Techniques of Neutralization



Techniques of Neutralization

Introduction

In the lexicon of criminology , the psychology and social sciences , techniques of neutralization are a set of cognitive strategies, passive, enacted by actors criminals or simply deviant in order to cope with the psychological consequences arising from their place be conducted by a profile criminals or, in milder cases, transgressive behavior of social norms or legal .

The psychological distress which it is based, comes from friction with a value system: the reaction of 'neutralization' produces neither requires a reversal of the commonly accepted values, but rather, in a seemingly paradoxical, implies a de facto ' acceptance of the system of shared values. The "neutralization" are thus assumed the task of resolving cognitive dissonance, overcoming ("neutralize") the guilt and moral society, so as to safeguard their adherence to the underlying system of shared values, otherwise jeopardized by trigger gesture.

Discussion

The term was coined in the fifties by David Matza and Gresham Sykes, in an essay entitled A Theory of Delinquency (1957), with an analysis that took account of the system subcultural values ??in the world of deviance youth, but was recognized as the paradigm of the dominant culture of the entire system.

The same expression, always in criminological and sociological areas, is also used with reference to cognitive behavior implemented by the passive victims of crime, rather than by its protagonists: in this case is the reaction of the victim, which puts in place strategies neutralizing in order to weaken the discomfort deriving from its condition (Sacco, 2008).

The difficulties of considering criminal behavior as the result of a set of values ??and standards deviated (in other words, as the result of a situation in which the offender committed the offense defined as "fair") are empirical and theoretical . First, if indeed there was a criminal subculture in terms of which the offender is deemed illegal behavior as morally right, we could assume that the offender does not manifest feelings of guilt or shame or arrest or restraint on the contrary, the main reaction is manifest as anger or a sense of martyrdom. While some offenders react this way, the sense of martyrdom, in general, seems based on the fact that other "extricated themselves", while the outrage seems directed at the events and the lack of capabilities that led to the closure. But even more important that there is ample evidence to suggest that many offenders do experience a feeling of guilt or shame and its external manifestation, it must be dismissed as purely manipulative gesture to appease the authorities. Surely many of these tests are derived from clinical or opinions "impressionistic" and were provided by those who must deal directly with the young offender. If we are to assign some weight to this evidence, we must be careful, however, we can not ignore if we are to avoid falling into the crude stereotype of the juvenile offender depicted as the evil gangster in miniature.

Psychological and social Origin

The techniques of neutralization may not be powerful enough to fully ...