NCJ Number
137571
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1992) Pages: 193-207
Date Published
1992
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Two studies carried out in Spain examined the attitudes toward crime held by professionals in the criminal justice system.
Abstract
In the first study, a Likert attitude scale was developed and tested on 382 university students. The scale consisted of three independent scales measuring attitudes towards the causes, prevention, and treatment of crime. When the crime causes items were analyzed, the two major dimensions that emerged included hereditary and individual causes and environmental and social causes. The two primary factors with regard to crime prevention were coercion and social intervention. The one substantive factor in the treatment scale was labeled assistance vs punishment. In the second study, the three attitude scales were administered to social workers, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, correctional officers, and law enforcement officers. While differences in mean scores between various groups of criminal justice professionals were expected and supported the validity of the scales, the result indicated that all the professional groups held a basic social and rehabilitation approach to the causes, treatment, and prevention of crime. 6 tables, 1 figure, and 34 references