Search results

Title: Heterogeneous Effects Of Adolescent Violent Victimization On Problematic Outcomes In Early Adulthood.
Creator: Turanovic, Jillian J.
Abstract/Description: Violent victimization-particularly when it happens to young people-can inflict a wide array of negative consequences across the life course. Nevertheless, some victims are more likely to suffer these consequences than others, and we do not have a very good understanding of why that is. One promising avenue of research is to examine how individuals' differential risks of being victimized affect the extent to which they experience negative outcomes. By using propensity score matching and data...
Show moreViolent victimization-particularly when it happens to young people-can inflict a wide array of negative consequences across the life course. Nevertheless, some victims are more likely to suffer these consequences than others, and we do not have a very good understanding of why that is. One promising avenue of research is to examine how individuals' differential risks of being victimized affect the extent to which they experience negative outcomes. By using propensity score matching and data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 8,323), in this study I estimate the heterogeneous effects of adolescent violent victimization on several problematic outcomes in early adulthood (violent and property offending, subsequent violent victimization, depressive symptoms, hard drug use, and low educational attainment). Individuals' differential risks of adolescent violent victimization are estimated with a host of personal, social, and contextual factors, including prior experiences with crime and violence. The results show that the consequences of adolescent victimization in early adulthood are more pronounced for youth with the lowest risks of being victimized. These findings have important implications for theory, research, and practice, and they emphasize that the consequences of victimization cannot be understood separately from the sources of victimization.
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Date Issued: 2019-02-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_wos_000458826900004, 10.1111/1745-9125.12198
Format: Citation

Title: Response Errors In Surveys Of Defensive Gun Use: A National Internet Survey Experiment.
Creator: Kleck, Gary
Abstract/Description: A national Internet survey of a probability sample of 5,550 U.S. adults was used to study possible sources of error in surveys of defensive gun use (DGU). Respondents (Rs) were randomly exposed to variant question wordings, question sequences, and combinations of questions. Rs were 70% more likely to report a victimization when they were instructed to report incidents involving offenders known to them, and 43% more likely to report a victimization if they were instructed to include incidents...
Show moreA national Internet survey of a probability sample of 5,550 U.S. adults was used to study possible sources of error in surveys of defensive gun use (DGU). Respondents (Rs) were randomly exposed to variant question wordings, question sequences, and combinations of questions. Rs were 70% more likely to report a victimization when they were instructed to report incidents involving offenders known to them, and 43% more likely to report a victimization if they were instructed to include incidents that resulted in no injury or property loss. Rs were 125% more likely to report DGUs if they were directly asked about DGU than if they were first asked about victimization experiences, then asked about DGU in connection with those experiences.
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Date Issued: 2018-08-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_wos_000438563300001, 10.1177/0011128718763138
Format: Citation

Title: Social Exclusion and Parental Incarceration Impacts on Adolescents’ Networks and School Engagement.
Creator: Cochran, Joshua C., Siennick, Sonja E., Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: Although prior research links parental incarceration to deleterious outcomes for children during the life course, few studies have examined whether such incarceration affects the social exclusion of children during adolescence. Draw-ing on several lines of scholarship, the authors examined whether adolescents with incarcerated parents have fewer or lower quality relationships, participate in more antisocial peer networks, and feel less integrated or engaged in school. The study applies...
Show moreAlthough prior research links parental incarceration to deleterious outcomes for children during the life course, few studies have examined whether such incarceration affects the social exclusion of children during adolescence. Draw-ing on several lines of scholarship, the authors examined whether adolescents with incarcerated parents have fewer or lower quality relationships, participate in more antisocial peer networks, and feel less integrated or engaged in school. The study applies propensity score matching to survey and network data from a national sample of youth. Analyses indicated that children with incarcerated parents have more antisocial peers; the authors found limited evidence that parental incarceration adversely impacts peer networks and school integration domains. The results suggest that the impacts of parental incarceration on adolescents’ social lives have less to do with isolation than with the types of peers adolescents befriend. Findings provide support for the idea that parental incarceration may adversely affect children’s social exclusion.
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Date Issued: 2018-04-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548790712_39d71275, 10.1111/jomf.12464
Format: Citation

Title: Progressively Tougher Sanctioning and Recidivism: Assessing the Effects of Different Types of Sanctions.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Cochran, Joshua C.
Abstract/Description: Objectives: The study tests two related hypotheses about recidivist sentencing premiums and the progressive sanctioning logic on which they rest: (1) among first-time felons, punitive sanctions will more effectively reduce recidivism than will less severe sanctions and (2) among second-time felons, progressively tougher sanctions will more effectively reduce recidivism than will progressions to comparable or less severe sanctions. Method: We use data on first-time and second-time felons and...
Show moreObjectives: The study tests two related hypotheses about recidivist sentencing premiums and the progressive sanctioning logic on which they rest: (1) among first-time felons, punitive sanctions will more effectively reduce recidivism than will less severe sanctions and (2) among second-time felons, progressively tougher sanctions will more effectively reduce recidivism than will progressions to comparable or less severe sanctions. Method: We use data on first-time and second-time felons and propensity score matching analyses to test these two hypotheses. Results: Although tougher punishment, and increasingly tougher punishment among second-time offenders, may sometimes reduce recidivism, less severe punishment appears on aver-age to be more effective. Conclusions: The results raise questions about the effects of both tougher, and progressively tougher, types of sanctions in efforts to reduce recidivism.
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Date Issued: 2018-03-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548791454_df4388cb, 10.1177/0022427817739338
Format: Citation

Title: Aggregate-level lead exposure, gun violence, homicide, and rape.
Creator: Boutwell, Brian B, Nelson, Erik J, Qian, Zhengmin, Vaughn, Michael G, Wright, John P, Beaver, Kevin M, Barnes, J C, Petkovsek, Melissa, Lewis, Roger, Schootman, Mario, Rosenfeld...
Show moreBoutwell, Brian B, Nelson, Erik J, Qian, Zhengmin, Vaughn, Michael G, Wright, John P, Beaver, Kevin M, Barnes, J C, Petkovsek, Melissa, Lewis, Roger, Schootman, Mario, Rosenfeld, Richard
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Abstract/Description: An increasing body of research has linked the geographic distribution of lead with various indicators of criminal and antisocial behavior. The current study, using data from an ongoing project related to lead exposure in St. Louis City, MO, analyzed the association between aggregate blood lead levels and specific indicators violent crime within the city. Ecological study. St. Louis, Missouri. Blood lead levels. Official reports of violent crimes were categorized as 1) crimes involving a...
Show moreAn increasing body of research has linked the geographic distribution of lead with various indicators of criminal and antisocial behavior. The current study, using data from an ongoing project related to lead exposure in St. Louis City, MO, analyzed the association between aggregate blood lead levels and specific indicators violent crime within the city. Ecological study. St. Louis, Missouri. Blood lead levels. Official reports of violent crimes were categorized as 1) crimes involving a firearm (yes/no), 2) assault crimes (with or without a firearm), 3) robbery crimes (with or without a firearm), 4) homicides and 5) rape. With the exception of rape, aggregate blood-lead levels were statistically significant predictors of violent crime at the census tract level. The risk ratios for each of the outcome measures were as follows: firearm crimes 1.03 (1.03-1.04), assault crimes 1.03 (1.02-1.03), robbery crimes 1.03 (1.02-1.04), homicide 1.03 (1.01, 1.04), and rape 1.01 (0.99-1.03). Extending prior research in St. Louis, results suggest that aggregated lead exposure at the census tract level predicted crime outcomes, even after accounting for important sociological variables. Moving forward, a more developed understanding of aggregate level crime may necessitate a shift toward studying the synergy between sociological and biological risk factors such as lead exposure.
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Date Issued: 2017-11-27
Identifier: FSU_pmch_29176826, 10.1371/journal.pone.0187953, PMC5703470, 29176826, 29176826, PONE-D-16-40412
Format: Citation

Title: New Students' Peer Integration and Exposure to Deviant Peers: Spurious Effects of School Moves?.
Creator: Siennick, Sonja E, Widdowson, Alex O, Ragan, Daniel T
Abstract/Description: School moves during adolescence predict lower peer integration and higher exposure to delinquent peers. Yet mobility and peer problems have several common correlates, so differences in movers' and non-movers' social adjustment may be due to selection rather than to causal effects of school moves. Drawing on survey and social network data from a sample of 7th and 8th graders, this study compared the structure and behavioral content of new students' friendship networks to those of not only non...
Show moreSchool moves during adolescence predict lower peer integration and higher exposure to delinquent peers. Yet mobility and peer problems have several common correlates, so differences in movers' and non-movers' social adjustment may be due to selection rather than to causal effects of school moves. Drawing on survey and social network data from a sample of 7th and 8th graders, this study compared the structure and behavioral content of new students' friendship networks to those of not only non-movers, but also of students about to move schools; the latter should resemble new students in both observed and unobserved ways. The results suggest that the association between school moves and friends' delinquency is due to selection, but the association between school moves and peer integration may not be entirely due to selection.
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Date Issued: 2017-11-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_29225396, 10.1177/0272431616659563, PMC5718622, 29225396, 29225396
Format: Citation

Title: Columbine Revisited: Myths and Realities about the Bullying-School Shootings Connection.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Moon, Melissa, Thielo, Angela J.
Abstract/Description: After the Columbine school shooting in 1999, concern about bullying crescendoed. A prominent belief emerged that bullying causes school shootings. However, many of the beliefs about bullying constitute myths—that is, empirically unverified assumptions. These beliefs ignore critical conceptual issues that attend to efforts to understand the bullying-school shootings connection. In so doing, they likely inhibit progress toward a more accurate understanding of the causes of school shootings and...
Show moreAfter the Columbine school shooting in 1999, concern about bullying crescendoed. A prominent belief emerged that bullying causes school shootings. However, many of the beliefs about bullying constitute myths—that is, empirically unverified assumptions. These beliefs ignore critical conceptual issues that attend to efforts to understand the bullying-school shootings connection. In so doing, they likely inhibit progress toward a more accurate understanding of the causes of school shootings and what can be done to prevent them. In this paper, we present this argument and identify recommendations for research and policy.
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Date Issued: 2017-10-24
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548787798_bfd96e5b, 10.1080/15564886.2017.1307295
Format: Citation

Title: When in doubt, go to the library: The effect of a library-intensive freshman research and writing seminar on academic success.
Creator: Hill, Leslie B., Maier-Katkin, Dan, Ladny, Roshni T., Kinsley, Kirsten Michele
Abstract/Description: The paper is an extension of a previous study, which examined student perceptions of a unique freshman seminar offered to Criminology and Criminal Justice students at Florida State University. The seminar is characterized by a heavy focus on interactive library sessions in which students learn how to conduct research and write a scholarly paper. The previous article reported on student perceptions of research and writing skills developed in the seminar. This report, using Multivariate...
Show moreThe paper is an extension of a previous study, which examined student perceptions of a unique freshman seminar offered to Criminology and Criminal Justice students at Florida State University. The seminar is characterized by a heavy focus on interactive library sessions in which students learn how to conduct research and write a scholarly paper. The previous article reported on student perceptions of research and writing skills developed in the seminar. This report, using Multivariate Regression and Propensity Score Matching reveals that compared to a carefully constructed comparison group, first time in college students enrolled in the seminar have statistically significantly higher cumulative grade point averages and percentages of graduation within four years. The seminar’s emphasis on the library as a research tool is thought to have contributed to the differences seen on academic outcomes between students who took the seminar and a matched comparison group.
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Date Issued: 2017-09-21
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1552566510_6c23f37e, 10.1080/10511253.2017.1372498
Format: Citation

Title: Thinking fast, not slow: How cognitive biases may contribute to racial disparities in the use of force in police-citizen encounters.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Craig, Miltonette O., Stewart, Eric A., Warren, Patricia Y.
Abstract/Description: Purpose: To illuminate how racial disparities in police use of force may arise and to guide research aimed at explaining such disparities. Methods: We draw on research on policing, racial disparities in criminal justice, and cognitive bias and decision making to argue that police-citizen encounters require rapid assessments that demand reliance on cognitive “shortcuts,” or heuristics, that may inﬂuence the use of force. Results: When cognitive shortcuts rely on biases about the dangerousness...
Show morePurpose: To illuminate how racial disparities in police use of force may arise and to guide research aimed at explaining such disparities. Methods: We draw on research on policing, racial disparities in criminal justice, and cognitive bias and decision making to argue that police-citizen encounters require rapid assessments that demand reliance on cognitive “shortcuts,” or heuristics, that may inﬂuence the use of force. Results: When cognitive shortcuts rely on biases about the dangerousness of racial minorities, they can con-tribute to disparities in the use of force. These biases may interact with those that citizens hold, which creates a greater potential for disparities. In addition, biases of oﬃcers and citizens may be inﬂuenced by such factors as oﬃcer training, social context, and reaction time. Conclusions: Research is needed that identiﬁes cognitive shortcuts used during police-citizen encounters, con-ditions under which they are activated, and strategies for minimizing their role in contributing to racial dis-parities in the use of force.
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Date Issued: 2017-09-17
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548708820_1bd6b056, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.09.001
Format: Citation

Title: Early Sexual Initiation and Mental Health: A Fleeting Association or Enduring Change?.
Creator: Wesche, Rose, Kreager, Derek A, Lefkowitz, Eva S, Siennick, Sonja E
Abstract/Description: The present research examined how the within-person association between sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms decays over time, using data with annual measurement occasions across adolescence (N = 1,789) and statistical models of within-person change. Sexual initiation was associated with increased levels of internalizing symptoms for early-initiating girls (ninth grade, approximately age 15), but not for on-time-initiating girls or for boys. The association between girls' early sexual...
Show moreThe present research examined how the within-person association between sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms decays over time, using data with annual measurement occasions across adolescence (N = 1,789) and statistical models of within-person change. Sexual initiation was associated with increased levels of internalizing symptoms for early-initiating girls (ninth grade, approximately age 15), but not for on-time-initiating girls or for boys. The association between girls' early sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms declined precipitously over time. Indeed, 1 year after sexual debut, early-initiating girls were similar to on-time or noninitiating girls on internalizing symptoms, suggesting early sexual initiation does not produce lasting detriments to girls' mental health. Findings inform how researchers perceive sexual initiation, both as a developmental milestone and as a prevention target.
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Date Issued: 2017-09-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_28776829, 10.1111/jora.12303, PMC5546176, 28776829, 28776829
Format: Citation

Title: The prevalence of discrimination across racial groups in contemporary America: Results from a nationally representative sample of adults..
Creator: Boutwell, Brian B, Nedelec, Joseph L, Winegard, Bo, Shackelford, Todd, Beaver, Kevin M, Vaughn, Michael, Barnes, J C, Wright, John P
Abstract/Description: A large body of social science research is devoted to understanding the causes and correlates of discrimination. Comparatively less effort has been aimed at providing a general prevalence estimate of discrimination using a nationally representative sample. The current study is intended to offer such an estimate using a large sample of American respondents (N = 14,793) while also exploring perceptions regarding why respondents felt they were discriminated against. The results provide a broad...
Show moreA large body of social science research is devoted to understanding the causes and correlates of discrimination. Comparatively less effort has been aimed at providing a general prevalence estimate of discrimination using a nationally representative sample. The current study is intended to offer such an estimate using a large sample of American respondents (N = 14,793) while also exploring perceptions regarding why respondents felt they were discriminated against. The results provide a broad estimate of self-reported discrimination experiences-an event that was only reported by about one-quarter of all sample members-across racial and ethnic categories.
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Date Issued: 2017-08-24
Identifier: FSU_pmch_28837680, 10.1371/journal.pone.0183356, PMC5570361, 28837680, 28837680, PONE-D-17-06599
Format: Citation

Title: In Prison and Far From Home: Spatial Distance Effects on Inmate Misconduct.
Creator: Lindsey, Andrea M., Mears, Daniel P., Cochran, Joshua C., Bales, William D., Stults, Brian J.
Abstract/Description: Drawing on theory and research on prisoner behavior, this study examines whether spatial distance from home influences inmates’ likelihood of engaging in misconduct. Three hypotheses are developed: distally placed inmates will engage in more misconduct, distance will have a greater effect on misconduct among younger inmates, and visitation will mediate these relationships. We test the hypotheses using negative binomial regression analyses of data from the Florida Department of Corrections (N ...
Show moreDrawing on theory and research on prisoner behavior, this study examines whether spatial distance from home influences inmates’ likelihood of engaging in misconduct. Three hypotheses are developed: distally placed inmates will engage in more misconduct, distance will have a greater effect on misconduct among younger inmates, and visitation will mediate these relationships. We test the hypotheses using negative binomial regression analyses of data from the Florida Department of Corrections (N = 33,853). Support for the hypotheses is mixed. A curvilinear relationship between distance and misconduct was identified, with a positive effect on misconduct for distances up to 350 miles and a negative effect thereafter. Distance effects were greater for younger inmates and were partially mediated by visitation. Implications of the findings are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2017-08-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548708372_294174a2, 10.1177/0011128715614017
Format: Citation

Title: Who Gets Visited In Prison? Individual- And Community-level Disparities In Inmate Visitation Experiences.
Creator: Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: Scholarship has shown that visitation helps individuals maintain social ties during imprisonment, which, in turn, can improve inmate behavior and reduce recidivism. Not being visited can result in collateral consequences and inequality in punishment. Few studies, however, have explored the factors associated with visitation. This study uses data on Florida inmates to identify individual-and community-level factors that may affect visitation. Consistent with expectations derived from prior...
Show moreScholarship has shown that visitation helps individuals maintain social ties during imprisonment, which, in turn, can improve inmate behavior and reduce recidivism. Not being visited can result in collateral consequences and inequality in punishment. Few studies, however, have explored the factors associated with visitation. This study uses data on Florida inmates to identify individual-and community-level factors that may affect visitation. Consistent with expectations derived from prior theory and research, the study finds that inmates who are older, Black, and who have been incarcerated more frequently experience less visitation. In addition, inmates who come from areas with higher incarceration rates and higher levels of social altruism experience more visits. Unexpectedly, however, sentence length and economic disadvantage are not associated with visitation. Implications of these findings are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2017-05
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_wos_000401088400002, 10.1177/0011128714542503
Format: Citation

Title: Solitary Conﬁnement as Punishment: Examining In-Prison Sanctioning Disparities.
Creator: Cochran, Joshua C., Toman, Elisa L., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: Drawing on prior sentencing and prison scholarship, this study examines the use of solitary conﬁnement as a form of punishment. Speciﬁcally, it assesses whether, given a prison infraction, minority inmates—and young, male, minority inmates in particular—are more likely to be placed in solitary and to be placed in it for longer durations. Multilevel regression analyses of state prison data suggest little support for the hypothesis that minority males, or young minority, males, are sanctioned...
Show moreDrawing on prior sentencing and prison scholarship, this study examines the use of solitary conﬁnement as a form of punishment. Speciﬁcally, it assesses whether, given a prison infraction, minority inmates—and young, male, minority inmates in particular—are more likely to be placed in solitary and to be placed in it for longer durations. Multilevel regression analyses of state prison data suggest little support for the hypothesis that minority males, or young minority, males, are sanctioned more harshly than other inmates. The analyses identify, however, that males are more likely than females to be placed in solitary as a form of disciplinary punishment and that younger females are more likely to be placed in it than older females. The ﬁndings highlight that age and sex may interact to inﬂuence punishment decisions and raise questions about the precise roles of race and ethnicity in affecting punishment decisions. Implications of the ﬁndings for theory, research, and policy are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2017-04-05
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548791134_4d82fe96, 10.1080/07418825.2017.1308541
Format: Citation

Title: The effectiveness of prison for reducing drug offender recidivism: a regression discontinuity analysis.
Creator: Mitchell, Ojmarrh, Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: Objectives An enduring legacy of the 1980s “war on drugs” is the increased use of imprisonment for drug offenders. Advocates anticipated, in part, that prison is more effective than community sanctions in reducing recidivism. Despite the contribution of drug offender incarceration to prison growth nationally, and debates about whether this approach should be curtailed, only limited rigorous research exists that evaluates the effect of imprisonment on drug offender recidivism. To address this...
Show moreObjectives An enduring legacy of the 1980s “war on drugs” is the increased use of imprisonment for drug offenders. Advocates anticipated, in part, that prison is more effective than community sanctions in reducing recidivism. Despite the contribution of drug offender incarceration to prison growth nationally, and debates about whether this approach should be curtailed, only limited rigorous research exists that evaluates the effect of imprisonment on drug offender recidivism. To address this gap, this paper uses sentencing and recidivism data from a cohort of individuals convicted of felony drug offenses in Florida to examine the effect of imprisonment—as compared to community sanctions—on recidivism. Methods Regression discontinuity analyses are used. These minimize potential selection bias by exogenously assigning cases to conditions based on a rating variable and a cut-off score. Results Results indicate that prison has no effect on drug offenders’ rates of reconviction. This finding holds across a range of offender subgroups (racial and ethnic, gender, age, and prior criminal justice system involvement). Conclusions Imprisoning individuals convicted of marginally serious drug offenses—that is, those close to a cut-off score for being sent to prison—did not reduce subsequent offending. This finding suggests that curtailing the use of imprisonment for such individuals will not appreciably affect future criminal activity and may have the benefit of reducing correctional system costs.
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Date Issued: 2017-02-08
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548788569_d3bdd7eb, 10.1007/s11292-017-9282-6
Format: Citation

Title: Extradyadic sex and union dissolution among young adults in opposite-sex married and cohabiting unions.
Creator: Frisco, Michelle L, Wenger, Marin R, Kreager, Derek A
Abstract/Description: This study investigates extradyadic sex (EDS) among contemporary opposite-sex married and cohabiting young adults and examines how EDS is associated with union dissolution. By analyzing data from 8301 opposite-sex spouses and cohabiters in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we estimate the prevalence of self-reported EDS, reports of partners' EDS, and reports of mutual EDS (i.e., both partners' engagement in EDS). Roughly 1 in 4 respondents reported that either...
Show moreThis study investigates extradyadic sex (EDS) among contemporary opposite-sex married and cohabiting young adults and examines how EDS is associated with union dissolution. By analyzing data from 8301 opposite-sex spouses and cohabiters in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we estimate the prevalence of self-reported EDS, reports of partners' EDS, and reports of mutual EDS (i.e., both partners' engagement in EDS). Roughly 1 in 4 respondents reported that either they, their partner or both engaged in EDS. Young men were more likely than women to self-report EDS, while young women were more likely to report partners' EDS. Relative to no EDS, partners' EDS was associated with union dissolution, but self-reported EDS and mutual EDS were not. A partner's EDS was also associated with union dissolution relative to self-reported EDS. Associations between a partner's EDS and dissolution were consistent among spouses and cohabiters and among men and women.
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Date Issued: 2017-02-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_28126106, 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2016.08.013, PMC5300748, 28126106, 28126106, S0049-089X(16)30489-6
Format: Citation

Title: Racial Threat, Intergroup Contact, and School Punishment.
Creator: Hughes, Cresean, Warren, Patricia Y., Stewart, Eric A., Tomaskovic-Devey, Donald, Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: Objectives: Drawing on the racial threat and intergroup contact literatures, we explore whether (1) a school’s racial or ethnic context increases school suspensions for Black, Hispanic, and White students; (2) intergroup contact among school board members reduces school suspensions for Black, His-panic, and White students; and (3) a school’s racial or ethnic context effects on school suspensions are conditioned by intergroup contact among school board members. Method: Count-dependent...
Show moreObjectives: Drawing on the racial threat and intergroup contact literatures, we explore whether (1) a school’s racial or ethnic context increases school suspensions for Black, Hispanic, and White students; (2) intergroup contact among school board members reduces school suspensions for Black, His-panic, and White students; and (3) a school’s racial or ethnic context effects on school suspensions are conditioned by intergroup contact among school board members. Method: Count-dependent multilevel modeling techniques on school- and district-level measures from a representative sample of Florida middle and high schools. Results: Larger racial and ethnic student populations within schools increase the likelihood of suspensions for Black and Hispanic students while decreasing suspensions for White students. Further, higher levels of intergroup contact between Black, White, and Hispanic school board members are associated with a lower likelihood of suspensions for all students. Finally, intergroup contact between Black, White, and Hispanic school board members moderates the effects of school racial and ethnic context on school suspensions. Conclusions: Important factors are associated with school punishment for Black, Hispanic, and White students. Integrated spaces play an important role in decreasing both punishment disparities and punishment severity.
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Date Issued: 2017-01-29
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548707775_ade119f0, 10.1177/0022427816689811
Format: Citation

Title: Risk Factors for Substance Misuse and Adolescents' Symptoms of Depression.
Creator: Siennick, Sonja E, Widdowson, Alex O, Woessner, Mathew K, Feinberg, Mark E, Spoth, Richard L
Abstract/Description: Depressive symptoms during adolescence are positively associated with peer-related beliefs, perceptions, and experiences that are known risk factors for substance misuse. These same risk factors are targeted by many universal substance misuse prevention programs. This study examined whether a multicomponent universal substance misuse intervention for middle schoolers reduced the associations between depressive symptoms, these risk factors, and substance misuse. The study used data from a...
Show moreDepressive symptoms during adolescence are positively associated with peer-related beliefs, perceptions, and experiences that are known risk factors for substance misuse. These same risk factors are targeted by many universal substance misuse prevention programs. This study examined whether a multicomponent universal substance misuse intervention for middle schoolers reduced the associations between depressive symptoms, these risk factors, and substance misuse. The study used data from a place-randomized trial of the Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience model for delivery of evidence-based substance misuse programs for middle schoolers. Three-level within-person regression models were applied to four waves of survey, and social network data from 636 adolescents followed from sixth through ninth grades. When adolescents in control school districts had more symptoms of depression, they believed more strongly that substance use had social benefits, perceived higher levels of substance misuse among their peers and friends, and had more friends who misused substances, although they were not more likely to use substances themselves. Many of the positive associations of depressive symptoms with peer-related risk factors were significantly weaker or not present among adolescents in intervention school districts. The Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience interventions reduced the positive associations of adolescent symptoms of depression with peer-related risk factors for substance misuse.
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Date Issued: 2017-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_27751712, 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.08.010, PMC5182119, 27751712, 27751712, S1054-139X(16)30254-3
Format: Citation

Title: Recidivism and Time Served in Prison.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Cochran, Joshua C., Bales, William D., Bhati, Avinash S.
Abstract/Description: A justification for lengthier stays in prison stems from the belief that spending more time in prison reduces recidivism. Extant studies, however, have provided limited evidence for that belief and, indeed, suggest the effect of time served may be minimal. Few studies have employed rigorous methodological approaches, examined time spans of more than one to two years, or investigated the potential for the relationship between recidivism and time served to be curvilinear. Drawing on prior...
Show moreA justification for lengthier stays in prison stems from the belief that spending more time in prison reduces recidivism. Extant studies, however, have provided limited evidence for that belief and, indeed, suggest the effect of time served may be minimal. Few studies have employed rigorous methodological approaches, examined time spans of more than one to two years, or investigated the potential for the relationship between recidivism and time served to be curvilinear. Drawing on prior scholarship, this paper identifies three sets of hypotheses about the functional form of the time served and recidivism relationship. Using generalized propensity score analysis to examine data on 90,423 inmates released from Florida prisons, we find three patterns: greater time served initially increases recidivism but then, after approximately one year, decreases it, and, after approximately two years, exerts no effect; estimation of the effects associated with durations of more than five years are uncertain. The results point to potential criminogenic and beneficial effects of time served and underscore the need to identify how varying durations of incarceration affect recidivism.
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Date Issued: 2016-12-05
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548703331_ab5d959d
Format: Citation

Title: A Prospective Study of Adolescents' Sexual Partnerships on Emerging Adults' Relationship Satisfaction and Intimate Partner Aggression.
Creator: Longmore, Monica A, Manning, Wendy D, Copp, Jennifer E, Giordano, Peggy C
Abstract/Description: We examined whether the influence of adolescents' sexual partnerships, both dating and casual, carried over to affect emerging adults' relationship satisfaction and experiences of intimate partner aggression. Analyses of longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (n = 294) showed that net of control variables (delinquency, depression, family violence, relational and sociodemographic characteristics), adolescents' number of dating, but not casual, sexual partners led to...
Show moreWe examined whether the influence of adolescents' sexual partnerships, both dating and casual, carried over to affect emerging adults' relationship satisfaction and experiences of intimate partner aggression. Analyses of longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (n = 294) showed that net of control variables (delinquency, depression, family violence, relational and sociodemographic characteristics), adolescents' number of dating, but not casual, sexual partners led to greater odds of intimate partner aggression during emerging adulthood. Further, relationship churning (breaking-up and getting back together) and sexual non-exclusivity during emerging adulthood mediated the influence of adolescents' number of dating sexual partnerships on intimate partner aggression. The positive effect of dating sexual partnerships on intimate partner aggression was stronger for women compared with men. These findings confirm the long reach of adolescent experiences into emerging adulthood.
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Date Issued: 2016-12-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_28546885, 10.1177/2167696816631098, PMC5440085, 28546885, 28546885
Format: Citation

Title: Internalizing Symptoms, Peer Substance Use, and Substance Use Initiation.
Creator: Siennick, Sonja E, Widdowson, Alex O, Woessner, Mathew, Feinberg, Mark E
Abstract/Description: This study used longitudinal survey and social network data covering sixth through ninth grades to test whether internalizing symptoms make early adolescents more prone to (1) exposure to and (2) influence by substance-using peers. Random effects regressions revealed that increases in symptoms were significantly associated with increases in the proportion of friends who used cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana; some associations weakened across grades. Event history models revealed that the...
Show moreThis study used longitudinal survey and social network data covering sixth through ninth grades to test whether internalizing symptoms make early adolescents more prone to (1) exposure to and (2) influence by substance-using peers. Random effects regressions revealed that increases in symptoms were significantly associated with increases in the proportion of friends who used cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana; some associations weakened across grades. Event history models revealed that the effect of friends' smoking on smoking initiation decreased as internalizing symptoms increased; symptoms did not moderate the effects of friends' alcohol and marijuana use on alcohol and marijuana use initiation. These findings counter the influence hypothesis of the co-occurrence of internalizing symptoms with substance use and partly support the exposure hypothesis.
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Date Issued: 2016-12-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_28070153, 10.1111/jora.12215, PMC5215896, 28070153, 28070153
Format: Citation

Title: Reinventing Community Corrections.
Creator: Cullen, Francis T., Jonson, Cheryl Lero, Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: Community corrections in the twenty-ﬁrst century faces three challenges: how to be an alternative to imprisonment, how to be a conduit for reducing recidivism, and how to do less harm to offenders and their families and communities. Community corrections will reduce imprisonment only if its use is viewed as a legitimate form of punishment and is incentivized, which involves subsidizing the use of community sanctions and making communities pay to imprison offenders (e.g., a cap-and-trade...
Show moreCommunity corrections in the twenty-ﬁrst century faces three challenges: how to be an alternative to imprisonment, how to be a conduit for reducing recidivism, and how to do less harm to offenders and their families and communities. Community corrections will reduce imprisonment only if its use is viewed as a legitimate form of punishment and is incentivized, which involves subsidizing the use of community sanctions and making communities pay to imprison offenders (e.g., a cap-and-trade system). To reduce recidivism, it will be necessary to hold ofﬁcials accountable for this outcome, to ensure that evidence-based supervision is practiced, to use technology to deliver treatment services, and to create information systems that can guide the development, monitoring, and evaluation of interventions. Doing less harm—avoiding iatrogenic effects—will require nonintervention with low-risk offenders, reducing the imposition of needless constraints on offenders (i.e., collateral consequences), and creating opportunities for offenders to be redeemed.
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Date Issued: 2016-11-09
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548707042_b00afcc0, 10.1086/688457
Format: Citation

Title: Validating Population Estimates For Harmonized Census Tract Data, 2000-2010.
Creator: Logan, John R., Stults, Brian J., Xu, Zengwang
Abstract/Description: Social scientists regularly rely on population estimates when studying change in small areas over time. Census tract data in the United States are a prime example, as there are substantial shifts in tract boundaries from decade to decade. This study compares alternative estimates of the 2000 population living within 2010 tract boundaries to the Census Bureau's own retabulation. All methods of estimation are subject to error; this is the first study to directly quantify the error in...
Show moreSocial scientists regularly rely on population estimates when studying change in small areas over time. Census tract data in the United States are a prime example, as there are substantial shifts in tract boundaries from decade to decade. This study compares alternative estimates of the 2000 population living within 2010 tract boundaries to the Census Bureau's own retabulation. All methods of estimation are subject to error; this is the first study to directly quantify the error in alternative interpolation methods for U.S. census tracts. A simple areal weighting method closely approximates the estimates provided by one standard source (the Neighborhood Change Data Base), with some improvement provided by considering only area not covered by water. More information is used by the Longitudinal Tract Data Base (LTDB), which relies on a combination of areal and population interpolation as well as ancillary data about water-covered areas. Another set of estimates provided by the National Historical Geographic Information Systems (NHGIS) uses data about land cover in 2001 and the current road network and distribution of population and housing units at the block level. Areal weighting alone results in a large error in a substantial share of tracts that were divided in complex ways. The LTDB and NHGIS perform much better in all situations but are subject to some error when boundaries of both tracts and their component blocks are redrawn. Users of harmonized tract data should be watchful for potential problems in either of these data sources.
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Date Issued: 2016-09
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_wos_000382326900003, 10.1080/24694452.2016.1187060
Format: Citation

Title: Examining Prison Effects on Recidivism: A Regression Discontinuity Approach.
Creator: Mitchell, Ojmarrh, Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: The “get-tough” era of punishment led to exponential growth in the rate of incarceration in the United States. Recent reviews of the literature indicate, however, that limited rigorous research exists examining the effect of imprisonment on the likelihood of future offending. As a result, scholars have called for assessment of this relationship, while using methodologies that can better account for selection effects. This study addresses these calls directly by applying regression...
Show moreThe “get-tough” era of punishment led to exponential growth in the rate of incarceration in the United States. Recent reviews of the literature indicate, however, that limited rigorous research exists examining the effect of imprisonment on the likelihood of future offending. As a result, scholars have called for assessment of this relationship, while using methodologies that can better account for selection effects. This study addresses these calls directly by applying regression discontinuity, a methodology well suited to account for selection bias, on a cohort of felony offenders in Florida. Results suggest that prison, as compared to non-incarcerative sanctions, has no appreciable impact on recidivism. Although no differential effects surfaced across race/ethnicity, the analyses indicated that imprisonment exerts a differential effect by gender with the effect being more criminogenic among males than females.
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Date Issued: 2016-08-18
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548790326_ee40e34e, 10.1080/07418825.2016.1219762
Format: Citation

Title: Incidence Of Diabetes Mellitus And Obesity And The Overlap Of Comorbidities In Hiv Plus Hispanics Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy.
Creator: Gomes, Angelina, Reyes, Emily V., Garduno, L. Sergio, Rojas, Rita, Mir Mesejo, Geraldine, Del Rosario, Eliza, Jose, Lina, Javier, Carmen, Vaughan, Catherine, Donastorg, Yeycy,...
Show moreGomes, Angelina, Reyes, Emily V., Garduno, L. Sergio, Rojas, Rita, Mir Mesejo, Geraldine, Del Rosario, Eliza, Jose, Lina, Javier, Carmen, Vaughan, Catherine, Donastorg, Yeycy, Hammer, Scott, Brudney, Karen, Taylor, Barbara S.
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Abstract/Description: Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading health threat for HIV+ patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART); cardiometabolic comorbidities are key predictors of risk. Data are limited on incidence of metabolic comorbidities in HIV+ individuals initiating ART in low and middle income countries (LMICs), particularly for Hispanics. We examined incidence of diabetes and obesity in a prospective cohort of those initiating ART in the Dominican Republic. Methods Participants >= 18 years,...
Show moreBackground Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading health threat for HIV+ patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART); cardiometabolic comorbidities are key predictors of risk. Data are limited on incidence of metabolic comorbidities in HIV+ individuals initiating ART in low and middle income countries (LMICs), particularly for Hispanics. We examined incidence of diabetes and obesity in a prospective cohort of those initiating ART in the Dominican Republic. Methods Participants >= 18 years, initiating ART <90 days prior to study enrollment, were examined for incidence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), diabetes mellitus (DM), overweight, and obesity. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) 100-125mg/dl defined IFG; FPG >= 126 mg/dl, diagnosis per medical record, or use of hypoglycemic medication defined DM. Overweight and obesity were BMI 25-30 and >= 30kg/m2, respectively. Dyslipidemia was total cholesterol >= 240mg/dl or use of lipid-lowering medication. Framingham risk equation was used to determine ten-year CVD risk at the end of observation. Results Of 153 initiating ART, 8 (6%) had DM and 23 (16%) had IFG at baseline, 6 developed DM (28/1000 person-years follow up [PYFU]) and 46 developed IFG (329/1000 PYFU). At baseline, 24 (18%) were obese and 36 (27%) were overweight, 15 became obese (69/1000 PYFU) and 22 became overweight (163/1000 PYFU). Median observation periods for the diabetes and obesity analyses were 23.5 months and 24.3 months, respectively. Increased CVD risk (>= 10% 10-year Framingham risk score) was present for 13% of the cohort; 79% of the cohort had >= 1 cardiometabolic comorbidity, 48% had >= 2, and 13% had all three. Conclusions In this Hispanic cohort in an LMIC, incidences of IFG/DM and overweight/obesity were similar to or higher than that found in high income countries, and cardiometabolic disorders affected three-quarters of those initiating ART. Care models incorporating cardiovascular risk reduction into HIV treatment programs are needed to prevent CVD-associated mortality in this vulnerable population.
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Date Issued: 2016-08-10
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_wos_000381380400055, 10.1371/journal.pone.0160797
Format: Citation

Title: Juvenile Transfer and the Specific Deterrence Hypothesis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Creator: Zane, Steven N., Welsh, Brandon C., Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: We conducted a systematic review of recidivism outcomes for juveniles transferred to adult court, incorporating meta-analytic techniques. Nine studies—based on nine statistically independent samples—met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis suggests that juvenile transfer had no statistically signiﬁcant effect on recidivism. However, the distribution of effect sizes was highly heterogeneous and, given the strength of the research designs, suggests that in some instances transfer may...
Show moreWe conducted a systematic review of recidivism outcomes for juveniles transferred to adult court, incorporating meta-analytic techniques. Nine studies—based on nine statistically independent samples—met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis suggests that juvenile transfer had no statistically signiﬁcant effect on recidivism. However, the distribution of effect sizes was highly heterogeneous and, given the strength of the research designs, suggests that in some instances transfer may decrease recidivism and in others may increase it.
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Date Issued: 2016-07-26
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548703830_e3f24134, 10.1111/1745-9133.12222
Format: Citation

Title: Juvenile Court and Contemporary Diversion: Helpful, Harmful, or Both?.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Kuch, Joshua J., Lindsey, Andrea M., Siennick, Sonja E., Pesta, George B., Greenwald, Mark A., Blomberg, Thomas G.
Abstract/Description: The juvenile court was established to help children through the use of punishment and rehabilitation and, in so doing, “save” them from a life of crime and disadvantage. Diversion programs and policies emerged in the 1970s as one way to achieve this goal. Despite concerns about its potential harm, diversion became increasingly popular in subsequent decades. We examine the logic of a prominent contemporary diversion effort, civil citation, to illuminate tensions inherent to traditional and...
Show moreThe juvenile court was established to help children through the use of punishment and rehabilitation and, in so doing, “save” them from a life of crime and disadvantage. Diversion programs and policies emerged in the 1970s as one way to achieve this goal. Despite concerns about its potential harm, diversion became increasingly popular in subsequent decades. We examine the logic of a prominent contemporary diversion effort, civil citation, to illuminate tensions inherent to traditional and contemporary diversion. We then review extant evidence on traditional diversion efforts, examine civil citation laws, and identify the salience of both traditional and contemporary, police-centered diversion efforts for youth and the juvenile court. The analysis highlights that diversion may help children but that it also may harm them. It highlights that the risk of net-widening for the police and the court is considerable. And it highlights the importance of, and need for, research on the use and effects of diversion and the conditions under which it may produce beneﬁts and avoid harms.
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Date Issued: 2016-06-15
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548702713_13d0a173, 10.1111/1745-9133.12223
Format: Citation

Title: Couple-Level Economic and Career Concerns and Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adulthood.
Creator: Copp, Jennifer E, Giordano, Peggy C, Manning, Wendy D, Longmore, Monica A
Abstract/Description: Family scholars have demonstrated that economic conditions influence marital quality and relationship instability. Similarly, researchers have identified low income and poverty as important risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV). Yet limited work has examined how economic factors influence the use of violence in the romantic context, particularly during young adulthood. Using the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study ( = 928), we examine the influence of economic and career concerns...
Show moreFamily scholars have demonstrated that economic conditions influence marital quality and relationship instability. Similarly, researchers have identified low income and poverty as important risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV). Yet limited work has examined how economic factors influence the use of violence in the romantic context, particularly during young adulthood. Using the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study ( = 928), we examine the influence of economic and career concerns as specific sources of conflict on IPV among a sample of young adults. Findings suggest that these areas of disagreement within romantic relationships are associated with IPV risk, net of traditional predictors. We discuss the implications of our findings for intervention and prevention efforts.
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Date Issued: 2016-06-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_27284209, 10.1111/jomf.12282, PMC4894749, 27284209, 27284209
Format: Citation

Title: The Development of Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Key Correlates Among a Sample of Young Adults..
Creator: Copp, Jennifer E, Giordano, Peggy C, Longmore, Monica A, Manning, Wendy D
Abstract/Description: Social learning theory remains one of the leading explanations of intimate partner violence (IPV). Research on attitudes toward IPV represents a logical extension of the social learning tradition, as it is intuitive to expect that individuals exposed to violence in the family of origin may internalize behavioral scripts for violence and adopt attitudes accepting of IPV. Yet despite this assumed link between family violence and attitudes toward IPV, few studies have empirically examined...
Show moreSocial learning theory remains one of the leading explanations of intimate partner violence (IPV). Research on attitudes toward IPV represents a logical extension of the social learning tradition, as it is intuitive to expect that individuals exposed to violence in the family of origin may internalize behavioral scripts for violence and adopt attitudes accepting of IPV. Yet despite this assumed link between family violence and attitudes toward IPV, few studies have empirically examined factors associated with the development of such attitudes. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study (TARS), we examine the role of family violence on the adoption of attitudes accepting of IPV among a sample of young adults (n = 928). The current investigation contributes to existing literature on attitudes toward IPV by (a) providing an empirical examination of factors associated with attitudes toward IPV in predictive models; (b) relying on a multifaceted index, describing specific conditions under which IPV may be deemed justifiable; (c) examining extra-familial factors, in addition to family violence exposure, to provide a more comprehensive account of factors associated with attitudes toward IPV; and (d) focusing particular attention on the role of gender, including whether the factors associated with attitudinal acceptance of IPV are similar for men and women. Findings indicated considerable variation in overall endorsement of attitudes regarding the use of violence across conditions, with greater endorsement among women. Consistent with social learning approaches to IPV, exposure to violence in the family of origin was associated with attitudes toward IPV. Yet findings also signaled the salience of factors beyond the family, including a range of sociodemographic, relationship, and adult status characteristics. We discuss the relevance of our findings for future theorizing and research in the area of attitudes toward IPV.
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Date Issued: 2016-05-25
Identifier: FSU_pmch_27229921, 10.1177/0886260516651311, PMC5123960, 27229921, 27229921, 0886260516651311
Format: Citation

Title: The Path of Least Desistance: Inmate Compliance and Recidivism.
Creator: Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: Scholars have speculated that inmate behavior may provide a signal about the probability of desistance. One such signal may be the successful avoidance of prison infractions or the cessation of them during the course of incarceration. Drawing on studies of prison socialization, recidivism, and desistance, we assess whether patterns of inmate misconduct throughout the course of incarceration provide insight into the likelihood of a successful transition back into society. Specifically, using...
Show moreScholars have speculated that inmate behavior may provide a signal about the probability of desistance. One such signal may be the successful avoidance of prison infractions or the cessation of them during the course of incarceration. Drawing on studies of prison socialization, recidivism, and desistance, we assess whether patterns of inmate misconduct throughout the course of incarceration provide insight into the likelihood of a successful transition back into society. Specifically, using data on a cohort of state prisoners, this study examines whether, after controlling for potential confounders, inmate misconduct trajectories predict recidivism. The analyses indicate both that unique misconduct trajectories can be identified and that these trajectories predict the probability of recidivism and desistance net of factors associated with recidivism. Results of the study lend support to scholarship on desistance and signaling, which emphasizes the salience of in-prison experiences for understanding reentry and, in particular, reoffending.
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Date Issued: 2016-04-06
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548706017_e3246a59, 10.1080/07418825.2016.1168476
Format: Citation

Title: Culture and Formal Social Control: The Effect of the Code of the Street on Police and Court Decision-making.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Stewart, Eric A., Warren, Patricia Y., Simons, Ronald L.
Abstract/Description: Objectives. Drawing on several interrelated lines of scholarship, we argue that cultural beliefs at individual and neighborhood levels may affect police and court decisions. We hypothesize that individuals who more strongly adhere to the code of the street or reside in areas where the street code culture is more strongly embraced will be more likely to be arrested and convicted, and that neighborhood-level effects will amplify the effect of street code adherence. Methods. To test these...
Show moreObjectives. Drawing on several interrelated lines of scholarship, we argue that cultural beliefs at individual and neighborhood levels may affect police and court decisions. We hypothesize that individuals who more strongly adhere to the code of the street or reside in areas where the street code culture is more strongly embraced will be more likely to be arrested and convicted, and that neighborhood-level effects will amplify the effect of street code adherence. Methods. To test these hypotheses, data from the Family and Community Health Study are examined using multilevel modeling. Results. Blacks who more strongly adhered to street code beliefs were more likely to be arrested and convicted; this effect was greater among those who resided in areas where the code of the street belief system was more entrenched. Conclusions. The ﬁndings highlight the potential usefulness of a focus on culture for understanding the exercise of formal social control.
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Date Issued: 2016-03-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548709286_c8e3ff5b, 10.1080/07418825.2016.1149599
Format: Citation

Title: Sex Offenders—America's New Witches?: A Theoretical Analysis of the Emergence of Sex Crime Laws.
Creator: Mancini, Christina, Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: During the 1990s, the United States enacted several punitive sex crime laws. Contemporary scholarship suggests this shift can be understood as a modern “witch hunt.” However, theoretical accounts have yet to examine systematically the emergence of such legislation. This study applies two theories—the first by Erikson and the second by Jensen—to assess whether they accord with known facts about the proliferation of these laws. Broad support for the theories as accounts for the punitive trend...
Show moreDuring the 1990s, the United States enacted several punitive sex crime laws. Contemporary scholarship suggests this shift can be understood as a modern “witch hunt.” However, theoretical accounts have yet to examine systematically the emergence of such legislation. This study applies two theories—the first by Erikson and the second by Jensen—to assess whether they accord with known facts about the proliferation of these laws. Broad support for the theories as accounts for the punitive trend in sex crime legislation exists, but the inclusion of information dissemination as an additional factor would strengthen these accounts. Implications are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2016-02-19
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459446621, 10.1080/01639625.2015.1060084
Format: Citation

Title: Exposure to Pre- and Perinatal Risk Factors Partially Explains Mean Differences in Self-Regulation between Races.
Creator: Barnes, J. C., Boutwell, Brian B., Miller, J. Mitchell, DeShay, Rashaan A., Beaver, Kevin M., White, Norman
Abstract/Description: Objectives To examine whether differential exposure to pre- and perinatal risk factors explained differences in levels of self-regulation between children of different races (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Other). Methods Multiple regression models based on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (n approximate to 9,850) were used to analyze the impact of pre- and perinatal risk factors on the development of self-regulation at age 2 years. Results Racial differences...
Show moreObjectives To examine whether differential exposure to pre- and perinatal risk factors explained differences in levels of self-regulation between children of different races (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Other). Methods Multiple regression models based on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (n approximate to 9,850) were used to analyze the impact of pre- and perinatal risk factors on the development of self-regulation at age 2 years. Results Racial differences in levels of self-regulation were observed. Racial differences were also observed for 9 of the 12 pre-/perinatal risk factors. Multiple regression analyses revealed that a portion of the racial differences in self-regulation was explained by differential exposure to several of the pre-/perinatal risk factors. Specifically, maternal age at childbirth, gestational timing, and the family's socioeconomic status were significantly related to the child's level of self-regulation. These factors accounted for a statistically significant portion of the racial differences observed in self-regulation. Conclusions The findings indicate racial differences in self-regulation may be, at least partially, explained by racial differences in exposure to pre- and perinatal risk factors.
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Date Issued: 2016-02-16
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_wos_000371219000001, 10.1371/journal.pone.0141954
Format: Citation

Title: Offending and Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Criminal Justice: A Conceptual Framework for Guiding Theory and Research and Informing Policy.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Cochran, Joshua C., Lindsey, Andrea M.
Abstract/Description: Scholars and policy makers have expressed concern that observed minority differences in processing (e.g., arrest, detention, conviction) and sentencing stem not from the legal merits of cases but rather from intentional or unintentional discrimination. An additional concern is that there may be disparities in society that lead to offending differences among racial and ethnic groups, and that these differences may be amplified by disparities that minorities experience in and through the...
Show moreScholars and policy makers have expressed concern that observed minority differences in processing (e.g., arrest, detention, conviction) and sentencing stem not from the legal merits of cases but rather from intentional or unintentional discrimination. An additional concern is that there may be disparities in society that lead to offending differences among racial and ethnic groups, and that these differences may be amplified by disparities that minorities experience in and through the criminal justice system. In this article, we identify the dimensions along which information is needed to document minority disparities in criminal justice processing and sanctioning and to guide interventions to reduce them. We conclude that research to date has not systematically documented the true prevalence of minority disparities in criminal justice processing or sanctioning or the causes of them. We then argue that social structural disparities faced by minorities warrant comparable attention to that given to criminal justice disparities. Documentation of these disparities and their causes will be necessary to shed light on the exercise of formal social control. It also can contribute to efforts to understand offending and how most effectively to reduce crime and unfair sanctioning.
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Date Issued: 2016-02-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459442017, 10.1177/1043986215607252
Format: Citation

Title: Young Adult Outcomes and the Life-Course Penalties of Parental Incarceration.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Siennick, Sonja E.
Abstract/Description: Objectives: The transition to adulthood can be challenging, especially for children of incarcerated parents. Drawing on reentry and life-course scholarship, we argue that parental incarceration may adversely affect multiple life outcomes for children as they progress from adolescence into adulthood and that such effects may persist from early young adulthood into late young adulthood. Methods: The study uses propensity score matching analyses of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent...
Show moreObjectives: The transition to adulthood can be challenging, especially for children of incarcerated parents. Drawing on reentry and life-course scholarship, we argue that parental incarceration may adversely affect multiple life outcomes for children as they progress from adolescence into adulthood and that such effects may persist from early young adulthood into late young adulthood. Methods: The study uses propensity score matching analyses of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health data (N = 12,844). Results: Analyses identified harmful effects of parental incarceration on many life domains, including criminal behavior, mental health, illegal drug use, education, earnings, and intimate relationships. These effects typically surfaced by early young adulthood and continued into late young adulthood. Conclusions: The results suggest that parental incarceration constitutes a significant turning point in the lives of young people and underscore the importance of life-course perspectives for understanding incarceration effects. They also illustrate that formal punishment policies may create harms that potentially offset intended benefit
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Date Issued: 2016-02-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459443417, 10.1177/0022427815592452
Format: Citation

Title: Spatial Distance, Community Disadvantage, and Racial and Ethnic Variation in Prison Inmate Access to Social Ties.
Creator: Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D., Stewart, Eric A.
Abstract/Description: Objectives: This article examines the impact of distal prison placements on inmate social ties. Specifically, we test whether distance adversely affects inmates by reducing their access to family and friends and then test whether the effects are amplified for minorities and inmates who come from socially disadvantaged areas. Methods: These questions are assessed using a sample of inmates that includes all convicted felony offenders admitted to a single state’s prison system over a three-year...
Show moreObjectives: This article examines the impact of distal prison placements on inmate social ties. Specifically, we test whether distance adversely affects inmates by reducing their access to family and friends and then test whether the effects are amplified for minorities and inmates who come from socially disadvantaged areas. Methods: These questions are assessed using a sample of inmates that includes all convicted felony offenders admitted to a single state’s prison system over a three-year period. Results: We find that inmates vary greatly in the distance from which they are placed from home and that Latinos are placed more distally than Blacks and Whites. We also find that distance and community disadvantage adversely affect the likelihood of inmate visitation. Although the adverse effect of distance appears to be similar across racial and ethnic groups, a difference exists among Blacks—for this group, high levels of community disadvantage amplify the adverse effects of distance. Conclusions: This study identifies an important dimension along which incarceration may adversely impact inmates, their families, and the communities from which they come, and how these effects may be patterned in ways that disproportionately affect minorities and prisoners from disadvantaged areas.
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Date Issued: 2016-01-26
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459517786, 10.1177/0022427815592675
Format: Citation

Title: Validating Population Estimates for Harmonized Census Tract Data, 2000-2010.
Creator: Logan, John R, Stults, Brian D, Xu, Zengwang
Abstract/Description: Social scientists regularly rely on population estimates when studying change in small areas over time. Census tract data in the United States are a prime example, since there are substantial shifts in tract boundaries from decade to decade. This study compares alternative estimates of the 2000 population living within 2010 tract boundaries to the Census Bureau's own re-tabulation. All methods of estimation are subject to error; this is the first study to directly quantify the error in...
Show moreSocial scientists regularly rely on population estimates when studying change in small areas over time. Census tract data in the United States are a prime example, since there are substantial shifts in tract boundaries from decade to decade. This study compares alternative estimates of the 2000 population living within 2010 tract boundaries to the Census Bureau's own re-tabulation. All methods of estimation are subject to error; this is the first study to directly quantify the error in alternative interpolation methods for U.S. census tracts. A simple areal weighting method closely approximates the estimates provided by one standard source (the Neighborhood Change Data Base or NCDB), with some improvement provided by considering only area not covered by water. More information is used by the Longitudinal Tract Data Base (LTDB), which relies on a combination of areal and population interpolation as well as ancillary data about water-covered areas. Another set of estimates provided by NHGIS uses data about land cover in 2001 and the current road network and distribution of population and housing units at the block level. Areal weighting alone results in a large error in a substantial share of tracts that were divided in complex ways. The LTDB and NHGIS perform much better in all situations, but are subject to some error when boundaries of both tracts and their component blocks are redrawn. Users of harmonized tract data should be watchful for potential problems in either of these data sources.
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Date Issued: 2016-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_28626831, 10.1080/24694452.2016.1187060, PMC5472362, 28626831, 28626831
Format: Citation

Title: Sentencing and State-Level Racial and Ethnic Contexts.
Creator: Wang, Xia, Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: Sentencing studies have incorporated social context in studying sentencing decisions, but to date the bulk of prior work has focused almost exclusively on county context. An unresolved question is whether there also may be state-level effects on sentencing. Drawing from the minority threat perspective, we examine (1) whether state-level racial and ethnic contexts affect sentencing, (2) whether this effect amplifies the effect of county-level racial and ethnic contexts on sentencing, and (3)...
Show moreSentencing studies have incorporated social context in studying sentencing decisions, but to date the bulk of prior work has focused almost exclusively on county context. An unresolved question is whether there also may be state-level effects on sentencing. Drawing from the minority threat perspective, we examine (1) whether state-level racial and ethnic contexts affect sentencing, (2) whether this effect amplifies the effect of county-level racial and ethnic contexts on sentencing, and (3) whether the interaction of county-level and state-level contextual effects is greater for minorities than for whites. Analysis of State Court Processing Statistics and other data indicates that state-level racial and ethnic contexts are associated with sentencing outcomes and that this effect may differ by outcome (e.g., incarceration versus sentence length) and by type of context (e.g., racial or ethnic). The study's findings and their implications are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2015-12-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459518881, 10.1111/lasr.12164
Format: Citation

Title: Speeding in America: A Critique of, and Alternatives to, Officer-Initiated Enforcement.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Lindsey, Andrea M.
Abstract/Description: The enforcement of speed limits to improve public safety constitutes one of the most common activities that the police undertake. Yet, fundamental questions exist about whether traditional, officer-initiated enforcement actually deters speeding and whether it does so in a cost-efficient manner. Questions exist, too, about unintended harms associated with traditional enforcement practices, such as racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic class disparities; mistrust of the police; and, more generally,...
Show moreThe enforcement of speed limits to improve public safety constitutes one of the most common activities that the police undertake. Yet, fundamental questions exist about whether traditional, officer-initiated enforcement actually deters speeding and whether it does so in a cost-efficient manner. Questions exist, too, about unintended harms associated with traditional enforcement practices, such as racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic class disparities; mistrust of the police; and, more generally, delegitimization of the law and institutions that implement it. This article draws on prior scholarship to critique traditional speed limit enforcement practices and to argue for approaches that may be more effective, minimize unintended harms, and incur fewer costs.
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Date Issued: 2015-11-22
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459345382, 10.1177/0734016815614057
Format: Citation

Title: Unpacking the relationship between age and prison misconduct.
Creator: Valentine, Colby L., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: Purpose Age constitutes one of the most robust correlates of prison misconduct—younger inmates are more likely to commit infractions. Minimal theoretical or empirical attention, however, has been given to the potential nonlinear effect of age on misconduct. The current study examines the age-misconduct relationship and how it may vary by timing of misconduct after admission and by type of infraction. The paper also assesses the utility of different nonlinear transformations to estimate the...
Show morePurpose Age constitutes one of the most robust correlates of prison misconduct—younger inmates are more likely to commit infractions. Minimal theoretical or empirical attention, however, has been given to the potential nonlinear effect of age on misconduct. The current study examines the age-misconduct relationship and how it may vary by timing of misconduct after admission and by type of infraction. The paper also assesses the utility of different nonlinear transformations to estimate the age-misconduct relationship. Methods The study examines 137,552 offenders admitted to state prison in Florida from 1995 to 2000 and uses negative binomial regression to assess the relationship between age and misconduct. Results Analyses indicate that the youngest inmates, especially those age 24 and under, are substantially more likely to engage in misconduct, that this relationship is more pronounced during the initial months of incarceration, and that it holds regardless of type of offense. Conclusions The youngest inmates appear to be especially likely to engage in misconduct. Nonlinear specifications of the age-misconduct relationship should be employed in future research. Studies are needed to explain why misconduct is disproportionately higher among young inmates. Policies are needed that effectively reduce misconduct among this population.
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Date Issued: 2015-09-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459520787, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2015.05.001
Format: Citation

Title: Support for Balanced Juvenile Justice: Assessing Views About Youth, Rehabilitation, and Punishment.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Pickett, Justin T., Mancini, Christina
Abstract/Description: Objectives The juvenile court was envisioned as a system of justice that would rehabilitate and punish young offenders. However, studies have not directly measured or examined support for “balanced” juvenile justice—that is, support for simultaneously employing juvenile rehabilitation and punishment to sanction youth—or how beliefs central to the creation of the court influence support for balanced justice. Drawing on scholarship on juvenile justice and theoretical accounts of views about...
Show moreObjectives The juvenile court was envisioned as a system of justice that would rehabilitate and punish young offenders. However, studies have not directly measured or examined support for “balanced” juvenile justice—that is, support for simultaneously employing juvenile rehabilitation and punishment to sanction youth—or how beliefs central to the creation of the court influence support for balanced justice. Drawing on scholarship on juvenile justice and theoretical accounts of views about sanctioning, the study tests hypotheses about such support. Methods The study employs multinomial logistic regression, using data from 866 college students enrolled in criminology and criminal justice classes, to examine support for different approaches to sanctioning violent juvenile offenders. Results Analyses indicate that a majority of respondents supported balanced justice for violent delinquents, approximately one-third supported a primarily rehabilitation-focused approach to sanctioning, and the remainder supported a primarily punishment-oriented approach. Individuals who believed that youth could be reformed and deserved treatment were more likely to support balanced justice or a primarily rehabilitation-oriented approach to sanctioning youth. Conclusions The findings underscore the nuanced nature of public views about sanctioning youth, the salience of philosophical beliefs to support different sanctioning approaches, and the importance of research that accounts for beliefs central to the juvenile court’s mission.
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Date Issued: 2015-09-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459522615, 10.1007/s10940-014-9234-5
Format: Citation

Title: Whites’ Perceptions about Black Criminality: A Closer Look at the Contact Hypothesis.
Creator: Mancini, Christina, Mears, Daniel P., Stewart, Eric A., Beaver, Kevin M., Pickett, Justin T.
Abstract/Description: Scholars have documented how media accounts and policy discourse have presented Blacks and criminality as virtually synonymous, a phenomenon termed the racialization of crime. However, despite extant research on the contact hypothesis—which holds that relationships with members of other groups should reduce stereotypes—no studies have examined whether different indicators of interracial contact (IC) affect Whites’ perceptions of Black criminality; by extension, no research speaks to whether...
Show moreScholars have documented how media accounts and policy discourse have presented Blacks and criminality as virtually synonymous, a phenomenon termed the racialization of crime. However, despite extant research on the contact hypothesis—which holds that relationships with members of other groups should reduce stereotypes—no studies have examined whether different indicators of interracial contact (IC) affect Whites’ perceptions of Black criminality; by extension, no research speaks to whether IC effects are contingent on types of racialized views, or whether the amount of IC impacts perceptions. To advance scholarship, this study uses survey data to analyze the extent to which each type of IC is associated with Whites’ views of Black criminality. It then examines whether IC differentially predicts beliefs in crime versus non-crime-related stereotypes. Finally, it assesses whether the amount of IC influences stereotype endorsement. Consistent with the contact hypothesis, results indicate a generalized stereotype-reducing impact of IC, with some caveats.
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Date Issued: 2015-08-17
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459951674, 10.1177/0011128712461900
Format: Citation

Title: Incarceration Heterogeneity and its Implications for Assessing the Effectiveness of Imprisonment on Recidivism.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Cochran, Joshua C., Cullen, Francis T.
Abstract/Description: Mass incarceration has led to increased interest in understanding the effects of imprisonment. Reviews of criminological theory and research report mixed evidence that incarceration reduces recidivism; indeed, some studies report criminogenic effects. We argue that a better understanding of the heterogeneity of incarceration—including the types and sequences of sanctions and experiences that occur before, during, and after imprisonment—and of incarceration effects among different groups is...
Show moreMass incarceration has led to increased interest in understanding the effects of imprisonment. Reviews of criminological theory and research report mixed evidence that incarceration reduces recidivism; indeed, some studies report criminogenic effects. We argue that a better understanding of the heterogeneity of incarceration—including the types and sequences of sanctions and experiences that occur before, during, and after imprisonment—and of incarceration effects among different groups is important for two reasons. First, it can assist with assessing the salience of prior research on the effects of incarceration on recidivism. Second, it serves to identify conceptual and methodological challenges that must be addressed to provide credible assessments of incarceration effects. The paper argues that incarceration likely exerts a variable effect depending on the nature of the prison experience, the counterfactual conditions, including prior sanction history, and the specific populations subject to imprisonment. Implications for theory, research, and policy are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2015-08-15
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459949920, 10.1177/0887403414528950
Format: Citation

Title: Public (Mis)Understanding of Crime Policy: The Effects of Criminal Justice Experience and Media Reliance.
Creator: Pickett, Justin T., Mancini, Christina, Mears, Daniel P., Gertz, Marc
Abstract/Description: Scholars attribute the public’s low level of knowledge about sentencing and corrections to its lack of extensive criminal justice experience and consequent reliance on the media for justice-related information. However, scant research exists that evaluates how criminal justice experience affects media consumption, or how such consumption may influence knowledge about sentencing laws or the extent of imprisonment. To extend this literature, we develop and test three hypotheses about the...
Show moreScholars attribute the public’s low level of knowledge about sentencing and corrections to its lack of extensive criminal justice experience and consequent reliance on the media for justice-related information. However, scant research exists that evaluates how criminal justice experience affects media consumption, or how such consumption may influence knowledge about sentencing laws or the extent of imprisonment. To extend this literature, we develop and test three hypotheses about the relationships between prior criminal justice experience, reliance on the mass media for information about crime and justice, and knowledge about criminal punishment. Analysis of data from a random telephone survey of 1,308 adult Floridians reveals that individuals with prior criminal justice experience are less likely to rely on the media for crime-related information. The evidence also shows that media reliance is associated with lower levels of knowledge about criminal punishment, and that this effect is particularly strong for female respondents.
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Date Issued: 2015-06-25
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459521915, 10.1177/0887403414526228
Format: Citation

Title: Everything Old is New Again: The Criminology/Criminal Justice Freshman Research Seminar.
Creator: Hill, Leslie, Maier-Katkin, Daniel, Kinsley, Kirsten
Abstract/Description: This is a report of an action-research project undertaken in tandem with the development of a new freshman seminar in criminology and criminal justice. In the freshman seminar the goal is to teach the research, critical thinking and writing skills that are the underpinnings of scholarship and good citizenship. Utilizing a unique approach, this class focuses on resources available through the University library and is taught by a professor, two librarians and a graduate teaching assistant. We...
Show moreThis is a report of an action-research project undertaken in tandem with the development of a new freshman seminar in criminology and criminal justice. In the freshman seminar the goal is to teach the research, critical thinking and writing skills that are the underpinnings of scholarship and good citizenship. Utilizing a unique approach, this class focuses on resources available through the University library and is taught by a professor, two librarians and a graduate teaching assistant. We hypothesize that freshmen who experience this seminar will show improvement in critical thinking skills, and that this will contribute to greater levels of academic success. This report describes the educational innovation (seminar) in sufficient detail to make replication possible, and presents preliminary findings that indicate the seminar enhances research and writing skills, fosters ability to think critically, and has a positive influence on students’ academic careers.
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Date Issued: 2015-06-12
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1488563765, 10.1080/10511253.2015.1052002
Format: Citation

Title: Successful Transitions to Graduate School: Using Orientations to Improve Student Experiences in Criminology and Criminal Justice Programs.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Scaggs, Samuel J. A., Ladny, Roshni T., Lindsey, Andrea M., Ranson, J.W. Andrew
Abstract/Description: The initial transition to graduate school provides a critical opportunity for promoting a positive educational experience among incoming students. This study discusses the importance of this transition and then describes a novel student-led orientation approach to facilitating successful entry of new students into criminology and criminal justice graduate degree programs. Results from an evaluation of this approach are presented. Analyses of focus group and student survey data indicate that...
Show moreThe initial transition to graduate school provides a critical opportunity for promoting a positive educational experience among incoming students. This study discusses the importance of this transition and then describes a novel student-led orientation approach to facilitating successful entry of new students into criminology and criminal justice graduate degree programs. Results from an evaluation of this approach are presented. Analyses of focus group and student survey data indicate that graduate students matriculating into a criminology and criminal justice program in a southern state felt welcomed and found the information, guidance, and social networks that they developed to be helpful. At the same time, students identified ways the orientation could be improved for future cohorts. A student-led orientation, along with evaluation of it, provides a promising strategy for criminology and criminal justice graduate programs to create positive educational and professionalization experiences for their students.
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Date Issued: 2015-03-04
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459523461, 10.1080/10511253.2015.1018914
Format: Citation

Title: Race, Ethnic, and Gender Divides in Juvenile Court Sanctioning and Rehabilitative Intervention.
Creator: Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: Objectives: Drawing on focal concerns theory, as well as scholarship on the juvenile court’s mandate to consider youth culpability and amenability to treatment, we develop hypotheses that seek to examine whether the court will (1) punish Whites less severely and (2) be more likely to intervene with Whites through rehabilitative intervention and, simultaneously, be more punitive and less rehabilitative with minorities, and, in particular, Black males. Method: Florida juvenile court referral...
Show moreObjectives: Drawing on focal concerns theory, as well as scholarship on the juvenile court’s mandate to consider youth culpability and amenability to treatment, we develop hypotheses that seek to examine whether the court will (1) punish Whites less severely and (2) be more likely to intervene with Whites through rehabilitative intervention and, simultaneously, be more punitive and less rehabilitative with minorities, and, in particular, Black males. Method: Florida juvenile court referral data and multinomial logistic regression analyses are used to examine multicategory disposition and “subdisposition” measures. Results: Findings suggest that minority youth, especially Black males, are not only more likely to receive punitive sanctions, they also are less likely than White youth to receive rehabilitative interventions and instead experience significantly higher rates of dismissals. The analyses indicate that similar racial and ethnic disparities emerge when “subdispositions”—specifically, placement options within diversion and probation—are examined. Conclusions: The results underscore the salience of race, ethnicity, and gender in juvenile court decisions about punitive sanctioning and rehabilitative intervention, as well as the importance of employing multicategory disposition measures that better reflect the range of sanctioning and intervention options available to the court.
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Date Issued: 2015-02-04
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459951089, 10.1177/0022427814560574
Format: Citation

Title: Efforts to Reduce Consumer Fraud Victimization Among the Elderly: The Effect of Information Access on Program Awareness and Contact.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Reisig, Michael D., Scaggs, Samuel, Holtfreter, Kristy
Abstract/Description: Concern about the risk of consumer fraud victimization among the elderly has led to programs that disseminate fraud prevention information and provide services. However, little is known about how seniors access such information or learn about or contact these programs. Drawing on scholarship on fraud, media consumption, and the fear of crime, this study contributes to efforts to understand and reduce consumer fraud victimization. Analyses of data from adults age 60 and above demonstrate that...
Show moreConcern about the risk of consumer fraud victimization among the elderly has led to programs that disseminate fraud prevention information and provide services. However, little is known about how seniors access such information or learn about or contact these programs. Drawing on scholarship on fraud, media consumption, and the fear of crime, this study contributes to efforts to understand and reduce consumer fraud victimization. Analyses of data from adults age 60 and above demonstrate that certain segments of the elderly population access a greater variety of information sources to learn about fraud prevention. In turn, such access is associated with greater fraud prevention program awareness and contact.
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Date Issued: 2014-10-28
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548701949_9d56e014, 10.1177/0011128714555759
Format: Citation

Title: The Role of Information in Changing Offender Behavior, Criminal Justice System Actions, and Policy Maker Decisions.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P.
Date Issued: 2014-08-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1460379082, 10.1111/1745-9133.12102
Format: Citation

Title: Assessing the Effectiveness of Correctional Sanctions.
Creator: Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: Objectives: Despite the dramatic expansion of the US correctional system in recent decades, little is known about the relative effectiveness of commonly used sanctions on recidivism. The goal of this paper is to address this research gap, and systematically examine the relative impacts on recidivism of four main types of sanctions: probation, intensive probation, jail, and prison. Methods: Data on convicted felons in Florida were analyzed and propensity score matching analyses were used to...
Show moreObjectives: Despite the dramatic expansion of the US correctional system in recent decades, little is known about the relative effectiveness of commonly used sanctions on recidivism. The goal of this paper is to address this research gap, and systematically examine the relative impacts on recidivism of four main types of sanctions: probation, intensive probation, jail, and prison. Methods: Data on convicted felons in Florida were analyzed and propensity score matching analyses were used to estimate relative effects of each sanction type on 3-year reconviction rates. Results: Estimated effects suggest that less severe sanctions are more likely to reduce recidivism. Conclusions: The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of tougher sanctioning policies for reducing future criminal behavior. Implications for future research, theory, and policy are also discussed.
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Date Issued: 2014-06-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1460382618, 10.1007/s10940-013-9205-2
Format: Citation

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