TY - JOUR PY - 2015// TI - Factors that influence death penalty support among university students in Bosnia and Herzegovina JO - Criminal justice studies A1 - Muftić, Lisa R. A1 - Maljevic, Almir A1 - Mandic, Ljubisa A1 - Buljubasic, Mirza SP - 297 EP - 313 VL - 28 IS - 3 N2 - Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) became an independent nation state in 1992 and abolished the death penalty six years later. Little is known about how Bosnians view the death penalty. This study addresses this gap in the literature. Utilizing self-reported survey data collected from 440 university students enrolled at the University of Sarajevo in 2009, we assess the degree of support for the death penalty and what factors predict this support among university students in BiH. Drawing from the broader punitivity literature, the following correlates are considered: individual characteristics (e.g. age and sex), individual experiences (e.g. fear of crime and prior victimization) and philosophical attitudes pertaining to punishment (e.g. deterrence, retribution, modernity and indifference). Among the students surveyed, roughly half (52.7%) were in support of the death penalty.

RESULTS from a series of multivariate statistical analyses reveals that only philosophical attitudes predict death penalty support after controlling for important individual characteristics and experiences. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1478-601X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2015.1030076 ID - ref1 ER -