Overcoming Moral Hurdles: Using Techniques of Neutralization by White-Collar Suspects as an Interrogation Tool

To better detect and prevent white-collar crime, it is important for investigators, security specialists, business managers, and other professionals to understand motivations behind how and why individuals participate in such behavior. This paper examines how techniques of neutralization are used by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSecurity journal Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 317 - 330
Main Authors Kieffer, Scott M, Sloan III, John J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Palgrave Macmillan UK 01.10.2009
Palgrave Macmillan
Subjects
Business ethics
Crime and Society
Criminal investigations
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Fraud
Juvenile delinquency
Neutralization
Original Article
Social Sciences
Theory
White collar crime
corporate ethics
fraud triangle
white-collar crime
techniques of neutralization
interrogation
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Summary:To better detect and prevent white-collar crime, it is important for investigators, security specialists, business managers, and other professionals to understand motivations behind how and why individuals participate in such behavior. This paper examines how techniques of neutralization are used by white-collar offenders to justify their behavior and minimize the guilt associated with engaging in illegal activity. Investigator recognition of common neutralizations used by white-collar offenders can help them during the interrogations of suspected offenders. Additionally, a proper understanding of neutralizations available to white-collar offenders can be used by businesses and other organizations to effectively design comprehensive employee ethics programs geared toward helping prevent illegal activity before it occurs.
ISSN:0955-1662
1743-4645
DOI:10.1057/palgrave.sj.8350087