SOCIAL MEANING OF SANCTIONS (FROM CRIME, LAW, AND SANCTIONS - THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES, 1978, BY MARVIN KROHN AND RONALD AKERS - SEE NCJ-52482)

• NCJ Number: 52490
• Author(s): G F JENSEN; M L ERICKSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH22350
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

QUESTIONS RELEVANT TO THE STUDY OF PERCEPTIONAL OR SUBJECTIVE ASPECTS OF SANCTIONS WITHIN THE SOCIAL CONTEXT ARE EXPLORED. CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO LABELING, DETERRENCE, AND PUNISHMENT.

Abstract

THERE ARE THREE DISTINCT TYPES OF CONSEQUENCES OR POTENTIAL COSTS OF LABELING: FORMAL PUISHMENTS, REACTIONS OF SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, AND RESTRICTED OPPORTUNITIES TO REALIZE COMMON SUCCESS GOALS. FORMAL PUNISHMENT IN THE CASE OF LABELING REFERS TO POSSIBLE SANCTIONS IMPOSED BY OFFICIAL AGENTS OF CONTROL AFTER APPREHENSION. SUCH SANCTIONS ARE CENTRAL TO THE IDEA OF LEGAL OR FORMAL DETERRENCE. NUMEROUS PRECEDENTS INDICATE THAT COSTS OF LABELING ARE SOCIALLY STRUCTURED, AND THIS ASSUMPTION IS IMPLICIT IN VIRTUALLY ALL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY. IT HAS NOT BEEN CONVINCINGLY DEMONSTRATED THAT NORMATIVE STANCES ABOUT CRIME VARY SIGNIFICANTLY BY SOCIAL CLASS OR MINORITY STATUS. AS INVESTMENTS IN THE DETERRENCE SYSTEM INCREASE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT SYSTEM DOES NOT VARY BECAUSE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF CRIME INCREASE AS WELL. WITH REGARD TO THE NATURE, DISTRIBUTION, AND CONSEQUENCES OF PERCEIVED COSTS OF SANCTIONING, THE ANALOGOUS DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN THE CERTAINTY AND SEVERITY OF PUNISHMENT. ISSUES PERTINENT TO THE SOCIAL MEANING OF SANCTIONS WERE STUDIED IN A SURVEY OF 1,700 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN 1973-1974 AND OVER 3,000 STUDENTS AT THE SAME HIGH SCHOOLS IN 1974-1975. COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN THE SURVEY ARE LOCATED IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA. ALTHOUGH DATA WERE OBTAINED ON A WIDE RANGE OF VARIABLES RELEVANT TO SANCTIONS, THE ANALYSIS CONCENTRATED ON PERCEIVED COSTS OF LABELING. MAJOR PERCEIVED CONSEQUENCES OF LABELING FOR ADOLESCENTS WERE RAMIFICATIONS FOR THEIR SELF-IMAGE, THEIR FUTURE, AND SIGNIFICANT OTHERS AND NOT THE POSSIBILITY OF A REFORMATORY SENTENCE, PROBATION, OR HARM FROM THE POLICE. THERE WAS A TENDENCY FOR PERCEIVED COSTS TO BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL STATUS AND NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH AGE AND MINORITY STATUS. ALL PERCEIVED COSTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR FEMALES THAN FOR MALES. PERCEIVED CONSEQUENCES OF LABELING FOR AN ADOLESCENT'S SELF-IMAGE AND FUTURE AND PERCEIVED REACTIONS OF SIGNIFICANT OTHERS WERE MOST STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH DELINQUENCY, MORE SO FOR FEMALES THAN FOR MALES. SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)