Generation and Perceived Seriousness of Crime

Awareness of “public attitudes toward crime” has been considered by the philosophers of criminal law, social philosophers and social scientists in different cultures and communities. Since a “Same” Social Understanding of the importance, seriousness and severity of criminal behavior in a society does not exist, therefore the amount and type of social interactions, against deviance and criminal activities is different, so the effects and consequences of these differences must be investigated.
This study is a sectional survey about understand “perceived seriousness of crime” in context of Iran, the full transformation country, in both young and adult generation. Checking the relationship between perceived seriousness of crime and Value orientations is also one of the most important purpose of this study.
A definition of perceived seriousness of crime was applied in questionnaire administrated among a sample of 246 person (18 – 35 and 42 – 60 years old) resident of up, middle (center) and down Tehran in March 2014.
Results showed that the “Generation gap” about “attitudes toward crime” in our society does not exist and both generational groups almost give the high marks for crimes, in two wrongful and harmful Dimensions. Also there is a relationship between perceived seriousness of crime and Value orientations. It means a considerable amount of generation’s attitude toward crime is determined by their values.
Sociological and historical generation theories such as Mannheim and Inglehart were used to explain the aspects of this study.