NEUTRALIZATION AS A PROCESS OF GRADUATED DESENSITIZATION - MORAL VALUES OF OFFENDERS

This study explored neutralisation as a process of graduated desensiti sation, providing a theoretical link between the opposing tenets of ne utralisation theory and the subcultural theory of criminal behaviour p articipants were 95 adult male offenders who were categorised accordin g to type of offence (personal or property) and level of offending inv olvement (low or high). Offenders' excuse acceptance and offence appro val were examined for 5 offence situations. The results indicated offe nders' excuse acceptance varied as a function of their level of involv ement in crime. Specifically, for property offence situations, low-inv olvement property offenders reported higher excuse acceptance than did high-involvement property offenders, whereas for personal offence sit uations, low-involvement personal offenders reported higher excuse acc eptance than did high-involvement personal offenders. This finding par tially supported the graduated desensitisation hypothesis, providing a n empirical link between neutralisation and the subcultural theory of criminal behaviour.