Perception of crime and the image of offenders
Exhibition "It's getting worse..." from 8 June to 6 August 2023 in the TIETZ Central Library - accompanying lectures on 14 and 20 June, both at 6 pm
From today, the poster exhibition of the Centre for Criminological Research Saxony (ZKFS) "It's getting worse..." can be seen in the Central Library at the TIETZ. The ZKFS conducted a Germany-wide study with more than 5,000 respondents on the perception of crime and offenders. The exhibition presents the results of this study. It is also accompanied by two scientific lectures.
Police-registered offences in Germany fell for many years, but rose again for the first time in 2022: more registered burglaries, more registered youth violence, more cybercrime. The fear of crime has always been high over the years, seemingly regardless of these figures. What is the connection between actual and perceived crime? And what other factors play a role in the fear of crime?
From a criminological perspective, the perception of criminal offences, offenders and criminality is strongly influenced by threat perceptions, ideological and political attitudes and stereotypes. In addition, there are social factors that influence this perception, such as demographics, neighbourhood, social status and actual criminality.
Lectures on the exhibition:
Wednesday, 14 June, 6 p.m.
"Between fear and trust - the perception of crime, its causes and consequences"
Venue: TIETZ, event hall
Admission: free of charge
Prof Dr Frank Asbrock, Director of the ZKFS and Chair of Social Psychology at Chemnitz University of Technology, will talk about the discrepancy between actual and perceived crime trends in Germany and Saxony. He will discuss the possibilities and limitations of crime statistics as well as the causes and consequences of the fear of crime and the effects on trust in state institutions.
Tuesday, 20 June, 6 p.m.
"Of pigeonholes and criminals - how stereotypes influence our perception"
Venue: TIETZ, event hall
Admission: free of charge
In her lecture, Dr Deliah Bolesta, research associate at the ZKFS, will shed light on the role of stereotypes in the perception of crime and offenders. She will present the results of a study that looks at stereotypes about offenders in the general population. Various groups were identified that differ significantly in their perception of crime and offenders and that do not correspond to the characteristics of actual police-registered offenders in Germany.