Violent Crime: A Symbolic Interactionist Study*

An empirically based analysis of violent crime is presented which suggests several things. First, persons commit violent criminal acts only after theyform one of four distinct types of interpretations of the situation. Second, the self images of violent actors fall into three basic types. Third, the types of self images that they hold are linked to the types of interpretations theyform. The conclusion drawn is that persons who commit violent crimes have one of three types of generalized others.