ERIC Number: EJ927616
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Jul
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0011-1287
EISSN: N/A
Exploring Sources of Punitiveness among German Citizens
Cochran, Joshua C.; Piquero, Alex R.
Crime & Delinquency, v57 n4 p544-571 Jul 2011
Prior research examining punitive attitudes has typically focused on the United States and citizens' support for the death penalty or American "get-tough" criminal policies. Yet, little is known as to how punitive attitudes and their sources vary internationally. Using Germany as a case study, this article expands the scope of punitiveness research by examining how factors typically examined in American studies, such as cynicism, institutional trust, law and order culture, and antiminority attitudes, relate to citizen beliefs about punishment in a different cultural context. Findings suggest that distrust of the judicial system, political prioritization of law and order, and antiminority attitudes predict citizens' support for severe punishment as an effective crime-reduction technique. Implications and directions for future research are highlighted. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables, and 17 notes.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Punishment, Cultural Context, Crime, Public Policy, Case Studies, Trust (Psychology), Psychological Patterns, Laws, Social Attitudes, Minority Groups, Prediction, Prevention, Political Attitudes, Beliefs, Law Enforcement
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A