Criminological Explanations, Race, and Biological Attributions of Crime as Predictors of Philadelphia Area Residents’ Support for Criminal Justice Policies

Abstract

This study used telephone surveys from 350 randomly sampled Philadelphians to examine whether attributing crime to individual and environmental causes predicted support for punitive and progressive policies, respectively. This study also investigated whether Blacks and Whites differed in their preferred crime responses, and whether race interacted with crime attributions to predict preferred policies. Finally, this study explored whether biological attributions predicted support for policies. Linear regression analyses revealed: (1) individual crime attributions predicted support for punitive response policies; (2) environmental crime attributions predicted support for progressive policies; (3) Blacks more strongly supported progressive policies; (4) race significantly interacted with crime attributions to predict support for progressive policies; and (5) attributing crime to biological causes was unrelated to either policy type.

Understanding Black-White Differences in Support for the Racial Invariance Thesis: Lessons Learned From Philadelphia Area Residents

“…Because few datasets contain measures of both individuals’ perceived causes of crime and their preferred responses to crime, scholars have resorted to piecemeal testing this model. The links between perceived causes of crime and preferred responses to crime (Cochran et al, 2003; Cullen et al, 1985; Falco & Turner, 2014; Green et al, 2006), as well as between race and preferred crime responses (Carll, 2017; Mears, 2001; Sims & Johnston, 2004; Toch & Maguire, 2014; Updegrove et al, 2021), have both been well-documented. The relationship between race and perceived causes of crime, however, remains under-explored (although see Gabbidon & Boisvert, 2012; Unnever et al, 2010), possibly because criminologists have yet to propose a strong theoretical explanation for why Black and white people may perceive different causes of crime (although see Thompson & Bobo, 2011).…”

“…Numerous studies have documented a relationship between the factors that individuals think cause crime and their preferred punishment philosophies (Templeton & Hartnagel, 2012) or crime responses (Cochran et al, 2003; Cullen et al, 1985; Falco & Turner, 2014; Green et al, 2006). The relationship between race and preferred crime responses also enjoys some level of empirical support (Carll, 2017; Mears, 2001; Sims & Johnston, 2004; Toch & Maguire, 2014; Updegrove et al, 2021), although not all studies find a significant relationship between the two (Unnever et al, 2008). The relationship between race and perceived causes of crime remains the most under-explored part of this theoretical model, as we were only able to identify two studies of direct relevance here.…”

“…A closely related grouping of studies has demonstrated that public opinion about the causes of crime predicts the punishment philosophies that individuals subscribe to (Templeton & Hartnagel, 2012) as well as their preferred responses to crime (Cochran et al, 2003; Cullen et al, 1985; Falco & Turner, 2014; Green et al, 2006). Moreover, multiple studies exhibit some level of support for the idea that Black and white people (Carll, 2017; Sims & Johnston, 2004; Toch & Maguire, 2014; Updegrove et al, 2021)—or nonwhite and white people (Mears, 2001)—favor different strategies for addressing crime. At least one study, however, failed to find significant differences between Black and white people’s preferred crime responses (Unnever et al, 2008).…”