An Interdisciplinary Multi-Method Approach to the Study of Active Violent Offenders

Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc., Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

Currently situational and dispositional influences on criminal decision-making are not well-understood. Partially, this is because there has not been enough interdisciplinary study of criminals (particularly among sociologists and psychologists). Also, there has been an overuse of incarcerated offenders in much research with less attention paid to noninstitutionalized offenders (i.e., free on the street and currently offending). Such individuals may account for a large proportion of reported and unreported crime (particularly when they victimize other offenders). This 2-year project seeks to collect detailed qualitative and quantitative data on active, noninstitutionalized street offenders (drug dealers, street robbers, carjackers) from the streets of Atlanta GA to better understand their decision-making proclivities and psychological characteristics. First, participants (including active offenders, demographic controls, and college student controls) will engage in extensive, one-on-one interviews focusing on street crime, violence, and street culture. Subsequently, they will complete a battery of standardized questionnaires to provide a systematic understanding of offender criminal attitudes, subcultural beliefs, and offending propensities. The project will collect data on a group of individuals we know very little about, allowing us to link individual level factors with sociological, cultural, and contextual dynamics to help us understand criminal decision-making and behavior in the context of the urban street culture.