Relational Aggression, Intimate Partner Violence, And Gender: An Exploratory Analysis, Emily M. Wright, Michael L. Benson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study explores the effects of romantic relational aggression on intimate partner violence. The concept of relational aggression denotes a type of nonphysical aggression that is specific to relationships and that has only recently been recognized in the psychological literature. Using responses to the Conflict Tactics Scale from adults participating in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, romantic relational aggression is examined with regard to male and female intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization. Results indicate that romantic relational aggression is a predictor of partner violence perpetration and victimization among both males and females.

Immigration And Intimate Partner Violence: Exploring The Immigrant Paradox, Emily M. Wright, Michael L. Benson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Recent evidence indicates that contrary to some criminological theories, immigrants are less violent than native-born Americans. The relationship between immigrant status and reduced violence appears to hold at both the individual and neighborhood levels of analysis. This phenomenon has been referred to as the immigrant or Latino paradox. It has been suggested, although rarely examined, that cultural differences and strong social networks among immigrants account for their lower violence rates. These factors even appear strong enough to counterbalance the crime-promoting effects of economic disadvantage. This study investigates whether such patterns extend to intimate partner violence. Consistent with research on other …

Predictors Of Completion In A Batterer Treatment Program: The Effects Of Referral Source Supervision, Sara J. Barber, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Domestic violence offenders who are court mandated to attend a batterer treatment program are more likely to complete treatment than offenders who voluntarily attend. However, few studies have examined the amount or severity of referral source supervision and its effect on treatment completion. This study uses data from three referral sources in South Carolina (i.e., pretrial intervention, criminal domestic violence court, and summary court) to determine whether higher levels of monitoring during a 26-week hybrid cognitive-behavioral batterer treatment program increase the likelihood of completion among batterers. Results indicate that increased supervision exercised over the clients by the referral source during …

Women’S Risk Factors And Their Contributions To Existing Risk/Needs Assessment: The Current Status Of A Gender-Responsive Supplement, Patricia Van Voorhis, Emily M. Wright, Emily J. Salisbury, Ashley Bauman

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

A growing body of scholarship faults existing risk/needs assessment models for neglecting the risk factors most relevant to women offenders. In response, a series of gender-responsive assessment models were tested for their contributions to widely used gender-neutral risk needs assessments. In six of eight samples studied, subsets of the gender-responsive scales achieved statistically significant contributions to gender-neutral models. Promising results were found for the following: (a) parental stress, family support, self-efficacy, educational assets, housing safety, anger/hostility, and current mental health factors in probation samples; (b) child abuse, anger/hostility, relationship dysfunction, family support, and current mental health factors among prisoners; and …

A Multivariate Analysis Of The Sociodemographic Predictors Of Methamphetamine Production And Use, Todd A. Armstrong, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

To date, research testing the community characteristics associated with methamphetamine production and use has found that the community-level sociodemographic predictors of methamphetamine production and use vary from those of drug use in general. In this study, the authors furthered the research in this area using data from all 102 counties in Illinois. These data included measures of sociodemographic characteristics taken from the U.S. census, measures of methamphetamine production and use, and a measure of arrests for controlled-substance violations. Negative binomial regression models showed that poverty and the racial and ethnic compositions of communities were the strongest and most consistent predictors …

The Psychology Of Amber Alert: Unresolved Issues And Implications, Monica K. Miller, Timothy Griffin, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Rebecca M. Thomas

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The AMBER alert system is likely affected by a number of psychological processes, yet remains understudied. The system assumes people will remember Alert information accurately and notify police, but psychological research on related phenomena (e.g., memory, willingness to help) indicates that people may not be able or willing to act in ways the promote the success of the system. In addition, the system is intended to deter child abductions, however, the system could prompt copycat crimes from perpetrators seeking publicity. The system could also cause a precipitation effect in which a perpetrator who sees the Alert could decide to murder …

An Assessment Of Scales Measuring Constructs In Tests Of Criminological Theory Based On National Youth Survey Data, Todd A. Armstrong, Daniel R. Lee, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Researchers have utilized the National Youth Survey (NYS) data to test a variety of theoretical explanations of criminal behavior. Here, the authors offer an assessment of scales used in tests of criminological theory based on NYS data. The authors conducted this assessment to provide results informing future tests of theory. Their analyses focus on understanding the extent to which scales representative of different theories are actually based on the same item content. They test for two distinct processes that may explain this phenomenon. In the first process, scales measuring a given construct are attributed to different theories. In the second …

Bookreview: Price, B. E. (2006). Merchandizing Prisoners: Who Really Pays For Prison Privatization? Westport, Ct: Praeger. 187 Pp, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Review of Price’s Merchandizing Prisoners: Who Really Pays for Prison Privatization?

The Organizational, Community And Programmatic Characteristics That Predict The Effective Implementation Of After-School Programs, Todd A. Armstrong, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

To identify characteristics predicting the effective implementation of after-school programs, in-depth interviews were conducted at five sites randomly selected from a subset of 16 ACE after-school sites serving high risk youth in a southwestern city. Qualitative data from structured in-depth interviews, follow-up telephone conversations with personnel as well as researcher observations during site visits were synthesized. Data identified three constellations of characteristics associated with effective implementation: staffing, community and programmatic. Staffing characteristics included limited staff turnover and sufficient training. Community characteristics included cultural sensitivity and community integration. Programmatic characteristics included clearly defined program goals and specific program content. Researcher observations …

The Measurement Of Psychopathy: Dimensional And Taxometric Approaches, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This article extends the debate over personality disorders as dimensional or taxonic phenomena to the study of psychopathy and relates this issue to questions surrounding whether behaviors or personality traits best represent psychopathy. Proponents of dimensional measurements of psychopathy consider personality traits to be important constructs of psychopathy, whereas proponents of taxometric measurements consider behaviors to be important characteristics of psychopathy. After a brief introduction to the measurement of psychopathy, taxometric and dimensional measurement techniques are explained, their assumptions addressed, and their strengths and weaknesses discussed. Empirical evidence for each technique is then critiqued, and methodological problems are described. It …

Investigating Racial Disparity At The Detention Decision: The Role Of Respectability, Don L. Kurtz, Travis Linnemann, Ryan E. Spohn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

A concern over inequity and the existence of racial disparity of youth served by the juvenile justice system has long been a topic of considerable interest among scholars, policymakers, and court offi cials. Numerous empirical studies undertaken by academics and various public and private organizations have attempted to shed some light on this phenomenon. Research fi ndings on disproportionate minority contact have hardly been uniform, leaving much of this practice unexplained. This study uses data obtained at the detention decision point over a three-year period examining variance in juvenile case processing related to race. Findings suggest that extra-legal factors influencing …

An Assessment Of Cross-National Variation In Rates Of Incarceration, Ryan E. Spohn, Travis Linnemann

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Our theoretical approach compares the relative efficacy of multiple theories of law and social control. From a general social threat perspective, we find that variables reflecting the size of the unemployed youth population and general measures of income inequality have positive impacts on a nation's rates of incarceration. We also find partial support for one of Durkheim's laws of quantitative change and penal evolution, in that, all else equal, nations with a more authoritarian form of government utilize incarceration at a higher rate than their more democratic counterparts. We also find that the institutional anomie perspective, which has previously been …

Pathways And Turning Points: Child Maltreatment, Adolescent Outcomes, And Delinquency, Ryan E. Spohn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being is a valuable resource for examining the lives of at-risk youth in a longitudinal fashion. Essentially, I seek to increase our knowledge of “what works?” and “for whom?” I seek to determine if negative pathways of at-risk youth are altered by social factors and professional intervention. This pathway theory is founded on the assumption that individual differences in factors such as cognitive and emotional development lead to trajectories that often lead at-risk youth down paths of negative social and behavioral outcomes. However, I also assume that turning points will be evident in …

Predicting The Prison Misconducts Of Women Offenders: The Importance Of Gender-Responsive Needs, Emily M. Wright, Emily J. Salisbury, Patricia Van Voorhis

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The needs of women offenders may be qualitatively different than the needs of male offenders. The “pathways” and “gender-responsive” perspectives of female offending have recently garnered attention in both practitioner and scholarly arenas. The pathways perspective focuses attention on the co-occurrence and effects of trauma, substance abuse, dysfunctional relationships, and mental illness on female offending, while the gender-responsive perspective also suggests that problems related to parenting, childcare, and self-concept issues are important needs of women offenders. Few studies have examined whether or not these are risk factors for poor prison adjustment. With a sample of 272 incarcerated women offenders in …

Risk And Protective Factors Predictive Of Sense Of Coherence During Adolescence, Shawn C. Marsh, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Rebecca M. Thomas, William P. Evans

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This brief report presents a study undertaken to better understand the factors that are related to sense of coherence (SOC) levels among youth. Middle school students (N = 1619) reported on risk and protective factors across ecological domains. Analyses revealed that social support, anger expression, family conflict and neighborhood cohesion were predictors of SOC for both males and females. Community views regarding gang membership was a predictor of SOC only for males, while age was a predictor of SOC only for females. The findings suggest a resiliency and ecological framework may be helpful in understanding SOC in youth.

The Effect Of Local Life Circumstances On Victimization Of Drug‐Involved Women, Gaylene Armstrong, Marie L. Griffin

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

While numerous studies have examined female victimization in the general population, fewer studies have focused specifically on high‐risk populations such as drug‐involved females. Of the existing literature, the Lifestyle Exposure and/or Routine Activities theory is frequently used to examine the antecedent conditions and correlates of female victimization. This study employs a dynamic modeling approach to examine the effect of short‐term change (i.e., monthly) in local life circumstances on female victimization within a criminogenic population. Results demonstrated that risk of victimization increased in months a woman was in a relationship, lived with a significant other and/or her children, engaged in criminogenic …

Effects Of Individual And Contextual Characteristics On Preadjudication Detention Of Juvenile Delinquents, Gaylene Armstrong, Nancy Rodriguez

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study examined individual and contextual factors affecting preadjudication detention of juvenile delinquents in 65 counties of a northeastern state. Results demonstrated that while individual characteristics of the juvenile delinquents were important predictors, much of the variation in decisions was explained when contextual factors of the counties were included in a two‐level hierarchical linear model. In addition to the statistically significant legal and extralegal juvenile characteristics, our study found that counties with a higher percentage of non‐White population were more likely to detain juvenile delinquents prior to adjudication. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering both individual and contextual factors …

Gun Related Youth Violence: Fear Of Victimization Versus The Influence Of Significant Others, Ryan E. Spohn, Samantha Lane

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Differential association/social learning theories have received considerable empirical support as an explanation of participation in delinquent acts, including violent delinquency (Heimer 1997). More recently, and primarily as a result of highly publicized school shootings in suburban high schools, fear of crime and victimization have received attention as motivators of gun-carrying and gun violence. These phenomena are generally not examined in unison, however, leaving open the question of their relative role as a cause of gun carrying and violence amongst youth. The current research project addresses this question. A major strength of the current research is the adoption of multiple measures …

The Effect Of Local Life Circumstances On Female Probationers' Offending, Marie L. Griffin, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This article examines the influence of change in local life circumstances on the short-term criminal behavior of female drug-abusing probationers. Using a binomial hierarchical generalized linear model, we examine the probability that certain “discrete life events” act to modify or change criminal behavior in the short term. The findings indicate that participants' involvement in conventional activities results in the decreased likelihood of engaging in nondrug crimes but an increased likelihood of drug dealing. Faced with this contradiction, we suggest that the dynamics of offending are altered by the nature of the criminal activity itself and the way in which gender …

Assessing The Relative Effects Of State Direct File Waiver Laws On Violent Juvenile Crime: Deterrence Or Irrelevance, Benjamin Steiner, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Juvenile waiver, or transfer, laws allow certain young offenders to be removed from juvenile court jurisdiction and prosecuted in criminal court, where the range of sanctions is presumably greater. In the past several decades, many states have modified their existing transfer statutes in order to streamline the waiver process and make it easier to prosecute juveniles in criminal court. In doing so, states have excluded certain offenses from juvenile court jurisdiction or added concurrent jurisdiction provisions to their existing waiver statutes. Concurrent jurisdiction, or direct file, statutes afford prosecutors the unreviewable discretion to charge certain juveniles in either juvenile or …

Recent Efforts To Make Nebraska Juries More Representative Of Their Communities, Carly Duvall, Elizabeth Neeley

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

According to the Minority and Justice Task Force Report (2003), “the majority of Nebraskans believe that it is important that juries reflect the racial and ethnic makeup of the community.”

Improving The Amber Alert System: Psychology Research & Policy Recommendation, Monica K. Miller, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

When lawmakers implemented the AMBER Alert System, they initi­ated a system designed to save the lives of missing children. However, the system might not be working as well as possible. If psychological research on related areas (e.g., memory and witness identification) extends to AMBER Alerts, it is likely that the system can be improved.

Section II of this article begins with a description and history of the AMBER Alert System, followed by a brief discussion of the effectiveness of the system. Section III continues with a review of numerous psycho­ logical studies that have important implications when applied to the …

Correctional Officers’ Perceptions Of Equitable Treatment In The Masculinized Prison Environment, Marie L. Griffin, Gaylene Armstrong, John R. Hepburn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Research suggests that employee perceptions of an organization’s support for policies that promote an equitable work environment may differ significantly by race and gender groups. This study examines such perceptual differences and their attitudinal effects on employee experiences within the unique context of a prison setting. Significant differences in correctional officer perceptions of policies are found to exist by race and gender groups. Contrary to expectations, all race and gender groups perceive strong organizational support for equal treatment policies. Moreover, the work experiences of White males are not negatively affected by perceptions of organizational support for equal treatment as had …

Evaluating The Competing Assumptions Of Gottfredson And Hirschi’S (1990) A General Theory Of Crime And Psychological Explanations Of Agression, Todd A. Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) A General Theory of Crime, argues individual criminal propensity manifests itself as a general tendency to engage in a variety of criminal and delinquent acts. In contrast, Psychological explanations of aggression assume that the causal processes explaining individual variation in aggression are somehow different from those explaining other forms of crime and deviance. The current work assessed the relative strength of the assumptions of these two positions by testing the relationships among hostile attributional bias, selfcontrol, and three indicators of criminal intent. Hostile attributional bias is an individual characteristic important in psychological research on social information …

Does The Job Matter? Comparing Correlates Of Stress Among Treatment And Correctional Staff In Prisons, Gaylene Armstrong, Marie L. Griffin

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The wealth of literature on stress in the correctional workplace focused on correctional officers, frequently ignoring treatment personnel employed in these same institutions. This study advanced the literature on correctional workplace stress by: (1) testing for differences in workplace stress between correctional officers and treatment personnel, (2) examining personal and environmental factors to determine whether distinct precursors to stress existed for these two groups, and (3) utilizing multiple measures of stress. Self-report survey data from 3,794 employees in ten adult prisons in a southwestern state demonstrated that both groups of employees reported moderately high levels of job stress and stress-related …

Where Do We Go From Here? Boot Camps In The Future, Doris Layton Mackenzie, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Boot camps have developed over the past two decades into a program that incorporates a military regimen to create a structured environment. While some critics of this method of corrections suggest that the confrontational nature of the program is antithetical to treatment, authors Doris Layton MacKenzie and Gaylene Styve Armstrong present research knowledge and personal discussions with community leaders that offer insight into both the strengths and weaknesses of this controversial form of corrections.

Correctional Boot Camps: Military Basic Training or a Model for Corrections? provides the most up-to-date assessment of the major perspectives and issues related to the current …

Private Versus Public Juvenile Correctional Facilities: Do Differences In Environmental Quality Exist?, Gaylene Armstrong, Doris Layton Mackenzie

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Expansion in the operation of private sector correctional facilities has sparked a number of debates. A primary concern is that environmental quality for offenders incarcerated in privately operated facilities will be poorer than publicly operated facilities due to the profit motivation of the private sector. This study examined data collected from 48 residential juvenile correctional facilities in 19 states (16 private and 32 public facilities). Self-report surveys, including cognitive assessments of 13 conditions of confinement, were administered to juvenile delinquents (N = 4,121) incarcerated in these facilities. Data from facility records were also incorporated in the analysis. A hierarchical …

Book Review: Boot Camps: An Intermediate Sanction, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Book Review: Boot camps: An intermediate sanction

Boot Camps, Gaylene Armstrong, Doris Layton Mackenzie

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Boot Camps And Traditional Institutions On Juvenile Residents: Perceptions, Adjustment, And Change, Doris Layton Mackenzie, David B. Wilson, Gaylene Armstrong, Angela Gover

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Experiences of 2,668 juveniles in 26 boot camps were compared to 1,848 juveniles in 22 traditional facilities. There were no reported differences between juveniles' anxiety and depression in the two types of facilities during their first month of confinement. Overall, juveniles in boot camps perceived their environment to be more positive (i.e., therapeutic), less hostile (i.e., dangerous), and as providing less freedom (conversely more structure) than juveniles in traditional facilities. Relative to others in the same facility, youth who viewed their facility negatively experienced more stress (i.e., anxiety, depression). Scales measuring changes over time found that youth in boot camps …