Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Modeling Peer Influence And Peer Selection As Processes, Bob Edward Vasquez

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Behavioral scientists are aware of the strong and persistent correlation between peer and individual behavior. Evidence suggests selection and socialization effects explain the correlation, but the processes, or the details of the ways in which these effects operate in an empirical model, remain relatively unexamined.

Traumatic Experiences Contributing To Juvenile Delinquency: A Look At Gender Differences, Alexis L. Correia

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the following two research questions: To what extent, if any, do traumatic experiences contribute to juvenile delinquency? To what extent, if any, does gender affect the relationship between trauma and juvenile delinquency? The extent of trauma was reviewed to include various studies relating to the impact trauma has on juveniles. Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory provided support for the differences that exist between males and females when it comes to trauma contributing to juvenile delinquency. Gender differences in emotional response to strain were reviewed, focusing on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The data that provided support for the …

It Does Take A Village To Raise A Child, Rebecca J. Boyd

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Utilizing Cullen's (1994) Social Support Theory and Hunter's (1985) three dimensions of social life, this study is a quantitative, cross-sectional secondary data analysis designed to examine the relationship between institutional social support and rates of juvenile crime for counties and cities in Virginia for the year 2000. Resting on the contention that an inverse, significant relationship exists between measures of institutional support and rates of juvenile property and violent crime, this study examines types of support provided by the institutions of family, school, and the government. These measures of institutional support include 1) familial support: median income, marriage support; 2) …

Beneath The Black And Blue: The Child Abuse-Delinquency Connection, Heather M. Baltodano

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine the child abuse-delinquency relationship, as well as mediating variables that may influence that relationship, such as parental attachment, witnessing family violence, and negative life events. Much of the research on this topic utilizes official government statistics and substantiated child abuse cases, which research has shown to be an undercount of the actual incidents of child abuse. This analysis utilizes the data resulting from the 1992 National Youth Victimization Prevention Survey (NYVPS) in which 2000 children between the ages of 10 and 16 were interviewed by telephone. This research examines the impact of …

A Boredom Theory Of Youth Criminality, Julie-Anne Newton

Theses : Honours

Boredom, although a regular occurrence among the general youth population of the modern society and a possible causal factor of truancy, drug use, suicide and crime, has been widely neglected within the fields of education, psychology, sociology, and criminology. Since it is the intention of this thesis to show that boredom is a causal factor of youth criminality which must be recognised and studied further, it is essential that boredom is thoroughly researched for both theoretical and practical reasons within the field of criminology. In a two part documentary analysis on boredom and youth criminality, this thesis demonstrates what makes …

Adolescent Violent Victimization And Offending: Assessing The Extent Of The Link, Wendy C. Regoeczi

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Publications

This article discusses the association between adolescent violent victimization and offending. A key issue in understanding both criminal offending and victimization concerns victim-offender relationships. Research on crime, particularly violent offenses, requires examining the interpersonal relationships which exist among victims and offenders. Nevertheless, those studies which disaggregate crime rates by victim-offender relationships have essentially confined their analyses to adults. This coincides with a more general trend in criminological research on adolescents to confine analyses to offending behavior. Consequently, there is a dearth research on adolescents and youth victims, particularly with respect to the individuals most likely to offend against them. Within …

Delinquency And Victimization Among Adolescents An Examination Of The Relationship And Lifestyle Influences, Joy Eileen Livergood

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This research examines the correlation between delinquency and victimization. Consideration is given to the lifestyle influences including the routine activities and demographic factors. Data from the 1997 Monitoring the Future data set are analyzed in an attempt to understand the extent of the relationship as well as the impact of various lifestyle activities and demographic factors. The study was guided by previous research examining the correlation between delinquency and victimization as well as the impact of lifestyle elements. SPSS 9.0 for Windows was used to analyze the data. Overall, the findings suggest that there is a correlation between delinquency and …

Families, Crime And Criminal Justice: Charting The Linkages, Greer Litton Fox, Michael L. Benson, Ryan E. Spohn

Faculty Books and Monographs

Chapter: Gender Differences in the Effect of Child Maltreatment on Criminal Activity over the Life Course, written by Ryan Spohn, UNO faculty member.

"Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research" is a series of volumes that features scholarly work on the frontiers of interdisciplinary research on families and family life. Volume 2, Families, Crime and Criminal Justice reflects this pioneering orientation by bringing together new empirical research that examines the various ways that families intersect with and are affected by crime and the criminal justice system. The interdisciplinary nature of the volume is reflected in the diversity of disciplines represented, including developmental …

School-Based Juvenile Boot Camps: Evaluating Specialized Treatment And Rehabilitation (Star), Chad R. Trulson, Ruth Triplett

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Implemented in Montgomery County, Texas, STAR deviates from traditional boot camps in a variety of ways. The program is closely coupled with school jurisdictions, the juvenile court, and correctional authorities. In addition, the program is non-residential and serves status, misdemeanor, and felony juvenile offenders and mandates parental participation. STAR was initiated to address several goals: enable individuals to remain in school while reducing their disruptive behavior, use school expulsion as a last resort, improve the academic performance of participants, coordinate a joint effort between juvenile authorities and school jurisdictions, instill a sense of pride and discipline in participants, and reduce …

A Concept Of The Elements Of Juvenile Criminality From A Sociological Aspect, Frank Burchard Smith

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The conditions that have prevailed in the United States in the last twenty-five years, compel thoughtful citizens to give careful attention to the disrespect for law that is so marked a characteristic of the period.

Crime and disorder are spread theoughout the length and breadth of the land. This produces problems which should be studies and solved for the good of society. The reaction which accompanies this evil will eventually cause social demoralization.

While attempting to treat this particular evil, social workers have been largely content to deal with surface conditions. Attention has been focused upon the symptom rather than …