Reasoning on Penal Matters Among Finnish Youth

• In Event: Public attitudes towards crimes, punishments and policies

Abstract

When discussing punishment levels, politicians often refer to the public's sense of justice. However, prior research from Nordic countries has questioned the idea of a general sense of justice among citizens, as the results have shown fragmented sentencing preferences among the public. Instead of attempting to map the general level of punishment, this study will address how the sense of justice is built among people.
The data consists of eight focus group interviews with Finnish youths (aged 16-24 years), which are analysed through thematic analysis. The interviews use vignettes on four topical crime types: rape, street violence, hate speech online, and cannabis use. The findings presented in the seminar will shed light on how young people reason on penal matters in group discussions and which factors they find relevant in sentencing. The results will provide important insights into the literature and discussions on the sense of justice and the concept of legal consciousness.

Author

• Tiina Malin, Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy, University of Helsinki