THERE MUST BE SOME TYPE OF MISUNDERSTANDING, THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF MISTAKE: THE DEVIANCE DISAVOWAL STRATEGIES OF MEN ARRESTED IN INTERNET SEX STINGS (2008 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS)

Abstract

Revolutionary advances in telecommunications technology have created a “virtual world.” There are a variety of new social phenomena associated with this novel milieu. This represents an excellent opportunity for the discipline of sociology to revisit its descriptive roots. This is especially true for the sociology of deviant behavior because new forms of deviance are clearly related to technological innovations (e.g., Internet crimes against children, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying). The current undertaking examines the deviance disavowal strategies of men arrested in Internet sex stings. The data consisted of the videotaped police interrogations of 18 subjects, about half of whom were arrested in televised stings. The results indicate these men engaged in three disavowal strategies seeking to maintain a normal definition of self and manage the stigma of their arrest. Directions for future studies in the sociology of deviance are suggested.

This article represents a revised version of President Durkin's Presidential Address that was delivered to members of the Mid-South Sociological Association at the 34th Annual Meeting in Huntsville, Alabama on October 23, 2008. The author would like to thank Steven Hundersmarck and Ronald DeLong for their assistance with data collection, and Robert Carrothers for his helpful commentary on drafts of this manuscript.