Shaming, shame and recidivism: A test of reintegrative shaming theory in the white-collar crime context
Murphy and Harris tested Braithwaite's reintegrative shaming theory in a white-collar setting, using survey data from 652 tax offenders. Taxpayers who felt stigmatised rather than reintegrated during an enforcement event were more likely to reoffend. Those who felt the enforcement experience was reintegrative were less likely to report tax evasion two years later. Shame-related emotions partly explained the link between reintegration and later offending.
Murphy and Harris tested Braithwaite's reintegrative shaming theory in a white-collar setting, using survey data from 652 tax offenders. Taxpayers who felt stigmatised rather than reintegrated during an enforcement event were more likely to reoffend. Those who felt the enforcement experience was reintegrative were less likely to report tax evasion two years later. Shame-related emotions partly explained the link between reintegration and later offending.
Written from the abstract read 2026-10-26 via OpenAlex.
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Murphy, K., & Harris, N. (2007). Shaming, shame and recidivism: A test of reintegrative shaming theory in the white-collar crime context. British Journal of Criminology, 47(6), 900-917. doi:10.1093/bjc/azm037