Nerve Management and Crime Accomplishment

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the theoretical import of nerve management for offender decision-making and crime accomplishment.

Methods:

Data were culled from in-depth, semistructured interviews with 35 active auto thieves.

Results:

Nerve management is best considered an intervening exercise in the threat perception process that moderates the fear-offending relationship through its effect on nervousness. Offenders draw from both cognitive and presentational tactics to this end. Such tactics include self-medication, shunting, fatalism, smoothness, and lens widening.

Conclusions:

Since nervousness is both caused by sanction threats and produces conduct that potentially neutralizes those threats, nerve management is best considered an agentic response that modifies the perception of risk itself.