Perceptions of Violence at the Intersections of Oppression and Privilege

• In Event: The Far Reaching Realm of Criminal Justice Policy

Abstract

This paper examines the circumscribed ways in which violent crime is typically perceived and discussed by the public (and many professionals in the field). I argue that violence is defined and condemned less in terms of the harm it incurs and more in terms of the social status of offenders. A comparative analysis of violent street criminals, domestic violence, and corporate violence exposes an overwhelming emphasis on street crime, and reveals the inequalities of race, class, and gender at the heart of our perceptions and rhetoric around violence. This type of analysis not only unmasks the inequalities at the root of these distinctions, but also documents the ways in which these injustices are maintained by our criminal justice system response to them.

Author

• Eileen B. Leonard, Vassar College