Disrepute

Disrepute Definition

Disrepute is the negative status associated with criminal activity — the loss of good standing that comes from being linked to crime. Its effects can run in two contrasting directions. For some individuals it leads to rejection by mainstream society, as the stigma of a bad reputation shuts them out. For others it produces feelings of excitement and pride in possessing a “dangerous reputation,” so that the very disrepute that repels conventional society becomes a source of status within certain circles.