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Techniques of Neutralization: A Theory of Delinquency
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... Neutralization techniques are justifications given before deviant acts. Sykes and Matza (1957) have suggested that offenders employ neutralization techniques prior to violating laws and norms they believe in to neutralize their behaviors, self-blame, resulting guilt, and shames. These norm-violators pre-emptively use linguistic devices to convince themselves in advance that their deviant behavior is acceptable in their particular situation, which allows them to be freed to engage in the deviant acts while protecting their self-esteem and neutralizing self-blame. ...
... Among a wide range of neutralization techniques, the techniques proposed by Sykes and Matza (1957) -known as the Famous Five -are the ones that have been widely used in many of the studies on neutralizations: denial of responsibility, when people shift the responsibility of their deviant act to outside forces beyond their control (e.g., "I did not know it was illegal because it was introduced as legitimate."); denial of injury, when people claim that their deviant behavior does not cause any great harm or damage (e.g., "Using offshore gambling sites does not break any laws."); ...
... To code Justifications, the researcher started by collecting statements that seemed to justify the use of offshore sites in the U.S. and then used a deductive approach by classifying the justifications according to the famous five techniques (Sykes & Matza, 1957) in order to connect the justifications to the essential categories of neutralizations techniques. When there were some justifications that do not fit into any of the five categories, the researcher devised new categories that can encompass the remaining justifications, based on the common characteristics of them. ...
... General Strain Theory proposes that individuals who experience strains or stressors may engage in criminal or deviant behavior as a coping mechanism to alleviate negative emotions resulting from these strains (Agnew, 2001). Neutralization Theory explains how individuals justify or rationalize their deviant behavior by employing various techniques to neutralize feelings of guilt or shame (Sykes & Matza, 1957). The research objectives were achieved by undertaking qualitative research with experienced cabin crew who have personally witnessed these incidents. ...
... To provide a theoretical foundation for this study, three criminological theories were examined: Routine Activity Theory (Cohen & Felson, 2010), General Strain Theory (Agnew, 2001), and Neutralization Theory (Sykes & Matza, 1957). Each theory is discussed below to ensure clarity and coherence in how they contribute to understanding unruly passenger behavior. ...
... Neutralization is a cognitive process by which individuals rationalize their unethical or morally dubious actions. Introduced by Sykes and Matza (1957) to explain juvenile delinquency, neutralization helps people manage decision conflicts and psychological stress, such as guilt and blame. Neutralization can be used to reduce cognitive dissonance (Juvan & Dolnicar, 2021). ...
Unruly air passenger behavior is increasing, yet cabin trespassing, where economy passengers access restricted first- and business-class areas, has received limited attention. By integrating general strain theory, routine activities theory, and neutralization theory, this study explores how motivations, justifications, and airline vulnerabilities contribute to this behavior. Unethical and unruly air passenger behavior jeopardizes the safety of the flight, severely disrupts the cabin crews’ ability to serve passengers and ruins the flight experience for other passengers. Qualitative in-depth interviews with 11 experienced cabin crew detail trespassing incidents, passenger excuses, and cabin crew mitigation. Findings show passengers use various neutralization techniques to justify their perceived entitlement, deceit and special needs, which crew counter through communication, vigilance, and aircraft design. Tailored training and messaging, new technologies monitoring cabins, and purposeful layouts separating sections can aid in curtailing passenger trespassing.
... Denial of responsibility is one of the neutralisation techniques or strategies introduces by Sykes and Matza (1957) in Theory of Neutralisation. It is developed with the original intention to explain juvenile crime in the United State of America. ...
... Various techniques are used to support the behaviour, and as a result, be seen as an acceptable behaviour. Justifications which are acceptable to the individuals are used to neutralise or justify the immoral behaviour to make them feel better (Sykes & Matza, 1957). Besides that, Yang, Sun and Shen (2022) believe that neutralisation technique play an essential role than anger towards indirect revenge behaviour and difficult to be controlled since the technique is inside an avenger's mind. ...
... With regards to denial of responsibility technique, it occurs when an individual tries to get rid of or shift the blame or responsibility to external parties or circumstances which are accidental and beyond their control (Sykes and Matza, 1957;Thurman et al., 1984). The individual always sees laws as vague, ambiguous and complex, thus justifying that he or she lacks the knowledge and understanding of the laws (Welch et al., 2005). ...
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are pivotal to Malaysia's economic framework, significantly contributing to national income. However, tax non-compliance among SME owners remains a subject of ongoing debate. Addressing this issue requires consideration beyond the economic perspective, encompassing non-economic views as well. This study seeks to empirically extend the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) by incorporating the concept of neutralisation techniques to evaluate the relationships between TPB constructs, denial of responsibility and tax non-compliance intention. Additionally, it investigates the moderating effect of denial of responsibility. A survey was conducted, distributing questionnaires randomly to 580 SME owners in Malaysia, resulting in a 72.8 percent response rate. Data were analysed using the PLS-SEM statistical tool. The findings indicate that attitude towards tax non-compliance and subjective norms significantly and positively influence tax non-compliance intention, whereas perceived behavioural control shows a negative influence. Furthermore, the positive relationship between subjective norms and tax non-compliance intention weakens when SME owners employ the denial of responsibility technique. These results offer significant theoretical and practical implications, providing valuable insights for academicians, policymakers, and tax authorities in formulating strategies to address tax non-compliance among SME owners. Suggestions for future research are also highlighted.
... Those opposing and unintentional reasonings, or deactivators of moral norms, could be captured by the theory of neutralization (Sykes and Matza 1957), which refers to the techniques that enable people to defend deviant behaviours and avoid social or self-blame. Sykes and Matza (1957) identified five techniques: denial of responsibility; denial of injury; denial of victim; condemning the condemners; and appealing to higher loyalties. ...
... Those opposing and unintentional reasonings, or deactivators of moral norms, could be captured by the theory of neutralization (Sykes and Matza 1957), which refers to the techniques that enable people to defend deviant behaviours and avoid social or self-blame. Sykes and Matza (1957) identified five techniques: denial of responsibility; denial of injury; denial of victim; condemning the condemners; and appealing to higher loyalties. For example, denial of responsibility occurs when people claim they are not responsible for their actions because of forces that are beyond their control. ...
... In the food waste context, research shows that conflicting motives or reasonings (Roodhuyzen et al. 2017), such as the value placed on being a "good provider" (Aschemann-Witzel et al. 2020), are strong enough to take precedence over established norms (i.e., respect for food), convincing people that throwing away food does not violate their moral standards. Food waste is therefore a context in which neutralisation theory can be legitimately tested (Sykes and Matza 1957), since it refers to the techniques that deactivate moral norms, enable people to defend unethical behaviours, and avoid social or self-blame. ...
Wasted food has detrimental effects on the natural environment and on society. Although reducing food waste is seen as an ethical consumption behaviour, the influence of moral norms on food waste is still under debate and research has shown mixed results. To address this research gap, a temporal, extended norm activation model (NAM) is presented in this study, and it incorporates neutralization theory to explain how people negotiate moral issues. That is, individuals use several neutralization techniques to suppress their moral norms, which subsequently influence their intentions related to food waste. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) was used to analyse data from an online panel of UK consumers (n = 358). We found pathways between neutralisation techniques, moral norms and intentions towards avoiding food waste. The research shows that people use two neutralization techniques, “denial of responsibility” and “condemning the condemners” to dampen their moral norms, which further weaken their intentions to avoid food waste. Recommendations for policymakers and practitioners are made and de‐neutralisation tools are identified, such as making people aware of their internal dialogues, ensuring greater accountability in food waste reduction pledges and providing workplace training.
... Our results illustrate a process of labelling and re-labelling practices on the verge of forced labour, oscillating between state crime and legit working conditions. Methodologically, we draw from the techniques of neutralization established by Sykes and Matza (1957). They provide a useful analytical framework, identifying various forms of denial that enable transgressions, allowing the individual to "avoid moral culpability for his criminal actions -and thus avoid the negative sanctions of society" (Sykes & Matza, 1957, p. 666). ...
... Our empirical analysis is guided by the concept of neutralization techniques like Sykes and Matza (1957). Neutralization techniques are ways to rationalize deviant behaviour and can be detected by examining communication styles. ...
... Neutralization techniques are ways to rationalize deviant behaviour and can be detected by examining communication styles. Sykes and Matza (1957) classify these neutralization techniques into five major types. Denial of responsibility is used to claim that transgressions could not have been avoided, either because it was an accident, or it was influenced by forces outside of one's control. ...
This paper focuses on forced labour in Uzbekistan's cotton harvest. It uncovers and deconstructs the narratives of organisational actors in the process of combating this form of state crime. We employ a deductive qualitative analysis of the International Labour Organisation's (ILO's) third-party harvest monitoring reports (2015 to 2022) and find that the ILO employs neutralisation techniques in its communication to ensure ongoing cooperation with the Uzbek government. Our findings reveal a paradox: The neutralisation-and trust-based mode of cooperation chosen by the ILO was seemingly effective in improving the labour rights situation during the cotton harvest. However, it also had a stabilising, integrating , and legitimising effect on the Uzbek government, providing it with an overall "clean bill of health" regarding human rights, and in the process, possibly obscuring transgressions in other sectors. Neutralisierungstechniken bei der Kontrolle von Zwangsarbeit: Der Fall des ILO-Einsatzes in Usbekistan Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit Zwangsarbeit im Rahmen der Baumwollernte in Usbekistan. Er enthüllt und dekonstruiert die Narrative der korporativen Akteur:innen im Prozess der Bekämpfung dieser Form von Staatsverbrechen. Anhand einer deduktiven qualitativen Analyse der Monitoringberichte der Inter-nationalen Arbeitsorganisation (ILO) wird gezeigt, dass die ILO in ihrer Kommunikation Neutralisie-rungstechniken einsetzt, um den Fortbestand der Kooperation mit der usbekischen Regierung zu ge-währleisten. Unsere Ergebnisse offenbaren ein Paradox: Diese neutralisierungs-und vertrauensbasierte Zusammenarbeit hat die Arbeitsrechtssituation während der Baumwollernte verbessert. Sie wirkt aber auch stabilisierend, integrierend und legitimierend auf die usbekische Regierung und verschafft ihr eine scheinbar "weiße Weste", die so möglicherweise Menschenrechtsverstöße in anderen Sektoren ver-schleiert.
... Toplumsal normlara uygun olmayan bir seçimden sonra, beyin mekanizması işleyişi kusurlu değilse, felsefi bir yaklaşımla suçlu bir zihin oluşmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda beyin dengelenmiş bir ruh haline ulaşmak için "rasyonelleştirme" (Axinn, 2008) ya da "nötrleştirme" (Sykes & Matza, 1957) yolu ile kendine özgü vicdan rahatlatma araçlarını kullanır. Öyle ise "suçlu zihin" Bentham'ın faydacılık yaklaşımına göre fayda elde etmez ve ahlaki olmayan her seçim bireyin ve toplumun toplam mutluluğunu azaltır. ...
... After a choice that does not comply with social norms, if the functioning of the brain mechanism is not defective, a guilty mind is formed with a philosophical approach. In this regard, the brain uses its own conscience relief tools through "rationalization" (Axinn, 2008) or "neutralization" (Sykes & Matza, 1957) to achieve a balanced mood. In this case, the "guilty mind" does not benefit according to Bentham's utilitarian approach, and every immoral choice reduces the total happiness of the individual and the society. ...
Nörobilimdeki gelişmeler davranışsal iktisadın çalışma alanına önemli katkılarda bulunmaktadır. Özellikle uzun yıllardır araştırılan faydacılık yaklaşımının sinirsel temellerini kavramada çok yönlü bakış açısı sunmaktadır. Faydacılık, ahlak felsefesinde hazzı arttırma ve acıyı azaltma üzerinedir. Bu yaklaşımda tüm toplumun ve canlıların hazzını arttıracak eylemler faydacılığın sınırlarını çizmektedir. Standart ekonomik teorilerde ise bireylerin faydayı maksimuma çıkarması bir varsayım altında yer almaktadır. Bu noktada faydacılık ahlak felsefesi ile iktisat biliminde iki bağlamda farklılaşmaktadır. İlk olarak klasik iktisat teorileri sadece bireylerin fayda maksimizasyonunu ele alırken toplumu ve diğer canlıları göz ardı etmektedir. İkinci olarak bireylerin rasyonel ya da irrasyonel seçimlerinin ayrımı iktisat teorilerinde kesin çizgilerle belirlenmemektedir. Ancak bu farklılaşma iktisat biliminin ahlak felsefesindeki faydacılığı benimsemediği anlamına gelmemektedir. Günümüzde rasyonel ve irrasyonel seçimleri açıklayabilmek için psikoloji ve nörobilimden gelecek bilgilere ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Bu çalışma, ahlak felsefesinden davranışsal iktisada, beyni konu alan bilimlerin ahlaki seçim üzerine araştırmalarını fayda teorisi çerçevesinde değerlendirmektedir. Faydacı düşünce ile bilimsel disiplinler arasında karşılıklı ilişkiye dikkat çekilerek, faydacılığın felsefi düşünce ile nörobilim arasındaki yakınlaşmasını, ahlaki olmayan seçim merkezinde ele almaktadır. Çalışma ile davranışsal iktisada katkı sunulması amaçlanmıştır.
... Regarding denials and contraventions of the distancing norms recommended during the pandemic, Sykes and Matza (1957) reject the prevailing paradigm that deviations from the norm are unusual social anomalies pertinent to an aberrant subculture, unlike the deviators of norms who interpret them as guidelines rather than inviolable rules. ...
... This mechanism is part of the field of the "neutralization theory," intuiting that the behavior of proactively neutralizing a rule even before the execution of the deviant action or rationalizations of the divergent behavior after its implementation, make up the modalities of explicitness of this behavior (Maruna & Copes, 2005;Fritsche, 2005), understanding that neutralization and rationalization are distinct cognitive mechanisms (Kaptein & van Helvoort, 2019). Sykes and Matza (1957), in this sense, identified five individual neutralization techniques: the first is the "denial of responsibility," which refers to the attitude of affirming that digressive behavior does not indicate deviation; the second, the "denial of harm," falls on the position of calling attention to the fact that the behavior did not cause any visible harm, which is very similar to the third tactic, the "denial of the existence of victims." The fourth strategy is to strive to attack the defenders of the broken regulations, i.e., "condemn the condemners"; finally, "appeal to the highest loyalties" indicates the behavior of resorting to other norms that justify the behavior in question (Harris, 2020). ...
Roazzi, A., Sobral, A. I. G. P., Santana, A. N., Melo, N. P. T. B., Savoldi, R., Silva, R. E. N. (2025). Bounded Rationality, Disinformation, and Infodemic in COVID-19 Times. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 41, e41501. (UNB, ISSN 0102-3772). https://doi.org/10.1590/0102.3772e41501.en // Infodemic is defined by excessive content of different qualities associated with a specific subject and has relevant consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented, exacerbating the search for information and creating some risks, including not recognizing the veracity and quality of the disseminated content. In this context, this study reflects on the pandemic phenomenon and its psychosocial impacts from the cognitive perspective of limited rationality, understanding the excess of information through decision-making based on heuristics. It is challenging and undeniable that it is up to the authorities to combat and reduce the spread of Infodemic. KEYWORDS: COVID-19; infodemic; bounded rationality; disinformation; decision-making.
... Jest to sposób na usprawiedliwianie siebie i stawianie siebie w lepszym świetle. Skazani stosują w tym zakresie strategie neutralizacji przestępstwa (Matza, Sykes 1957). Równocześnie świadczy to o życzeniowej ocenie dokonywanej przez skazanych, a dotyczącej ich możliwości kontrolowania nałogu, i oznacza zaprzeczanie uzależnieniu (Melibruda 1997). ...
... Przykłady tych technik można znaleźć zarówno w indywidualnych studiach przypadku, jak i w wywiadach ze skazanymi, gdzie dokonano kategoryzacji, analizy tematycznej oraz interpretacji uzyskanych wyników. Interpretacja ta potwierdza skłonność skazanych do stosowania technik neutralizacji, takich jak kwestionowanie odpowiedzialności, szkody, ofiary, potępienie potępiających oraz odwoływanie się do wyższych racji (Sykes, Matza 1957). ...
This work explores the psychological and biographical dimensions of incarcerated individuals, focusing on factors influencing criminal behavior and rehabilitation potential. Part I presents psychological and social determinants, such as personality traits, social competencies, and rationality, and examines their role in offender profiling through case studies and biographical analysis. It also highlights the lived experiences of inmates, including family background, employment, health, beliefs, and future aspirations. Part II shifts to an institutional perspective, showcasing the holistic harm-reduction strategies employed by the Małopolskie Stowarzyszenie Probacja - Małopolska Probation Association (MSP). Part III proposes a model of offender rationality and offers recommendations for justice system stakeholders to enhance rehabilitation and reduce social harm. The study integrates empirical research with practical applications, aiming to support more effective reintegration of offenders into society.
... This observation highlights the need for future research, particularly given the central role of moral emotions in transgressive behaviour. This assertion is grounded in neutralisation theory (Sykes & Matza, 1957), which is considered the H. Basiyd-Fellahi et al. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 31 (2025) 101438 basis of MD theory. ...
... Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 31 (2025) 101438 basis of MD theory. In their theory, Sykes and Matza (1957) posit that individuals who transgress, or intend to transgress, social norms often experience guilt and shame. The anticipation of such emotions and their potential for negatively impacting one's self-image arguably deters most individuals from engaging in such behaviour. ...
Traffic violations are a major contributor to road traffic crashes. It is therefore imperative to understand why motorists commit traffic violations. Some studies have identified the use of self-exonerating strategies, such as Moral Disengagement (MD; Bandura, 1990), as a contributing factor to this decision-making process. The present scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current research on the relationship between MD and traffic violations, evaluate the methodologies used to measure road-specific MD, and identify gaps in the literature to inform future research. Seventeen articles were identified in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline extension for Scoping Reviews. PsycINFO and SCOPUS databases were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2023. This scoping review revealed several key findings: a) only two articles explicitly addressed and measured MD, while the remaining 15 employed measures implying MD without explicitly addressing it; b) a positive relationship between MD and traffic violations was found, with evidence suggesting an additional positive link between anger and road-specific MD; and c) theoretical overlaps were identified between MD theory, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Model of Retaliatory Aggressive Driving. In light of these findings, it appears relevant to consider the role of MD in traffic violations when developing interventions to reduce them. However, further studies are required to better understand the observed relationship between MD and traffic violations and the role of emotions in this process. This step is necessary to provide a more informed basis for road safety programmes.
... Para dicho fin, la teoría de neutralización surge como un lente de análisis preciso para esta investigación pues permite entender cómo los individuos racionalizan, a través de argumentos socialmente aceptables, conductas o acciones éticamente cuestionables o que tienen un impacto negativo (Sykes & Matza, 1957), como sería el caso de la permisión del uso del glifosato. La negación de responsabilidad o la negación del daño son solo algunas de las técnicas de neutralización que los sujetos pueden desplegar para justificar sus acciones (Sykes & Matza, 1957). ...
... Para dicho fin, la teoría de neutralización surge como un lente de análisis preciso para esta investigación pues permite entender cómo los individuos racionalizan, a través de argumentos socialmente aceptables, conductas o acciones éticamente cuestionables o que tienen un impacto negativo (Sykes & Matza, 1957), como sería el caso de la permisión del uso del glifosato. La negación de responsabilidad o la negación del daño son solo algunas de las técnicas de neutralización que los sujetos pueden desplegar para justificar sus acciones (Sykes & Matza, 1957). El estudio de estas técnicas permite entonces entender cómo los sujetos legitiman impactos que no son consistentes con las expectativas sociales (Boiral, 2016). ...
El glifosato, pese a representar riesgos para la salud humana y el ambiente, es uno de los agroquímicos más utilizados en el Perú y a nivel mundial. Motivado por ello, la presente investigación explora las razones detrás del vacío normativo en su prohibición, considerando que el marco legal peruano asigna responsabilidades claras a determinadas autoridades en la regulación de plaguicidas agrícolas. El estudio se aparta de una visión tecnocrática del riesgo y busca entender cómo los actores gubernamentales justifican la permanencia del riesgo. Así, la pregunta central es: ¿cómo los actores gubernamentales encargados de la regulación de plaguicidas de uso agrícola en el Perú neutralizan el riesgo del uso de glifosato? Para responder, se realizaron entrevistas con representantes gubernamentales, acompañado de una revisión documental de informes oficiales. Los resultados mostraron cómo los actores gubernamentales legitiman el uso del glifosato mediante técnicas como negación de responsabilidad, apelación a lealtades superiores, defensa de una necesidad, afirmación de un impacto neto positivo, justificación por comparación y promoción de una visión sistémica. Estas racionalizaciones, al ser vinculadas con la concepción de riesgo de los actores, revelaron diversos argumentos para justificar la no prohibición del glifosato. Además, la investigación contribuye a la evolución teórica del concepto de neutralización del riesgo y a la comprensión de problemas relacionados con la permisividad del uso de productos químicos peligrosos, ofreciendo perspectivas sobre la compleja dinámica de la regulación de plaguicidas y la gestión de riesgos en el Perú.
... The rationalization of criminal activity can be justified by delinquents in 5 basic ways: (a) denial of responsibility, (b) denial of injury, (c) condemnation of condemners, (d) denial of victim, and (e) appeal to higher loyalties. 17 These forms of justification can be seen in the academic setting as students justify dishonest activity. In the nursing profession, this theory can apply to well-intentioned nurses as they engage in normalization of deviance behaviors. ...
... The result is often students who "condemn the condemners". 17 This occurs when students justify misconduct by blaming the instructor for various reasons, such as poor instruction or test preparation. Ultimately, there is usually a complete denial of responsibility for their actions. ...
Significance & Aim: The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to identify whether there is a difference between student and faculty perceptions of academic misconduct in advance practice registered nurse (APRN) education, with a specific interest in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) education. The findings of this study may aid in the strategic management of academic policies and enforcements. Methods: The study took place at a single private university in Texas which houses six graduate-level APRN programs. The sample size consisted of 92 students and 42 faculty. The Exams and Assignments Scale was used as an instrument for both groups and anonymous data was collected using an online survey platform. Statistical analysis took place using an independent samples t test. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference in the perception of academic misconduct between student and faculty. Specifically, students regard instances of academic misconduct as more severe than faculty. Results: The conclusions were that students and faculty were dissimilar in their perception and severity of instances of academic misconduct. Based on these findings, it is recommended that faculty and administrators who are involved in CRNA education develop and follow strong curriculum, guidelines, and policies that help to bridge the gap of perception of academic misconduct. Suggestions for future research include performing similar studies with larger sample sizes in a variety of settings and institutions.
... We decided to consider a theoretical cornerstone of criminology, which is Techniques of Neutralization (ToN). These have been proposed by Sykes and Matza [14] and defined as cognitive strategies that individuals use to rationalize and justify their behavior, particularly when such actions are illicit. The original techniques were five: Denial of Responsibility ("It's not my fault"), Denial of Injury ("No one got hurt"), Denial of the Victim ("They deserved it"), Condemnation of the Condemners ("The law enforcers are corrupt") and Appeal to Higher Loyalties ("I did it for my family"). ...
... The capabilities of ChatGPT demonstrated in this study point toward several promising potential applications, particularly in the realms of criminology and social psychology. Sykes and Matza [14] first proposed the concept of Techniques of Neutralization (ToN), suggesting that these techniques enable individuals to engage in deviant behavior while minimizing guilt and self-censure. They believed understanding these techniques could offer valuable insights into ...
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as GPT-4 refers to systems able to understand and generate new coherent and relevant text by learning from existing data sets. The great opportunities that GPT-4 offers are accompanied by great risks. Indeed, the ease of access and use of such a tool also makes it the platform of choice for malicious users. The purpose of this work is to test the machine’s capabilities in identifying and reframing so-called Techniques of Neutralization (ToN), rationalizations employed by offenders to justify their deviant behavior. The identification of such theoretical cornerstone of criminology in interviews with offenders is crucial for criminologists, as it provides relevant information on criminodynamics, risk assessment and possible intervention strategies. Our outcomes show a high level of the machine’s accuracy in general ToN recognition of Published and Crafted ToN sentences in both Test 1 (precision of 0.82 and recall of 0.75 for “Denial of Injury” in Crafted ToN, precision of 0.93 and recall of 1 for “Absence of ToN” in Published ToN) and Test 2 (precision of 1.00 and recall of 0.83 for “Denial of Injury” in Crafted ToN, precision of 1.00 and recall of 1.00 for “Absence of ToN” in both ToN categories). Regarding the reformulation of sentences to remove ToN (Test 3), the model demonstrates high success rates for most ToN categories and high credibility of the reformulated sentences, indicating its ability to maintain the integrity of the sentences while removing the ToN. Our work analyses the application of the machine with respect to a previously untested construct, with the aim of observing the potential and, above all, the possible pitfalls behind the use of AI models in a hitherto little-explored context such as criminology.
... Under the theme 'responsibility', arguments are found that either attempt to deny the responsibility of livestock farming in causing the problem or push the blame for the problem onto other countries or industries, or onto consumers. Denial of responsibility is also a neutralisation technique identified by Matza and Sykes (1957) and one that Wyatt and Brisman (2017) highlight as being used in climate change denial. One clear example of this is that the fossil fuel industry attempts to justify its continued operation by placing responsibility on individual consumers: they are simply fulfilling a societal need (Megura & Gunderson, 2022), a need that nitrogen crisis deniers argue they are also fulfilling. ...
Since May 2019, the Netherlands has been in the grip of a ‘nitrogen crisis’. Kicked off by a judicial decision, but with decades of environmental harm by the extensive Dutch livestock industry at its heart, the crisis has been characterised by farmer protests, the emergence of new political forces, and, at times, intense societal debate about how to tackle the problem. Many in the agricultural industry and beyond oppose reducing livestock numbers to protect vulnerable ecosystems. The arguments they use to do so recall themes from climate change denial, a well-documented form of science denial. In this paper, we examine the extent to which arguments denying the nature, extent, and harm of nitrate emissions from the livestock industry, as well as solutions to the problem, appear in six national newspapers in the Netherlands from May 2019 to September 2024. We also categorise the type of arguments used and track whether they change over time. We focus on the mainstream media to determine whether the societal debate has been polluted by science denial, previously identified on social media (Hill and Weulen Kranenbarg, Tijdschrift voor Criminologie 66:248–272, 2024). Our findings indicate that arguments in support of science denial are found throughout the five-year period examined, although they are more concentrated in right-wing leaning newspapers. The narratives identified, such as emphasising the farmers as victims, pointing the finger at other industries, and arguing that the environmental harm is exaggerated, do not change across the period, indicating a hardened, as well as polarised, debate.
... Needless to say, service users do not always make correct judgements about the genesis of, or solution to, their own problems. Furthermore, claims about inadequate support can be expressions of neutralisation, serving to avoid responsibility (Sykes & Matza, 1957). Nonetheless, the interviewees' own understanding of their offence and risk factors generally aligns with existing scientific theories and empirical research. ...
... These BCFs then justify supporting and perpetuating laws and policies that disproportionately benefit white individuals; these BCFs can also be used to justify corporate and elite white-collar crime. It is expected that these BCFs translate to crime-specific cognitive frameworks, such as techniques of neutralization (Sykes & Matza, 1957), that are used to justify criminal actions. ...
This study examines the impact of gender on corporate and elite white-collar offending within the context of the Theory of Racial Privilege and Offending (TRPO). Using a survey of over 900 individuals, each responding to three vignettes of white-collar crime scenarios, we investigate whether the role of racial privilege suggested by TRPO differs by gender, which could help explain offending differences between males and females in white-collar crime. While the findings support gender differences in the creation of broad-cognitive frameworks, and in the impact of those frames on assessing ethicality of an act and willingness to commit the act, the differences were not always in the expected direction. This suggests a need for further research to understand these differences.
... Other theories are available, but perhaps offer fewer insights. For example, Agnew and Briezina's (2019) General Strain Theory and Sykes and Matza's (1957) Neutralisation Theory, which address how strain or rationalisation can lead to deviant behaviour, are less applicable because they focus specifically on crime. These theories are typically used to analyse high personal or emotional strain, beyond what most university students face, whereas AI reduces barriers to cheating without causing such strain. ...
The proliferation of generative artificial intelligence challenges the credibility of assessment in higher education. This article advances a theoretical argument that universities must move beyond detection-based strategies towards ethically grounded, validity-driven assessment practices. Drawing on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour, Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, and situational crime prevention models, it analyses how AI exacerbates existing vulnerabilities within massified, commodified education systems. Technical countermeasures, including digital proctoring systems, are critically evaluated and found insufficient as standalone solutions. The case of Baird and Clare is used to illustrate how rehumanised, collaborative assessments can mitigate misconduct by enhancing student agency and ethical engagement. The article argues that safeguarding academic integrity in an AI-saturated era demands a fundamental pedagogical realignment, restoring the intrinsic purposes of higher education and resisting the instrumental rationalities that underpin surveillance-based governance.
... organizational culture significantly influences employees' moral awareness by shaping their interpretation of organizational events and perceptions of acceptable behavior (ashforth & anand, 2003;graham et al., 2020;treviño, 1986;treviño et al., 1998;umphress & Bingham, 2011). moreover, in unethical organizational cultures, cognitive mechanisms such as rationalization (ashforth & anand, 2003; tsang, 2002) or neutralization (sykes & matza, 1957;umphress & Bingham, 2011) are more likely to be employed. these mechanisms enable individuals to justify unethical behavior, obscuring ethical judgment and decision-making (treviño et al., 2006). ...
While much of the literature on unethical behavior focuses on self-serving misconduct, this study explores employees’ violations of social norms and/or ethical standards to benefit their organizations: unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). Given the unique socio-cultural and economic dynamics in Hispanic American contexts, this study examines how critical organizational, interpersonal, and cognitive factors contribute to UPB in this region. Drawing from social identity theory, social learning theory, social exchange theory, and social cognitive theory, we hypothesize that ethical culture, ethical leadership, leader-member exchange, organizational identification, moral disengagement, and ethical evaluation play significant roles in shaping employee behavior. Data collection proceeded through an online survey with 652 employees from various industries in Ecuador and Venezuela. Findings support most of the hypotheses, shedding light on the complex dynamics of UPB within Hispanic-American organizations. The study offers theoretical and practical insights for managing UPB in similar socio-cultural environments.
... Criminology and sociology have long explored how individuals make sense of acts of violence, with a focus on understanding the justifications and rationalizations of offenders. Early works, such as Shaw's (1930) Jack Roller and Sykes and Matza's (1957) neutralization theory, explored how individuals interpret and justify their deviant behaviour. Neutralization theory has shown that offenders neutralize the moral implications of their actions by denying responsibility, minimizing harm or shifting blame (Maruna and Copes 2005;Bryant et al. 2018). ...
This article examines how cultural frameworks shape interpretations of women’s experiences of violence. Based on 16 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Puerto Nuevo, a Peruvian shantytown, the study explores how residents, communities, and state actors ascribe meaning to violence through shared cultural logics of gendering and racialization. Two interwoven cultural processes emerge: gendering, which reinforces societal norms of masculinity and femininity, and racialization, which constructs racial categories and stereotypes. Participants’ interpretations of violence are deeply rooted in normative conceptions of gender and race, often blaming women for the violence they and their communities endure while framing poor, racialized residents as inherently violent. By analyzing the cultural dimensions of violence through women’s experiences, this study pushes criminological literature beyond individual or group-based (e.g. offenders, victims) analysis to examine the broader social structures shaping societal understandings of violence. Bridging cultural sociology and criminology, the study reveals how gendered and racialized meanings of violence extend beyond specific groups and contexts, reinforcing structural inequalities. Recognizing these processes is crucial for addressing systemic violence and its disproportionate impact on marginalized women.
... Zoey was also aware that "walking outside the road," "for two days," and "with no shoes" was a negative experience. At the same time, however, Zoey minimized her mother's harmfulness through verbal excuses and justifications (Sykes & Matza, 1957). Zoey's argument-"It was mom. ...
... For purposes of both assuaging personal feelings of guilt and maintenance of public persona, individuals, including practicing auditors, need cogent reasons to license unethical behavior as simple coercive pressure is seldom adequate over time (Ashforth & Anand, 2003). Rationalizations provide one type of mental reasoning through which individuals are able to "morally disengage" for the purpose of disabling selfregulatory mechanisms that govern moral conduct (Bandura, 1999;Sykes & Matza, 1957). Moreover, evidence exists that some accounting professionals, including auditors, do use rationalizations to morally disengage. ...
Capital markets depend on truthful corporate financial reporting. To assure financial statement integrity, auditors serve a critical gatekeeper role between corporations and investors. While public corporations pay audit fees, auditors ultimately serve the public interest and must uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct. To fulfill this public trust, auditors must remain independent of clients and be skeptical of potentially biased reporting. However, despite recent safeguards, research indicates that threats to professional skepticism persist. Drawing from social psychology, we argue that auditors’ antagonistic narcissism contributes to compromised skepticism, as this trait is associated with unethical behavior and diminished concern for others. In a laboratory experiment engaging 154 CPAs, we show that trait antagonistic narcissism undermines auditor skepticism. Specifically, auditors high (low) in antagonistic narcissism are less (more) skeptical of questionable client reporting. We also examine how client-related cues influence judgment. On average, recent poor financial performance increases skepticism, while strong ESG performance decreases it. Additionally, we find auditors high in antagonistic narcissism are least skeptical in the absence of recent poor financial performance and, concurrently, in the presence of strong ESG performance. Auditors low in antagonistic narcissism are most skeptical in the opposite cue combination. Our findings reveal a troubling level of variance in ethics-related skepticism based on personality and contextual cues. This work contributes to research on audit quality and professional ethics by showing how dispositional traits may weaken auditors’ ability to identify and respond to others’ unethical reporting, ultimately compromising their gatekeeping role.
... Many people are reluctant to report because they are afraid of threats from perpetrators or because they are used to the existence of gambling in their environment. This is related to the neutralization theory by Sykes and Matza, which states that individuals tend to seek justification for deviant behavior by considering it as something that is not harmful or even part of normal life (Sykes & Matza, 2017). Another factor that also hinders the disclosure of gambling cases is relatively light punishment for gamblers. ...
This study aims to examine gambling crimes in the jurisdiction of the Pangkalan Brandan Police from a criminological perspective. This study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Data was obtained through interviews with police officers, community leaders, and gamblers, as well as analysis of legal documents and police reports. The results of the study show that the main factors that encourage gambling include economic pressure, permissive social environment, and culture that considers gambling as a tradition. In addition, weak law enforcement and limited police resources are also obstacles in eradicating gambling. In an effort to counteract, the Pangkalan Brandan Police implemented a repressive strategy through raids and control operations, as well as a preventive strategy through socialization and education to the community. However, the effectiveness of law enforcement is still limited due to changes in the modus operandi of perpetrators and lack of public participation in reporting gambling cases. From a criminological perspective, this study confirms that gambling is a complex social phenomenon and requires a holistic approach in dealing with it. Synergy is needed between law enforcement officials, local governments, and the community to create a more effective strategy in eradicating gamblingy.
... Such pro-criminal attitudes, in literature also used interchangeably with the terms rationalizations or techniques of neutralization, provide the encouragements and justifications to engage in behaviours that are considered deviant or against existing norms. This has indeed long been recognized as one of the key criminogenic needs that empirically relate to the onset and persistence of criminal behaviour (Andrews et al., 2006;Maruna and Copes, 2005;Maruna and Mann, 2006;Sykes and Matza, 1957). Money mules who got arrested indicate thatfrom their perspectivethere are no actual victims as a result of their actions, that it is not a crime to commit fraud in the first place or that the security of the victims just should have been better (Leukfeldt and Kleemans, 2019). ...
Money muling is an urgent problem among young people. Money mules refer to individuals whose bank account is used to hide and launder the profits of financial-economic cybercrimes. They are key actors in the cybercriminal ecosystem. In order to add to the current body of knowledge and better understand and disrupt pathways into cybercrime, this study explores which individual factors relate to previous exposure to money mule recruiters. Drawing upon existing literature, we developed a survey that measured a number of key demographics and social-psychological variables related to cybercrime involvement. This survey was completed by around 2000 Dutch individuals, aged 16–25. Generalized estimating equation binary logistic regression models revealed that a history of being approached by money mule recruiters was associated with being male and living in large cities, as well as with attitudes in favour of money muling and a higher perceived likelihood of being approached in the future. However, follow-up analysis revealed that relationships were dependent on whether young people were approached in the physical world or online, in which recruiters on social media discriminated less in their potential targets.
... Konflikter og skadende handlinger (herunder straffelovsovertraedelser), der adresseres ved (oplevet) eksklusion af skadevoldere, kan føre til, at skadevoldere bevidst eller (oftest) ubevidst anvender neutraliseringsteknikker (Sykes & Matza, 1957). Disse kan ses som en slags selvaccepterede undskyldninger for egne handlinger, og de kan stå i vejen for adfaerdsaendring i retning vaek fra fremtidige konflikter, skadende handlinger og lovovertraedelser. ...
This article is the second of two published in this journal examining the restorative aspect of the Danish Youth Crime Boards. The boards were launched on 1 January 2019 as part of new legislation aimed at combating and preventing youth offending. They focus on offenders aged 10 to 17, with those aged 10 to 14 legally considered below the age of criminal responsibility. The legislative framework recommends that, where possible, the boards’ verdicts should have a restorative character and align with the principles of restorative justice. This article examines the boards’ potential to serve as a restorative factor in the lives of young offenders – a desire cited in the previous article as having been expressed by board members and management. Additionally, new results are presented indicating that nearly one-third of the children and young people whose cases were handled by the Youth Crime Boards had been registered as victims in cases that occurred prior to their referral to the boards as offenders. This underscores the importance of a restorative approach that considers the context of a young person’s life beyond the immediate referral case. The restorative potential of the Danish Youth Crime Boards’ practice is examined through observations of board meetings, interviews with board members and management, and analyses of board decisions. Overall, I argue that the framework and practices of the boards create obstacles to the involvement of the children, young offenders and their guardians. Given this, a process within the Youth Crime Boards cannot generally be expected to play a restorative role in the lives of those they serve. The findings are compared with Norwegian practices of restorative reactions to children’s and young people’s offences, which I argue is an appropriate source of inspiration if the Danish Youth Crime Boards are to develop their practice in a more restorative direction. While the board management seems open to such a development, the legal framework presents certain obstacles in this regard.
... When people believe that their actions are susceptible to moral judgment, they feel accountable, and when questioned about it, they provide an account of their behavior. In these accounts, individuals can try to neutralize deviance using different techniques (Sykes and Matza 1957). Damaske (2013) and Murphy (1999Murphy ( ), (2000 have analyzed mothers' accounts using this approach. ...
Research has shown that mothers reproduce intensive motherhood norms, either by conforming to the expected behaviors in their mothering activities or by using intensive motherhood as a reference to account for their behavior when it is not conforming to the norm. How mothers resist the principles of intensive motherhood remains underexplored. In the case of infant feeding, previous studies point to mothers not questioning the main tenets of the model. This paper analyzes 57 interviews conducted with first‐time mothers in Spain in 2013 and shows that, in the case of infant feeding practices, some mothers do oppose one of the main principles of intensive motherhood, the idea of child centrality. Mothers do so by using two main tropes: their enjoyment of breastfeeding and the priority given to other activities. By doing so, mothers overcome invisibility as subjects and undo intensive motherhood.
... Misbehavior may be promoted within the group's norms as members interact. Sykes & Matza (1957) found that the group may even guide individuals to rationalize negative opinion towards the morality of their misbehavior. Furthermore, differential association has been found among teenagers who misbehave in consumption settings and potentially shows a larger issue of deviant consumer socialization. ...
... For example, prior research shows that chronic lawbreakers seem less able or willing than non-offending populations to consider future consequences (Brezina et al. 2009;Hanoch et al. 2013;Åkerlund et al. 2016). Similarly, both deterrence (Gibbs 1975;Chambliss 1966) and neutralization (Sykes and Matza 1957) perspectives structure predictions of offender decisionmaking around assumptions about how offenders perceive time. Deterrence assumes the extent to which offenders are deterred is determined by their interpretation of time-reliant consequences of their behaviour: When will I get caught? ...
We explore offenders' subjective perceptions of time and investigate how these perceptions shape their decision-making. We do so by examining interviews with 109 active armed robbers and car-jackers in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. These offenders view their lives as unfolding within fatalistic time tracks emerging from financial insecurity and unstable futures. Within these tracks, they define the foreground of their offences as temporal episodes. Doing so shapes and is shaped by the feelings of control they experience in the episodes. Outside of their offences, they define the episodes of their lives by contrasting them to the dominant sociotemporal order. We discuss implications for decision-making, cyclical involvement in predatory crime and the function of present orientation.
This study examines the role of employment in the identity development and desistance from crime among juvenile offenders in Pakistan. Focused on 30 juveniles aged 13–17 participating in an eight-month paid employment program by the Social Welfare Organization (SWO) in Punjab, the research explores how structured tasks and mentorship foster societal reintegration. Through narrative analysis of interviews, observations, and probation officer reports, the study reveals that employment significantly supported the development of a prosocial identity. Participants distanced themselves from past offenses, envisioning a positive future, with enhanced skills, a sense of purpose, and improved self-perception. Community support and stronger familial bonds further reinforced these changes. However, challenges such as societal stigma and unstable post-program employment led some to reoffend. The study underscores the importance of structured employment in juvenile desistance and calls for further research on long-term impacts and strategies to sustain these transformations.
This study was designed to determine whether a reciprocal relationship exists between moral agency for aggressive behavior and low peer substance use in their effect on future non-substance use delinquency. Employing a sample of 850 youth (425 boys and 425 girls) from the Flint Adolescent Sample (FAS), high moral agency for aggressive behavior was cross-lagged with low peer substance use and the two crossed paths were then correlated with later delinquency. Results revealed that improved moral agency predicted decreased peer substance use, which then predicted a decrease in delinquency. The other cross-lag indirect effect was also significant, with lower peer substance use predicting improved moral agency, which, in turn, predicted decreased delinquency. The direct effects, by contrast, were nonsignificant.
Although there is no solid scientific evidence supporting the claim that violence is a problem for society’s older population, violence against the elderly has become a popular research topic. Unfortunately, most of the studies have focused on the fashionable concept of “elder abuse” and suffer from the lack of an objective standardized definition, poor personalization, and inadequate sampling. Using the findings of different studies, this paper examines the types of violence committed against the elderly and tries to determine in what respect it is different from violence perpetrated against other age groups. The paper also tries to offer some theoretical explanations as to why it is that the elderly are less frequently victimized than others. Research on target selection, the life style model, the routine activity approach, as well as research on fear of crime provide the basic elements of this theoretical explanation.
A partire dalle criticità del sistema penitenziario, gli Autori sostengono l'importanza dell'implementazione di iniziative che, a partire dall'analisi del contesto, possano promuovere empowerment individuale e sociale nel contesto penitenziario. Il contributo descrive l'esperienza del progetto RI.PA.RA.RE. | Ricucire Parti Rammendare Relazioni, implementato da Associazione Carcere e Territorio di Brescia nella Casa Circondariale di Cremona. L'iniziativa, fondata sul binomio cultura riparativa e peer support, vuole generare occasioni di applicazione di approcci riparativi all'interno del carcere, considerando il carcere stesso come comunità penitenziaria, in un'ottica di relational e community justice anche nel contesto interno. Gli Autori evidenziano come l'intreccio tra approccio riparativo e peer support sia sfociato in progettualità ideate e proposte dai detenuti e implementate grazie alla sinergia con l'Istituzione e al contributo del volontariato penitenziario.
Durante la llamada "era progresista" (2005-2020) tuvo lugar en Uruguay una reforma que buscó sustituir la lógica punitiva y securitaria hegemónica dentro del sistema penitenciario, por una de carácter socioeducativo y con perspectiva de derechos humanos. En dicho contexto, se entendió que uno de los grandes aspectos a transformar era el tipo de personal asignado al trabajo en cárceles. Hasta ese entonces, el funcionariado estaba compuesto casi exclusivamente por policías, la mayoría de ellos sin ningún tipo de capacitación para el trabajo penitenciario. Así, el proceso de reforma creó la figura de los "operadores penitenciarios", funcionarios civiles, con formación específica para la tarea. Estos nuevos funcionarios con perfiles, motivaciones, capacitación y atribuciones distintas a las de los policías, fueron ingresando poco a poco a un entorno marcado por una cultura tradicional custodial y autoritaria, no sin pocas resistencias. En este artículo se analizan las diferencias entre ambos escalafones respecto de la concepción de su poder y los modos de ejercerlo observadas durante los años que siguieron al ingreso del personal civil. A partir del análisis de entrevistas en profundidad realizadas a policías y civiles, se intenta ilustrar el modo diferencial en que cada escalafón concibe y responde ante el "problema del orden" en la prisión. Los resultados muestran que, si bien en términos programáticos y discursivos, la reforma implicó un cambio respecto de la concepción de la privación de libertad y de las personas presas, en la práctica la cultura tradicional autoritaria desplegó una gran capacidad de resistencia frente a las transformaciones impulsadas.
Purpose
This study aims to enhance the comprehension of the intricate and multifaceted processes by which High Commitment Work Systems (HCWS) may give rise to a potential dark side, specifically employee unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), mediated through organizational identification (OI). Additionally, it investigates the moderating effect of leader silence on UPB.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the proposed moderated mediation model, we collected data from a three-wave time-lagged field survey containing 247 U.S. employees. We tested our hypotheses in an integrated fashion by using structural equation modeling.
Findings
After demographics, organizational industry, job roles, and the baseline level of the focal variables were controlled for, the results indicated that HCWS is positively related to employee OI, which in turn, leads to employee UPB. Additionally, leader silence on UPB moderated the above indirect relationship.
Originality/value
This study followed the recent “dark side” view of HCWS by shedding insights on how and when HCWS lead to individual UPB. We considered leader behavior—specifically leader silence on UPB—as important contingency for the impact of HCWS on employee UPB via OI. We conceptualized leader silence on UPB and explained how the potential adverse effects of HCWS could be addressed by navigating leader reactions.
Moral self-assessment is vital to one's identity, but how does it change after committing immoral behavior like crime? We compared a sample of N = 382 men and women in prison sentenced for violent and non-violent crimes with a matched control group ( N = 382). We measured their self-importance of moral identity, moral self-concept, and moral self-image. We found prisoners had lower moral self-concept and internalization but higher symbolization and moral self-image than non-prisoners. However, all the effects were small. Moreover, violent prisoners had slightly higher internalization than non-violent prisoners, but they did not differ in other moral self-assessments. Women in prison scored higher in moral self-concept and internalization than men in prison, while men in prison scored higher in symbolization than women in prison. We found no sex differences in moral self-image. In sum, committing a crime slightly impacts one's moral self-perception, and we need more studies to understand the mechanisms behind it.
This study empirically tests explanatory factors for cyberstalking on social networking services (SNS), especially focusing on gender differences in the effects of risk, control, and opportunity factors. In this study, we used lack of attachment and denial of victim as risk factors, morality and self-control as control factors, and anonymity as an opportunity factor. We predicted that the main risk effect for cyberstalking and the interaction effect between risk and control factors and between risk and opportunity factors can be differentiated by gender. It is hypothesized that the effects of lack of attachment and denial of victim as risk factors for cyberstalking would differ by gender. Furthermore, in the context of risk factors, we predicted that the moderating effect of the control factor would be greater for women, and the effect of the opportunity factor, such as anonymity, would be greater for men. The results of the analysis of cross-sectional data from 270 SNS using college students in Seoul, South Korea, generally supported the hypotheses. As a risk factor, the influence of lack of attachment was greater for men, while denial of victim was greater for women. The moderating effects of the control factors were greater for women in such a way that the interaction between denial of victim and morality was significant for women; while the moderating effect of the opportunity factor was greater for men in such a way that the interaction between lack of attachment and anonymity was more significant for men. This study finds that the risk factors of cyberstalking and the respective moderating effects of control and opportunity factors can be differentiated according to gender.
Purpose
This study aims to investigate employees’ information systems (IS) security deviant behavior and attempts to forecast intentions to misuse IS, emphasizing pragmatic prevention of behavioral security issues. This study explicitly fills research gaps in the developing economy context such as Ethiopia, where security issues are prevalent and context-specific security strategies and policies are lacking.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a hypothetical scenario survey involving 292 employees and used partial least squares structural equation modeling with the SmartPLS 4.0 tool for data analysis. The methodology sought to explore the relationship between various rationality-based theories and security countermeasures on employees IS misuse. The authors developed a comprehensive theoretical model to address security challenges.
Findings
The findings revealed that neutralization techniques, excluding condemnation of the condemners, significantly predicted IS misuse. In addition, rational choice based deterrence was found to mediate the relationship between countermeasure awareness and IS misuse. Interestingly, deterrence tends to predict intentional IS misuse to a certain extent, with greater security awareness enhancing its effectiveness, which underlines the crucial influence of awareness on curbing IS misuse.
Research limitations/implications
The results of the study are limited by the geographical focus and cross-sectional nature of the sample and may not be generalizable in all contexts. The study needs to be replicated to examine the model across different geographical and sociocultural contexts. The study’s findings inform implications to practice and theory.
Originality/value
This study explores IS security deviant behavior in a developing economy where context-specific countermeasures are limited. Integrating neutralization and rational choice deterrence theories, this study suggests a new comprehensive IS misuse prediction model. The study emphasizes the pivotal role of enhanced countermeasure awareness in averting IS violations, offering new theory and practice contributions.
The main goal of this short essay is to counterpoint – from the viewpoint of international
criminal law as a legal discipline – the workshop’s discussion on the situational
context as contributing factor to mass atrocities, as well as on the conceptual feasibility
of a systematic “excusiology” in favor of their perpetrators. First, any account
that advocates for a complete defence of “situational inability” to abide by human
rights obligations leads to a denial of the basic tenet of international criminal justice:
the very idea of individual responsibility as a key tool to fighting against impunity
for mass atrocities.
Secondly, the article maintains that underscoring the function assumed by the situational
context may lead, however, to a better understanding of some controversial
issues of ICL, such as the legal treatment of coercion either as complete or as only
incomplete defence; ultimately, to overcoming such cultural divide through a concept
of “situational coercion”.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to shed more light on the motivations for environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk management by agri-food companies and the neutralization techniques used to legitimize the measures taken in this area.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an analysis of the sustainability reporting of 135 companies, this study shows the interdependence between the main motivations for ESG risk management and the neutralization techniques used in disclosing information about their exposure to threats or negative events that could damage their image.
Findings
The results of the study allow us to understand the four main complementary neutralization techniques used to obfuscate the negative consequences of risks related to agri-food activities: mitigating ESG threats, addressing global risks through corporate leadership, taking advantage of sustainability trends and turning risks into opportunities.
Practical implications
Managers can use the results of this paper to identify the best management approaches to take ESG risks into account more substantially in their company.
Social implications
Ultimately, this study is important to improve the practices of agri-food companies and therefore their social legitimacy.
Originality/value
The examination of these neutralization techniques and their underlying motivations makes important contributions to the emerging literature on ESG risk management. The study also contributes to research on the disclosure of negative information that can damage a company’s reputation and on the strategies that companies use to promote the social acceptability of their activities.
This article discusses the anti‐stigma potential of researching and disseminating findings. Based on first‐hand qualitative research experiences, we shed light on how diverse interactional and interpretational contexts arising from researcher‐research participants relationships established in the field may factor into the research process and analytical accounts. Drawing on interactional instances and the related dilemmas we encountered, we conceptualise three levels of embracing, navigating and (re)producing stigma (intrapersonal, interactional and outsiders level). As a result, we propose reflexive anti‐stigma strategies that we advise embracing when working with marginalised groups and passing on the related findings. Our discussion relies on studies we conducted in Poland with female escort agency sex workers, two‐mother families and people living with multiple sclerosis.
Using 60 interviews with a range of minority law students and early career legal professionals (primarily differentiated by race, gender identity, religion, and disability), this Article illuminates the cruciality of empirical Critical Race Theory to understand individual deviance within the legal profession and develops a framework – blasé – for considering interactional violence that is not legally or socially cognizable as discrimination but still causes harm. These data reveal that discrimination was minimized and denied to varying degrees for all minority respondents. However, for genderqueer respondents whose identities had not achieved a high degree of sociolegal legibility, these denials had low contestability and were often without contrition. Unlike microaggressions which might have resonance in common cultural parlance as operationalizations of structural violence, what distinguishes blasé discrimination, I argue, is the ordinariness of the act in interactional parlance alongside its relative unlikeliness to be seen as problematic when confronted. It is this possibility of defense and justification in the face of being challenged that makes blasé and its ambiguous parameters worthy of our attention in identity jurisprudence. This exploration of the blasé response to discrimination sheds light on the opportunities available for revealing structural inequalities when analysis begins from the perspectives of peripheral actors.
O artigo objetiva estudar a compatibilidade dos pressupostos da Análise Econômica do Direito com os fins da pena aplicada à pessoa jurídica, enquanto instrumento de sustentabilidade ambiental a partir de uma noção de Ciência conjunta do Direito Penal. A responsabilidade penal da pessoa jurídica, a par de todas as polêmicas doutrinárias que ainda hoje suscita no Direito Penal positivo brasileiro, é uma realidade reconhecida pelo ordenamento jurídico-constitucional e, para além disso, um compromisso político-criminal assumido pelo Brasil no cenário internacional, especialmente como uma medida de promoção da sustentabilidade ambiental que faz da prevenção delitiva um norte de atuação. Neste contexto, supõe-se que, sob a influência da Teoria Econômica do Crime, as penas aplicadas às pessoas jurídicas na esfera ambiental devem incorporar fins preventivos de natureza pecuniária. A pesquisa se utiliza do método dedutivo e aplica a técnica de revisão bibliográfica com ênfase nas doutrinas nacional e estrangeira, para afirmar que a utilização dos postulados da Análise Econômica do Direito, enquanto instrumento teórico destinado à prevenção delitiva no âmbito do Direito Penal ambiental, pode ser uma possibilidade de enfrentamento ao problema do déficit de imputação em face da criminalidade corporativa. Na verdade, as tentativas de prevenção desta espécie de criminalidade revelam-se como oportunas e necessárias, tendo em vista o alto potencial de dano social que acarreta. Este debate, entretanto, deve ser essencialmente crítico, ponderando eventuais pontos positivos e, também, negativos da experiência comparada nas tradições europeia continental, latino-americana e norte americana.
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