Sarah stole nail polish and lipstick from Wal-Mart. Even though she generally thinks stealing is wrong, she justified her act by stating that the store has a lot of money and will not even miss such small items. According to Sykes and Matza, she has justified her delinquent act with a:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sarah's justification is a "denial of injury," as she argues that her actions do not cause harm because the store will not miss the small items she stole. This rationalization minimizes the perceived wrongfulness of the act by suggesting no real harm was done.

Sarah Stole Nail Polish and Lipstick from Wal-Mart