A 1972 SURVEY OF 200 BALTIMORE ADULTS INDICATES THAT THERE IS WIDESPREAD AGREEMENT (I.E. A NORMATIVE STANDARD) AMONG VARIOUS SUBGROUPS AS TO HOW SERIOUS PARTICULAR CRIMINAL ACTS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE.
THE NORMS FOR BLACKS AND WHITES, MALES AND FEMALES, HIGH AND LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC LEVELS, AND VARIOUS LEVELS OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL AGREEMENT ON THE RELATIVE ORDERING OF CRIME. VERY FEW DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CRIMES ACCOUNT FOR MUCH OF THE VARIATION FROM CRIME TO CRIME IN THE AVERAGE RATINGS RECEIVED. THE MORE HIGLY EDUCATED AND THE YOUNGER THE RESPONDENTS, THE MORE LIKELY WERE THEIR RATINGS TO AGREE WITH AVERAGE RATINGS COMPUTED OVER THE ENTIRE SAMPLE. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THE NORMS CONCERNING CRIME SERIOUSNESS ARE WIDELY DIFFUSED THROUGHOUT SUBGROUPS OF OUR SOCIETY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)