Citation

Gudjonsson GH, Pétursson H. J. Forensic Sci. Soc. 1991; 31(3): 349-352.

Affiliation

Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Forensic Science Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1744626

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between type of offence and the attributions offenders make about their criminal act. The subjects were 98 Icelandic criminals who had completed the Gudjónsson Blame Attribution Inventory. Significant differences in attribution were found between offender groups. Sex offenders and those who had committed acts of interpersonal violence reported most guilt about their offence and they attributed cause for their offence more to mental factors (eg, loss of self-control) than other types of offender. Violent offenders had the highest external attribution and sex offenders the lowest. The findings with regard to the three attributions are remarkably similar to those found previously for British offenders.

Language: en