Criminology Commons^™

Crim 204: Crime And Justice In The Urban Community In The New Millenium, Adrian Bordoni

Open Educational Resources

Lesson Plans for CRIM 204 Crime and Justice in the Urban Community, including all OER materials discussing Critical thinking; NYPD Patrol Guide and UCR statistics; Gangs as Deviant Groups and Sub-Cultures; Transnational Gangs; Drug Policies in the U.S.; Different types of Policing, Human Trafficking and Sexual Assault

Locked Up And Locked Out: True Stories Of Individuals Who Experienced The Intersection Between Homelessness And The Criminal Justice System, Jean Johnson

Senior Honors Projects

JEAN JOHNSON (Criminology & Criminal Justice)

Locked Up and Locked Out: True Stories of the Interlocking Cycle of

Homelessness and the Criminal Justice System

Sponsor: Jill Doerner (Criminology & Criminal Justice, Sociology & Anthropology), Heather Johnson (Writing & Rhetoric)

Key locks work when a key made with teeth is placed into a cylinder with a series of pins and tumblers. If you don’t insert the right key one or more of the pins will remain in the way, preventing the key from turning and the lock will remain closed. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, tens of …

Youth Involvement In Alternative Subcultures, Groups, Belief Systems, And Lifestyles: Examining International Police And Societal Response, Gordon A. Crews

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

This presentation comparatively examines relationships in the United States, Eastern and Central Europe, Scandinavia, and parts of the Middle East among juvenile violence, "heavy metal" music, substance abuse, and participation in occult and "alternative" youth groups (e.g., Wicca, Satanism, vampirism, Goth). We trace the movement of certain groups, behaviors, and preferences and make a correlation between some of these movements and an increase in youth violence and substance abuse. The authors use results from surveys and participant observations in the U.S., Copenhagen, Germany, the Netherlands, & the Middle East (Egypt & Turkey) that indicate, however, that mere participation in these …

Institutional-Anomie, Political Corruption, And Homicide Rates, Jerry K. Daday, Lisa M. Broidy, Dale Willits

Sociology Faculty Presentations

Messner and Rosenfeld’s institutional-anomie theory (IAT) has advanced our understanding of cross-national variation in homicide rates. Empirical tests of IAT have primarily examined how non-economic institutions alleviate or mitigate the mal-effects of economic inequality and economic deprivation. As economic institutions gain strength and dominance, non-economic institutions tend to weaken and are forced to accommodate the market. This creates an elevated state of institutional anomie that is conducive to higher violent crime rates. Most cross-national quantitative tests of IAT have examined the comparative strength of economic and social support institutions (especially social welfare) and find support for the theory. However, prior …

Legend Tripping As Field Research: Investigating The Connection Of “Satanic Tourism” To Juvenile Delinquency, Gordon A. Crews, Virginia Adame, Rochelle Andrews, Kofi Boye-Doe, Juna Green, Shawn Kirby, Ori Onazi, Jill Schalansky, Cale Urban, Justin Zabokrtsky

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

Gary Alan Fine and Jeffrey Victor (1994) defined “legend trips” as inherently delinquent juvenile activities at geographic sites associated with some tragic event, rumored to be supernatural or related to the occult. “Satanic tourism” is a type of legend trip characterized by juvenile involvement in pseudo-Satanic/occult behavior, such as drawing pentagrams, writing epithets, and burning candles. A juvenile may visit a geographic location such as an abandoned church, historic graveyard, or reputedly “haunted” site, and engage in mischievous, destructive, or “ritualistic” behaviors as “rites of passage.” These activities, which often are relatively harmless and conducted primarily for juvenile thrills, may …

Art Imitates Life: Violence And The Music Of Metal And Rap, Gordon A. Crews, Angela D. Crews

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

The purpose of this presentation is to explore the similar evolution's of Black Metal and Gangsta Rap musical genres. The authors argue the following similarities exist: 1) different cultures and statements being made, but violence is a common thread (outcomes of violence and societal responses), 2) the music and lyrics in both reflect their cultures, histories, and lives, and, 3) there is a strong musical and lyrical expression of violence related to the behavioral expression of violence among the artists and the fans in both genres. Finally, the authors question whether art imitates life or life imitates art.

The Emerging Problem Of Preppie Gangs In America, Gordon A. Crews

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

The purpose of this presentation is to examine the growing problem of "Preppie Gangs" in America. Involved youngsters generally come from the affluent upper class and participate in activities similar to traditional gang members. However, they tend to operate in a much safer environment than traditional street gangs and are predominantly "rich white kids". This paper will examine how these groups are currently manifesting themselves as Delinquent Gangs (Mimicking Other Street Gangs), Ideological Gangs (Specific Ideology or Belief System), or Occultic Gangs (Alternative Belief System Connections). Finally the unique issues of activities, causes, and solutions will be discussed .

Juvenile Gangs In Schools: Characteristics, Causes, And Possible Solutions, Gordon A. Crews

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

The purpose of this seminar is to acquaint participants with the ever-changing characteristics, often conflicting issues of causation, and various proposed solutions to the myriad of problems associated with gangs in schools. Special attention is given to the evolving nature of gangs in K-12 educational institutions (e.g., new types of juvenile groups developing and their associated behavior). Traditional subjects such as gang recruitment, initiation, and criminal activity are examined by discussing the many ways they manifest themselves in the school setting. Finally, a conceptual framework is presented by which a school can identify, understand, and begin to address a potential …