Neutralization Theory And Serial Killers
A merica is in another of its Salem moments. Frenzy is almost a living, breathing monster. It moves from host to host, fueled by rumor, gossip, and self-righteous furor. These include a form of social structure theory (the relationship between urbanism and murder), social process theory (the learning of aggression), neutralization theory (the dehumanization of. This trauma-control model describes processes and factors that may influence early stages in the development of a serial killer.
Techniques of neutralization are used by petty and serious criminals to verbally account for their behavior, mitigate responsibility, and socially construct identity. Since serial killers often appear “normal” while simultaneously killing, neutralizations may provide the process by which serial killers “drift” between conventional societal attachments and murder. These neutralizations may also function as a form of stigma management, as it does for other offenders, assisting in the maintenance of a positive presentation of self.
To explore these propositions, a content analysis of narratives and case histories was used to examine serial murderers’ accounts to determine if neutralizations were offered, and if so, the implications of this theory as a general (or universal) theory of crime.
What Is Neutralization Theory? Have you ever tried to justify your actions by retorting, 'I didn't actually hurt anyone,' or even (if you're over 21), 'I was intoxicated.' If so, whether or not you realized it, you were using neutralization to defend yourself. Neutralization theory was developed as means for explaining how criminal offenders engage in rule-breaking activity while negating their culpability, or blame.
The theory was first introduced in 1957 by criminologists Gresham Sykes and David Matza, who contended that juvenile delinquents actually drift between law-abiding and law-breaking behavior. What this means is that there is an assumption in place that juvenile delinquents know the difference between law-abiding and law-breaking behavior, and that they understand that law-breaking behavior is wrong. Regardless, these juveniles' actions and behavior drift between the two. Download Pitbull Give Me Everything Tonight Mp3 Free here. Since Sykes and Matza first introduced the theory, it has expanded beyond juvenile delinquents to include all criminals. This contrasts other theories regarding criminal behavior. Some criminologists believe that certain people are predisposed to law-breaking behavior, while others believe that people who break the law do so exclusively, without ever obeying the law.
Observations of the Neutralization Theory Sykes and Matza developed their theory of neutralization according to four observations of juvenile delinquent behavior. These four observations are: • Despite previous indicators that offenders were part of a subculture that has zero remorse upon committing a deviant act, the juvenile offenders experienced notable guilt or shame after committing the act.
• The juvenile offenders were observed to respect and admire law-abiding people, indicating that they understand and somewhat adhere to conventional, law-abiding norms within society. • There appear to be certain groups that the offender will not victimize or harm, such as relatives, friends, or churches of their own faith. This indicates that there is some value structure to what defines a valid victim of a particular offense. • It's highly unlikely that these juvenile offenders are completely immune to the dominant influences of society regarding conventional social norms. This is true even if most people immediately surrounding them are law-breakers.
As such, even though the family and/or friends surrounding them may be criminals, the juveniles still agree with the broad social expectations that encourage individuals to conform to law-abiding behavior. Neutralization Techniques As a result of these observations, Sykes and Matza argued that there are five ways offenders neutralize, or shift blame from themselves. These five are discussed below: Denial of injury contends that no one was hurt by the offender's actions, despite the fact that they were illegal or violated some rule.