Poster #92 - Exploring How Criminal Records of Victims and Offenders Affect Punishment Decisions

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

This study explores how criminal records of victims and offenders affect hypothetical punishment decisions. Specifically, we designed a vignette in a survey of college students (N = 875) to describe a hypothetical assault case where we systematically varied whether the offender and the victim had a criminal record. Results show significant differences in mean levels of guilty decisions, length of sentence, and punitive post-release conditions based on the criminal record characteristics of offenders and victims. Specifically, students are most punitive across all three punishment-related outcomes where offenders have a criminal record and victims do not, and are least punitive where offenders have no criminal record and victims do. In addition, simply having a criminal record as a victim, regardless of offender criminal record status, is related to decreases in decisions to find the defendant guilty.

Authors

• Gregory C. Rocheleau, Ball State University

• Brandy Rocheleau, Ball State University

• Elizabeth Kreimer, Ball State University