But I’m Not Like a Real Criminal: Accounting for the Ultimate Neutralization

• In Event: Roundtable: Theory

Abstract

A persistent finding in the qualitative criminological literature is that offenders rarely see themselves as “real” criminals. Instead, offenders seek to differentiate themselves from “true” criminals. This differentiation, in turn, allows them to neutralize the moral prohibitions against their behavior. In this paper, I explore the social and psychological dynamics that make such differentiation possible. I argue that ambivalence is a common feature of offender psychology—even among hardcore offenders—and that such ambivalence is key to understanding how and why offenders differentiate themselves from others. I further argue that such differentiation is facilitated by certain myths about criminals that are prevalent in the wider culture. Implications for crime control policy are discussed.

Author

• Timothy Brezina, Georgia State University