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Victimization Experiences And Adolescent Substance Use: Does The Type And Degree Of Victimization Matter?, Gillian M. Pichevsky, Abigail A. Fagan, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Evidence indicates an association between victimization and adolescent substance use, but the exact nature of this relationship remains unclear. Some research focuses solely on the consequences of experiencing indirect victimization (e.g., witnessing violence), others examine direct victimization (e.g., being personally victimized), and still others combine both forms of victimization without assessing the relative impact of each on substance use. Furthermore, many of these studies only assess these relationships in the short-term using cross-sectional data. This study uses data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to explore the impact of experiencing only indirect victimization, only direct victimization, …

Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Jag) Program: Evaluation Report, Consortium For Crime And Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn, Sommer Fousek, Mike Behm, Lisa Stamm

Reports

The Consortium for Crime and Justice Research (CCJR) at the University of Nebraska – Omaha is conducting an evaluation of projects supported by Nebraska’s 2012 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) Program funds. The primary goal of the evaluation is to provide the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (Crime Commission) a summary of the law enforcement, training, prevention, and associated activities occurring as a direct or indirect result of the infusion of Bryne JAG funds. In other words, the intent of the evaluation is to provide a summary of the funded activities and resulting products …

Spring, Summer, Fall 2013 Graduation Survey Responses Master File Without Identifiers, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Graduation

Spring, Summer, Fall 2013 Graduation survey responses.

Fact Book 2013, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Fact Book

The Fact Book presents important campus information in data tables and charts. Included are details regarding students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Generally, data are broken out by college, rank, level, gender, age and ethnicity for both spring and fall semesters, past to present. There are a few academic year tables that include information on tuition & fees, student credit hours by program, and degrees conferred. We wish to thank the many individuals and departments at the University for their contributions to the Fact Book.

Assessing Youth Early In The Juvenile Justice System, Anne M. Hobbs, Timbre Wulf-Ludden, Jenna Strawhun

Academic Publications

Unnecessary involvement in the juvenile justice system generally results in negative long-term outcomes (Annie E. Casey Foundation Website, 2008). The problem lies in determining when involvement is unnecessary and when it is necessary. A juvenile’s path to detention often begins years prior. Research indicates that unnecessary court involvement may contribute to worse outcomes, which can ultimately culminate in detention (Holman & Ziedenberg, 2006). Youth who are formally processed through court are more likely to be under closer supervision, which, in turn, increases their chances of being caught violating curfew, missing school, or committing another technical violation. To test the effect …

What Lies Ahead: An Exploration Of Future Orientation, Self-Control, And Delinquency, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Self-control has been consistently linked to antisocial behavior and though low self-control makes delinquency more likely, neither the findings nor the theory suggests that low self-control necessitates participation in such behavior. There remains a shortage of research on those situational factors or individual characteristics that might lessen the effects of low self-control on antisocial behavior. Future orientation is one such characteristic that can have implications for the control of behavior. The purpose of the current study was to explore the independent and interactive effects of future orientation and low self-control on delinquency using data from Wave 1 of the National …

Nebraska Sex Offender Registry Study, Ryan E. Spohn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The Consortium for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Nebraska Omaha was charged by the Nebraska Legislature’s Judiciary Committee to undertake a study of the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry. The primary goal of the study was to compare sex offender recidivism under the pre-LB 285 classification system that utilized risk levels derived from a psychological risk assessment instrument to sex offender recidivism under the post-LB 285 classification system utilizing Adam Walsh Act Tier Levels derived from offense severity. Additional goals include an overall examination of offender characteristics, victim characteristics, and offense characteristics among all individuals on the registry, …

Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition Alcohol, Tobacco And Other Drugs Prevention Program (Atod-Year 2) Evaluation Report: Final Report, R. K. Piper, Jodee Friedly, Taylor Flairty

Past Publications

This final report documents the major findings of an evaluation of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention Program (ATOD-Year 2) conducted by the Consortium for Organizational Research and Evaluation (CORE) of the University of Nebraska at Omaha for the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition (NUIHC). The purpose of the study is to provide an analysis of several key NUIHC substance-abuse prevention initiatives.

The study consists of three parts: 1) an analysis of the Teen Maze project implemented in Omaha by NUIHC and community partners, 2) an analysis of the results obtained from NUIHC’s administration of a Risk/Need Outreach Form …

Testing The Influence Of Community Characteristics On School Misconduct, Todd A. Armstrong, Gaylene Armstrong, Charles M. Katz

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study examines the effect of dynamic and structural community characteristics on school misconduct. Data include over 45,000 students in the eighth, tenth, or twelfth grade in 237 schools. Hierarchical linear models tested the direct and interactive effects of community measures, while accounting for student and school characteristics. Community substance abuse norms as well as perceptions of community crime and disorder mediated the influence of concentrated disadvantage on school misconduct. Interaction effects demonstrated that community substance abuse norms were more influential for students enrolled in schools that had a less positive school climate although individual and school characteristics remained robust …

The Effects Of Exposure To Violence And Victimization Across Life Domains On Adolescent Substance Us, Emily M. Wright, Abigail A. Fagan, Gillian M. Pinchevsky

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study uses longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to examine the effects of exposure to school violence, community violence, child abuse, and parental intimate partner violence (IPV) on youths’ subsequent alcohol and marijuana use. We also examine the cumulative effects of being exposed to violence across these domains. Longitudinal data were obtained from 1,655 adolescents and their primary caregivers participating in the PHDCN. The effects of adolescents’ exposure to various forms of violence across different life domains were examined relative to adolescents’ frequency of alcohol and marijuana use three years later. Multivariate …

College Students And Binge Drinking: Exploring The Relationship Between Control And Intention On Behavior, Trisha Rhodes, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The present study draws on Ajzen's (1985, 1991) theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore the relationships between students' intentions to drink responsibly, students' perceptions of control over their behavior, and their reported levels of drinking. We relied on a randomly selected and surveyed sample of 149 students at a Midwestern university. We hypothesized students who reported stronger intentions and greater perceived control would report reduced levels of drinking. Our findings indicated that respondents who intended to drink responsibly and scored higher on two measures of perceptions of control consumed less alcohol 10 days prior to the survey and binged …

Female Sex Offenders: Public Awareness And Attributions, Calli M. Cain

Criminology and Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have suggested that there is a code of denial associated with sex offenders that are female. Sexual victimizations by women may go unnoticed or unreported if there is a general lack of awareness that females commit these crimes. This thesis used data from the 2012 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey to examine two primary questions. First, does the public think females are capable of sexually offending? Second, what are the causes attributed to female sex offenders by the public? Researchers, media, and politicians have primarily focused on male sex offenders and existing gender stereotypes held by the public introduce …

Intimate Partner Violence And The Victim-Offender Overlap, Marie Skubak Tillyer, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives:

Method:

Results:

Spr Bulletin, Fall 2012, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

This bulletin features Recent Grant Recipients; Celebration of Student Scholarly Activity; and Meet SPR’s Graduate Assistant!

The Cycle Of Violence In Context: Exploring The Moderating Roles Of Neighborhood Disadvantage And Cultural Norms, Emily M. Wright, Abigail A. Fagan

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Although the cycle of violence theory has received empirical support (Widom, 1989a, 1989b), in reality, not all victims of child physical abuse become involved in violence. Therefore, little is known regarding factors that may moderate the relationship between abuse and subsequent violence, particularly contextual circumstances. The current investigation used longitudinal data from 1,372 youth living in 79 neighborhoods who participated in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), and it employed a multivariate, multilevel Rasch model to explore the degree to which neighborhood disadvantage and cultural norms attenuate or strengthen the abuse–violence relationship. The results indicate that the …

The Role Of Vicarious And Anticipated Strain On The Overlap Of Violent Perpetration And Victimization: A Test Of General Strain Theory, Egbert Zavala, Ryan E. Spohn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Numerous studies have documented a relationship between criminal offending and violent victimization. That is, people who commit criminal behavior are also more likely to be victimized. As such, criminological theories traditionally used to explain criminal behavior have now been applied to explain victimization. The current study examines whether Agnew’s general strain theory can explain the offender-victim overlap using a nationally representative sample of males. Results show that vicarious strain is positive and significant in predicting both victimization and perpetration. Anticipated strain was found only to be significant and positive in predicting victimization, but not perpetration. The study’s limitations and future …

Transformational Leadership Skills And Correlates Of Prison Warden Job Stress, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Job stress is related to poor job performance, dissatisfaction, and turnover for correctional officers in the workplace. Despite parallel implications for correctional administrators, an extension of the correctional officer job stress literature to prison wardens is virtually absent. Yet the dynamic correctional environment includes many added challenges for prison wardens that could lead to a stressful work experience. Similar to those of officers, coping mechanisms for prison wardens may include peer support, but the extent of a warden’s transformational leadership skills could be related to a more positive work experience. Results indicate that wardens who perceived themselves as having higher …

Impediments Of Labor Contracts On Prison Administrators’ Response To Staff–Inmate Sexual Misconduct, Gaylene Armstrong, Dennis Longmire, Doug J. Dretke, Kevin Steinmetz

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Sexual violence in adult correctional facilities led to the enactment of the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act as one approach to reducing this form of institutional violence. The current study examined collective bargaining agreements governing correctional agencies to identify impediments that may impact administrators’ responses to sexual violence, specifically in instances of allegations of staff–inmate sexual misconduct. In addition, structured interviews and focus groups with correctional administrators and labor representatives were used to develop policy recommendations. Contract language and interview participants demonstrated that a myriad of cultural and structural characteristics of prisons as well as pragmatic considerations may serve to …

‘Buffers’ Against Crime? Exploring The Roles And Limitations Of Positive Relationships Among Women In Prison, Emily M. Wright, Dana D. Dehart, Barbara A. Koons-Witt, Courtney A. Crittenden

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

A considerable amount of research focuses on the detrimental influence that relationships pose for women offenders while relatively little attention has been given to the potential positive impact of relationships in their lives. This study investigates how women offenders’ positive relationships work as ‘buffers’ against their criminal involvement, as well as why some positive influences do not elicit long-term change in women. We examine various forms of relationships (both romantic and non-romantic) that female offenders develop and explore the mechanisms by which these relationships might influence their behavior. Life history interviews conducted with 60 incarcerated women revealed that women’s family …

Completions 2013-14, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

IPEDS Completions

IPEDS Completions annual report contains the following information:

• Number of awards conferred by program, by level, and by race/ethnicity and gender of recipient
• Number of completers, separately by race/ethnicity, gender, age and level of award

Gender Differences In The Effects Of Exposure To Violence On Adolescent Substance Use, Gillian M. Pichevsky, Emily M. Wright, Abigail A. Fagan

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

To date, research exploring gender differences in the relationship between exposure to community violence and substance use has been limited. This study employs longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to assess the exposure to violence–substance use relationship and explore whether this relationship varies by gender. We find that the two forms of exposure to violence—direct (primary) and indirect (secondary)—independently increase the frequency of subsequent alcohol use, binge drinking, and marijuana use among males and females. One gender difference emerged, as females who had been directly victimized engaged in more frequent binge drinking than males …

Uno Website: Public Administration Naspaa 2013 Annual Report, Uno Department Of Public Administration University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement

Accreditation Maintenance Report, Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration Annual Accreditation Report

Predicting Patriarchy: Using Individual And Contextual Factors To Examine Patriarchal Endorsement In Communities, Courtney A. Crittenden, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

In much feminist literature, patriarchy has often been studied as a predictive variable for attitudes toward or acts of violence against women. However, rarely has patriarchy been examined as an outcome across studies. The current study works toward filling this gap by examining several individual-and neighborhood-level factors that might influence patriarchy. Specifically, this research seeks to determine if neighborhood-level attributes related to socioeconomic status, family composition, and demographic information affect patriarchal views after individual-level correlates of patriarchy were controlled. Findings suggest that factors at both the individual- and neighborhood levels, particularly familial characteristics and dynamics, do influence the endorsement of …

Nebraska Sex Offender Registry Study: Interim Report, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Sexual victimization is of great concern to the public, as evidenced by the legislative attention it has received over the last twenty years (Adkins, Huff, and Stageberg 2000; Levenson 2006; Sample and Kadleck 2008; Schram and Milloy 1995; Walker et al. 2005; Zevit 2006). To help increase public safety and address public concern, corrections departments nationwide have adopted some form of risk classification and assessment instrument for offenders who have been convicted of sex crimes (Richardson and Huebner 2006). Some of the most popular risk assessment instruments include the STATIC 99, RRASOR, MnSOST, SORAG, and ASRS (Richardson and Huebner 2006; …

Nebraska Offender Registry Study: Interim Report, Consortium For Crime And Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Sexual victimization is of great concern to the public, as evidenced by the legislative attention it has received over the last twenty years (Adkins, Huff, and Stageberg 2000; Levenson 2006; Sample and Kadleck 2008; Schram and Milloy 1995; Walker et al. 2005; Zevit 2006). To help increase public safety and address public concern, corrections departments nationwide have adopted some form of risk classification and assessment instrument for offenders who have been convicted of sex crimes (Richardson and Huebner 2006). Some of the most popular risk assessment instruments include the STATIC 99, RRASOR, MnSOST, SORAG, and ASRS (Richardson and Huebner 2006; …

Gender-Responsive Lessons Learned And Policy Implications For Women In Prison: A Review, Emily M. Wright, Patricia Van Voorhis, Emily J. Salisbury, Ashley Bauman

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The authors review evidence of gender-responsive factors for women in prisons. Some gender-responsive needs function as risk factors in prison settings and contribute to women’s maladjustment to prison; guided by these findings, the authors outline ways in which prison management, staff members, and programming can better serve female prisoners by being more gender informed. The authors suggest that prisons provide treatment and programming services aimed at reducing women’s criminogenic need factors, use gendered assessments to place women into appropriate interventions and to appropriately plan for women’s successful reentry into the community, and train staff members to be gender responsive.

The Relationship Between Social Support And Intimate Partner Violence In Neighborhood Context, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Social support has been recognized as a protective factor associated with reduced intimate partner violence (IPV). A question that few studies have examined, however, is whether the effectiveness of social support on IPV is conditioned by the neighborhood in which it occurs. This study investigated whether the separate effects of support from friends and family members on partner violence were conditioned by neighborhood disadvantage. Results indicated that social support from family significantly reduced the prevalence and frequency of IPV, whereas support from friends was associated with higher frequencies of partner violence. Importantly, the effects of social support were contextualized by …

Nebraska’S Strategic Plan For Victims And Survivors Of Crime 2015 - 2020, Anne M. Hobbs, Lindsey Wylie, Sommer Fousek

Reports

The goal of Nebraska’s 2015 – 2020 Strategic Plan for Victims and Survivors of Crime (NSPVSC) is to provide recommendations to permanently improve and enhance services available to all victims of crime in Nebraska. The University of Nebraska Omaha, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice Institute began the comprehensive planning process in March 2015. In the nine months that followed, we received input from many individuals and agencies serving victims of crime in the state of Nebraska. To collect feedback, we held focus groups, attended individual meetings, surveyed agencies, surveyed victims, spoke on the phone with advocates, and …

Racial/Ethnic Differences In The Relationship Between Neighborhood Disadvantage And Adolescent Substance Use, Abigail A. Fagan, Emily M. Wright, Gillian M. Pinchevsky

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Although social disorganization theory hypothesizes that neighborhood characteristics influence youth delinquency, the impact of neighborhood disadvantage on adolescent substance use and racial/ethnic differences in this relationship have not been widely investigated. The present study examines these issues using longitudinal data from 1,856 African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian adolescents participating in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). The results indicated that neighborhood disadvantage did not significantly increase the likelihood of substance use for the full sample. When relationships were analyzed by race/ethnicity, one significant (p ≤ .10) effect was found; disadvantage increased alcohol use among African Americans …

Fact Book 2012, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Fact Book

The Fact Book presents important campus information in data tables and charts. Included are details regarding students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Generally, data are broken out by college, rank, level, gender, age and ethnicity for both spring and fall semesters, past to present. There are a few academic year tables that include information on tuition & fees, student credit hours by program, and degrees conferred. We wish to thank the many individuals and departments at the University for their contributions to the Fact Book.