RT Article
T1 Public perceptions of the seriousness of crime: Weighing the harm and the wrong
JF European journal of criminology
VO 17
IS 2
SP 127
OP 150
A1 Adriaenssen, An
A2 Greenfield, Victoria A. 1964-
A2 Karstedt, Susanne 1949-
A2 Paoli, Letizia 1966-
A2 Pleysier, Stefaan
A2 Visschers, Jonas
LA English
YR 2020
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1690223073
AB The seriousness of crime or ‘crime seriousness' bears on at least four areas of criminal policy (sentencing, criminalization, crime control and prevention) but is poorly defined. After providing a novel conceptualization of crime seriousness, this article explores the logic - or normative philosophical principles - behind the public's assessment of crime seriousness and considers how the public's logic aligns with legal principles and policy requirements. A general population survey administered in 2014 in Belgium and eliciting 1278 valid responses indicates that the public's logic is more moralist than consequentialist and raises doubts about the validity of public perceptions of crime seriousness as an indicator of crime seriousness for policy-making.
K1 Crime seriousness
K1 Harm
K1 Wrong moralism
K1 Criminal policy
K1 Public opinion
K1 Sentencing
K1 Penal policy
K1 Criminalization
K1 Crime control
K1 Crime prevention
DO 10.1177/1477370818772768