Criminology Commons^™

Exposure To Intimate Partner Violence: Does The Gender Of The Perpetrator Matter For Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes?, Emily M. Wright, Abigail A. Fagan

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Youth who are exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) between their parents may be at increased risk for a multitude of behavioral and emotional problems, including mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and internalizing symptoms (Fergusson & Horwood, 1998; Finkelhor, Ormond, & Turner, 2009; Graham-Bermann, DeVoe, Mattis, Lynch, & Thomas, 2006; Zinzow et al., 2009). Research also suggests that males and females may react differently to being exposed to parental violence, although most of the findings in this area are mixed with regard to mental health outcomes. For instance, some evidence suggests that male witnesses …

Perceived Support, Belonging, And Possible Selves Strategies Among Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Colleen I. Murray

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Possible selves theory (Markus & Nurius, 1986) suggests that future-oriented expectations, fears, and strategies are constrained by feedback in one's sociocultural context. The current paper represents a preliminary look into the relationship between support in one's immediate context and the development of strategies for the achievement of desired future selves. Youthful offenders (N = 543) were surveyed in secured treatment facilities in Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. Program belonging was a consistent predictor of strategy generation among both males and females, and attributional support from a staff person was significant among males. The findings support further examination …

Does The Concentration Of Parolees In A Community Impact Employer Attitudes Toward The Hiring Of Ex-Offenders?, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Finding legitimate employment upon release from prison is an important, yet daunting, aspect of offender reentry. Researchers have argued that negative employer attitudes toward hiring ex-offenders act as a barrier during the job search process. This study explored existing attitudes of employers in their willingness to hire ex-offenders in the current labor market and determined whether these attitudes were dependent on the concentration of ex-offenders in the surrounding geographical community. Mail surveys and follow-up telephone contacts with a random sample of businesses that typically employ ex-offenders within 12 Texas zip-codes (six high parolee concentrations, six low parolee concentrations) were conducted. …

The Effects Of Neighborhood Context On Youth Violence And Delinquency: Does Gender Matter?, Abigail A. Fagan, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study examined the effects of neighborhood structural and social characteristics on offending among girls and boys aged 8–17 residing in 80 Chicago neighborhoods. The results demonstrated gender differences in contextual effects, although not in ways predicted by social disorganization theory. Collective efficacy and concentrated disadvantage were not significantly associated with self-reported offending among males. Among females, collective efficacy was related to higher rates of general delinquency and violence, while disadvantage reduced the likelihood of self-reported violence. These outcomes suggest that neighborhoods may impact individual offending in complex ways and highlight the importance of considering gender when researching contextual effects …

Juvenile Penalties For “Lawyering Up”: The Role Of Counsel And Extralegal Case Characteristics, Gaylene Armstrong, Bitna Kim

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The presence of counsel for juveniles in the courtroom seems advantageous from a due process perspective, yet some studies suggest that juveniles receive harsher dispositions when represented by an attorney. This study tested whether a “counsel penalty” existed regardless of attorney type and, guided by prior sentencing literature, used a more comprehensive model to determine the influence of extralegal and contextual factors that may amplify the counsel penalty. Utilizing official data from a Northeastern state in a multilevel modeling strategy, this study found that regardless of the type of counsel retained, harsher sentences were received as compared with cases in …

The Effects Of Exposure To Intimate Partner Violence On Children’S Development, Courtney A. Crittenden, Emily M. Wright, Abigail A. Fagan

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Previous research indicates that intimate partner violence (IPV) increases the likelihood of negative outcomes for children exposed to it, including the use of violence, drug use, and poor mental health. Yet this work often overlooks potential complexities in how IPV exposure may affect children’s development. For example, the impact of IPV may be felt immediately or develop over time; its effects may vary for boys and girls; and other life experiences may affect the extent to which exposure to IPV influences children’s outcomes. This article summarizes the main findings of a research project examining the degree to which exposure to …

Gender Differences In The Effects Of Exposure To Intimate Partner Violence On Adolescent Violence And Drug Use, Abigail A. Fagan, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objective

This study investigated the long-term effects of exposure to intimate partner violence in the home on adolescent violence and drug use and gender differences in these relationships. Although the general relationship between exposure to IPV and negative outcomes for youth has been demonstrated in past research, gender differences in the effects of IPV on adolescents have been rarely assessed using longitudinal data.

Methods

Longitudinal data was obtained from 1,315 adolescents and their primary caregivers participating in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). The sample was 51% female and ethnically diverse (45% Hispanic, 37% African-American, and 14% …

Factors To Consider For Optimal Span Of Control In Community Supervision Evidence-Based Practice Environments, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

In the face of budgetary constraints, legislative discussions in Iowa have focused on fiscal savings through an increased probation/parole supervisor to officer ratio, resulting in a reduced number of supervisory staff. Ramifications of this change, given the concurrent implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP), are unknown, given the lack of existing research on rubric for span of control decisions within community corrections agencies. Interviews with stakeholders in both Iowa and a national convenience sample led to a development of factors that should be considered in the future, including an agency’s level of task complexity, the workforce skill level, and the work …

Breaking The Criminogenic Code: A Frame Analysis Of Neo-Nazi And Violent Jihadi Propaganda, William Travis Morris

Student Work

This dissertation focuses on neo-Nazi and violent jihadi propaganda and its role in defining social boundaries. Frame analysis was used to gain a deeper understanding of how neo-Nazis and violent jihadis construct propaganda to neutralize objections and promote drift. Specifically, diagnostic and prognostic frames were analyzed for 10 "effective" propagandists and two "ineffective" propagandists in a comparative framework. This research uses a social psychological perspective, paying particular attention to the emotion of shame and advances the "violence as communication" model into "terrorism as criminogenic propaganda." Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze how neo-Nazi and violent jihadi propagandists incorporate …

The Tipping Point To Terrorism: Involvement In Right-Wing Terrorist Groups In The United States, Anne M. Stacey Reeser

Student Work

This dissertation focuses on right-wing terrorism (RWT) in the United States perpetrated by adherents to the White Supremacist Movement (WSM). In depth case history data were collected using a variety of sources and analyzed on 66 federally indicted WSM terrorists representing 10 different terrorist organizations in the United States from 1980-2002. The primary means of analysis was a qualitative case analysis using narrative data to uncover what influences an individual to become involved in a terrorist group. Specifically, I analyzed the influences of: 1) structural components, 2) family dynamics, and 3) non-familial relationships on the involvement process. Results from this …

Expectations, Fears, And Strategies: Juvenile Offender Thoughts On A Future Outside Of Incarceration, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Trusty Zohra

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The current article explores the possible selves, or future expectations, of 543 incarcerated juvenile offenders in four Western states in the United States. We argue that juveniles who are able to articulate future expectations and fears and generate concrete strategies for achieving their goals have higher levels of motivational capital (i.e., resources which provide momentum for behavior) and thus greater readiness for transitioning back into society. We found that a majority of juveniles were able to articulate simple expectations about the future; however, less than a quarter recognized the relationship between hopes and fears and connected them to concrete strategies. …

Can Financial Incentives Reduce Juvenile Confinement Levels? An Evaluation Of The Redeploy Illinois Program, Gaylene Armstrong, Todd A. Armstrong, Vince J. Webb, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

Assessments of ongoing fiscal restructuring of juvenile justice system processes and the impact such restructuring has on juvenile incarceration rates are limited. When impacts of fiscal restructuring efforts have been assessed, researchers have focused on systemic, macro level changes in incarceration rates but avoided more focused, micro level impacts. This study fills this knowledge gap by examining the recent implementation of the Redeploy Illinois program in two pilot sites. In the Redeploy Illinois program, financial incentives were provided to select counties to develop community based alternatives to incarceration. The goal was to alleviate over reliance on state funded residential …

Examining Gps Monitoring Alerts Triggered By Sex Offenders: The Divergence Of Legislative Goals And Practical Application In Community Corrections, Gaylene Armstrong, Beth C. Freeman

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

Legislative mandates that require GPS monitoring of offenders add to the existing logistical complexities of community supervision. Challenges in implementing GPS policies and practices are heightened by the lack of sound empirical research. Studies examining the relationships between GPS monitoring of sex offenders in the community and the legislative goals of public safety, deterrence, and cost effectiveness are virtually nonexistent. To begin to address this gap in the literature, this study examines the impact of a statutorily-based GPS monitoring program for adult sex offenders convicted of dangerous crimes against children and placed under community supervision.

Method

Official offender generated …

Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.