The Public Perception of Punishment Based on The Crime They Committed

Simone Joiner

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: College of Liberal Arts

Major: MA.FORENSIC-PSY

Faculty Research Mentor: Christine Doyle, Zoe Blackwell  

Abstract:

AbstractThe public perception of offenders plays a crucial role in understanding the public's views towards punishment, rehabilitation, and crime policy. Prior research has shown that the public's perception is heavily driven by crime type and the severity of the crime. This study aims to identify whether the public perceives offenders who are convicted of serious or violent crimes as less likely to have a successful rehabilitation process compared to offenders who have committed less serious, non-violent crimes. Through an online survey, adult participants will be presented with brief vignettes where they will be asked about the offender’s likelihood of having a successful rehabilitation. This study will highlight patterns in how lenient the public is with various crime types while exploring how crime severity significantly impacts the belief that an offender can change. Participants were recruited through various social media platforms to reach approximately 60 total participants to complete the Qualtrics survey.Keywords: rehabilitation, crime severity, public perception, violent crimes, non-violent crimes