Abstract

People consider potential risks and rewards while deciding whether to engage in crime. Such perceptions and their impact on behavior can vary according to individual differences like criminal self-efficacy, or one’s perception of criminal competency. We examine perceptions of skill, risk, and reward using semi-structured interviews with 46 women “shake and bake” meth cooks currently residing in a halfway house in Alabama. Those who expressed cooking self-efficacy identified many tangible and intangible rewards in meth cooking, which motivated them to persist. They believed the risks were lower and surmountable, employing various risk management strategies. Those who did not express cooking self-efficacy saw cooking as anxiety-inducing, rather than rewarding. They saw the risks as inevitable and made little effort to prevent them but continued cooking to maintain access to meth. Findings indicate that individual levels of criminal self-efficacy should be considered in studies of decision-making and in intervention and treatment strategies.

摘要

人们在决定是否参与犯罪时会考虑潜在的风险和回报。这种看法及其对行为的影响可能因个人差异而异，例如犯罪自我效能感或个人对犯罪能力的看法。我们通过对目前居住在阿拉巴马州中途宿舍的 46 名女性“摇晃和烘烤”冰毒厨师的半结构化访谈来检查对技能、风险和奖励的看法。那些表现出烹饪自我效能感的人在冰毒烹饪中发现了许多有形和无形的回报，这促使他们坚持下去。他们认为风险较低且可以克服，采用各种风险管理策略。那些没有表现出烹饪自我效能感的人认为烹饪会引起焦虑，而不是奖励。他们认为风险是不可避免的，并没有做出任何努力来防止它们，而是继续烹饪以保持获得冰毒的机会。研究结果表明，在决策研究以及干预和治疗策略中应考虑个人犯罪自我效能水平。