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Evidence suggests certain psychological traits and inaccurate cognitions or beliefs are important predictors of sexual coercion. While research has demonstrated that psychopathic traits are one of the best sexual aggression predictors, research has also shown the importance of rape myth acceptance as a predictor. Although both constructs have significant evidence supporting their predictive power with sexual coercion, some recent research has found that the relationship between rape myth acceptance and sexual coercive tactics was negated with the addition of psychopathy scores. The current study seeks to extend this previous researchby using a larger sample of college males (N = 481), different measures of rape myth acceptance and psychopathy, and both retrospective and prospective methods. The results of the current study partially support previous findings, but also demonstrate differences in the predictive utility of rape myth acceptance and psychopathy constructs in the prospective prediction. Both psychopathy, particularly callousness, and rape myth acceptance were significant predictors of the sample's intention of using both verbal and illegal sexual coercive tactics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in the last few years has begun to examine the prevalence of female sexual offending as well as attempting to understand the predictors of sexually coercive behavior among women. Although women engage in sexual coercion significantly less often than men, more research on female sexual coercion is warranted. The current study provides an exploratory examination of the relationship between several attitudinal, experiential, and situational factors, and the use of various sexual coercion tactics among a sample of 582 sexually active, female undergraduate students, as well as proposing an explanatory model of female sexual coercion. Results indicate that several variables that are significant predictors of sexual aggression for men are also predictive for women. However, these variables seem to work differently in predicting sexually coercive behavior for women. Implications for theory and further study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deterrence researchers have long considered the extent to which perceived certainty and severity inhibit offending. More recently, scholars have encouraged more specific investigations about the conditions under which sanction threats may deter offending. This study contributes to and extends this line of research by exploring whether morality conditions this relationship among a large sample of incarcerated felons. Results show that while certainty and morality are independently associated with a lower likelihood of offending, perceived certainty relates to offending only among those persons with high—but not low—moral beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hirschi suggested that social control and choice theories can be linked because social bonds may restrain offending by increasing the consideration of costs within the offending decision itself. Despite considerable research on both theories, no previous criminological research has examined the manner in which bonds may constrain offending. A diverse sample of male and female felony offenders (n = 1013) from a southwestern correctional system were asked about their levels of belief in conventional values, attachment to family and religious involvement and commitment, as well as their perception of the certainty and severity of potential costs associated with a hypothetical drunk driving scenario. Hirschi's contention was supported in multivariate path models that demonstrated cost considerations did in fact mediate the relationship between social bonds and drunk driving likelihood. These results link two dominant and impactful control theories in criminology, and suggest that to increase the effectiveness of deterrence policy-makers may need to consider improving the individuals' connections to society. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sexual coercion is a significant problem on college campuses despite numerous attempts to better understand and prevent it. Some criminological research has examined the role of sexual arousal in decisions to use coercion and force, while psychologists have studied how overperception of sexual interest relates to coercive behaviors. The current study combines these two lines of research to examine whether sexual arousal increases the perception of sexual interest in a hypothetical coercion scenario. A sample of 387 college males were randomly placed into arousal and control conditions and asked to watch either erotic material or a lecture and complete questions regarding a common social dating scenario. Bivariate and multivariate results indicated significant relationships between sexual arousal and overperception of sexual intent with the decision to engage in sexually coercive behaviors, as well as a mediation effect. The implications for theory and sexual assault prevention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Purpose: Tests of rational choice theory commonly utilize samples of university students. The current study examines whether these samples provide meaningful insight into real offenders’ decisions. Methods: A total of 760 undergraduates from a southwestern university and 1,013 offenders incarcerated in the same state were surveyed. Both groups were given a hypothetical drunk driving scenario and completed rational choice questions. Results: Results indicate that although the samples were very different in their background characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race, prior criminal history), they identified similar costs and benefits of drunk driving, gave similar ratings of the certainty/severity of these consequences, and utilized these consequences to inform their drunk driving intentions in a similar fashion. Conclusion: Despite social science being largely criticized as the “study of sophomores,” in this instance it appears college student samples can provide meaningful insight into the decision calculus of known offenders. Implications and limitations of the study are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Restorative justice (RJ) programs have become widespread in the United States and in other countries. These programs are often seen as a viable alternative to traditional retributive processing, especially for minor, and sometimes more serious, forms of delinquency and adult criminality. The programs hold promise for achieving several goals, including increased community and victim involvement, greater satisfaction with the case outcomes, improved offender compliance, increased perceptions of fairness, and even recidivism reduction. Meta-analyses have demonstrated varying degrees of program success in recidivism reduction, which may in part reflect differential effectiveness of the RJ approach for various kinds of offenders. This study examined whether an RJ program for juvenile offenders had differential impacts on recidivism across various offender characteristics (including age, gender, racial group, offending history, and current offense). Results generally support the effectiveness of the program for many types of offenders. Implications for future research and potential improvements to the RJ model are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A central proposition of Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) General Theory of Crime is the relative stability of low self-control, however research on “selfcontrol strength” suggests that it may vary across contexts. The current study examines these differing conceptions by randomly assigning participants to one of two sexual arousal conditions or to a no-arousal condition. Group differences in the six components of self control, as captured on the Grasmick et al. (1993) scale were then examined. Unexpectedly, individuals in the most intense arousal condition actually reported higher self-control than those in the other conditions (both in absolute value and in changes in relative rank within the sample). Such findings provide additional empirical support for the recent conceptualization of self-control strength as a personal characteristic that can be both exercised and potentially depleted when overused. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: A number of policy efforts have aimed to reduce drunk driving, including deterrence-based policies and specialized treatment courts. This study examines the impact of expedited court processing on the county-wide rate of DUI offenses. It also examines the links between sanction swiftness, certainty, and severity and changes in DUI rates over time. Methods: This study uses interrupted time series analysis to assess changes in DUI rates in one county over a time period including the introduction of a full-coverage, expedited court docket for DUI. Additionally, the three components of deterrence were examined. Result: Findings reveal that the program implementation corresponded with a lower rate of DUI case filings, but not with a general reduction in alcohol-involved collisions in the county. Additionally, only sanction swiftness improved over time, while certainty remained stable and severity declined. Conclusions: Results indicate that the introduction of the expedited court docket does not appear to have produced a deterrent effect on DUI. It may be that DUI offenders require more than expedited processing to overcome the issues that precipitate their offending. Future research and policy should explore both the impact of swiftness of punishment and the provision of appropriate treatment services in addressing DUI offending. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Existing research on date rape has identified important correlations between rape-supportive attitudes and sexual aggression. What remains unclear is the mechanism by which these attitudes are translated into sexually aggressive behavior. This study borrows from a rational choice framework to explore the relationship between attitudes, perceptions of the risks and rewards of engaging in date rape, and self-reported hypothetical aggression in a date rape scenario. Results suggest that rape-supportive attitudes are related to particular patterns of identified risks and rewards of date rape as well as to the self-reported likelihood of engaging in date rape behavior. This supports a perspective that certain attitude structures may alter the risks and rewards that potential offenders consider in deciding whether or not to engage in sexual aggression. Implications for future research and prevention programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Criminal decision making is an inherently natural and highly individualized process; however, rather than allowing participants to self-identify the costs and benefits that impact their own decisions to offend, rational choice researchers have typically provided participants with a uniform list of consequences to consider. Indirect evidence suggests this technique may alter the participants’ perceptions of consequences, yet no study to date has examined this supposition directly. In the current study, participants were randomly assigned to experimental conditions in which they either received a list of traditional costs and benefits to assess or were asked to self-generate their own list to assess. As in past research, when participants were allowed to self-generated consequences they identified several “novel” costs/benefits that have certainty/severity rating comparable to many of the traditionally examined consequences. Results also showed that consequences are more likely to be perceived as possible outcomes (i.e., receive a non-zero probability) when they are presented by researchers than when they are self-generated. Finally, the average certainty and severity of negative consequences do not differ across condition, while ratings of the certainty and value of benefits from crime are relatively lower when they are presented by researchers. Implications for rational choice theory and survey research in criminology more broadly are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effectiveness of drug courts for illegal drug-involved offenders has been well documented (Belenko, 1998, 2001; Wilson, Mitchell, & MacKenzie, 2006), however, few studies had examined whether they work for repeat “driving while intoxicated” (DWI) or “driving under the influence” (DUI) offenders. The current study examined sixty-six offenders who had completed one of two hybrid DUI/drug courts (compared to eighty-six similar parolees) operating in two small cities in a single midwestern state. Results suggested that among non-DUI offenders, completion of the drug court program reduced recidivism, as might be expected; however, among the subsample of chronic DUI offenders no significant recidivism reduction was noted. These results add to the small, but growing literature suggesting that DUI courts (as they are currently being implemented) may not be an effective way to reduce the occurrence of repeat DUI offenses. Suggestions for DUI court implementation and future research are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Numerous evaluations have documented that drug court programs can and do work (Belenko, 1998. 1999. 2001; Gottfredson, Najaka, & Kearly, 2003); however, to date, less attention has been paid to specific issues such as how well drug courts work for certain types of offenders. In particular, there has been a lack of attention paid to the personal characteristics that may be thought of as "risk factors" among participants. especially their drug of choice. Of particular interest in this study are the following questions: First, are drug courts equally effective for offenders charged with methamphetamine-related crimes versus other types of drug offenders? Second, is the drug court model equally effective for offenders charged with Driving While Intoxicated (WI) compared to other types of drug-involved offenders? Data from a hybrid drug court operating in a small urban area in the upper Midwest was used to examine the above questions. Information on 87 individuals who had participated in this drug court program and 124 similar offenders who were sentenced to prison followed by traditional parole were analyzed. Results indicated that the drug court reduced recidivism for methamphetamine-involved and other types of drug-using offenders; however, among DWI offenders, drug court graduation was not related to reduced recidivism, as it was among non-DWI offenders. Implications for drug court programming and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous hypothetical scenario tests of rational choice theory have presented all participants with the same set of consequences, implicitly assuming that these consequences would be relevant for each individual. Recent research demonstrates that those researcher-presented consequences do not accurately reflect those considered by study participants and that there is individual variation in the relevance of various consequences. Despite this and some theoretical propositions that such differences should exist, little empirical research has explored the possibility of predicting such variation. This study allows participants to develop their own set of relevant consequences for three hypothetical offenses and examines how several demographic and theoretical variables impact those consequences' relevance. Exploratory results suggest individual factors impact the perceived relevance of several cost and benefit types, even among a relatively homogenous sample of college students. Implications for future tests of rational choice theory, as well as policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While extant research generally supports restorative justice as an alternative to traditional juvenile court processing, much of this research is limited to short-term follow-up periods examining only prevalence of reoffense. In addition, recent meta-analyses point to several study design characteristics, the impacts of which are not well understood. This study compared long-term outcomes of youth referred to restorative justice and traditional juvenile court processing using multiple outcome measures. Specifically, the authors examined the impact of restorative justice referral on prevalence of reoffense, number of later official contacts, and seriousness of later offending behavior over several follow-up periods up to four years post-referral. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the advent of mandatory and pro-arrest laws for incidents of intimate partner violence, there has been an increase in the number of women arrested for domestic violence. Several explanations are posed in the literature that attempt to explain such a rise, including the hypothesis that women are being arrested not for offensive violence but rather for defensive violence. Few studies, however, have used empirical data to support such arguments. This exploratory study examines the characteristics of women arrested for intimate personal violence. Particular attention is paid to women arrested with their partner (i.e., dual arrestees) and the contextual characteristics of dual arrestee incidents. Important differences are uncovered in the context and consequences of arrest for dual arrestees (n = 21) compared to women arrested alone as the offender (n = 49). Implications of these findings mad further research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively little research in the United States has examined the effectiveness of community service (CS) sentences among adult offenders, despite use of this alternative sanction for nearly 40 years. What little research exists, primarily from Europe, suggests that CS may not yield significant reductions in recidivism when compared to incarceration; however, much of this research suffers from important methodological limitations. This study employs a more rigorous evaluation design and a more appropriate comparison sample of offenders sentenced to pay traditional monetary fines. Results reveal that those who participate in CS sentences are less likely to experience post-program recidivism, controlling for several initial group differences. Limitations of the design and suggestions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spurred by large increases in prison populations and other recent sentencing and correctional trends, the federal government has supported the development and implementation of Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiatives (SVORI) nationwide. While existing research demonstrates the effectiveness of the separate components of these programs (e.g., matching services to inmate needs, combining community supervision and rehabilitative services), few if any evaluations of the effectiveness of these new coordinated reentry interventions have yet been published. The current study examines the implementation and effectiveness of a small SVORI program in the upper-Midwest, comparing inmates receiving enhanced reentry services to a sample of similar prisoners receiving only traditional prison/parole services. Results reveal that the reentry program successfully reached its target population of serious and violent offenders, provided more referrals to community-based services, and increased drug testing frequency during parole. Reentry participants were also less likely to test positive for drug use while on parole, had similar parole revocation rates and a 60% lower likelihood of post-parole re-arrest relative to the comparison sample. Limitations of the study, as well as implication for reentry programming and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively little research has examined the outcomes (either program completion or recidivism) of community service (CS) sentences among adult offenders in the United States, despite the fact that this form of alternative sanction has been employed in the United States for nearly 40 years. What little research exists, primarily from Europe, suggests that community service may not yield significant reductions in recidivism. Increased use of community service in this country is suggested to have several potential benefits including the alleviation of jail crowding, reduction of correctional costs, as well as provision of credible intermediate punishment. Reductions in crowding and associated costs depend, however, on CS being utilized with incarceration-bound offenders and also that these of- fenders be managed under this community-based sanction without risk to public safety. This study finds that several characteristics indicative of more ‘serious’ offenders (e.g., criminal history and other personal characteristics) are related to lower likelihood of program completion. Initial evidence also suggests that among those receiving this type of sentence, program completion reduces recidivism risk, controlling for the underlying propensity to complete the sentence. Limitations of the design and suggestions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug treatment is one of the critical components of drug court programming, yet it has not been thoroughly studied in the drug court literature. Very little is understood about the nature of drug treatment services provided in the drug court setting. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of selected treatment variables on drug court outcomes. En this study of four drug courts, the researchers explored how drug treatment services were provided using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative measures. Observations of drug treatment counselors found that treatment sessions varied in terms of the content of the sessions with a tendency to cover a broad range of topics. An analysis of graduation rates in drug courts found that participation in drug treatment affects graduation-offenders who participate more tend to graduate from drug court. However, even graduates could not follow the multilayered drug court program requirements. In the multivariate models explaining graduation rates, the length of participation in drug treatment court and services provided by government-run agencies (e.g., health departments) impacted outcomes. Services provided by government-run programs tended to reduce the likelihood of graduation. More re- search is needed to understand the issue of treatment participation on recidivism and length of time to rearrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a number of recent evaluations demonstrating the effectiveness of "drug court" programs for reducing both substance abuse and criminal behavior, some authors have recently called for more thorough process evaluations (inside the "black box" of treatment) of these programs. Specifically, this article describes the need for thorough process evaluation to examine differences in program implementation across rural and urban drug courts. The delivery of substance-user treatment and allied social services is examined in a sample of four adult drug courts (two urban and two rural), using a direct observation methodology, as well as traditional surveys and interviews of treatment staff and administrators. Results reveal that there are, in fact, differences in implementation, and staff and client characteristics between courts in each type of geographic region and suggest that these differences may impact the effectiveness of the court programs in meeting their goals of reduced substance use and criminal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of treatment offered to drug court participants was designed to link the beliefs, philosophies, and knowledge of the counselors with the services offered in treatment sessions. The study is limited to four jurisdictions, two rural and two urban, but, within these four jurisdictions, the treatment services provided are representative of the services offered to the general addict community. Surveys were conducted with over half the treatment counselors providing services and structured observations were conducted with over half of the normal group therapy sessions offered in a given month. Survey findings reveal that treatment counselors support a number of different causes for substance abuse. Counselors also do not have a strong affiliation for any one model that defines their treatment approaches. Observations confirmed an eclectic approach to treatment sessions in practice. A number of technology transfer and management issues are identified from the study including the need for the development of a better understanding among treatment providers as to the recovery process, the role of treatment in the process, and critical components of therapeutic interventions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a case study of drug treatment services provided for offenders and drug court operations in the U.S. Application of qualitative and quantitative methods in the study; Impact of treatment participation on graduation rates and drug court program rearrest and post-program rearrest; Steps for integration of drug treatment services.

Deals with the methodological and theoretical implications of using subject-generated consequences in tests of rational choice theory. Function of the theory; Limitation in the use of the theory; Ability of the value of the hypothetical scenario design (HSD) used for examining the theory; Advantages of HSD studies.

Drug treatment courts provide a new strategy for providing treatment services to offenders within the criminal justice system. With over 400 drug treatment courts in the United States, the courts have evolved to provide treatment services under different models. This article will review the different typologies for delivery of treatment services to drug user offenders in the drug treatment court setting, and it will raise questions about some of the difficult issues underscoring an integrated service delivery model. The paper then identifies some research questions for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many recent evaluations have suggested that therapeutic community programs, particularly those programs followed by aftercare treatment, can be effective in reducing drug use and recidivism. Despite the successes of the well-established programs, there exists a need to examine the actual implementation (therapeutic integrity) of many newer programs labeled therapeutic communities. This study developed and implemented a structured observation and interview methodology to more adequately measure therapeutic integrity and thus fill several gaps identified in the previous literature. The article concludes by discussing the benefits of using a systematic social observation technique in the evaluation of treatment programs for offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the role of emotion in making decision on sexual aggression. Tests of rational choice theory; Perception of sexual pleasure; Study on the consequences of sexual behavior.

Examines the impact of victim, suspect and case characteristics on the probability of various case closures among a sample of felony sexual assault cases. Types of the case closures; Impact of prior relationship; Factors increasing the probability of arrest.

Using a structured observation methodology, the researchers examined the degree to which the content of a set of therapeutic community (TC) programs for jail detainees varied based on the gender of the participants. The observation technique allowed the researchers to examine the theoretical orientation of the program, the therapeutic tools used in the treatment programs, and the content of individual sessions. The four programs had mixed success in providing gender-specific sen/ices as suggested by previous research on the treatment needs of women. While the implementation of these four programs did vary according to client gender, these variations did not always represent the delivery of appropriate gender-specific treatment. Overall, men's treatment sessions focused on motivation building and relapse prevention, and women's meetings focused on aftercare planning and spirituailty. Furthermore, the sessions for males used more structured therapeutic techniques, while the females' meetings were less structured. The authors suggest that a more comprehensive therapeutic approach, combining pro-social value reinforcement and specific skill development, might be more successful in addressing the multiple and complex needs facing women in residential substance abuse treatment, as identified in previous research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined student support for a policy that would allow carrying of concealed handguns on university campuses. Large percentages of students at 2 universities expressed very low levels of comfort with the idea of permitting concealed handgun carrying on campus, suggesting that students may not welcome less restrictive policies. Students held slightly different opinions about concealed handguns on and off campus, suggesting that they view the campus environment as unique with respect to concealed handgun carrying. {Am J Public Health. 2012;102:2245-2247.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has consistently shown a relationship between pornography use and sexually coercive behaviors, but this inquiry has yet to fully examine the theoretical mechanisms through which this relationship works. The current study will use a theory that has gained support and attention as a way to understand the relationship pornography use has with general sexual behaviors, but has not been widely used to explain its relationship with sexually coercive behaviors: the sexual script theory. In this theory, scripts are attitudes and ideas about what behavior is acceptable, desirable, and pleasurable, which exist at the societal, personal, and interpersonal levels. Using items that assess all three levels of sexual scripts, a path analysis was used to examine whether sexual scripts mediate the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion likelihood in a sample of 463 college males. Results of the study provide further support for the theory as a way to explain the relationship between pornography use and sexual behavior, and, in particular, sexually coercive behavior. Findings from the analysis also indicate that the various levels of scripts interact with each other and work together to influence likelihood of sexual coercion, providing further insight into how sexual scripts are manifested in behavior. Finally, the results suggest that pornography use is a multidimensional construct comprised of variables extending beyond frequency of use, such as number of modalities used to view pornography. Future research should continue this line of inquiry, expanding on the operationalization of sexual scripts and pornography use, to strengthen these findings and better illuminate the theoretical understanding of the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet-based and e-mail surveys represent viable administrative methods for efficiently collecting data. These methods appear to be particularly well-suited for studying college student populations, a group that has gained attention from criminologists interested in testing theories. An important concern with administering surveys with the Internet and via e-mail is that of non-response bias. Despite the appeal of online surveys, nonresponse bias associated with these methods has not been sufficiently investigated. The study described here estimates nonresponse bias associated with a web-administered survey that measured opinions about changing concealed handgun carrying laws on college campuses, items likely to elicit polarizing opinions. Results show important substantive differences between web-administered and in-class versions of the survey. Students who responded to the web survey expressed more extreme opinions and behavioral responses to a proposed policy that would allow concealed handgun carrying on campus. Survey researchers who utilize web-based administrative methods should consider using multiple sources of leverage when soliciting participation and must carefully evaluate sample representativeness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have often studied whether changes in the availability of alcohol impact associated problem behaviors like drunk driving. In July of 2003, the state of Minnesota approved legislation to extend by one hour the closing time for eating and social establishments that serve alcohol. This study utilized a time-series model to examine the impact of the extended closing time on the number of police stops for DUI in one jurisdiction in Minnesota. While results of the time-series indicated that there was a significant increase in the number of police stops for DUI following this legislative change, incident-specific analyses suggested that this increase might have been largely a result of increased proactive responses by local police. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]