De toepassing van neutralisatie: Een vergelijking tussen voormalig jeugdige veelplegers en studenten.

Abstract

The neutralization theory, developed by Sykes and Matza (1957), has played an important role in criminology, as it is one of the most popular theories in this field. In this study, twenty former youth delinquents are compared with twenty students regarding their use of neutralization. The difference in use of neutralization techniques and the process of neutralization were examined in this research. 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted among students (M=22,9) and 20 structured interviews among 20 former youth delinquents (M=22,6) from secondary data were used for comparison. No previous comparative research has been conducted regarding neutralization. Qualitative analysis showed that both groups used neutralization and that neutralization techniques were used differently among the groups. This suggest that having a criminal record can influence the use of neutralization. A possible subcategorization of neutralization techniques is given. Furthermore, this study has striven to provide an inelaborate scheme of the neutralization process, which previous research has failed to provide. Obtaining a ‘fixed mindset’ on a certain neutralization, is an important factor in the maintenance of the neutralization. Further research is needed, as this research suggests that neutralization plays an important role in understanding the processes underlying youth delinquency.