Criminology Commons^™

The Importance Of Interagency Collaboration For Crossover Youth, Emily M. Wright, Ryan E. Spohn, Joselyne Chenane, Nicholas Juliano

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Crossover or dually-involved youth are youth enmeshed in the child welfare (CWS) and juvenile justice systems (JJS). Given their dual status and high needs, attention has recently focused on how to best respond to them in an integrated, interagency fashion. The Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM) is designed to facilitate interagency collaboration between the CWS and JJS in order to enhance services and diversion to these youth. This study reports on the benefits and challenges that the JJS and CWS, as well as the personnel working within them, experience by participating in a CYPM effort in a Midwestern county, and …

Sensitivity To The Ferguson Effect: The Role Of Managerial Organizational Justice, Justin Nix, Scott E. Wolfe

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

We argue that the police have been adversely impacted by Ferguson-related negative publicity in ways beyond the supposed increase in crime (e.g., reduced motivation and increased perception of danger). Further, we suggest that organizational justice is a key factor that influences officers' sensitivity to such Ferguson Effects.

Methods

We used a sample of 510 sheriff's deputies surveyed 6 months after the incident in Ferguson. We explored whether organizational justice is associated with deputies' sensitivity to several manifestations of the Ferguson Effect using OLS and ordered logistic regression models.

Results

The results demonstrated that deputies who believed their supervisors were …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Drug Court Clients’ Perceptions Of Procedural Justice On Graduation Rates And Recidivism, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Over the years, researchers have found drug courts reduce recidivism for participants. Scholars have hypothesized that drug courts are effective at producing positive outcomes for participants due in part to a case management approach that implements concepts of procedural justice. Using a convenience sample of participants involved in one drug court, this study adds to the limited body of research on procedural justice and drug courts by examining whether variation in drug court clients’ perceptions of procedural justice is related to their likelihood of graduation from drug court and recidivism. Results, policy implications, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Gendered Self-Concepts And Drinking Behavior In A National Sample Of Emerging Adults, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Tim Barnum

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Despite evidence that males drink more than females, there is much to be learned about gendered explanations for sex differences in alcohol use. We use the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health data to investigate gendered self-concept as related to alcohol use and related consequences among a sample of emerging adults. Dominance Masculinity (e.g., being aggressive, forceful, dominant) was the most consistent predictor of alcohol-related outcomes for both males and females. Endorsement of feminine characteristics (e.g., compassion, understanding, sympathetic) was protective against binge drinking and social consequences for males whereas endorsement of general masculine characteristics (e.g., independent, assertive, …

Rape And Mental Health Outcomes Among Women: Examining The Moderating Effects Of “Healthy” Fear Levels, Ryan E. Spohn, Emily M. Wright, Johanna C. Peterson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study examined the mediating and moderating impact of fear of victimization on the relationships between forcible and vicarious rape on depression and PTSD among college women. Forcible and vicarious rape positively affected PTSD and depression symptomology, but fear did not mediate these relationships. Fear moderated the impact of forcible rape on PTSD, but was not a moderator for depression. Findings suggest that there may be “healthy” levels of fear in the aftermath of victimization where having too little fear may leave women unnecessarily vulnerable to victimization, while having too much fear may lead to social isolation and withdrawal.

Is The Effect Of Procedural Justice On Police Legitimacy Invariant? Testing The Generality Of Procedural Justice And Competing Antecedents Of Legitimacy, Scott E. Wolfe, Justin Nix, Robert Kaminski, Jeff Rojek

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives

This study tests the generality of Tyler’s process-based model of policing by examining whether the effect of procedural justice and competing variables (i.e., distributive justice and police effectiveness) on police legitimacy evaluations operate in the same manner across individual and situational differences.

Methods

Data from a random sample of mail survey respondents are used to test the “invariance thesis” (N = 1681). Multiplicative interaction effects between the key antecedents of legitimacy (measured separately for obligation to obey and trust in the police) and various demographic categories, prior experiences, and perceived neighborhood conditions are estimated in a series of multivariate …

Nonstranger Victimization And Inmate Maladjustment: Is The Relationship Gendered?, Calli M. Cain, Benjamin Steiner, Emily M. Wright, Benjamin Meade

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Scholars have hypothesized that victimization elicits distinctive effects on women’s pathways to prison and subsequent prison maladjustment, but few researchers have investigated gender differences in this relationship. Using nationally representative samples of men and women housed in state prisons, we examine gender differences in the effects of experiencing different types of nonstranger victimization prior to prison on inmate maladjustment. Results indicate that pre-prison nonstranger victimization affects men’s and women’s maladjustment similarly, with some gender differences—specifically, the effect of being physically assaulted by a nonstranger as an adult on violent misconduct was stronger among men, as was the effect of child …

Perceptions Of Motivational Interviewing: Validation Of The Client Evaluation Of Motivational Interviewing Scale With Probation Clients, Gaylene Armstrong, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Nancy R. Gartner

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The practice of motivational interviewing (MI) has gained acceptance as an effective approach to support behavior change in various therapeutic contexts. In recent years, MI has been extended to clients within less traditional therapeutic settings including prisons and probation departments. Despite the known strengths of MI for positively affecting behavioral change in therapeutic contexts, the extent to which probation officers are able to effectively utilize MI remains unknown. The current study utilizes self-report responses from 485 probationers to assess the internal consistency and factor structure of the Client Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing (CEMI) as a tool for gathering feedback on …

Formal Controls, Neighborhood Disadvantage, And Violent Crime In U.S. Cities: Examining (Un)Intended Consequences, Allison Martin, Emily M. Wright, Benjamin Steiner

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose This study examines the intended and unintended effects of formal social controls on violent crime within and across U.S. cities. Methods Using data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study, we assess whether greater police arrest activity and jail incarceration risk are associated with lower violent crime rates across cities. We also investigate whether greater use of these formal social controls exacerbates the relationship between extreme neighborhood disadvantage and violent crime. Results Results from multilevel analyses show that some formal controls (jail incarceration risk) reduce violent crime across cities, but other formal controls (police arrest activity) amplify the relationship between …

Examining Behaviors Using Respondents’ Cell Phones And A Burst Design: Drinking And Activities Across The First Year Of College Among Transitioning Freshmen, Amy L. Anderson, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Tim Barnum, Rita J. Augustyn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

The study of developmental and life-course changes of an individual necessitates longitudinal data. Traditional panel designs, however, that tend to collect data annually or less often may not reflect change experienced by individuals especially in periods of transition. The first year of college likely is one such period in which change takes place at a rapid pace.

Methods

We followed approximately 100 residential college students across their freshman year. In an attempt to capture the changes taking place in friendships, activities, and alcohol use, we used a traditional panel design in which we administered structured surveys at the beginning, …

Victim Ambiguity: Bystander Intervention And Sexual Assault In The College Drinking Scene, Brandie Pugh, Holly Ningard, Thomas Vander Ven, Leah C. Butler

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Alcohol-related sexual assault is the most common form of sexual victimization on college campuses. Bystander intervention has been suggested as effective in preventing sexual assault, but its usefulness in sexual assaults that involve alcohol in particular has not yet been examined. The current study draws from intensive interviews with 30 undergraduates at a large Midwestern university to understand how students’ perceptions about sexual victimization and alcohol use affect their bystander behavior. Findings suggest that in alcohol-involved situations, the ambiguity of whether the woman is at risk and her perceived worthiness are significant barriers to intervention. Policy implications are discussed.

The Alleged “Ferguson Effect” And Police Willingness To Engage In Community Partnership, Scott E. Wolfe, Justin Nix

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

In response to increasing violent crime rates in several U.S. cities over the past year, some have pointed the finger of blame at de-policing, a result of the so-called “Ferguson Effect.” Although the Ferguson Effect on crime rates remains an open question, there may also be a Ferguson Effect on other aspects of police officers’ jobs, such as willingness to partner with community members. This study used data from a cross-sectional survey of 567 deputies at an agency in the southeastern U.S. to accomplish 2 objectives: (a) to determine whether the Ferguson Effect is associated with de-policing in the form …

The Use Of Social Media By Alleged Members Of Mexican Cartels And Affiliated Drug Trafficking Organizations, Justin Nix, Michael R. Smith, Matthew Petrocelli, Jeff Rojek, Victor M. Manjarrez

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Focusing on Mexican cartels and affiliated drug trafficking organizations, this article examines how self-proclaimed cartel members use social media to further the criminal activities of their organizations. Employing an opensource, intelligence-driven methodology, the authors identified, followed, and mapped the connections between and among 75 alleged cartel members over a period of 4 months. Results indicated that cartel members actively use Facebook to plan, organize, and communicate in real-time. These findings provide tentative validation to the utility of using open-source social media platforms to study the social structure and operations of Mexican drug cartels. Implications for law enforcement, homeland security, and …

How Cognitive Genetic Factors Influence Fertility Outcomes: A Mediational Sem Analysis, Michael A. Woodley Of Menie, Joesph A. Schwartz, Kevin M. Beaver

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Utilizing a newly released cognitive Polygenic Score (PGS) from Wave IV of Add Health (n = 1,886), structural equation models (SEMs) examining the relationship between PGS and fertility (which is approximately 50% complete in the present sample), employing measures of verbal IQ and educational attainment as potential mediators, were estimated. The results of indirect pathway models revealed that verbal IQ mediates the positive relationship between PGS and educational attainment, and educational attainment in turn mediates the negative relationship between verbal IQ and a latent fertility measure. The direct path from PGS to fertility was non-significant. The model was robust to …

The Effectiveness Of Specialized Legal Counsel And Case Management Services For Indigent Offenders With Mental Illness, Jeff Bouffard, Elizabeth Berger, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Background: In recent years, jurisdictions have recognized the strain placed on limited existing resources by criminal offenders with mental illness who frequently cycle through local jail facilities. In response, many locales have developed and implemented specialized programs to more effectively and efficiently manage these offenders, particularly the process of assigning defense attorneys to these often indigent defendants.

Methods: The current study examined the impact of an Indigent Defense Counsel (IDC) program designed to provide specially trained defense attorneys, and enhanced case management services to 257 indigent jail inmates with a qualifying, major mental health diagnosis (e.g., major depression). These …