TY - JOUR
T1 - RISK PERCEPTIONS AMONG SERIOUS OFFENDERS
T2 - THE ROLE OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
AU - HORNEY, JULIE
AU - MARSHALL, INEKE HAEN
PY - 1992/11
Y1 - 1992/11
N2 - Previous research on the perceived certainty of punishment indicates that individuals with experience in committing crimes perceive arrest as less certain than do those without such experience. Studies assessing the influence of experiencing formal sanctions on perceptions of risk have produced mixed results. Most studies however, have not considered the experience of sanctions in conjunction with the frequency of criminal behavior. With a sample of 1,046 incarcerated felons, we examined relationships among perceived risk of arrest, arrest history, and frequency of committing crimes. Our findings suggest that it is important to measure the ratio of arrests to crimes and that perceptions of risk are formed in a manner consistent with a rational choice perspective, even in a sample of serious offenders.
AB - Previous research on the perceived certainty of punishment indicates that individuals with experience in committing crimes perceive arrest as less certain than do those without such experience. Studies assessing the influence of experiencing formal sanctions on perceptions of risk have produced mixed results. Most studies however, have not considered the experience of sanctions in conjunction with the frequency of criminal behavior. With a sample of 1,046 incarcerated felons, we examined relationships among perceived risk of arrest, arrest history, and frequency of committing crimes. Our findings suggest that it is important to measure the ratio of arrests to crimes and that perceptions of risk are formed in a manner consistent with a rational choice perspective, even in a sample of serious offenders.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84984325482&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84984325482&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1992.tb01117.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1992.tb01117.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84984325482
SN - 0011-1384
VL - 30
SP - 575
EP - 594
JO - Criminology
JF - Criminology
IS - 4
ER -
