residents of a Southern Ute Indian reservation in Colorado carried out by Abril (2007) are used to compare perceptions of crime seriousness held by members of an American Indi...

Does the Age of Offenders and Victims in Crime Scenarios Affect Perceptions of Crime Seriousness and Punitiveness Among Students?

The extent to which the age of the offender or the victim influences respondents' respective evaluations of crime seriousness and punitiveness has rarely been studied. This study hypothesizes that evaluations of the severity of offenses with intrapersonal and interpersonal social implications and the estimation of their punitiveness will be more serious when the offenses are performed by younger than by older offenders and less serious when they harm younger as opposed to older victims. Results from 129 undergraduate students who were administered the Multidimensional Social Transgressions Scale (MSTS) confirm the hypotheses. The findings are discussed in light of crime theories, social theories, and ageism studies.

Understanding the relationship between perceptions of crime seriousness and recommended punishment: an exploratory comparison of adults and adolescents

Crime seriousness research indicates that respondents from varying social and cultural groups rank the perceived seriousness of offenses similarly. Yet, it has also consistently been found that the specific ratings of offenses by respondents from different social groups often differ. Following Sellin's ‘culture conflict’ theory, the present study argues that youths constitute a social subculture that is not necessarily concordant with the moral values and norms shared by the general adult culture. The purpose of the present research was to compare adolescents' and adults' seriousness perceptions of juvenile crimes and punishments: such research has never been conducted in Western countries. The findings show significant differences between the seriousness and punishment values given by juvenile and adult respondents to violent offenses (high) and to self‐use of illegal drugs (low).

Understanding the seriousness of corporate crime

The measurement of public attitudes towards the criminal law has become an important area of research in recent years because of the perceived desirability of ensuring that the legal system reflects broader societal values. In particular, studies into public perceptions of crime seriousness have attempted to measure the degree of concordance that exists between law and public opinion in the organization and enforcement of criminal offences. These understandings of perceived crime seriousness are particularly important in relation to high-profile issues where public confidence in the law is central to the legal agenda, such as the enforcement of work-related fatality cases. A need to respond to public concern over this issue was cited as a primary justification for the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. This article will suggest that, although literature looking at the perceived seriousness of corporate crime and, particularly, health and safety offences is limited in volume and generalist in scope, important lessons can be gleaned from existing literature, and pressing questions are raised that demand further empirical investigation.

Perceptions of Crime: A Multidimensional Analysis With Implications for Law and Psychology

In the last forty years, the study of social perceptions of crime in general, and the seriousness of criminal offenses in particular, has been of substantial interest to policymakers, courts, and social scientists. As a matter of criminal justice policy, consensus about how severe a crime is can serve as both a legal and societal foundation for certain criminal justice policy decisions, or about the proper punishment for that crime. From a social psychological perspective, studying individual differences in the perceptions of crime can supply valuable information both for basic knowledge about the thinking of individuals who differ on, for instance, gender, race, age, education, or political ideology, and for applied knowledge that can be used in a judicial or legislative arena. Alternatively, a hierarchy of the perceived seriousness of various criminal offenses can give insight into what is valued in a particular culture. The difficulty of defining seriousness, however, has led to substantive and methodological critiques of this literature. The present study is the latest to investigate the dimensional nature of perceptions of crime seriousness or severity, through multidimensional scaling techniques (MDS). MDS is a procedure that helps researchers uncover hidden structures in existing data by graphically plotting respondents' perceptions of perceived similarities (or dissimilarities) among various stimuli. When these stimuli are located on a plot based on such perceptions, underlying dimensions that respondents may have used (consciously or not) can be inferred. In two empirical studies I identify and validate three dimensions underlying perceptions of crime seriousness: amount of harm, infringement or deprivation of autonomy, and recklessness. I discuss implications for psychology, law, and policy.

Public Perceptions of Crime Seriousness: A Comparison of Social Divisions in Israel

Crime seriousness research indicates that respondents from varying social and cultural groups rank the perceived seriousness of offenses similarly, with violent offenses as the most serious, followed by property, economic, and victimless offenses. It has also consistently been found, however, that the specific ratings of offenses by respondents from different social groups often differ. Because Israel is considered a deeply divided society, this article focuses on the comparison of public perceptions of the seriousness of varied criminal offenses between respondents belonging to varying central social groups in the countiy. As expected, the findings show similar, albeit not identical, rankings of offenses and important differences in the rating of specific offenses across groups. These findings are interpreted in the context of the Israeli society.

Does the Ethnicity of Offenders in Crime Scenarios Affect Public Perceptions of Crime Seriousness? A Randomized Survey Experiment in Israel

Research into public perceptions of crime seriousness is usually based on the method developed by Sellin and Wolfgang (1964), in which respondents are required to evaluate hypothetical crime scenarios. However, in most cases, offenses are presented summarily, with few or no details on the offenders. A review of the literature shows that the offender's ethnicity plays an important role in shaping the views of the public at large on crime issues. Using a randomized experiment, this study surveyed a large sample of Israeli citizens to determine whether the offender's ethnicity — Jewish or Arab as the independent variable — systematically affected their views of the seriousness of various offenses — the dependent variables. In the overall sample, offender ethnicity was found to have an effect only on less serious offenses. However, when Jewish and Arab respondents were analyzed separately, significant differences were found, especially for interethnic offenses. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Public perceptions of crime seriousness in Israel:: native-born versus new immigrants

The broad consensus generally found with regard to public perceptions of crime seriousness has been shown to reflect “consistency” in relative rankings rather than “absolute agreement” in ratings among sample groups. The present study compared the crime seriousness perceptions of native-born Israelis with those of two groups of new immigrants (one from the former Soviet Union and the other from Ethiopia). Questionnaires including 30 different criminal offenses for evaluation were distributed by means of face-to-face interviews to a representative sample of the Israeli adult population. As expected, the three groups provided very similar rankings of offenses but much less absolute agreement (ratings). It is suggested that the significant gaps in the perceptions of the groups stem from “culture conflict” (Culture Conflict and Crime, Social Science Research Council, New York, 1938), that is, differences in the social and cultural norms of the immigrants’ countries of origin and those prevailing in the absorbing society.

Religiosity and perceptions of crime seriousness by jewish and muslim respondents in israel

Most empirical research has attempted to demonstrate the relationship between religiosityandcriminal behavior principally onthebasis of self-reported measures of criminality. The present study analyzed the influence of individual religiosity on personal perceptions of the seriousness of a variety of criminal offenses. Findings obtained from a national sample of Israeli respondents with varyingdegrees of religiosity and belonging to two different religions--Judaism and Islam--support the existence of effects of religiosity on perceptions of crime seriousness. Moreover, in the case of the Jewish respondents, religiosity emerged as the variable exerting the most influenceon their perceptions of victimless offenses.

The Relationship between Public Perceptions of Crime Seriousness and Support for Plea-Bargaining Practices in Israel: A Factorial-Survey Approach

The settlement of criminal cases through bargained guilty pleas has been the focus of increasing research interest over the past few decades. Generally, a plea bargain is reached through an informal process of negotiation in which the prosecutor and the defense counsel reach an outof-court settlement. In such a settlement, the defendant admits guilt in return for some concession on the part of the prosecution (e.g., reducing the number and/or seriousness of the original criminal charges, or recommending a more lenient punishment than would otherwise be expected). From the prosecutor's viewpoint, plea bargaining results in speedy and certain conviction, especially when the evidence against the defendant is somewhat weak, thereby avoiding the possibility of acquittal in court, not to mention cost of the trial in terms of time and resources. From the judge's point of view, plea bargaining reduces the workload of the court. Research suggests that benefits such as these have led to increasing resort to plea bargaining. Indeed, in some jurisdictions, a vast majority of criminal defendants plead guilty after negotiation between the parties as a matter of course.'

Measuring crime seriousness perceptions: What have we learned and what else do we want to know

Perceptions of crime seriousness have been studied since the 1960s. Based predominantly on data from surveys, researchers have identified characteristics of acts affecting seriousness perceptions and have examined the degree of consensus in perceived seriousness for a variety of deviant and criminal behaviors. Methodological issues (methods of measurement, questionnaire structure and content, level or measurement, etc.) have been discussed at length. This review presents the most important substantive and methodological accomplishments and challenges of this body of research. It also discusses possible future directions, including the establishment of connections to sociological theory and normative philosophy.

Control Attitudes toward Drug Use as a Function of Paternalistic and Moralistic Principles

Perceptions of crime seriousness have been studied since the 1960s. Characteristics of acts affecting these perceptions have been identified, and the degree of agreement in seriousness judgments has been examined for a variety of behaviors. The present study extends this inquiry by investigating how perceptions of self-harm and perceptions of immorality shape attitudes toward the control of drug use. These attitudes and perceptions were measured for six widely known drugs – alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and marijuana – using an electronic mail survey of university students. Univariate analysis shows dissensus rather than consensus in attitudes and perceptions and that, with the exception of marijuana, control attitudes toward drug use reflect the existing legal code. Multivariate analysis shows that perceptions of self-harm and perceptions of immorality are moderately to highly correlated and that control attitudes are strongly affected by perceptions of self-harm and perceptions of immorality.

Perceptions of crime seriousness in eight African-American communities: The influence of individual, environmental, and crime-based factors*

Using secondary data analysis, we examine the perceptions of crime seriousness among 621 African-Americans living in eight urban neighborhoods stratified by crime rate and income level. On the basis of the literature exploring perception formation and attitudes toward crime seriousness, we hypothesize that individual-level variables, community-level variables, experiential variables, and the motive for the crime will influence respondents' perceptions of crime seriousness. The results of six multiple regression models suggest that gender, age, community crime rate, city of residence, religiosity, and fear of crime significantly influence respondents' view of crime. We challenge the assumption that there is considerable consensus regarding perceptions of crime seriousness, and discuss the implications for the justice system.

Perceptions of Hate: The Extent to which a Motive of “Hate” Influences Attitudes of Violent Crimes

ABSTRACT To date, the crime seriousness literature has focused on the influence of motive in the formation of crime perceptions with little consideration for the differences between ethnically diverse populations (e.g. Latina/os, Asian Americans, etc.) or their perceptions regarding the seriousness of hate crimes. Using a sample of students from a racially and ethnically diverse university in California, a factorial survey was constructed to examine (1) the extent to which the motive of hate aggravates or mitigates one's perception of a criminal act, and (2) how membership in a particular ethnic or racial group impacts that perception. The results of this exploratory study indicate that hate motives are considered among the most serious motivations for crime among all respondents. Significant attitudinal differences between ethnic groups, however, were not discovered. This research is relevant to the debate surrounding the appropriateness of enhancing penalties for those who commit hate crimes. Judgments about culpability and appropriateness of punishments must fit the public's perceptions of crime seriousness.

The influence of consequentiality on perceptions of crime seriousness

Objective. To investigate whether some individuals take into account the consequences of an offence as well as the perpetrator's intention when evaluating the seriousness of that offence.Method. A sample of respondents (N = 133) was asked to rate the seriousness of two sets of offences, the sets differing not in the acts described but in the consequences of each act. A group of ratio scores was devised on the basis of the relationship between the ratings of two criminal acts differing only in their consequences.Results. Respondents did not show a uniform response to the change in outcome. One factor was extracted from the ratio scores and proved significant in explaining the variance of seriousness perceptions towards two further offence vignettes.Conclusions. The intentionality of the offender appears to be important for all individuals in rating seriousness while only some are also influenced by the outcome of the act. Consensus about offence seriousness is achieved despite the use of very different rules of evaluation.