SERIOUSNESS OF OFFENSES - AN EVALUATION BY OFFENDERS AND NONOFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 26023
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 66 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1975) Pages: 189-200
• Author(s): R M FIGLIO
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Williams and Wilkins Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS OF A STUDY TO DETERMINE IF OFFENDERS WHO COMMIT SERIOUS CRIMES CONSIDER THE SEVERITY OF THAT BEHAVIOR IN WAYS SIMILAR TO OR DIVERGENT FROM A MIDDLE-CLASS SAMPLE OF NON-OFFENDERS.

Abstract

PREPARATION FOR THE STUDY RELIED MAINLY ON EARLIER WORK BY SIS. STEVENS IN PSYCHOPHYSICAL SCALING AND THE 1964 SELLIN AND WOLFGANG INDEX OF DELINQUENCY. THE OFFENDER GROUP TESTED CONSISTED OF 193 RAHWAY (N.J.) PRISON INMATES, MOSTLY ASSAULT OFFENDERS, AND 524 ANNANDALE FARM (N.J.) RESIDENTS (MOSTLY PROPERTY OFFENDERS WITH MEAN AGE OF 18 YEARS); 216 UNIVERSITY OF PA. SOCIOLOGY UNDERGRADUATES COMPRISED THE MIDDLE-CLASS NON-OFFENDER SAMPLE. THE SAME OFFENSE STIMULI WERE ADMINISTERED IN BOTH AN 11-POINT CATEGORY AND AN UNRESTRICTED MAGNITUDE ESTIMATION SCALE. THE REPORT DETAILS THE TEST RESULTS AND MAKES VARIOUS COMPARISONS BETWEEN ALL THREE GROUPS AS WELL AS BETWEEN OFFENDERS AND NON-OFFENDERS. IT ALSO ANALYZES TEMPORAL TRENDS REVEALED IN THESE TEST RESULTS AS COMPARED WITH THE FINDINGS OF THE 1964 SELLIN AND WOLFGANG INDEX. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)