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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Exploring Places Of Street Drug Dealing In A Downtown Area In Brazil: An Analysis Of The Reliability Of Google Street View In International Criminological Research, Elenice De Souza Oliveira, Ko-Hsin Hsu Apr 2019

Exploring Places Of Street Drug Dealing In A Downtown Area In Brazil: An Analysis Of The Reliability Of Google Street View In International Criminological Research, Elenice De Souza Oliveira, Ko-Hsin Hsu

Elenice De Souza Oliveira

This study assesses the reliability of Google Street View (GSV) in auditing environmental features that help create hotbeds of drug dealing in Belo Horizonte, one of Brazil’s largest cities. Based on concepts of “crime generators” and “crime enablers,” a set of 40 items were selected using arrest data related to drug activities for the period between 2007 and 2011. These items served to develop a GSV data collection instrument used to observe features of 135 street segments that were identified as drug dealing hot spots in downtown Belo Horizonte. The study employs an intra-class correlation (ICC) statistics as a measure …


Parental Influence On Youth Violent Video Game Use, Whitney Decamp Dec 2018

Parental Influence On Youth Violent Video Game Use, Whitney Decamp

Whitney DeCamp

Violent video games have been the subject of much news and analysis. One area of the debate, particularly in legal arenas, has been whether parents have or should have control over what games their children play. Despite such debates, only limited empirical research has examined whether parents actually do have influence over what games their children play or how much they play them. Using cross-sectional data from large-samples of American high-school and middle-school students, this study examines parental influences on violent video game play and the role of perceived parental opinion of violent video games. Results suggest that parental attachment …


New Uri Journal Explores Sexual Exploitation, G. Wayne Miller, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Apr 2017

New Uri Journal Explores Sexual Exploitation, G. Wayne Miller, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

With large global reach already, the journal Dignity is first of its kind in the world. A new journal devoted to the broad examination of sexual exploitation, violence and slavery has been launched by a prominent University of Rhode Island professor and researcher Donna M. Hughes. Since its debut last year, the first-of-its-kind online journal Dignity has been a global success, with people from more than 100 countries downloading articles, according to URI. 


New Hampshire Juvenile Sex Trafficking Survivor Urges Representatives To Vote Against Decriminalized Prostitution, Darlene Pawlik, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Feb 2017

New Hampshire Juvenile Sex Trafficking Survivor Urges Representatives To Vote Against Decriminalized Prostitution, Darlene Pawlik, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

I am a juvenile sex trafficking survivor. I was sold here in New Hampshire and other states as well. This is happening now too. Even with a law against prostitution, the more egregious elements are prevalent. Trafficking is not separate from prostitution, it is just the darker side of the very same coin. 


Sex Industry Advocates Aim To Decriminalize Prostitution In New Hampshire, Kelly Roy-Williams, Lisa Thompson, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Feb 2017

Sex Industry Advocates Aim To Decriminalize Prostitution In New Hampshire, Kelly Roy-Williams, Lisa Thompson, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

There is an organized effort in New Hampshire to fully decriminalize prostitution. What that means is that all laws controlling the buying and selling of sex will be removed from the law books, making prostitution legal. Law enforcement and public officials will then have no control over if, when, and where prostitution occurs, whether it’s in massage parlors (often called spas), hotels, apartments, residences, or strip clubs. Because commercial sex will be legal, pimps and “sex workers” will be able to freely advertise prostitution services. Pimps will be able to openly recruit women and girls into prostitution, without fear of …


Bibliography Of Sources On Prostitution Decriminalization In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq Feb 2017

Bibliography Of Sources On Prostitution Decriminalization In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq

Donna M. Hughes

A bibliography of sources on the research we did on prostitution and sex trafficking and the advocacy work we did to end decriminalized prostitution. For 29 years prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island (if it occurred indoors). Sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls were integrated into economic development. The number of sex businesses grew rapidly and organized crime groups operated brothels and extorted money from adult entertainment businesses. Rhode Island became a destination for pimps, sex traffickers, and other violent criminals. The lack of laws impeded police from investigating serious crimes, including sex trafficking


Dignity, Table Of Contents, Special Issue, Freedom From Sexploitation, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Dec 2016

Dignity, Table Of Contents, Special Issue, Freedom From Sexploitation, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


Decriminalized Prostitution: Impunity For Violence And Exploitation, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Dec 2016

Decriminalized Prostitution: Impunity For Violence And Exploitation, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

This paper is a case study of decriminalized prostitution. For 29 years (1980 to 2009) prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island. Lack of laws or regulations created a permissive legal, economic and cultural environment for the growth of sex businesses. During this time, sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls were integrated into the economic development of urban areas. The number of sex businesses grew rapidly during this time period. Organized crime groups operated brothels and extorted money from adult entertainment businesses. Rhode Island became a destination for pimps, traffickers, and other violent criminals. The lack of laws impeded …


The Impact Of Degree Of Exposure To Violent Video Games, Family Background, And Other Factors On Youth Violence, Whitney Decamp, Christopher J. Ferguson Dec 2016

The Impact Of Degree Of Exposure To Violent Video Games, Family Background, And Other Factors On Youth Violence, Whitney Decamp, Christopher J. Ferguson

Whitney DeCamp

Despite decades of study, no scholarly consensus has emerged regarding whether violent video games contribute to youth violence. Some skeptics contend that small correlations between violent game play and violence-related outcomes may be due to other factors, which include a wide range of possible effects from gender, mental health, and social influences. The current study examines this issue with a large and diverse (49% white, 21% black, 18% Hispanic, and 12% other or mixed race/ethnicity; 51% female) sample of youth in eighth (n=5,133) and eleventh grade (n=3,886). Models examining video game play and violence-related outcomes without any controls tended to …


Who Plays Violent Video Games? An Exploratory Analysis Of Predictors Of Playing Violent Games, Whitney Decamp Dec 2016

Who Plays Violent Video Games? An Exploratory Analysis Of Predictors Of Playing Violent Games, Whitney Decamp

Whitney DeCamp

For roughly two decades, academics, politicians, and the media have debated the relationship between playing violent video games and engaging in violent acts. Despite the extensive attention paid to this possible outcome, no such spotlight has been placed on what leads to youth playing violent video games, which would provide the necessary context for potential later effects. The present study uses five datasets that include over 19,000 American youth in fifth through twelfth grades to provide an exploratory, inductive investigation into the predictors of playing violent video games. The results identify several themes of predictors of violent game play, including …


School Violence In China: A Multi-Level Analysis Of Student Victimization In Rural Middle Schools, Jennifer Adams, Emily C. Hannum Dec 2016

School Violence In China: A Multi-Level Analysis Of Student Victimization In Rural Middle Schools, Jennifer Adams, Emily C. Hannum

Emily C. Hannum



 Motivation: Physical victimization at school is little studied in impoverished developing country contexts. Moreover, the role of school and classroom contexts as risk factors remains poorly understood. 
 
Purpose: The aim of the study is to investigate the prevalence of physical victimization in rural Chinese middle schools as well as the individual, teacher/classroom, and school level risk factors associated with experiencing physical victimization.
 
Design: We use two waves of longitudinal, representative survey data to perform a multi-level logistic regression analysis of physical victimization among middle school students from 100 villages in one of China’s poorest provinces. We focus on …


Dignity, Vol 1, Issue 1, 2016, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Nov 2016

Dignity, Vol 1, Issue 1, 2016, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Table of Contents, Volume 1, Issue 1, 2016, Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence.


Welcome To Dignity, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2016

Welcome To Dignity, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


Honor, Ritual And Violence In Ice Hockey, Kenneth Colburn Jan 2016

Honor, Ritual And Violence In Ice Hockey, Kenneth Colburn

Kenneth D. Colburn

This paper examines the symbolic or expressive dimension to illegal assaults among players in ice hockey. Based upon the author's qualitative field research in Toronto and Indianapolis, a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate violence is proposed to account for the fact that players distinguish the fist-fight in ice hockey from other violent acts. The fist-fight is formulated as a social ritual involving respect and honor among players to explain this fact, qualities which are absent in other types of assaults. Some of what has been labeled by previous researchers as hockey violence, it is suggested, should be viewed as an …


A Hidden Life, Matthew Schmalz Aug 2015

A Hidden Life, Matthew Schmalz

Mathew Schmalz

The author recalls a former student whose traditional Catholic devotion celebrated the hidden life, a life cut short by domestic violence.


Pretty Woman: Twenty-Five Years Of Lies About Prostitution, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Apr 2015

Pretty Woman: Twenty-Five Years Of Lies About Prostitution, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


Decriminalized Prostitution In Rhode Island: Impunity For Violence And Exploitation, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq Dec 2014

Decriminalized Prostitution In Rhode Island: Impunity For Violence And Exploitation, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq

Donna M. Hughes

For 29 years (1980 to 2009) prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island. Lack of laws or regulations created a permissive legal, economic and cultural environment for the growth of sex businesses. During this time, sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls were integrated into the economic development of urban areas. The number of sex businesses grew rapidly during this period. Organized crime groups operated brothels and extorted money from adult entertainment businesses. Rhode Island became a destination for pimps, traffickers, and other violent criminals. The lack of laws impeded police from investigating serious crimes.


Impersonal Agencies Of Communication: Comparing The Effects Of Video Games And Other Risk Factors On Violence, Whitney Decamp Dec 2014

Impersonal Agencies Of Communication: Comparing The Effects Of Video Games And Other Risk Factors On Violence, Whitney Decamp

Whitney DeCamp

In the debated topic of violent video games and violent behavior, empirical evidence has been mixed. Some studies support the assertion that there is a causal or correlational link between gaming and violence, while others do not find such support. Recent advances have demonstrated that adequately controlling for background characteristics that might result in a selection bias decrease the effect sizes. However, it remains unclear how strong of an effect video game playing has in comparison to other risk factors. The present study uses data from over 6,000 eighth grade students to examine the effects of playing violent games. Using …


Women's Reaearch And Action Group, Report Of Activites, Professor Vibhuti Patel Nov 2014

Women's Reaearch And Action Group, Report Of Activites, Professor Vibhuti Patel

Professor Vibhuti Patel

WRAG commenced in 1993 in the context of very active public discourse about Muslim women’s rights under family law (in the wake of Supreme Court judgment in Shah Bano’s case where a 70-odd year old woman was granted maintenance from her husband who had divorced her). WRAG was also established soon after the destruction of Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992, subsequent to which there were attacks against the Muslim community in many parts of India including Mumbai. In this context, WRAG felt the need to understand Muslim women’s perspectives on family laws that govern them. It commenced, in 1994, …


Annotated Bibliography: Cruelty To Animals And Violence To Humans (1998-2013), Erich Yahner Sep 2014

Annotated Bibliography: Cruelty To Animals And Violence To Humans (1998-2013), Erich Yahner

Erich Yahner

No abstract provided.


A Comparison Of Police Processing Reports For Juvenile Graffiti Offenders: Societal Implications, Myra Taylor, Umneea Khan Apr 2014

A Comparison Of Police Processing Reports For Juvenile Graffiti Offenders: Societal Implications, Myra Taylor, Umneea Khan

Myra F Taylor

This paper reports on a Western Australian Police database investigation into gender, age and offence type differences in the processing reports recorded for 1060 juvenile graffiti offenders. The findings reveal no significant differences exist in the processing reports recorded for male and female juvenile offenders. However, the recorded offences committed by 10–12 year old preteen offenders differ significantly from those of 13–14 year old early adolescent and 15–17 year old late adolescent offenders. In light of these differences, the possibility of affording greater processing discretionary powers to Police when dealing with preteen graffiti offenders is discussed.


Navigating Community Institutions: Black Transgender Women's Experiences In Schools, The Criminal Justice System, And Churches, Louis Graham, Halley Crissman, Jack Tocco, William Lopez, Rachel Snow, Mark Padilla Apr 2014

Navigating Community Institutions: Black Transgender Women's Experiences In Schools, The Criminal Justice System, And Churches, Louis Graham, Halley Crissman, Jack Tocco, William Lopez, Rachel Snow, Mark Padilla

Louis F Graham

Young transgender women, especially those of color, are negatively impacted by suicidality, HIV, residential instability, survival sex work, and other challenges. This study used an oral narrative approach to collect life histories of 10 young black transwomen between 18 and 24 years of age residing in Detroit, Michigan. This study used grounded theory analysis to explore institutional violence, discrimination, and harassment (VDH). Participants described their experiences navigating three community institutions (schools, the criminal justice system, and churches) and broader society. Results highlight VDH through gender policing at school, sexual victimization in the criminal justice system, and negative judgment of gender …


Border Militarizonaion And Health: Violience, Death And Security In Mexico And The United States, Jeremy Slack, Daniel E. Martinez, Scott Whiteford, Alison Lee Jan 2014

Border Militarizonaion And Health: Violience, Death And Security In Mexico And The United States, Jeremy Slack, Daniel E. Martinez, Scott Whiteford, Alison Lee

Scott Whiteford

Authors examine violence as a health issue on the U.S./Mexico border, with a special focus on border enforcement and security.


Combating Terrorism On The Free Highway, Raphael Cohen-Almagor Nov 2013

Combating Terrorism On The Free Highway, Raphael Cohen-Almagor

raphael cohen-almagor

The Internet has enabled transnational jihad based on a decentralized network that overcomes the limitations of face-to-face interaction. Terrorists are making the most of the Internet to: 1) find essential information, 2) communicate, and 3) coordinate among each other in order to wage violent anti-social operations.


Addressing Economic Devastation And Built Environment Degradation To Prevent Violence: A Photovoice Project Of Detroit Youth Passages, Louis Graham, Armando Reyes, William Lopez, Alana Gracey, Rachel Snow, Mark Padilla Jan 2013

Addressing Economic Devastation And Built Environment Degradation To Prevent Violence: A Photovoice Project Of Detroit Youth Passages, Louis Graham, Armando Reyes, William Lopez, Alana Gracey, Rachel Snow, Mark Padilla

Louis Graham

This project increased awareness about issues of violence to youth, their communities, and policy makers through the technique of photovoice and its translation into photo exhibitions and other community events. Youth participants learned photography skills, engaged in critical communal discussions about important issues affecting their health, wrote reflective stories about their photos, and engaged in policy change efforts. Their photos depict the need to address economic devastation and built environment degradation to prevent violence in their communities. Youth presented policy makers and community leaders with an “insider’s perspective” of the issues facing their communities, with the hope of promoting policy …


The Cultural Sociology Of Human Rights, Mark D. Jacobs, Lester R. Kurtz Jan 2013

The Cultural Sociology Of Human Rights, Mark D. Jacobs, Lester R. Kurtz

Lester R. Kurtz

These cases of China, Occupy, and Gandhi suggest the value of the sociology of culture for understanding human rights. Since human rights is a cultural construct, human rights issues are in-flected by the same set of semantic tensions as the culture concept itself. The sociology of culture thus recommends a method for studying human rights: to explicate--indeed, to weave into an exegetical deep structure--those various tensions. This helps to see beneath the distortions that power and other forms of domination introduce into the discourse of human rights, and to recognize the full multiplicity of interests and voices.


Causal Or Spurious: Using Propensity Score Matching To Detangle The Relationship Between Violent Video Games And Violent Behavior, Whitney Decamp, Kevin Daly Dec 2011

Causal Or Spurious: Using Propensity Score Matching To Detangle The Relationship Between Violent Video Games And Violent Behavior, Whitney Decamp, Kevin Daly

Whitney DeCamp

Throughout the past decade, numerous states have passed legislation to prohibit the sale of violent video games to children, usually in conjunction with an argument that exposure to violent media increases violent behavior. However, the link between video games and violence is not yet fully understood. This study uses propensity score matching as a method to more adequately address the underlying issue of causality. Using a sample of 6,567 8th grade students, these analyses test whether there is a causal link between playing violent video games and violence, non-violent deviance and substance use. Results indicate a substantial decrease in the …


Cleveland Schools Social Skills Training Program Showing Positive Results, David Volosin, Oscar T. Mcknight, John Sikula Jun 2011

Cleveland Schools Social Skills Training Program Showing Positive Results, David Volosin, Oscar T. Mcknight, John Sikula

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

This article reports on research conducted in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District by the Society for Prevention of Violence (SPV). A total of 1500 students and 150 teachers participated in a social skills training program. Statistically significant positive results were found over the course of the 2009 - 2010 school year. A positive change in the school environment was documented via a thirty-five item learning survey. Because of the positive results, during the 2010 - 2011 school year, SPV's social skills training program is being implemented in all three Parma middle schools.


Predictors Of Engagement In Acts Of Conflict And Aggression Among The General Public., David May, Nathan Lowe Dec 2010

Predictors Of Engagement In Acts Of Conflict And Aggression Among The General Public., David May, Nathan Lowe

David May

The purpose of this article is to use empirical research and theory to investigate the context that may provoke individuals to engage in acts of conflict and aggression. A random sample of the general public from a midsouthern state was surveyed to explore this inquiry. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of reaction to a number of situations that often lead people to engage in conflict and/or aggression with other people. Several sociodemographic factors served as control variables in the study. The findings of the Pearson product–moment correlations suggest that respondents were more likely to report that they would …


Workplace Violence, Wayne Petherick, Brent Turvey Aug 2010

Workplace Violence, Wayne Petherick, Brent Turvey

Wayne Petherick

Extract: Workplace violence is defined by one authority as "violence or the threat of violence against others" (OSHA 2002, 1). Because of sensational coverage by the popular media, the public perception of the frequency of different incarnations of workplace-related violence, such as homicide, is likely to be greatly distorted. Watching the evening news, it is not difficult to understand why. In our present culture, where sexuality, violence, and fear are valuable retail commodities, the workplace is routinely characterized with one or more of these when given airtime or column space. Stories without such marketable traits are seldom featured.