REDUCTION IN DRUNK DRIVING AS A RESPONSE TO INCREASED THREATS OF SHAME,EMBARRASSMENT, AND LEGAL SANCTIONS* |
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Authors: | HAROLD G GRASMICK ROBERT J BURSIK BRUCE J ARNEKLEV |
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Abstract: | In a recent paper we proposed a strategy for incorporating threats of shame and embarrassment, along with the threat of legal sanctions, into a rational choice perspective on illegal behavior. In this paper we use that approach in an attempt to account for a reduction in self-reported drunk driving observed in a community between identical surveys conducted in 1982 and 1990. The interval between the two surveys was a period of intense legislative activity and moral crusading at the national and local levels. Our analysis indicates that the reduction in self-reported drunk driving in the community is primarily attributable to an increase in the threat of shame for this offense. |
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