NCJ Number
55056
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1977) Pages: 73-82
Date Published
1977
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A BOGARDUS-TYPE SOCIAL DISTANCE SCALE WAS EMPLOYED TO EXAMINE 23 DEVIANT ROLES USING A SAMPLE OF 355 RESPONDENTS WHO INDICATED PREFERENCES FOR SOME TYPES OF DEVIANT OFFENDERS OVER OTHERS.
Abstract
IT WAS ASSUMED IN THE STUDY THAT VARIOUS GROUPS OF PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF VARIANCES IN THEIR SOCIALIZATION, WOULD RESPOND DIFFERENTIALLY TO OFFENDERS. STUDENTS AT BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY IN UTAH PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY TO EXAMINE SOCIAL DISTANCE FACTORS FOR OFFENDERS AND TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OCCURRED AMONG VARIOUS GROUPS OF PEOPLE. THEY COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES ON SOCIAL DISTANCE AND RATED DEVIANT ROLES (DRUG ADDICT, PROSTITUTE, ALCOHOLIC, EXHIBITIONIST, HOMOSEXUAL, LONG-HAIR MALE, EXTORTIONIST, CALL GIRL, COMMUNIST, MURDERER, LESBIAN, ILLEGAL ABORTIONIST, ONE WHO HAS HAD AN ABORTION, PORNOGRAPHY SELLER, DRUNK, LSD USER, BOOKIE, ONE WHO HAS HAD AN ILLEGAL ABORTION, GAMBLER, THIEF, MORON, DOCTOR WHO FEE SPLITS, AND ORGANIZED CRIMINAL). IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING INFORMATION ON DEVIANT ROLES, RESPONDENTS INDICATED THE FOLLOWING: THEIR AGE, SEX, AND RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION; THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION IN THEIR LIVES; AREA WHERE THEY LIVED; AND THEIR FATHER'S OCCUPATION. THE MURDERER RECEIVED THE HIGHEST SCORE AND WAS THEREFORE MOST SOCIALLY DISTANT TO RESPONDENTS. THE LONG-HAIR MALE RECEIVED THE LOWEST SCORE. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MURDERER, ROLES ASSIGNED TO THE MOST SOCIALLY DISTANT CATEGORIES TENDED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH FINANCIAL AND SEXUAL DEVIANCE. PERSONAL TYPES OF DEVIANCE SUCH AS DRUG ADDICTION APPEARED TO BE ASSIGNED TO MUCH LESS SOCIALLY DISTANT POSITIONS. FEMALE RESPONDENTS ASSIGNED AS MOST SOCIALLY DISTANT THOSE ROLES ASSOCIATED WITH SEX AND THE FEMALE (PROSTITUTES, CALL GIRLS, AND LESBIANS). MALE RESPONDENTS ASSIGNED MORE NEUTRAL KINDS OF ROLES TO THE CATEGORY OF SOCIALLY DISTANT, SUCH AS THE DRUG ADDICT, THE HOMOSEXUAL, THE LONG-HAIR MALE, THE MORON, AND SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD AN ABORTION. AGE AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION WERE ASSOCIATED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH SOCIAL DISTANCE BETWEEN RESPONDENTS AND DEVIANT ROLES. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT PERSONS OCCUPYING VARIOUS POSITIONS, INCLUDING JUDGES, DEFENDERS, AND JURIES, MAY FEEL GREAT SOCIAL DISTANCE TOWARD CERTAIN TYPES OF OFFENDERS AND MAY ACT DIFFERENTIALLY TOWARD THEM. SUPPORTING DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE PROVIDED, AND REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)