Sociology Commons^™

When Victims Refuse And Prosecutors Decline: Examining Exceptional Clearance In Sexual Assault Cases, Tara N. Richards, Marie Skubak Tillyer, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study examines the predictors of sexual assault case clearance, with a focus on arrest and two types of exceptional clearance: victim refusal to cooperate and prosecutorial declination to prosecute. Using National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data on crime incidents that contain a sexual offense (N = 21,977), we estimated a multinomial regression model to examine the predictors of different clearance types for cases of sexual assault. Results indicated that the likelihood of victim refusal decreases in cases perpetrated by strangers, involving victim injury, occurring in public, and involving multiple offenses. A similar pattern of findings was observed …

No Evidence Of “Weaponized Title Ix” Here: An Empirical Assessment Of Sexual Misconduct Reporting, Case Processing, And Outcomes, Tara N. Richards

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Little is known about actual incidents of gender-based violence reported by college students or the campus adjudication process or outcomes of reported cases. Data from Annual Security Reports (ASRs) and Title IX Coordinators was used to examine the context, processes, and outcomes of reported incidents of sexual misconduct (n=1,054) at Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) in a Mid-Atlantic state. Results showed that ASRs undercounted incidents of sexual misconduct. Few incidents reported to Title IX Coordinators resulted in a formal Title IX complaint, and fewer still resulted in a finding of responsibility or suspension/expulsion of the responsible student. The primary outcome …

When To Take Credit For Terrorism? A Cross-National Examination Of Claims And Attributions, Erin M. Kearns

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Rationalist research expects that groups claim credit for terrorism. Yet, the vast majority of attacks are not claimed. Of the unclaimed attacks, about half are attributed to a specific group. What factors impact claiming decisions? While extant literature largely treats claiming as binary—either claimed or not—the present study disaggregates claiming decisions further to also consider attacks with attributions of credit but no claim, using data from 160 countries between 1998 and 2016. Both attack-level and situational factors impact claiming decisions. Disaggregating claiming behavior shows meaningful differences. Specifically, competitive environments and suicide attacks increase claims but not attributions. Higher fatalities in …

Not Falling Prey To The “Myth Of Methodology”: Naturalistic Inquiry Into The Nature Of Violence (Review), Ryan E. Spohn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mock Juror Perceptions Of Police Shootings: The Effects Of Victim Race And Shooting Justifiability, Jessica Huff, Muaricio J. Alvarez, Monica K. Miller

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Recent police shootings of African Americans have led citizens to question police officers’ use of force. Thus, it is important to determine whether mock jurors can distinguish between justifiable and unjustifiable police shootings—and whether their judgements depend on victim race. Media attention could lead jurors to be more punitive in cases in which an officer shoots an African American (compared to Caucasian) victim. A punitive verdict would reflect society’s opposition to such shootings, as suggested by the bandwagon effect. In a 2 (Shooting: Justified/Unjustified) x 2 (Victim’s race: African American/ Caucasian) experiment, mock jurors read a trial summary involving a …

When Data Do Not Matter: Exploring Public Perceptions Of Terrorism, Erin M. Kearns, Allison E. Betus, Anthony F. Lemieux

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Public perceptions of terrorism are out of line with reality. How can perceptions be changed? Using a 4 × 2 experimental design with a national sample of U.S. adults, we examine how source of information and details provided impact views of terrorism. Sources, details, and individual-level factors—Islamophobia, trust in media, and trust in science—impact perceived accuracy of terrorism data. Many people updated their views on terrorism after reading factual information, yet only trust in science was related with this change. In short, people can be persuaded by factual information on terrorism, but it is less clear why they change beliefs.

The Policy Environment For Nebraska, John R. Bartle, Josie Gatti Schafer

Presentations

Mission Statement of Nebraska Planning Committee: The planning committee of the Legislature is charged with establishing and maintaining a future focus on the priorities of the state. Its responsibility is to assure continuity of policy to achieve long term goals. The committee will do so by collecting and analyzing data about Nebraska, including, but not limited to, demographics, workforce, education, wages, wealth, tax structure, revenue, natural resources, assets, challenges, trends, and growth and efficiency of government; identifying long-term issues significant to the state; setting goals and benchmarks; issuing a yearly report of the committee’s findings; and proposing legislation.

Variation In Funding And Spending Across Nebraska School Districts, Josie Gatti Schafer

Presentations

Mission Statement of Nebraska Planning Committee: The planning committee of the Legislature is charged with establishing and maintaining a future focus on the priorities of the state. Its responsibility is to assure continuity of policy to achieve long term goals. The committee will do so by: collecting and analyzing data about Nebraska, including, but not limited to, demographics, workforce, education, wages, wealth, tax structure, revenue, natural resources, assets, challenges, trends, and growth and efficiency of government; identifying long-term issues significant to the state; setting goals and benchmarks; issuing a yearly report of the committee's findings; and proposing legislation.

Nebraska’S Youth And Education Governance, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell

Publications

No abstract provided.

“Your Picture Looks The Same As My Picture”: An Examination Of Passing In Transgender Communities, Alecia D. Anderson, Jay A. Irwin, Angela M. Brown, Chris L. Grala

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Transgender people remain one of the groups most susceptible to discrimination in the U.S. Previous studies have examined the discrimination and stress transgender people face, but few studies have examined trans identities using existing sociological theories of marginalized groups and identity formation. Using the theories of Dubois and Cooley, this study explores identity formation in conjunction with the phenomenon of passing among transgender people residing in Nebraska. Results suggest that while trans people do pass as a mechanism for subverting discrimination, there are other factors that influence an individual’s choice and strategy to pass or not. The current investigation lends …

The Power And Potential Of An Aging Nebraska, Julie L. Masters, Christopher M. Kelly

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Nebraska’S Increasing Urbanization, Josie Gatti Schafer

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Nebraska's Workforce, Josie Gatti Schafer

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Compliance, Noncompliance, And The In-Between: Causal Effects Of Civilian Demeanor On Police Officers’ Cognitions And Emotions, Justin Nix, Justin T. Pickett, Renée J. Mitchell

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives
Police legitimacy can hinge on what happens in police–civilian encounters, yet much remains unknown about the socio-psychological processes involved in these bilateral interactions, especially those affecting officers. We integrate insights from policing research with theories and findings from scholarship on moral psychology, interpersonal strain, and victimization fear to develop hypotheses about the situational effects of civilian demeanor on officers’ cognitions (suspicion and perceived danger) and emotions (anger, frustration, annoyance, and fear).

Methods
We administered a series of three randomized vignettes involving routine police–civilian encounters to 546 officers working in a large city in the southwestern United States. We randomized …

Stem On A Budget: A Basic Guide For Teaching Stem In Ops Afterschool Programs, Tyrome Williams

Criss Library Faculty Publications

This guide was written with the goal of providing a rough lesson plan, which could act as a supplemental guide for sustainable activities at sites in the Omaha area to better serve their students and children. The STEM lessons I chose in this book are engaging, hold education value, and are cost effective if used properly. This book contains valuable information to supplement STEM learning. Whether you’re a teacher, instructor, supervisor for children, or a substitute; you will always be the most valuable asset in your classroom. This is a free use document and should not be sold for any …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Deleterious Outcomes In Adulthood: A Consideration Of The Simultaneous Role Of Genetic And Environmental Influences In Two Independent Samples From The United States, Joseph A. Schwartz, Emily M. Wright, Bradon A. Valgardson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a potent risk factor. Despite these findings, studies have also recognized the importance of considering additional sources of genetic and environmental influence that cluster within families.

Objective

To properly control for latent sources of genetic and within-family environmental influences and isolate the association between ACEs and the following outcomes in adulthood: physical health, depressive symptoms, educational attainment, income attainment, alcohol problems, and antisocial behavior.

Participants and Setting

Two independent samples of twins and siblings from the United States: the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study (N = 862) and the National …

Examining Culturally Responsive Understandings Within An Undergraduate Teacher Education Program, Kelly M. Gomez Johnson, Anne E. Karabon, Derrick A. Nero

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This article examines how a group of elementary and secondary preservice teachers engaged in understanding “culture” and culturally responsive teaching while enrolled in an early program course. We analyze how culturally-related experiences, emotions, and perspectives contribute to the overall understanding of cultural competency training in teacher education. Preservice teachers varied in their use of individual- and structural-orientations, in isolation and in combination, as they developed and progressed as socially just teachers. These findings reveal that despite attempts to develop and shift toward asset-based perspectives, far more culturally embedded coursework and practicum experiences are necessary. This paper includes a reflection on …

Understanding School And Community Contexts: Leading For Success Along The Texas-Mexico Border, Erin D. Atwood

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Enacting social justice leadership requires that school leaders understand social, political, and historic contexts of the communities and schools where they lead. This paper examines the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area and highlights some of these issues within this particular community along the Texas-Mexico border. This description of the area provides understanding of the uniqueness of borderlands contexts and allows us to better understand the social justice work of one local school district in leading for success in this context.

Not “That Kind Of Cop”: Exploring How Officers Adapt Approaches, Attitudes, And Self-Concepts In School Settings, Trisha N. Rhodes, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Prior research indicates school resource officers (SROs) perform an array of nontraditional police tasks and work in settings culturally distinct from street patrols. To thrive in SRO programs, police must adapt to these new roles and settings, likely affecting how they view themselves and their work. The present study examined how SROs view and respond to their work in schools through interviews and observations of 20 participants in four states. Findings revealed participants adopted policing strategies that facilitated communication and rapport. They generally viewed citizens positively and felt being an SRO made their work meaningful. Participants further described identities at …

Disparity Does Not Mean Bias: Making Sense Of Observed Racial Disparities In Fatal Officer-Involved Shootings With Multiple Benchmarks, Brandon Tregle, Justin Nix, Geoffrey P. Alpert

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Racial disparities in officer-involved shootings have dominated the national discourse recently. Unfortunately, we have yet to identify an appropriate benchmark, or at-risk population, to put these observed racial disparities into context. In this article, we use seven benchmarks—based on population data from the US Census, police-citizen interaction data from the Police-Public Contact Survey, and arrest data from the Uniform Crime Report—to compare OIS fatality rates for black and white citizens from 2015 to 2017. Using population, police-citizen interactions, or total arrests as a benchmark, we observe that black citizens appear more likely than white citizens to be fatally shot by …

Snapshot Of Nebraska, David J. Drozd

Presentations

Presentation for the Nebraska Chamber Economic Development Summit on Nebraska demographic trends.

Drug Overdose Prevention: Promising Practices, Dawne Frain, Rachel Lubischer, Jessica Groeneweg, Lynn Castrianno, Jeanette Harder, Gaylene Armstrong

Reports

This report on best practices informs a needs assessment on the capacity of Nebraska systems to respond to surges or clusters of intentional, unintentional, and unknown drug overdoses, especially in high burden areas and with a focus on opioids.

Disproportionate School Disciplinary Responses: An Exploration Of Prisonization And Minority Threat Hypothesis Among Black, Hispanic, And Native American Students, Meghan M. Mitchell, Gaylene Armstrong, Todd A. Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This research tests two potential explanations of school disciplinary responses: minority threat hypothesis and prisonization of schools. Data from the Arizona Safe and Drug-Free Schools (SDFS) survey and Arizona Youth Survey (AYS) are analyzed using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions. Findings demonstrate that the percentage of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students was not associated with exclusionary responses to school misconduct, but was linked to decreases in mild and restorative disciplinary practices. Findings support the hypothesis that minority threat reduces access to mild and restorative disciplinary responses. Although, further research is needed on the roles of mental health professionals and …

Hidden In Plain Sight: A Machine Learning Approach For Detecting Prostitution Activity In Phoenix, Arizona, Edward Helderop, Jessica Huff, Fred Morstatter, Anthony Grubesic, Danielle Wallace

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Prostitution has been a topic of study for decades, yet many questions remain about where prostitution occurs. Difficulty in identifying prostitution activity is often attributed to the hidden and seemingly victimless nature of the crime. Despite numerous challenges associated with policing street prostitution, these encounters become more difficult to identify when they take place indoors, especially in locations away from public view, such as hotels. The purpose of this paper is to develop a strategy for identifying hotel facilities and surrounding areas that may be experiencing elevated levels of prostitution activity using high-volume, user-generated data, namely hotel reviews written by …

Political Action As A Function Of Grievances, Risk, And Social Identity: An Experimental Approach, Erin M. Kearns, Victor Asal, James Igoe Walsh, Christopher Federico, Anthony F. Lemieux

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Why would individuals engage in or support contentious politics? This question is challenging to answer with observational data where causal factors are correlated and difficult to measure. Using a survey-embedded experiment, we focus on three situational factors: grievances, risk, and identity. We also explore how individual differences in sociopolitical orientations—social dominance orientation (SDO) and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA)—impact action. Grievances influence engagement in and support for protests. Risk influences engagement in protest, but not support for it. Regardless of condition, SDO and RWA help explain why some people engage in protest while others do not, particularly within the same context.

2018 Evaluation Report For Omaha Girls Rock – A Youth Empowerment Organization, Rachel Lubischer, Tova Hettinger, Jessica Groeneweg, Jeanette Harder

Reports

The STEPs evaluation team partnered with Omaha Girls Rock to complete an outcome evaluation of Omaha Girls Rock camps held in the summer of 2018. To accomplish the evaluation, STEPs used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The results and program recommendations are outlined below.

Absenteeism Interventions: An Approach For Common Definitions In Statewide Program Evaluations, Anne M. Hobbs, Marijana Kotlaja, Lindsey Wylie

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Chronic absenteeism is related to poor academic performance, delinquency, and other high-risk behaviors. Although research has found some promising interventions to reduce absenteeism, the literature lacks clarity on operationalizing absenteeism and when programs should intervene with youth who have varying absenteeism patterns. Using the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework to classify youth into tiers based on their degree of absenteeism, the present study evaluated 12 absenteeism programs, across 137 schools, with a sample of 1,606 youth as part of a statewide evaluation in which programs provided attendance data using a common measurement system. The findings indicated that youth …

Policy Briefs Prepared For The Planning Committee Of The 105 Th Nebraska Legislature, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar)

Presentations

Overview

1.Local Government

a.County Mergers: Evidence for Nebraska (2012)

b.City-County Consolidation: Implications for Nebraska (2012)

c.Pensions (2014)

2.Early Childhood Education for Children with All Parents in the Labor Force (2012)

3.Addressing the Long-Term Care Needs of Nebraska’s Aging Population

a.Addressing the Long-Term Care Needs of Nebraska’s Aging Population through Expanded Assistance to Caregivers (2012)

b.Cost Savings in Medical Care for the Elderly through Expanded Case Management (2012)

c.Addressing the Long-Term Care Needs of Nebraska’s Aging Population through Home and Community-Based Services (2014)

4.Water Quality

a.Challenges for Water Quality Policy in Nebraska: Short-and Long-Term (2014)

b.Policy Challenges for Drinking Water Quality …

Factors Influencing Law Enforcement Responses To Child To Parent Violence, Gaylene Armstrong, Lisa Muftic, Leana A. Bouffard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

A domestic violence incident perpetrated by a child toward his or her parent presents a challenging dynamic for law enforcement officers responding to these calls for service. To date, law enforcement responses to child to parent violence (CPV) have only been studied dichotomously (i.e., decision to arrest), and as a result, the associated complexities are not well understood. Here, we add to the understanding of individual, situational, and contextual factors that influence law enforcement response to CPV by examining 1,113 calls for service in a Midwestern state. In assessing the relative influence of these factors on responses using a multinomial …

Examining The Sources Of Violent Victimization Among Jail Inmates, Jared M. Ellison, Benjamin Steiner, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study involves an examination of the individual- and jail-level predictors of violent victimization during short-term incarceration using data from the most recent Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the corresponding National Jail Census. Findings suggest that individuals whose attributes make them appear more vulnerable or whose attributes antagonize others have a greater risk of violent victimization in jail. In addition, the findings suggest that jails with more stagnant inmate populations and older jails may have higher levels of violent victimization. Overall, the study results add validity to the opportunity framework as a general explanation for victimization risk regardless …