Judged Seriousness of Crime in New Zealand

• NCJ Number: 153623
• Journal: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 27 Issue: 3 Dated: (December 1994) Pages: 250-263
• Author(s): S A B Davis; S Kemp
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

A total of 115 Christchurch (New Zealand) residents appraised the seriousness of 25 crimes, identified either by labels or vignettes, using the method of magnitude estimation.

Abstract

One aim of the study was to examine how the public estimates the seriousness of offenses related to the sentences prescribed in New Zealand law and the actual sentences given by the courts. There is also a related issue of how the public estimates relate to the priorities given by the police to clearing different crimes. Additionally, the researchers wanted to determine whether there was a social consensus on the relative seriousness of crimes in Christchurch. The sample contained 61 women and 54 men. The questionnaire was divided into five sections, the first of which stated the theme of the research and requested basic demographic information for use in the assessment of consensus. The age, sex, and occupation of the respondents were requested. The second section consisted of a training exercise in magnitude estimation. The third and fourth sections of the questionnaire asked respondents to estimate the seriousness of 25 crimes. Subjects responded to each crime both as a label and as a vignette. The fifth section of the questionnaire consisted of Taylor's (1968) Criminal Attitude Scale, which was originally designed to measure the degree of criminality of New Zealand offenders and measure their attitude toward authority and the possibility that offenders can be rehabilitated. Subjects' judgements on the labels and vignettes were highly correlated, and overall the results show a social consensus on the relative seriousness of the crimes. The median estimates were highly correlated with the average sentences imposed by New Zealand courts and moderately correlated with the maximum sentences prescribed by legislation and police clearance priorities. 1 table, 3 figures, and 34 references