STUDY OF THE SOCIAL CLASS AFFILIATION AND SOCIETAL REACTION TO CONVICTED SEX AND NON-SEX OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 14902
• Author(s): L F FANNIN
• Date Published: 1962
• Length: 386 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. DISSERTATION - UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

Annotation

A STUDY TO PROVIDE DESCRIPTIVE DATA ON THE CLASS POSITION OF CONVICTED OFFENDERS, TO SEE WHETHER NON-WHITE COLLAR OFFENSES ARE CLASS-LINKED, AND TO DETERMINE IF CLASS BIAS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TYPES OF OFFENDERS' DISPOSITIONS.

Abstract

ALL OF THE SUBJECTS WERE CONVICTED OFFENDERS, WHITE MALES AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD AND RESIDENTS OF MILWAUKEE. THREE OF THE FIVE SAMPLES WERE COMPOSED OF SEX OFFENDERS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE IS AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CLASS POSITION AND TYPE OF OFFENSE ALTHOUGH THE SUBJECTS WERE FOUND TO COME FROM ALL SOCIAL CLASSES EXCEPT THE UPPER STRATUM. LOWER CLASS SUBJECTS WERE FOUND TO HAVE HIGHER RECIDIVISM RATES THAN WORKING CLASS AND MIDDLE CLASS SUBJECTS, RESPECTIVELY. AMONG THE NON-SEX OFFENDERS, LOWER AND WORKING CLASS MEMBERS WERE CONVICTED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OFTEN FOR OFFENSES INVOLVING VIOLENCE (ROBBERY) AND FOR THE MORE OVERT FORMS OF STEALING. AMONG THE SEX OFFENDERS, MIDDLE CLASS MEMBERS WERE CONVICTED MORE OFTEN FOR NON-AGGRESSIVE ACTS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE EXISTS IN THE TYPE OF DISPOSITION GRANTED THE CONVICTED OFFENDERS FROM THE VARYING CLASS LEVELS. THE SEVERITY OF SOCIETAL REACTION WAS RELATED TO PREVIOUS CRIMINAL HISTORIES AND TO THE TYPE OF OFFENSE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)