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A quasi-experimental investigation of self-reported offending and perception of criminal opportunity in undergraduate students

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Abstract

This investigation has been designed to test the hypothesis that individuals who admit to a greater variety of offending also perceive more criminal and nuisance/deviant uses for everyday objects. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with level of self-reported offending as the quasi-experimental variable, and percentage of criminal/delinquent uses given, as the dependent variable; 107 students took part in the study. Results supported the hypothesis: those who self-report a high offending rate also generate more criminal uses for everyday objects. Results are discussed within an applications framework.

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Notes

  1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunity, accessed 7 January 2009.

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Acknowledgements

Gratitude is extended to Professor Ken Pease, Professor Martin Gill, and to two anonymous reviewers, for comments on earlier versions of this paper.

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  1. Criminology Group, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Society, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK

    Jeanette Garwood

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  1. Jeanette Garwood
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Garwood, J. A quasi-experimental investigation of self-reported offending and perception of criminal opportunity in undergraduate students. Secur J 24, 37–51 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2009.8

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