Is Vigilantism on Your Mind? An Exploratory Study of Nuance and Contradiction in Student Death Penalty Opinion

Abstract

Death penalty opinion is multifaceted and controversial consequently students may feel social pressure when discussing their support or disapproval of capital punishment. Similarly, the research community has often used simplistic questions to measure death penalty opinion thus missing its complexity. In the current study, a survey that contained slightly different statements about the death penalty and vigilante forms of justice was administered to a convenience sample of 218 undergraduates at a large Midwestern university. Death penalty opinion varied according to the underlying justification used, and a substantial number of students indicated support for vigilantism as a partial basis for their opinion. Implications for research, teaching, and student understanding of the death penalty are discussed, namely, the need to explore substantive yet controversial issues in criminal justice education.

Keywords:

• Death Penalty Opinion
• Student Attitudes
• Vigilantism
• Retribution
• Capital Punishment