Public Opinion on Crime

Message Framing and Deliberative Democracy for a Progressive Consensus
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-041-07954-5
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 304 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: Routledge Studies in Crime and Society

Examining the inter-relationship between political rhetoric, reactionary governments and discriminatory ideologies, this book offers a fuller account of how our views on crime are formed.

From media headlines to community groups on social media, fear of crime permeates society. At its worst, societal anxiety manifests in public demands for ever harsher approaches to punishment, or the weaponizing of crime by exploitative political leaders. In either case, societies are often distracted from the real factors behind crime; poverty, hardship, abuse and lack of opportunity. Many researchers and policy makers recognise this harmful spiral, but struggle to answer the question: How do we create the conditions for better public debates on crime? This book explores public opinion theories highlighting a degraded civic and media debate on crime. As an antidote, the author presents evidence on how to hold better public conversations; using facts, emotion and message framing capable of shifting punitive attitudes towards a progressive consensus. It offers a unique perspective on the kinds of democratic changes needed, as well as new insight into the arguments people need to hear when discussing crime and justice. With major international elections being preoccupied with fear of crime, this contemporary analysis comes at a very important time and presents a roadmap to a fairer society and justice system.

Public Opinion on Crime will be of value to policy makers, students, third sector leaders and academics working on criminal justice reform. It will also appeal to practitioners involved in community services that are seeking public consent for work or those leading public consultations on behalf of public authorities at local and national level.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

McNeil, Thomas

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Kriminalsoziologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Kultur Öffentliche Meinung und Umfragen
• Rechtswissenschaften Strafrecht Kriminologie, Strafverfolgung
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Political Stagefright 2. The Punitiveness Problem 3. Mechanics of Opinion Formation 4. Deliberative Democracy: Enhancing Public ‘Crime Debates’ 5. Practising Deliberative Democracy 6. Progressive Shifts and Consensus: Evidence for Enhanced Public Dialogue 7. Deliberative Process: Persuasive Information and Civic Inspiration 8. Roadmap to Social Change

Über Autor(innen)

Tom McNeil is the Chief Executive of The JABBS Foundation for Women and Girls, a charity making strategic grants to help prevent women becoming caught in the criminal justice system. He is also appointed to the UK Ministry of Justice Women’s Justice Board. He is also a trustee of the Criminal Justice Alliance, and proud father.