ABSTRACT

The dangers associated with alcohol-impaired driving are well documented, most recently stabilizing at still problematic levels around 2010. Recent estimates indicate over 1 million annual DUI arrests. Researchers have primarily adopted quantitative approaches to identify common predictors of impaired driving. Few studies have systematically examined this group using qualitative data, specifically how they process the heavily stigmatized arrests and none have specifically examined these processes in online spaces. To fill this gap, a qualitative content analysis was conducted on over 600 DUI narratives from reddit. This study documents the stigmatizing effects of a DUI arrest and explores the utility of accounts and techniques of neutralization in negotiating impaired driving on a digital stage. Analyses suggest offenders utilize multiple strategies to deflect full culpability for their arrest, performing impression management through excuses, justifications, and techniques of neutralization to minimize responsibility for driving impaired, the reason for police contact, failed field sobriety tests, or illegal blood alcohol concentrations. These insights provide additional support for the utility of easily accessible online data as a fruitful arena for analyses of contemporary social problems.

摘要

与酒后驾驶相关的危险有据可查，最近在 2010 年左右稳定在仍然存在问题的水平。最近的估计表明，每年有超过 100 万人因酒驾被捕。研究人员主要采用定量方法来确定驾驶受损的常见预测因素。很少有研究使用定性数据系统地检查这个群体，特别是他们如何处理严重污名化的逮捕，并且没有人专门检查在线空间中的这些过程。为了填补这一空白，对来自 reddit 的 600 多个 DUI 叙述进行了定性内容分析。本研究记录了酒后驾车被捕的污名化影响，并探讨了账户和中和技术在数字舞台上谈判受损驾驶中的效用。分析表明，犯罪者利用多种策略来转移他们被捕的全部罪责，通过借口、理由和中和技术进行印象管理，以尽量减少对驾驶受损的责任、与警方联系的原因、现场清醒测试失败或非法血液酒精浓度。这些见解为将易于访问的在线数据作为分析当代社会问题的富有成果的舞台的效用提供了额外的支持。