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Theoretical Criminology
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What's this?

Empathetic identification and punitiveness

A middle-range theory of individual differences

James D. Unnever

University of South Florida-Sarasota

Francis T. Cullen

University of Cincinnati, USA

Studies reveal that some Americans are more willing than others to endorse harsh measures to control crime. We advance this literature by presenting a model that offers an integrated explanation of why some Americans are more punitive than others. Scholars have found that people construct images of offenders that reflect those disseminated by elites, the media, and popular culture. These images can vary across types of crime and can change over time. We posit that individual differences in punitiveness are related to whether people empathize with the images they construct of ‘typical’ stereotyped offenders. We conclude by offering a systematic model that summarizes the proposed theoretical perspective and helps to illuminate both implications for macro-level theories and future avenues of investigation.

Key Words: crime control • mass incarceration • public opinion • punitiveness • stereotypes

Theoretical Criminology, Vol. 13, No. 3, 283-312 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1362480609336495
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