Social Psychological Influences on the Popularity of Amber Alerts

The AMBER Alert system enjoys widespread public support. Yet evidence suggests that the system may be ineffective and have unintended consequences. Because AMBER Alerts are illusory means of controlling crime, they may be conceptualized as “crime control theater” (CCT) and thus are indicative of a p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Criminal justice and behavior 2010-11, Vol.37 (11), p.1237-1254
Main Authors: Sicafuse, Lorie L., Miller, Monica K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptance
Attitudes
Crime prevention
Kidnapping
Popularity
Public opinion
Public support
Social cognition
Social norms
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The AMBER Alert system enjoys widespread public support. Yet evidence suggests that the system may be ineffective and have unintended consequences. Because AMBER Alerts are illusory means of controlling crime, they may be conceptualized as “crime control theater” (CCT) and thus are indicative of a problematic social tendency to address complex issues through simple solutions. This article utilizes principles of social cognition, attitudes, social norms, and symbolic interaction to predict that the AMBER Alert system will persevere despite its disadvantages. This analysis can help account for the popularity of other forms of CCT. It also highlights the need for future research aimed at elucidating the processes responsible for the acceptance of policies that are mere theater.
ISSN:0093-8548
1552-3594
DOI:10.1177/0093854810379618