Applied criminology research

Applied criminology research

From Criminal Mentality to Cinematic Representation: A Phenomenological Reading of Neutralization Techniques theory

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Abbas Shiri 1
Mohsen Hamidipour 2
1 Associate professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology , Faculty of Law and Political Science, Tehran University, Iran(Corresponding Author). Email:Ashiri@ut.ac.ir
2 PhD Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law and political Science, Tehran University , Iran. Email:Mohsenhamidipour72@gmail.com
10.22034/aqcr.2025.2068161.1083
Abstract
Field and Aims: The study of crime through cultural and cinematic representations is one of the emerging trends in cultural criminology. It seeks, through the analysis of artistic narratives, to achieve a deeper understanding of the mental and moral mechanisms underlying the commission of criminal acts. The central research question of the present study is: How are techniques of neutralization manifested in cinematic representations of crime, and what relationship do they bear to the process of justifying criminal behavior?
Method: Using a descriptive-analytical approach grounded in the ethical phenomenology of criminal action, this research first elucidates the psychological and cognitive dimensions of neutralization techniques and then examines their reflection in cinematic narratives.
Findings and Conclusions: The results demonstrate that a phenomenological understanding of neutralization techniques can bring about transformative changes in criminal policy and criminal procedure. In other words, awareness of how crime emerges phenomenologically and how it is justified enables judges, investigators, and prosecutors—while adhering to the principle of individualization of punishment—to better comprehend the mental and moral state of the accused and make more appropriate use of mitigating institutions and lenient measures. Conversely, when dealing with white-collar offenders who deliberately employ neutralization techniques to distort reality, stricter aggravating factors and more resolute responses can be applied.Furthermore, recognizing the distinction between normative neutralization techniques (legitimate justifying factors) and non-normative ones can, at the societal level, contribute to developmental prevention and the internalization of ethical norms among the general public. Accordingly, the theoretical linkage between neutralization techniques and phenomenology not only opens new analytical possibilities in the study of cinematic narratives but also creates fresh capacities in criminal policy-making and the reform of judicial processes.
Keywords
Phenomenology
Criminology
Neutralization Techniques
Cinema
Moral Justification
Cultural Criminology
Lived Experience

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 06 August 2025
  • Revise Date 23 November 2025
  • Accept Date 25 November 2025
  • First Publish Date 29 November 2025
  • Publish Date 29 November 2025