This book speaks to those interested in topics related to punitiveness and public attitudes to crime and punishment. Punitiveness has been the focus of increasing criminological attention in recent decades. This book extends this focus by taking a multi-disciplinary approach to examining punitiveness in the criminal justice system, the welfare system, and the education system in British society today. In doing so, this study uses new survey data (n=5,781) applying ordinal and linear regression and structural equation modelling to examine the relationship between public punitiveness towards ‘rulebreakers’ and political values. This is explored through assessing punitive attitudes towards the treatment of i) school pupils who break school rules, ii) towards the treatment of benefit recipients who fail to comply with the rules, and iii) towards people who break the law. It examines the relationship between political attitudes (neo-conservative values, neo-liberal values), nostalgic values (social, economic, and political), and public punitive attitudes towards the three rule-breaking groups. This book’s appeal may extend to an interdisciplinary audience including welfare, education, and social policy disciplines.
Author(s): Vickie Barrett, Emily Gray, Stephen Farrall
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 383
City: London
Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Authors
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
Our Contribution
Punitiveness and the Political Context
The ‘Punitive Turn’
Conceptualisation of Punitiveness
A Multidisciplinary Approach
The Link Between the Criminal Justice System, the Welfare System, and the Education System
Punitiveness and Neo-Conservativism—The Past and the Future
The Research Framework
Structure of the Book
References
Part I What Do We Know About Punitiveness?
2 Exploring Attitudes Towards Problematic Populations
‘Good for Nothings’: Exploring Punitive Attitudes Towards Lawbreakers
Socio-Demographic Factors
Age
Gender
Social Status
Religiosity
Ethnicity
Summary
Crime Experiences
Fear of Crime
Victimisation
Belief Systems
Social Anxieties
Conservative Beliefs
Right-Wing Authoritarianism
Economic Beliefs
Summary
‘Scroungers’: Public Attitudes Towards Welfare Claimants
Socio-Demographic Factors
Age
Gender
Social Status
Religion
Ethnicity
Geography/Social Patterns
Relationship Status
Summary
Beliefs and Perceptions
Conservative Beliefs
Tax Avoidance Versus Benefit Fraud
Contributing to Society
Sanctions
Undeservingness
Summary
‘Unruly Children’: Public Attitudes Towards School Children
Attitudes Towards Indiscipline
Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Behaviour
School Pupils’ Views on Punishments
Attitudes Towards School Exclusions
The Corporal Punishment of School Children
Summary
Conclusion
References
Part II Exploring Trends in Punitiveness
3 The Long-Term Trajectories of Punitiveness Towards Criminal Rule-Breakers: Government Policies, Political Discourse, and Public Sentiment
The Prison Population and Recorded Crime Rates
History of Responses to Lawbreakers: Key Policies Relating to Increased Punitiveness
The Criminal Justice Act 1982
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984
The Criminal Justice Act 1988
The Criminal Justice Act 1991
The Criminal Justice Act 1993
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
The Crime Sentences Act 1997
‘Tough on Crime and Tough on the Causes of Crime’
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998
The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000
The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003
The Criminal Justice Act 2003
The Coalition Government
Political Discourse: A Trend of Rising Punitiveness
Trends in Public Opinion Towards Lawbreakers
People Who Break the Law Should Be Given Stiffer Sentences
For Some Crimes the Death Penalty is the Most Appropriate Sentence
Conclusion
References
4 The Hardening of Policies, Government Discourse, and Public Attitudes Towards Welfare Claimants
History of Responses to the Disadvantaged: A Summary
Welfare Changes in the 1980s
Social Security Act 1980
The Social Security Acts of 1986, 1988 and 1989
Jobseekers Act 1995
Labour Government 1997–2010
Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government, 2010–2015
The Intensification in the Use of Sanctions
Universal Credit Conditions and Requirements
Conditionality and Criminalisation
Political Discourse
Trends in Public Attitudes Towards Welfare Recipients
Most People on the Dole Are Fiddling in One Way or Another
Conclusion
References
5 Trends in Concerns Towards School Rule-Breakers
The Corporal Punishment Debate
History of Responses to Rule-Breaking School Children: Key Education Policies
The Education Act 1980
The Education (Scotland) Act 1981
The Education Act 1986
The Education Reform Act 1988
The Schools Board (Scotland) Act 1988; the Self-Governing Schools, Etc., (Scotland) Act 1989
The Education Act 1993
Education Policies Under New Labour 1997–2010
The Education Act 1997
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998
The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003
Trends in the Number of Exclusions
England
Wales and Scotland
Reasons for Exclusions in Britain
Who Are the Permanently Excluded Children?
What Happens to Excluded Children?
Trends in Public Sentiment Towards School Pupils
Conclusion
References
6 Identifying the Role of Political Socialisation in Attitudes Towards Rule-Breakers
Introducing Age, Period, and Cohort Analysis
Applying Age, Period, and Cohort Effects
Data
Problem Populations Through an APC Lens: The Results
Conclusions: Political Socialisation and Problem Populations
References
Part III Examining Punitiveness Towards Rule-Breakers
7 The Need to Punish? Punitive Attitudes Towards Rule-Breaking School Pupils
Introduction
Political Values and Nostalgia
Exploring Support for Tougher Punishments for Unruly School Pupils
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
The Need to Punish?
‘A Wrap Over the Knuckles’
Exploring Support for the Permanent Exclusion of Rule-Breaking School Pupils
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
A Sense of Compassion
A Comparison of Support for Tougher Punishments and the Permanent Exclusion of Rule-Breaking School Pupils
School Punitivity
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
Discussion
School Punitivity: Evaluating the Multiple Regression Model
Conclusion
References
8 Cheating the System? Punitive Attitudes Towards Rule-Breaking Welfare Claimants
Introduction
Exploring Support for Stiffer Penalties for Rule-Breaking Welfare Claimants
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
Who Are Welfare Claimants Perceived to Be?
Exploring Support for Permanently Stopping Payments for Rule-Breaking Welfare Claimants
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
‘A Fair Share of the Money’: Fairness and Deservingness
‘People Like Me’
A Comparison of Support for Stiffer Penalties and Permanently Stopping Payments for Rule-Breaking Welfare Claimants
Welfare Punitivity
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
Discussion
Welfare Punitivity: Evaluating the Multiple Regression Model
Conclusion
References
9 Throw Away the Key? Punitive Attitudes Towards Criminal Rule-Breakers
Introduction
Exploring Support for Stiffer Sentences for Criminal Rule-Breakers
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
Exploring Support for the Death Penalty
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
A Comparison of Support for Stiffer Sentences and the Death Penalty
Law Punitivity
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
Discussion
Law Punitivity: Evaluating the Multiple Regression Model
Conclusion
References
10 The Relationship Between Social and Political Attitudes and Punitiveness
Introduction
Examining Punitive Attitudes Towards the Distinct Groups of Rule-Breakers
Model 1—Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
Exploring Collective Punitiveness Towards Rule-Breakers
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime Related
Model 3: Belief Systems
Summary
Collective Punitiveness: Evaluating the Multiple Regression Model
‘Tiered Punitiveness’
Constructing Basic and Ultimate Punitiveness Variables
Exploring the Different Influences of Basic and Ultimate Punitiveness Towards Rule-Breakers
Model 1: Socio-Demographic Factors
Model 2: Crime-Related Factors
Model 3: Belief Systems
Model 4: Nostalgia
Summary
Developing a Structural Equation Model for Tiered Punitiveness
Discussion
What Does This Study Add to the Theories of Punitiveness?
Conclusion
References
Part IV Political Attitudes and Punitiveness
11 Conclusion
Summary
Punitiveness and Neo-Conservativism
Limitations
Future Research Directions
Final Words: Making Theoretical Sense of Disparate Rule-Breakers
References
Appendix A: Measuring Public Attitudes
Rule-Breaker Questions
The Main Survey
Constructing Variables for Analysis
Constructing the Neo-Liberal Values Variable
Constructing the Neo-Conservative Values Variable
Nostalgia Items
Constructing the Social Nostalgic Variable
Constructing the Economic Nostalgic Variable
Constructing the Political Nostalgic Variable
References
Index
