Citation

Jacobs BA, Wright R. Crime Delinq. 2008; 54(4): 511-531.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0011128707307220

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Street robbery is widely seen as the epitome of acquisitive instrumentality, yet recent research suggests that the crime may be designed more to send a message than to generate capital. Drawing from in-depth, semistructured interviews with active offenders, we find that moralistic street robbery is a response to one of three types of violations. Market-related violations emerge from disputes involving partners in trade, rivals, or generalized predators. Status-based violations involve encounters in which the grievant's essential character or normative sensibilities have been challenged. Personalistic violations flow from incidents in which the grievant's autonomy or belief in a just world have been jeopardized. Discussion focuses on the data's implications for deterrence and the spread of urban violence.

Language: en