Public support for vigilantism: an experimental study

Haas, Nicole; Keijser, J.W. de; Bruinsma, Gerben

doi:10.1007/s11292-012-9144-1

Cited by 30 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Despite its relevance, empirical research on support for vigilantism is scarce and limited (cf. Tankebe 2009b, Haas et al 2012. Most research is based on public opinion polls (see Zimring 2003 for an overview in the US and Canada).…”

Section: Support For Vigilantismmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Public support for vigilantism, confidence in police and police responsiveness

Haas

Keijser

Bruinsma

2013

Policing and Society

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This article provides an empirical test of the common assumption that public support for vigilantism is affected by confidence in police. Aside from assessing the role of diffuse (general) confidence in police, we also tested whether police response on a situational level affects how the public views an act of vigilantism. Respondents (N 0385) were presented with a vignette about vigilantism. Using an experimental between-subjects design, we varied police responsiveness (high/low) to precipitating crime as well as vigilante violence (high/low). Diffused confidence in police was a significant predictor of support for vigilantism. Additionally, both experimental factors played an important role: low police responsiveness and low vigilante violence led to more support for vigilantism. Citizens are thus sensitive to situational variation when judging a crime. Our findings also emphasise the importance of police action on a local level for the formation of public opinion.

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Section: Support For Vigilantismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tankebe 2009b, Haas et al 2012. In this paper, we advance our understanding of support by conducting an experimental study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public support for vigilantism, confidence in police and police responsiveness

Haas

Keijser

Bruinsma

2013

Policing and Society

Self Cite

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“…Standard intensity questions of fear of falling victim of crime were used (see Farrall et al, 2009 Haas et al (2013) similarly linked 'diffuse support' for the police (specifically, generalized trust and confidence in the police) with support for vigilantism in the Netherlands (see also Haas et al, 2012).…”

Section: Fear Of Crimementioning

confidence: 99%

Going Outside the Law: The Role of the State in Shaping Attitudes to Private Acts of Violence

et al. 2012

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Why do people believe that violence is acceptable? In this paper we study people's normative beliefs about the acceptability of violence to achieve social control (as a substitute for the police, for self-protection and the resolution of disputes) and social change (through violent protests and acts to achieve political goals). Addressing attitudes towards violence among young men from various ethnic minority communities in London, we find that procedural justice is strongly correlated with police legitimacy, and that positive judgments about police legitimacy predicts more negative views about the use of violence. We conclude with the idea that police legitimacy has an additional, hitherto unrecognized, empirical property -by constituting the belief that the police monopolise rightful force in society, legitimacy can create a 'crowding out' effect on positive views of private violence. [131 words]

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“…In a worst-case scenario, active citizenship can derail into vigilantism (Johnston, 1996), without automatically assuming extra-legal acts of self-defence. Perceived breaches of social order and, in response, citizens' planned acts of force (actual or threatened) against the (alleged) perpetrator(s) of crime with the goal of offering assurances of security are a broader indicator of vigilante movements (Haas, 2010). As a consequence, the representativeness and legitimacy of local crime prevention initiatives can be seriously called into question.…”

Section: Discussion Of Citizen Participationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ‘hidden strength’ of active citizenship: The involvement of local residents in public safety projects

Steden

Caem²,

Boutellier

2011

Criminology & Criminal Justice

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The past two decades or so have seen a growing interest in 'active' (or 'responsible') citizenship within local public safety projects and programmes, but little is known about how such projects function in practice. Besides presenting theoretical debates on community safety projects, this article reports empirical insights into the wealth and variety of informal, citizen-based contributions, specifically to handling communal crime and disorder in Amsterdam, capital city of the Netherlands. Subsequently, it assesses the kind of lessons empirical studies provide about the importance of 'social capital' for public participation, the perils of social exclusion and the nature of relationships between citizens and professionals. It is argued that enthusiastic efforts of individual citizens are equally important, if not more so, than strong social ties. Moreover, in overall terms, active participation tends to have a significant bias in favour of the white, middleaged, middle-class population. Finally, benevolent citizens regularly encounter professional barriers and bureaucratic ceilings that inhibit their desire to participate. All rhetoric to the contrary notwithstanding, promoting genuine active citizenship is easier said than done.

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Public support for vigilantism: an experimental study

Cited by 30 publications

References 64 publications

Public support for vigilantism, confidence in police and police responsiveness

Public support for vigilantism, confidence in police and police responsiveness

Going Outside the Law: The Role of the State in Shaping Attitudes to Private Acts of Violence

The ‘hidden strength’ of active citizenship: The involvement of local residents in public safety projects

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