The relationship between awareness and assessment of formal punishments and attitude toward Crime (Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan)

In recent decades, alongside increasing in rate and changing in types of crimes in Iran, the rate of formal related punishments or special crimes by penal system, have also increased. These punishments which sometimes had been performing publicly have different reactions in society and public opinion which are qualified for scientific and empirical inquiries. The aim of this survey is the assessment of formal punishments’effect on public attitude toward crime through “Deterrence principle” and “reinforcement of social integration” .The research population consists of all citizens above 18 years old in Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan. 171 people were selected from total population as the research sample by cluster sampling technique. Findings show that generally, Khomeini Shahr citizens have a negative attitude toward the spectrum of studied crimes. Furthermore, there is a relationship between awareness and assessment of execution of formal punishments with deterrence principle and reinforcement of social integration. Results were explained by theories of social control, social integration and deterrence.