Public Responses to Hypothetical Crimes: Effect of Offender and Victim Status and Seriousness of the Offense on Punitive Reactions

1 March 1975

journal article
Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Social Forces

Vol. 53 (3) , 411-419
https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/53.3.411

Abstract

Adult reactions to 27 hypothetical criminal offenses are explored to assess how offenders' and victims' occupational status and the seriousness of the acts affect conceptions of “fair punishment.” The findings suggest that information about the status of criminal offenders is not used in making judgments about punishment. Rather, punitive reactions seem to be based principally on the seriousness of the act. Further, an investigation of interaction showed that the kind of act was an important factor, even beyond the degree of harm produced. Further inquiries should investigate the effects of victim responsibility and offender intentionality on the public's reaction to criminal offenses.

Keywords

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: