NCJ Number
103865
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1986) Pages: 372-384
Date Published
1986
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Since juvenile offenders in Scotland are dealt with in an informal discussion setting with volunteers who make up the members of a panel (Children's Hearings) that decides on the appropriate care for each child, it is important to examine the attitudes the panel members hold.
Abstract
This study investigates whether panel members hold classical attitudes towards justice, that is, believing that 'free will' and 'rational' notions are involved in the commission of crimes. If so, punishment would be viewed as a strong deterrent to crime. Out of 1,600 panel members in Scotland, a random sample of 301 was chosen. A questionnaire, consisting of a Likert attitude scale and various background questions, was mailed to each panel member in the sample. The responses indicate that education, occupation, and sex are significant influences on attitudes. Education was the most significant predictor of attitudes -- the higher the level of education, the less classical were the attitudes held by respondents. Men held more classical attitudes than women. 7 tables and 19 references. (Author abstract modified)