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The controversy over self-regulation has been a central topic of inquiry in sociological research on occupational misconduct and crime. However, few studies have examined the process by which organizational members decide whether to respond to the misconduct of peers, and none have examined the use of neutralization techniques by rule enforcers in organizational settings. The research presented here is based on a case study of the U.S. Naval Academy. Three data sources are analyzed: Survey data collected from Academy midshipmen, semistructured interviews with graduates, and official statistics on occupational misconduct. Findings reveal that Academy members employ a number of neutralization techniques depending on whether they counsel peers, report peers, or choose not to respond to misconduct. Midshipmen who counsel are appealing to peer loyalty, while those who report wrongdoing find themselves neutralizing the effects of violating informal norms about peer loyalty. In contrast, those who ignore misconduct must neutralize the potential effects of betraying loyalty to the institution. In addition to calling for the expansion of neutralization techniques research to include rule enforcers, the implications of this study suggest that the concept be refined to examine the impact of conflicting loyalties on the types of neutralization techniques employed in systems of self-regulation.

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Numerous studies have documented the prevalence of hazing rituals and other rites of initiation in predominantly male organizations, including the military. However, little is known about how gender is related to hazing, specifically in male-dominated institutions where women are a relatively newpopulation. This case study draws on survey and interview data to examine both differences and similarities in men and women's experiences with hazing in an elite military institution: the U.S. Naval Academy, which is the U.S. Department of Defense's service academy for training Naval and Marine Corps officers. Although women have attended the Naval Academy since 1976, they comprise only 10% of the student population. Despite attempts to eradicate hazing, findings reveal that not only is hazing pervasive but that men and women are equally likely to experience it during their first year at the Academy. This suggests that one's status as a plebe (freshman) overrides one's gendered status. Men and women's attitudes about hazing, however, vary on some issues. Men are more likely than women to agree that certain types of hazing should be allowed at the Academy and are less likely to perceive negative consequences of reporting hazing. In contrast, men and women are equally likely to agree that the rigors of plebe year should be used to eliminate students who are not committed to the military. In addition to calling for an expansion of hazing research to include an examination of gender, a primary implication of the findings presented here is that future studies take into account the impact of men and women's shared experiences as initiates or new members of formal institutions.

This article summarizes a research project that evaluated fifty reactionnaire forms that are regularly administered by a prestigious medical school. Four areas of survey design and development were examined. Results indicated that a thorough assessment of currently used reactionnaire forms is likely to locate weaknesses and that appropriate revisions would benefit evaluators, instructors, and learners.