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Fines, Fees, and Families: Monetary Sanctions As Stigmatized Intergenerational Exchange.
Veronica L Horowitz1, Ryan P Larson2, Robert Stewart3
1Department of Sociology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, USA.
The Sociological Quarterly
|August 22, 2025
Summary
Court-imposed monetary sanctions create financial strain and anger across generations. Parents with children experience stress, prioritizing basic needs over debt, impacting family well-being.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Criminology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Monetary sanctions are common legal punishments, yet their intergenerational effects are understudied.
- Existing research on punishment and families primarily focuses on imprisonment.
- This study addresses the gap by examining financial sanctions' impact on families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the intergenerational consequences of court-imposed monetary sanctions.
- To conceptualize the payment of monetary sanctions as stigmatized financial transfers within families.
- To analyze the experiences of individuals burdened by these sanctions and their family dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing 70 semi-structured interviews.
- Participants were individuals (debtholders) subject to monetary sanctions in Minnesota.
- Analysis focused on perceptions and experiences of financial strain and intergenerational support.
Main Results:
- Adult children providing financial assistance reported anger and strain.
- Parents with minor children expressed hopelessness and stress due to prioritizing basic needs over sanctions.
- Monetary sanctions create significant financial and emotional burdens impacting family relationships.
Conclusions:
- Monetary sanctions have profound, negative intergenerational consequences.
- These sanctions function as stigmatized transfers, straining family financial exchanges.
- Findings have implications for legal research, policy, and family support systems.
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