NCJ Number
201853
Journal
Candandian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 243-257
Editor(s)
Julian V. Roberts
Date Published
April 2003
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study explored whether people view young offenders as a distinct group of youths who reject society’s punishment norms through an examination of young offenders’ views on appropriate punishment using three hypothetical cases.
Abstract
The idea that offenders, as a group, are different from others in society is not new. There is a perception among members of the public that young offenders are a distinct group of youths who are different from “normal” adolescents. In extending previous research, this study, using three hypothetical cases, examined both young offenders and members of the public and their views on appropriate punishment. To obtain multiple comparisons, they were asked for their views on each other’s punishment preferences and their views on the punishment preferences of children who had not committed any crimes. A survey was administered to male youths in five open custody facilities in Canada in the fall of 1998. Through random-digit dialing techniques, 108 people were selected throughout Toronto, Ontario. Members of the public saw average youth suggesting harsher punishments than young offenders. Even though the public perceived young offenders as sentencing leniently, young offenders recommended more harsh punishments than punishments recommended by the public. There is no evidence from this study to suggest that young offenders reject societal norms for the sanctioning of various behaviors. Tables, notes, references