Digital Commons Network^™

How The Justice System Responds To Juvenile Victims: A Comprehensive Model., David Finkelhor, Theodore P. Cross, Elise N. Cantor

Crimes Against Children Research Center

The justice system handles thousands of cases involving juvenile victims each year. These victims are served by a complex set of agencies and institutions, including police, prosecutors, courts, and child protection agencies. Despite the many cases involving juvenile victims and the structure in place for responding to them, the juvenile victim justice system model presented in this Bulletin is a new concept. Although the juvenile victim justice system has a distinct structure and sequence, its operation is not very well understood. Unlike the more familiar juvenile offender justice system, the juvenile victim justice system has not been conceptualized as a …

Ipsative Score Distortion On Affinity 2.0, Alec J. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated distortion that occurs when raw scores are converted to ipsative scores on Affinity 2.0, a relatively new instrument for assessing sexual interest. Using a sample of 146 non-offending, heterosexual females, this study examined the characteristics of distorted ipsative score profiles and attempted to develop an algorithm to identify such distortions. A method was developed for defining distortion objectively. Of the 146 profiles,125 were found to contain some degree of distortion. Several hypotheses were formulated as to variables that might be related to distortion. These relationships were examined using Pearson Product Moment Correlations. Several statistically significant, but weak, …

8. The Science Of Child Sexual Abuse., Jennifer J. Freyd, Frank W. Putnam, Thomas D. Lyon, Kathryn A. Becker-Blease, Ross E. Cheit, Nancy B. Siegel, Kathy Pezdek

Thomas D. Lyon

“Apparently, I Am A Pedophile:” Living And Coping As A Child-Lover In The Netherlands, Andrew Extein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The term “pedophile” is among the most loaded and controversial in Western culture. In my study I seek to gain a better understanding of the men that would fall into the category of “pedophile,” a phrase that is more often than not misused and misrepresented by our society. To gain this insight I have interviewed six self-identified child-lovers or pedophiles about their life experiences with these feelings, how they came to realize their feelings, how they came to terms with their feelings, how they express their feelings, and how they cope with their feelings. The paper discusses and defines certain …

Psychological Patterns Among Roman Catholic Clergy Accused Of Sexual Misconduct, Thomas G. Plante, Arianna Aldridge

Psychology

A remarkable amount of international attention has focused on the sexual misconduct by Roman Catholic clergy in recent years. While the demographics and risk factor profiles of clergy sex offenders is now fairly well established, the psychological and personality profiles of these men are not. Very few empirical research studies have been published on the psychological and personality functioning of clergy who engage in sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological profiles of 21 Roman Catholic clergy who have confronted credible accusations of sexual misconduct. Relative to national norms, MMPI-2 results …

The Process And Meaning Of Sexual Assault Disclosure, Sharon G. Smith

Psychology Dissertations

Disclosure of sexual assault is a complicated process which depends upon a host of factors, such as assault characteristics, the victim’s interpretation, and the level of distress she experiences. Comprehensive theories of adult sexual assault disclosure have not been proposed. Most studies concentrate on a particular aspect of disclosure, such as outcomes of disclosure and reasons for disclosing versus not disclosing. A number of gaps exist in the current literature on adult sexual assault disclosure. These include the conceptualization of disclosure as a discrete or continuous variable; how it may evolve during stages of recovery; the progression of disclosure (e.g., …

Sexual Assault At Rowan University, Kathleen Oriti

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey about sexual assault at Rowan University and to compare the survey results with reports from the Rowan University Crime Incidents Log. Data were collected anonymously from 531 male and female students from the Glassboro campus of Rowan University. Twenty-two students indicated they were sexually assaulted on or off campus from 2001 to March 2005. Three off-campus victims reported to police. None of the on-campus victims reported the crime to Rowan officials. Based on the results of this study, 5.2% of female students and 1.8% of male students surveyed indicated they …

Cultural Differences In Body Image Shame Between Mainland American And Indigenous Hawaiian Children, Joshua James Boyd

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The present study investigated the level of body image shame in Mainland United States 4th and 5th grade children to indigenous Hawaiian 4th and 5th grade children using two cards (1 and 6) from the Thurston-Cradock Test of Shame. The hypotheses of this study were:

I. The mainland sample would score higher on overall shame than the Hawaiian sample.

2. The Hawaiian sample responses would reflect a neutral and/or effective resolution of shame and body image in their stories, whereas the mainland sample would present stories demonstrating higher shame themes with less effective resolution.

3. Hawaiian males/females would have lower …

Predictors Of Violent Behavior In An Early Adolescent Cohort: Similarities And Differences Across Genders, Jonathan L. Blitstein, David M. Murray, Leslie A. Lytle, Amanda Birnbaum, Cheryl L. Perry

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors assessed a cohort of 2,335 students from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area to identify predictors of violent behavior and to determine whether the predictors varied by gender. The sample was 76% White; boys and girls were equally represented. The majority lived with two parents. A measure of violent behavior collected at the end of the eighth-grade year (2000) was entered into Poisson regression against baseline data collected at the beginning of the seventh-grade year (1998). Predictors of violent behavior influencing both boys and girls included depressive symptoms, perceived invulnerability to negative future events, paternal nonauthoritative behavior, and drinking alcohol. …

An Examination Into The Effects Of Social Positioning And Capitalist Immersion On Gendered Attitudes Towards Homosexuality In The United States, Fiona J. Blee

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Previous research on attitudes towards homosexuality has concentrated on characteristics of individuals, and neglected the capitalist structure of society that provides the contextual setting for the creation and maintenance of cultural attitudes.

This thesis uses responses collected in the general social survey of the United States between 1993 and 1998, to provide a more comprehensive explanation of differences in attitudes towards homosexuality, through an analysis of social position and the capitalist agenda. The analysis revealed significant relationships between sex, age, race, income, beliefs regarding the domestication of women, and attitudes towards homosexuality.

The analysis showed that respondents categorized as black …

Does Shame Have A Critical Period? Examining Shame Dynamics In British Adolescents, Michael J. O'Friel

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research into the makeup and consequences of shame has burgeoned over the last thirty years as different studies have highlighted the destructive and maladaptive behaviors that can result from an individual's exposure to multiple shaming experiences. Limited research has focused on how culture filters the experience and effects of shame. Cross-cultural research is the 'zeitgeist' in the field of shame, propelling forward the need to gain greater awareness as to the prevalence and impact of shame across cultures. A sample of25 British children aged 9-10 and 25 British children aged 14-15 were asked to respond to a projective test of …

White-Collar Plea Bargaining And Sentencing After Booker, Stephanos Bibas

All Faculty Scholarship

This symposium essay speculates about how Booker's loosening of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines is likely to affect white-collar plea bargaining and sentencing. Prosecutors' punishment intuitions and the strong white-collar defense bar will keep white-collar sentencing from growing as harsh as drug sentencing, but the parallels are nonetheless ominous. The essay suggests that the Sentencing Commission revise its loss-computation rules, calibrate white-collar sentences to their core purpose of expressing condemnation, and adding shaming punishments and apologies to give moderate prison sentences more bite.

Investigating True And False Confessions Within A Novel Experimental Paradigm, Melissa B. Russano

Melissa B. Russano, Ph.D.

The primary goal of the current study was to develop a novel experimental paradigm with which to study the influence of psychologically based interrogation techniques on the likelihood of true and false confessions. The paradigm involves guilty and innocent participants being accused of intentionally breaking an experimental rule, or ‘‘cheating.’’ In the first demonstration of this paradigm, we explored the influence of two common police interrogation tactics: minimization and an explicit offer of leniency, or a ‘‘deal.’’ Results indicated that guilty persons were more likely to confess than innocent persons, and that the use of minimization and the offer of …

Intimacy, Orgasm Likelihood Of Both Partners, Conflict, And Partner Response Predict Sexual Satisfaction In Heterosexual Male And Female Respondents, R. Vernon Haning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Anonymous data provided by 417 female and 179 male sexually active heterosexual respondents showed that in long term sexual relationships sexual satisfaction was positively correlated with two different intimacy variables, the respondent’s orgasm likelihood, and the partner’s orgasm likelihood and negatively correlated with conflict in the relationship. All were significant predictors together in a multiple linear regression model. Empathic sexuality was defined as sexual response modulated by the sexual arousal or lack of arousal of the partner. Of 696 respondents, 90.3% reported empathic turn-on, 68% reported empathic turn-off, and 63.4% reported both empathic turn-on and turn-off, findings significantly different from …

Parents’ Perception Of The Mugc Graduate School Psychologist’S Ability To Be A Productive Member Of The Eligibility Committee And To Effectively Interpret A Psychoeducational Evaluation Report, Debra S. Henderson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The perception that Marshall University Graduate College produces students of school psychology that are well trained in the ability to develop a positive relationship with the parent during an eligibility committee meeting as well as in the interpretation of a psychoeducational report to parents was investigated. This study investigated the expectation levels and perceptions of parents when taking part in an eligibility committee meeting and when being explained a psychoeducational report by a school psychologist. The method of data collection included a survey developed in part from a survey used by permission that was originally created by Mac I. Barnett …

Exploratory Study Of Anger And Behavior In An Incarcerated Offender Population Utilizing The Mahan And Ditomasso Anger Scale, Robert John Marsh, Jr.

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The present study proposed to advance the treatment and assessment of anger disorders by exploring the properties of the Mahan and DiTomasso Anger Scale (MAD-AS). Previous research of the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the MAD-AS was conducted with inpatient (Mahan, 2001) and outpatient participants (Beardmore, 2003) . In the present study a psychometric investigation was undertaken utilizing 300 male incarcerated offenders. The MAD-AS correlated positively with the presence of antisocial and borderline personality disorders and with violent offenses. Those inmates with a history of violent offenses scored significantly higher than those convicted of nonviolent offenses on the MAD-AS. …

The Impact Of Sexual Abuse On Student Performance, Denelle M. Mcwherter

Graduate Research Papers

Child sexual abuse is a prevalent societal problem. Up to twenty five percent of children have been abused by the age of eighteen. Victims are significantly impacted academically, socially, and behaviorally. School counselors assume counseling, consulting, and coordinating roles as they assist victims, present prevention curriculum, and act as a referral source.

This paper addresses how sexual abuse affects victims and how counselors can assist victims in developing coping skills and increasing self esteem. In addition, how counselors can help foster a sense of belonging and safety for victims in the school setting will be described, with emphasis on how …

Book Review: Predators, Pedophiles, Rapists, And Other Sex Offenders By Anna Salter, Wendy A. Walsh

Sociology

No abstract provided.

Child-Pornography Possessors Arrested In Internet-Related Crimes: Findings From The National Juvenile Online Victimization Study., Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell

Crimes Against Children Research Center

The goals of the National Juvenile Online Victimization (N-JOV) Study were to survey law-enforcement agencies within the United States (U.S.) to count arrests for Internet-related sex crimes committed against minors and describe the characteristics of the offenders, the crimes they committed, and their victims. This report focuses on a representative national sample of arrested offenders who possessed child pornography.

An Observational Study Of Bail Decision-Making, Alfred Allan, Maria Allan, Margaret Giles, Deirdre Drake, Irene Froyland

Research outputs pre 2011

Pre-trial detention of defendants has important legal, human rights and practical implications for defendants, their families, and society and therefore the area justifies research scrutiny. However, there is a dearth of empirical studies of bail decision-making and most of them have been retrospective studies. Prior studies have nevertheless identified a number of purported shortcomings in bail legislation and decision-making. The rarely used observational methodology employed in this study provided data that are not normally available from official records. The first appearances of 648 defendants were observed in the lower courts in metropolitan Perth (Western Australia) to identify factors that play …

Criminal Prosecution And Civil Remedies For Victims Of Sexual Offenses: Amendment Of The Rape Shield Law, Carol E. Jordan, Elizabeth S. Hughes, Mary Jo Gleason

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

In 2003, the Kentucky Supreme Court adopted the amended KRS 412, effectively making the language of KRE 412 consistent with the analogous Federal Rule of Evidence 412. Now, as in federal court, the provisions of the Rape Shield Law apply in both criminal and civil cases to govern when and how evidence of a victim's alleged sexual behavior or sexual predisposition may be introduced. The article describes the intent of the original Rape Shield Law and the implications of its amended version in both civil and criminal cases.

The Effects Of Perceived Authority On Suggestibility In Interrogation-Like Situations: A Pilot Study, Renae Kotas, Derek Dehne

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

The effect of perceived authority on suggestibility was assessed. Two groups of participants were used, one receiving perceived authority and one receiving none. A military student dressed in fatigues administered the procedure to the first group and a civilian student in street clothes administered to the second. The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale was used to assess the suggestibility of each group. No significant difference between the groups was found.

The Positive Perspective On Youth Development, M. E. P. Seligman, M. W. Berkowitz, R. F. Catalano, W. Damon, J. S. Eccles, Jane Gillham, K. A. Moore, H. J. Nicholson, N. Park, D. L. Penn, C. Peterson, M. Shih, T. A. Steen, R. J. Sternberg, J. P. Tierney, R. P. Weissberg, J. F. Zaff

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Literature Review: Diagnostic Utility Of The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventories In Various Settings : The Detection And Effect Of Faking Good ; Research Project : The Impact Of Faking-Good On The Mcmi-Iii : Implications For Child Custody Evaluations, Paul Lenny

Theses : Honours

Research surrounding the ability of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI; Millon, 1977, 198 7, 1994) to detect faking good was reviewed; along with the effect faking has on diagnostic accuracy. Limited research indicates moderate success of the MCMI validity indices (VI) at detecting faking good. Suggested improvements include developing a fake-good profile combining the personality scales and VI and developing new base rate adjustments with populations likely to fake good. Faking good reduces the overall diagnostic accuracy of the test but determining local base rates of faking to produce optimal cut-offs for the VI would improve diagnostic utility. Future …

Responsibility For Unintended Consequences, Claire Oakes Finkelstein

All Faculty Scholarship

The appropriateness of imposing criminal liability for negligent conduct has been the subject of debate among criminal law scholars for many years. Ever since H.L.A. Hart’s defense of criminal negligence, the prevailing view has favored its use. In this essay, I nevertheless argue against criminal negligence, on the ground that criminal liability should only be imposed where the defendant was aware he was engaging in the prohibited conduct, or where he was aware of risking such conduct or result. My argument relies on the claim that criminal liability should resemble judgments of responsibility in ordinary morality as closely as possible. …

Relationships Among Performance On Simulated Tasks Of Decision-Making, Positive Outcome Expectancies For Mdma, And Age Of First Mdma Use, Scott Michael Patterson

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use patterns and beliefs, the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, and the Adult Self-Report (ASR). Sixty-eight college students completed measures of substance use, social desirability, the MDMA Beliefs Questionnaire (MDMA-BQ), the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, and the ASR. Contrary to predictions, participants who had used MDMA at least once did not vary from those who had never used MDMA on the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, or the ASR. As predicted, MDMA users’ outcome expectancies for MDMA significantly differed from non-users. MDMA-BQ scales and …