Shaming Is An Effective Punishment

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Shaming is an Effective Punishment Shaming is a relatively new punishment to the criminal justice system in the United States, which means that the crime is dealt with by making he/she feel ashamed of his/her behavior and makes the perpetrator aware of his wrong doing, thus making the perpetrator feel that he must act appropriately in society or he/she will be more degrading to himself and to his family. In the world today public shaming makes convicted felons think twice about their actions. “Have you no shame, sir or maddam?” Well, convicted criminals who face public shaming do. “Steal from your employer in Wisconsin and you might be ordered to wear a sandwich board proclaiming your offense” (Kahan, 530). In some states public shaming is in effect as criminals chose public shaming as a punishment or jail. “If you drive drunk in Florida or Texas you might be required to place a conspicuous “DUI” bumper sticker to your car” (Kahan, 30). Shaming may seem like a cruel punishment but it is an effective punishment that demoralizes the criminal’s self-esteem and it is also very cheap. Shaming takes away one’s reputation looked upon by society. “People value their reputations for both emotional and financial reasons” (Kahan, 532). Shaming can be categorized as a form of deterrence. Shaming also has a deterrent effect on friends, family and the community as well as the morals and reputation of others around the perpetrator and the community as a whole. This could be a deterrent to others if they see someone they know being “shamed” by the community but that person may not do anything, because that person does not want to be associated with the offender because he or she may be “shamed” as well by the community and society as a whole for defending the offender. People may also feel that an act of violence such as physical or verbal abuse would be appropriate
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