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- All Subjects: criminology
Description
Indigenous Peoples (Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native) have experienced high rates of violence and victimization since colonization – which continues to present day. However, little is known regarding the victimization experiences of Indigenous college students. Furthermore, universities are struggling to recruit and retain Indigenous college students, evident by their low enrollment and matriculation rates. One possible reason for this could be universities' inability to support Indigenous students, especially those who have experienced victimization. Yet, there is little empirical knowledge regarding how universities can best support these Indigenous students. To address these gaps, the current dissertation takes a holistic approach to understanding Indigenous individuals’ needs within the university context. Drawing upon Indigenous student survey and interview data, in addition to faculty and staff interview data, this dissertation explores the victimization experiences of Indigenous college students, their service utilization, informal help-seeking behaviors, barriers to seeking help, and ways to improve university services. Overall, findings reveal that Indigenous college students in this sample experience high rates of victimization. Additionally, having culturally relevant services, culturally competent service providers, and being able to practice their culture is necessary to best support Indigenous college students. Recommendations for universities are presented to improve the campus environment for Indigenous college students.
ContributorsStanek, Kayleigh A (Author) / Fox, Kathleen A (Thesis advisor) / Henson, Abigail (Committee member) / Montes, Andrea N (Committee member) / Sharp, Christopher (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Calling 911 with the goal of mobilizing a response rarely results in a direct line to the entity one wishes to summon (e.g., police or fire). Rather, individuals connect with call-takers—those who are commonly considered “gatekeepers”—who gather pertinent information from callers and determine whether there is a need to allocate resources accordingly. Importantly, this interaction serves as the first point of contact with the criminal justice system for much of the public. As such, it is particularly troubling to consider how grossly understudied this facet of the criminal justice system is relative to other justice system components. After all, call-takers set the tone and trajectory of an entire incident. For this reason, it is critical to understand their role independently, as well as the impact of their actions on subsequent potential interactions. This dissertation aims to shed light on this matter. Using a mixed model factorial vignette design embedded in online surveys administered to a quasi-representative sample of U.S. adults, this study will assess the impact of call-taker variability in adherence to procedural justice practices on citizens’ willingness to cooperate and the perceived legitimacy of both call-takers and police, as well as the ability of police officers to assuage citizen negative affect via procedurally-just tactics. This work will advance the understanding of how perceptions of one criminal justice actor (e.g., call-takers) impacts the perceptions and deference offered to subsequent criminal justice actors (e.g., police), a process referred to as the “spill-over effect,” as well as the salience of procedural justice tactics.
ContributorsFlippin, Michaela Reed (Author) / Reisig, Michael D. (Thesis advisor) / Young, Jacob T.N. (Committee member) / Trinkner, Rick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
In May 2020, following the death of George Floyd, communities across the nation organized protests to raise awareness about police brutality and racism in police departments. Protesters popularized the term “defund the police,” which encourages local officials to remove funding from police departments and reinvest it into community resources. This study uses qualitative methods to analyze archival and interview data (N= 13) regarding the Defund the Police Movement in Minneapolis, MN; Portland, OR; and San Francisco, CA. The study provides insight into the relationship between community members and police officers before the movement, how people conceptualized the movement, and hopes for public safety in the future. The results indicated that regardless of people’s perspectives of the Defund the Police movement, people appreciated the increase in discussion about best practices and policy changes to increase public safety.
ContributorsAugustine, Brandee (Author) / Maguire, Edward (Thesis advisor) / Montes, Andrea (Committee member) / Henson, Abigail (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Human activity, such as industrialization and deforestation, have led to an increase in global temperatures and natural disaster events that have resulted in the death of over two million people and an economic loss of over USD $3.64 trillion in the last 50 years. Governments, organizations, and activists across the globe have tried to reduce the collateral consequences of human activity on the planet; however, even with increased attention to these issues, there has yet to be much discussion of accountability for planetary harm. Greenhouse gas emissions, waste dumping, and climate change mostly result from individuals, corporations, and governments exploiting the planet of its natural resources freely, without direct and immediate consequence. In the field of criminal justice, the criminalization of and penalization for engagement in certain acts is meant to deter harmful acts. Therefore, to deter auto-genocide, one must ask whether perpetrators of global harm should be held accountable, and what accountability might look like in these scenarios. This article explores traditional definitions of “crime,” punishment, and the criminal label, and discusses the possibility of holding perpetrators of ecocide and the impending auto-genocide accountable utilizing a restorative justice framework.
ContributorsMenes, Norliyana (Author) / Henson, Abigail (Thesis advisor) / Chamberlain, Alyssa W (Committee member) / Blount-Hill, Kwan-Lamar (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Research on legal socialization aims to develop an understanding of how individuals develop their relationship with law and legal actors, as well as how this relationship influences their behavior. One perspective of the legal socialization framework typically considers two models: the coercive model, where behavior is altered by authoritative force, and the consensual model, where behavior is altered by a sense of obligation. Legal socialization is not limited to the actual legal system and can be understood by applying the concepts to other rule-based systems. The current study applied the legal socialization framework to a previously unexplored rule system: motocross and supercross. The goal of this study was to see how formal and informal rule systems of motocross and supercross incorporate aspects of the coercive and consensual models to influence riders’ behaviors. To achieve this aim, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 professional motocross and supercross riders. Findings demonstrate that, although aspects of both models influenced rider behavior, riders expressed more desire for elements from the consensual model, including a penalty process that was clear, consistent, and allowed for rider voice. Findings also highlighted additional factors that influenced riders’ behaviors, including safety, image, relationships, and respect.
ContributorsRosenthal, Jessica Melonnie (Author) / Henson, Abigail (Thesis advisor) / Maguire, Edward (Committee member) / Trinkner, Rick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
When children allege sexual abuse, there is rarely medical evidence or eyewitnesses, making their testimony in trial a primary factor in assessing their credibility. However, little is known about what may be unclear to jury members making verdict decisions. In some districts, jury members are allowed to ask questions of the child witness at the end of their testimony. The current study utilizes a sample of trial transcripts from Maricopa County, Arizona where children ages 5-17 years old have alleged some form of sexual abuse; a jurisdiction where jury members are permitted to ask written questions. Cases were analyzed to assess: 1) if jury questions were asked and how often these questions occurred, 2) what content they asked about, and 3) whether occurrence or frequency of jury questions related to case characteristics (i.e. child age, child-perpetrator relationship, severity of abuse, frequency of abuse). It was hypothesized that 1) juries would ask questions mostly about the dynamics of abuse and disclosure, 2) these questions would primarily clarify information previously discussed by attorneys during direct- and cross-examination (instead of asking new inquiries that went undiscussed during testimony), 3) there would be more jury questions as child age increases and 4) more serious cases (based on case characteristics) would have more jury questions. Results were mixed. Jury members often asked about the dynamics of abuse and disclosure (abuse details, statements regarding abuse, the child’s subjective reactions), but case characteristics of child age, child-perpetrator relationship, and severity of abuse did not have a relationship with the presence of jury questions. However, cases where children alleged multiple instances of abuse were more likely to receive jury questions, which may allude to the misconception that children would disclose abuse right away and not let multiple instances occur. Although the sample size is small for generalization, it is an important first step for future research to further examine jury questions, improve attorney questioning techniques, and better educate the general public about the dynamics of child sexual abuse cases.
ContributorsGarcia-Johnson, Anastacia M (Author) / Stolzenberg, Stacia N. (Thesis advisor) / Fox, Kathleen A. (Committee member) / Chamberlain, Alyssa W. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
While incarceration can be detrimental for inmates, the children of prisoners can suffer from behavioral issues, poor school performance, and a higher risk of crime and delinquency across the life-course. Separation from one's family is part of what makes
incarceration a punishment, but what can be done to ensure that this punishment has the least harmful effect on children? Prison visitation presents an intriguing opportunity to lessen the potential harms of parental incarceration. Using data from the Arizona Prison Visitation Project (APVP), the current study focuses on inmates who were parents to minor children and seeks to determine: 1) do different types and different amounts of prison contact (in-person, phone, and mail) correlate with changes in the quality of parent-child relationships and 2) does a change in parent-child relationship quality correlate with a change in child behavior. The results from the analysis suggest that visitation and mail contact are associated with positive increases in parent-child relationship quality.
Also, positive changes in parent-child relationship quality were associated with a decrease in the odds of children having behavioral problems during incarceration. This study provides some support for the ability that prison contact can have to increase relationship quality, which in turn, may decrease the presence of behavioral issues in the children of incarcerated parents. Future directions in policy should consider measures to subsidize or refund contact costs, encourage contact between parents and their children, and involve children in in-prison programming designed to improve contact and relationships between parents and their children.
incarceration a punishment, but what can be done to ensure that this punishment has the least harmful effect on children? Prison visitation presents an intriguing opportunity to lessen the potential harms of parental incarceration. Using data from the Arizona Prison Visitation Project (APVP), the current study focuses on inmates who were parents to minor children and seeks to determine: 1) do different types and different amounts of prison contact (in-person, phone, and mail) correlate with changes in the quality of parent-child relationships and 2) does a change in parent-child relationship quality correlate with a change in child behavior. The results from the analysis suggest that visitation and mail contact are associated with positive increases in parent-child relationship quality.
Also, positive changes in parent-child relationship quality were associated with a decrease in the odds of children having behavioral problems during incarceration. This study provides some support for the ability that prison contact can have to increase relationship quality, which in turn, may decrease the presence of behavioral issues in the children of incarcerated parents. Future directions in policy should consider measures to subsidize or refund contact costs, encourage contact between parents and their children, and involve children in in-prison programming designed to improve contact and relationships between parents and their children.
ContributorsHaverkate, Danielle L. (Author) / Wright, Kevin A. (Thesis advisor) / Stolzenberg, Stacia N. (Committee member) / Young, Jacob T.N. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
The Effect of Time Since Last Incarceration Spell in Situations of Trust: A Factorial Vignette Study
Description
Studies on what shapes public perceptions of ex-prisoners are abundant. One omission is the detailed investigation of how perceptions of former inmates might vary by the amount of time since their last incarceration term. More specifically, it remains unknown whether increased length since an ex-prisoner’s last incarceration spell is positively linked to higher levels of trust. This study (N = 448) uses a factorial vignette design to test the perceived trustworthiness of former inmates across two hypothetical scenarios. Time since last incarceration spell is used as the independent variables in a series of ordered logistic regression models. The role of gender is also explored. Results show that trust perceptions of ex-prisoners minimally vary by time since last incarceration spell when personal victimization is at risk, but the magnitude is small and shows no clear pattern of declining risk over time. Less support is observed in situations where property victimization is at risk. These findings illustrate the complexity of how people perceive and feel about ex-inmates in situations of trust.
ContributorsSimonds, Raven (Author) / Reisig, Michael D (Thesis advisor) / Holtfreter, Kristy (Committee member) / Trinkner, Rick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Over the last decade, scholars have become increasingly attentive to the role of procedural fairness in shaping police officer attitudes and behaviors. In Chapter 1, I review key developments within this research, and identify several theoretical and methodological issues present in the current literature. I then outline the issues I seek to address through the three studies presented in this dissertation. In Chapter 2, I explore a divergence in how scholars conceptualize and measure sources of internal procedural fairness (IPF) within police departments. I discuss the implications of these divergences, and then compare three conceptualizations of IPF sources. I find that officers appear to form separate IPF judgement for each source, and that each procedural fairness judgment has unique associations with several outcomes. In Chapter 3, I examine the relationship between internal procedural fairness and officer engagement in external procedural fairness (EPF). Drawing upon the group engagement model (GEM), I argue that the relationship between IPF and EPF is mediated by organizational identification. Comparing the GEM against the prevailing explanation for this relationship, I find that the GEM better accounts for the relationship between IPF and EPF. In Chapter 4, I explore the role of organizational emphasis in shaping police officer support for several different policing strategies. The GEM suggests that IPF will simply bond officers to organizational goals and norms; it is this bond that motivates officers to adopt the strategies emphasized by their department. Examining support for several policing strategies, I find that officers who are more committed to their agency are more sensitive to changes in the emphasis placed on specific strategies. In Chapter 5, I review the findings of the various studies presented in this dissertation and discuss the implications of this research. Collectively, these three studies offer several insights into how IPF shapes police officer attitudes and behaviors. They highlight the importance of officer identification with organizational norms and value in shaping police officer attitudes and behaviors and establish new avenues for IPF research within police organizations.
ContributorsTyler, David H. F. (Author) / Maguire, Edward R. (Thesis advisor) / Wallace, Danielle (Committee member) / Trinkner, Rick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Legal socialization is the process through which individuals develop their attitudes and relationships with the law. Although different types of socialization have been identified, four primary assumptions drive the perspective. These include ubiquity (process occurs in multiple contexts), continuity (process occurs across the lifetime), foundationality (law is an important regulatory institution), and reciprocity (law and citizens are influencing each other). The procedural justice model of legal socialization proposes that direct and vicarious police interactions judged to be procedurally unjust lead to lower levels of police legitimacy, higher levels of legal cynicism, and ultimately, lower compliance with the law. Recent scholarship has extended this model to non-legal authorities, finding that procedurally just interactions with parents and teachers improve child outcomes. Given its novelty, models assessing parental effects on legal attitudes have yet to consider how problematic child behaviors, including delinquency, contribute to the legal socialization process. Using 8 waves of data from a community sample of Swiss children (N = 1360), the primary goal of this study is to identify the potential direct, indirect, and reciprocal effects of child externalizing problem behaviors (as measured by aggression and hyperactive/impulsive/inattention) and parenting behaviors (as measured as prosocial and aversive) on legal cynicism. In addition, this study seeks to identify reciprocity within concepts from the procedural justice model, namely between legal cynicism and delinquency. Multivariate Latent Curve models with Structured Residuals (LCM-SR) were used to assess these relationships while also distinguishing “between-person” and “within-person” changes in these constructs over time. Results demonstrated that the relationship between child behaviors and parenting behaviors was not reciprocal, but aversive parenting did have a direct relationship with legal cynicism and delinquency over time. An unconditional LCM-SR model demonstrated that legal cynicism and delinquency were related both between-person and within-person over time. However, the reciprocal effects were inconclusive. While this study did not identify conclusive evidence of reciprocity, the results do provide more support for the ubiquity assumption, i.e., legal socialization occurs in nonlegal contexts. Parenting behaviors during childhood do influence legal cynicism and delinquency from adolescence to early adulthood.
ContributorsGifford, Faith Elise (Author) / Reisig, Michael D (Thesis advisor) / Pardini, Dustin (Thesis advisor) / Trinkner, Rick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021