DETERRENCE THEORY APPROACH TO SOCIOECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHIC CORRELATES OF CRIME

• NCJ Number: 54540
• Journal: Social Science Quarterly Volume: 57 Issue: 3 Dated: (1976) Pages: 608-617
• Author(s): H G GRASMICK; H MILLIGAN
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: Southwestern Social Science Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

USING A SELF-REPORT SURVEY REGARDING TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, SOCIOECONOMIC/DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES ARE CORRELATED WITH FREQUENCY OF VIOLATION, AND EXPLANATIONS OF RESULTS ARE OFFERED.

Abstract

FOLLOWING A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF TWO MODELS OF DETERRENCE WHICH RELATE DETERRENCE TO LEVELS OF PERCEPTION OF THE PROBABILITY OF PUNISHMENT DUE TO VIOLATION AND REACTION TO PUNISHMENT AS A THREAT, THE METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS OF A STUDY TESTING THESE MODELS ARE PRESENTED. DATA WERE COLLECTED IN A SURVEY OF A SAMPLE OF ADULTS IN A MIDWEST CITY, DRAWN RANDOMLY FROM THE CITY DIRECTORY. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN SELF-REPORTS OF FREQUENCY OF SPEED LAW VIOLATIONS. SPEED LAW VIOLATIONS WERE THEN EXAMINED IN RELATION TO A LIST OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES TO REVEAL AGE AS THE ONLY VARIABLE RELATED TO FREQUENCY OF VIOLATION. AMONG THOSE OVER 25 YEARS OF AGE (N=133) THREATS OF APPREHENSION AND PUNISHMENT DID REDUCE FREQUENCY OF VIOLATION; THOSE UNDER 25 YEARS OF AGE (N=54) SHOWED THAT SPEED LAW VIOLATIONS WERE NOT INFLUENCED BY PERCEPTIONS OF THE PROBAILITY OF BEING CAUGHT AND PUNISHED. INCLUSION OF THE TERM FOR THE INTERACTION OF AGE AND PERCEIVED THREAT IN A MULTIPLE REGRESSION EQUATION STATISTICALLY REDUCED THE NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGE AND FREQUENCY OF VIOLATION TO NEAR ZERO. THESE FINDINGS ARE EXPLAINED FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF LABELING AND DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORIES, ALTHOUGH THE EXPLANATIONS ARE SPECULATIVE AND NOT DERIVED FROM THE RESEARCH ITSELF. THE LABELING OF YOUNGER DRIVERS AS RECKLESS SPEEDERS MOVES THEM TO FULFILL THIS IMAGE, WITH THE RISK OF BEING CAUGHT ACCEPTED AS PART OF THE EXPRESSION OF THAT IMAGE; ALSO, THE INFORMAL REWARDS OF PEER RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE GAINED THROUGH PUNISHMENT FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS MAY BE GREATER IN THE SUBCULTURE OF YOUNGER PERSONS THAN AMONG PEERS OF OLDER PERSONS. REFERENCES AND AN INDEX ON ARTICLES AND POSITION PAPERS AND BOOK REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED. TABULAR DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE ALSO INCLUDED. (RCB)