NCJ Number
68258
Date Published
1979
Length
277 pages
Annotation
THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC OPINION AND PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, HOW THEY ARE INFLUENCED, AND HOW THEY, IN TURN, INFLUENCE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS AND CRIMINOLOGICAL POLICIES, ARE EXPLORED.
Abstract
THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN CONFERENCE DOCUMENTED HERE WAS TO REVIEW AND EXAMINE THE RESULTS OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN BY PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES AND TO PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS ON TOPICS REQUIRING FURTHER STUDY. THE PAPERS, SOME OF WHICH ARE THEORETICAL IN APPROACH, ADDRESS VARIOUS ISSUES RELATED TO THE MAIN THEME OF THE CONFERENCE. ONE PAPER DEALS WITH THE NEED TO DISTINGUISH AMONG A NUMBER OF ELEMENTS IN THE THEORETICAL STUDY OF PUBLIC OPINION ON CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. METHODOLOGIES OF PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS (E.G., THE USE OF QUESTIONNAIRES) ON SPECIFIC TOPICS, SUCH AS FEAR OF CRIME AND ITS MANIFESTATIONS IN DIFFERENT CLASSES OF THE POPULATION AND IN RELATION TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIME, ARE DISCUSSED. ANOTHER PAPER DEALS WITH THE EXTENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION AND THE NATURE OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE SOCIAL CONTROL OF CRIME. ISSUES RAISED ARE PRIORITY QUESTIONS, RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS, THE DIVISION OF LABOR AMONG SOCIAL CONTROL AGENCIES, IDEOLOGICAL FACTORS, AND STEREOTYPES IN THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF SOCIAL CONTROL AGENCIES AND ACTIVITIES. A THIRD PAPER EXPLORES THE INFLUENCE OF THE MASS MEDIA ON PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. IN THIS CONNECTION, THE ROLE OF CRIMINOLOGY, AS WELL AS CRIMINOLOGISTS' RESPONSIBILITIES IN PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH A MORE OBJECTIVE OPINION OF CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARE EXAMINED. THE FOURTH REPORT DEALS WITH THE INFLUENCE OF PUBLIC OPINION ON CRIMINAL POLICIES AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. PUBLIC OPINION IS VIEWED AS A SOCIOPOLITICAL INGREDIENT OF POLICYMAKING. THE RELATIONSHIP OF CRIME POLICIES AND THE MECHANISMS SUCH AS MASS MEDIA NEWS COVERAGE, THROUGH WHICH PUBLIC OPINION IS SHAPED ARE ANALYZED. THE PROCEEDINGS CONCLUDED WITH EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN OVER EXAGGERATED PUBLIC FEAR OF CRIME, ATTRIBUTED, TO A GREAT EXTENT, TO DISPROPORTIONATE MEDIA COVERAGE OF VIOLENT CRIMES (DESPITE THEIR REPRESENTING A RELATIVELY SMALL PORTION OF THE TOTAL VOLUME OF CRIMES ACTUALLY COMMITTED), AND OVER THE MEDIA FAILURE TO PLACE THE PHENOMENON OF CRIME IN ITS SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTEXT. A NEED NOT ONLY FOR MORE OBJECTIVE MEDIA COVERAGE OF CRIME, BUT ALSO FOR A FLOW OF MORE ACCURATE CRIME INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO THEIR MASS MEDIA, IS STRESSED. APPENDIXES GIVE SEPARATE BIBLIOGRAPHIES FOR EACH PAPER PRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE, THE CONFERENCE AGENDA, AND A LIST OF PARTICIPANTS, CLASSIFIED BY COUNTRY AND FUNCTION.