The scientific article reports findings from a longitudinal study assessing adolescents’ legitimization of mafia-type groups in Italy

Professor Giovanni Travaglino (Professor of Social Psychology and Criminology) is the lead author of a research assessing the socio-psychological and cultural bases of adolescents’ legitimization of mafia-type groups in Italy. The article is titled “Investigating the social embeddedness of criminal groups: Longitudinal associations between masculine honour and legitimizing attitudes towards the Camorra”.

Criminal groups are able to exert authority over territories, competing with the state in regulating social relationships and implementing norms within the community. To be effective, their authority needs to be grounded in legitimacy. This new research tested the hypothesis that criminal groups’ legitimacy derives from their ability to strategically embody values of masculinity and honor.

The research tracked the attitudes towards the Camorra (a local mafia group in Italy) of 1,173 Italian adolescents. It employed three measurements over a period of a year. The findings revealed that, over time, adolescents’ endorsement of masculine honor predicted and was strengthened by their views of the Camorra.  

The article contributes to the ERC-funded project “Secret Power”, which re-thinks and investigates the dynamics of criminal governance in Italy, the UK and Japan.

The open-access article can be read here.