Question

Neutralization theory suggests that people who break the law know

Answer 1

Neutralization Theorey was proposed by Sykes and Matza in the year 1957.People who break the law suffers from the feeling of guilt and shame. This theorey suggested that, when we actually did something wrong we always try to convince that, this is actually not our fault or my intention was not bad.we take the help of neutralization to protect or defend ourself.

Neutralization Theorey

The theorey was described by the criminologist Gresham Sykes and David Matza.They had try to elaborate the criminal apologies for their crime. Sometime people give excuses to defend from the guilt feeling.

Matza and Sykes have stated some strategy of this Neutralization theorey

Ignoring the Responsibility

According to an experiment Sykes and Matza stated that, Many Vilolent criminals like rapist, murderer always tried to give excuses to reducing the guilt feeling. Such as, ''It was not my intention, she made me do it''. By giving this kind of statement, criminals always try to defend themselves.

Denial of Injury

Criminals always try to claim that,'' no one is hurt by my actions''. Sometimes criminals admit their crime but always refuse to accept the fact that, Someone is Injured by his or her activity.Not only that some criminals even claim that he should not be punished for just doing a crime without hurting someone. This is kind of a strategy of Neutralization.

Try to Blame the Victim

Some criminals accept their crime but always claim that, the victim is only responsible for their crime. A significant research found that, A repist also claims in the court that, the fault is her, even she deserves more than that. This kind of behavior is used to reduce the feeling of guilt.

Condemn the Condemners

Criminals always ignore to admit their faults. Instead of pointing their own mistakes, they point out the mistake of others.Criminals also think that, they are not getting the proper justice for the Condemners. criminals sometime claims that, condemners are only responsible for their punishment.

Higher Loyality

Criminals often stated that, When they are breaking the socail norms, they are actually creating some new valuable socail norms. Although this kind of statement does not making any sence but criminals use this strategy to reducing the feeling of guilt.

After all the discussion it can be said that, neutralization is a technique to justify the violent behaviors.Sometimes criminal's lawyer also use this strategy to justify his or her client's behavior.