Growing reach of local news
Contributed to increased support for punitive remedies aimed at youth offenders
Reality of violent crime in mid-1990s
...Was that an individual's age and ethnicity could realistically be considered "threatening" attributes
Conclusion
People become more fearful of crime and more committed advocates of punitive measures for dealing with violent crime when the news media frame the issue in ways that highlight the juvenile and non-white attributes of perpetrators
Two relevant characteristics of individual perpetrators
Race and youth
Super predator hypothesis
States that minority offenders are especially threatening to the public
How is that people are more fearful of crime but at the same time are less willing to favor punitive measures when presented with youthful offenders?
- reasoned that preadults should not be held individually accountable for their actions
- gangs are collectives, making it difficult to pinpoint responsibility
Women and blacks
Two groups that were particularly fearful of crime, keeping in literature with victimization and fear of crime
juvenile criminals
individuals felt must less likely to punish such group when placed in the context of gang activity
Gang
Word which appears to associate crime with violence and youthful perpetrators
Criminal sentencing
Most severe in cases with black perpetrator and white victim
Visual and semantic cues
Condition public attitudes on crime