Attribution of Blame and Type of Crime Committed: Transcultural Validation

• NCJ Number: 133235
• Journal: Journal of the Forensic Science Society Volume: 31 Issue: 3 Dated: (July-September 1991) Pages: 349-352
• Author(s): G H Gudjonsson; H Petursson
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study examines the relationship between types of offense and the attributions offenders make about their criminal act.

Abstract

The subjects were 98 Icelandic criminals who had completed the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory. Significant differences in attribution were found between offender groups. Sex offenders and those who had committed acts of interpersonal violence reported most guilt about their offense, and they attributed cause for their offense more to mental factors (e.g., loss of self-control) than other types of offenders. Violent offenders had the highest external attribution and sex offenders the lowest. The findings with regard to the three attributions are remarkably similar to those found previously for British offenders. 1 table and 7 references (Author abstract)