Public attitudes about the culpability and punishment of young offenders

• DOI: 10.1002/bsl.727
• Publication Date: 2006-12-15T11:17:50Z
• Authors: Elizabeth S. Scott; N. Dickon Reppucci; Jill Antonishak; Jennifer T. DeGen...
• Keywords: Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Male; Social Responsibility; Adolescent; 05 social sciences; Age Factors; Black People; Theft; Middle Aged; 16. Peace & justice; White People; Sex Factors; Punishment; Public Opinion; Guilt; Juvenile Delinquency; Humans; Female; 0509 other social sciences; Child; Aged

AbstractOpinions of 789 community adults were individually assessed, using a video‐clip of an actual armed robbery and other measures, to determine whether attitudes toward the culpability and appropriate punishment of young offenders were linked to offenders' age, race, and physical appearance. Three major findings emerged: (1) community adults endorse the view that criminal choices of young offenders are influenced by their developmental immaturity and attribute more responsibility for the criminal act as the actor gets older; (2) the public has a relatively strong preference for differential treatment of juvenile and adult offenders; and (3) attitudes about culpability and punishment are not influenced by the culprit's race, physical maturity, or appearance of “toughness.” Indications that punitive public opinion toward youth crime may be changing and implications for juvenile justice policy of the study's findings are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.