Criminology Commons^™

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

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

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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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Human Experiment In Treatment: A Means To The End Of Offender Recidivism, Doris Layton Mackenzie, Gaylene S. Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This chapter highlights the role that high-quality evaluations, especially randomized experiments, and rigorous techniques of research synthesis (which include high-quality evaluations) have played in recent years in drawing attention to the importance and effectiveness of correctional treatment for offenders as well as the ineffectiveness of many popular “get tough” programs.

Motivational Interviewing, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Neighborhoods On Intimate Partner Violence And Victimization, Gillian M. Pichevsky, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) and victimization is widespread across disciplines. To date, the majority of research underscores the importance of individual-level factors to explain IPV, thereby neglecting the significance of macro-level elements. Nevertheless, research suggests that the characteristics of the neighborhood where an individual lives are important for fully understanding IPV. This review focuses on the effects of neighborhoods and macro-level context on violence between intimate partners, specifically identifying empirical studies that have examined contextual predictors of IPV utilizing the major tenets of social disorganization theory. The authors note consistencies and differences across research results and describe study …

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.

Clarifying The Effects Of Neighborhood Context On Violence “Behind Closed Doors”, Emily M. Wright, Michael L. Benson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Research on neighborhood-level effects on intimate partner violence (IPV) has expanded significantly in the past two decades. However, to date, studies have been unable to disentangle compositional and contextual effects on IPV and have rarely considered the social mechanisms that might link neighborhood conditions to IPV. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, this study considers individual and contextual influences on violence between partners, and examines the effects of disadvantage and collective efficacy on this type of behavior. Results indicate that neighborhood disadvantage significantly increases and collective efficacy significantly decreases IPV after controlling for individual-level correlates. …

Attitudes About Addiction: A National Study Of Addiction Educators, Angela D. Broadus, Joyce A. Hartje, Nancy A. Roget, Kristy L. Cahoon, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The following study, funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), utilized the Addiction Belief Inventory (ABI; Luke, Ribisl, Walton, & Davidson, 2002) to examine addiction attitudes in a national sample of U.S. college/university faculty teaching addiction-specific courses (n = 215). Results suggest that addiction educators view substance abuse as a coping mechanism rather than a moral failure, and are ambivalent about calling substance abuse or addiction a disease. Most do not support individual efficacy toward recovery, the ability to control use, or social use after treatment. Modifiers of addiction educator attitudes include level of college education; teaching …

Sleep And Delinquency: Does The Amount Of Sleep Matter?, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Peter Simi, Mary K. Evans, Amy L. Anderson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Sleep, a key indicator of health, has been linked to a variety of indicators of well-being such that people who get an adequate amount generally experience greater well-being. Further, a lack of sleep has been linked to a wide range of negative developmental outcomes, yet sleep has been largely overlooked among researchers interested in adolescent delinquency. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between hours of sleep and delinquent behavior among adolescents by using data from Wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 14,382; 50.2% female, 63.5% white). A series of …