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Prior research has noted a relationship between an individual's height in adolescence and their personality development later in life. This study examined whether height in adolescence – net of possible confounding variables such as age and biological maturity – predicted polydrug use in adolescence and young adulthood. The results revealed a positive and statistically significant association, wherein taller youths were more likely to report using an array of drugs. Supplemental analyses indicated that the relationship is not specific to males as some theories would suggest. Possible mediating mechanisms such as exposure to drug-using peers, self-control, depression, and self-esteem are considered. Implications of the findings are discussed.

The current study represents the first attempt to examine how genetic and environmental factors work in concert to influence gang membership, victimization, and the effect of gang membership on victimization experiences. Using data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the present study employs behavioral genetic modeling (i.e., the ACE model and the DeFries-Fulker model) to examine these associations. The findings indicate that gang affiliation is influenced significantly by both genetic factors and environmental factors that are uniquely experienced by the individual. Controlling for heritable influences, gang membership increased the risk of victimization over time. The latter finding suggests that gang membership operates as a nonshared environmental influence on victimization.

Some theories contend that marriage leads to desistance from crime. Indeed, many studies have reported married persons are less involved in crime. Research has developed under the testable assumption that marriage affects criminal behavior but that criminal involvement does not affect marital propensity (i.e. no selection effect). The current study tests this assumption in two ways. First, we examine a cross-lagged path model where prior marital status is allowed to influence future crime and prior crime is allowed to influence future marital status. Second, we analyze a reciprocal effects model where the contemporaneous influence of marriage on criminal activity is examined while also estimating the influence of criminal behavior on marriage. The findings reveal mixed support for the effect of marriage on crime. The marriage effect is observed in one of the cross-lagged models but not in the reciprocal effects models. Implications for both theory and policy are considered.

Young motherhood is a risk factor for the child’s delinquency. Few studies, however, have attempted to unpack the mediating factors that underlie this relationship. The current study assessed factors that mediate the association between maternal age at childbirth (MAC) and the child’s delinquency using nationally representative data from the United States. Findings revealed that MAC predicted the child’s delinquency in adolescence. The link between MAC and delinquency was not mediated by parenting factors, neighborhood factors, or the child’s level of self-control. Instead, the MAC effect was completely mediated by the child’s level of exposure to drug-using peers.

In recent years, criminological research has observed an increase in studies examining different offending trajectories. Much of this research has been guided by Moffitt's (1993) developmental taxonomy of life-course persistent offenders, adolescence-limited offenders, and abstainers. Moffitt (1993) argued that the etiologies of these different pathways could be traced to several biosocial factors, including perhaps genetic factors. To date, research has failed to address this possibility directly. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the extent to which genetic factors explain variance in different offending patterns. Analysis of sibling pairs (N = 2,284; ages spanned between 11 and 27 years) drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) revealed that genetic factors contributed significantly to being classified in each of the different offending patterns. Specifically, genetic factors explained between 56 and 70 percent of the variance in being classified as a life-course persistent offender across different coding strategies, 35 percent of the variance in being classified as an adolescence-limited offender, and 56 percent of the variance in being classified as an abstainer. We discuss the importance of integrating genetics into future studies examining offending trajectories.

Sex crime laws seemingly have proliferated recently as part of a national “get tough” shift in criminal justice policy. However, to date, there exists no systematic account of these state-level legislative changes. Accordingly, the “tough on sex crime” characterization of states may be understated or incorrect. It may also gloss over variability in the types of laws enacted and the implications such variability has for the generalizability of assessments of these laws. Drawing on an analysis of state laws, we identify considerable variation in the type, intensity, and design of sex crime laws among states. Results suggest that not all states have uniformly embraced these reforms, that considerable caution is warranted when generalizing from evaluations of particular laws, and that the continuing expansion of sex crime policy making will make it increasingly difficult, especially in the absence of a commensurate body of empirical research, to identify the effects of specific policies.

Although psychopathy is a major area of research in psychology and criminology, much remains unknown about its etiological underpinnings. Drawing on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the current study explored the association between neuropsychological deficits and psychopathic personality traits and produced three key findings. First, four neuropsychological deficits measures were consistently related to the measure of psychopathic personality traits both longitudinally and cross-sectionally. Second, neuropsychological deficits measures predicted variation in psychopathic personality traits for both males and females and the magnitude of the association between neuropsychological deficits and psychopathic personality traits did not vary as a function of gender. Third, parental socialization measures had relatively small and inconsistent effects on psychopathic personality traits. Suggestions for future research are offered.

Criminologists have long noted that a small subset of the population will abstain from delinquent activity, even during adolescence, when such behavior is normative. Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy in particular hypothesizes that abstainers “skip” the maturity gap and are likely social isolates who do not associate with peers. The current study assesses this hypothesis by examining whether the maturity gap and peer associations are associated with abstention from delinquency. Findings are consistent with Moffitt’s hypotheses. Specifically, the maturity gap, the amount of time spent with peers, and the amount of contact with drug-using peers were significant predictors of abstention for males and females.

Objective. The relationship between race and crime has been contentious, focusing primarily on offending and incarceration patterns among minorities. There has been some limited work on public perceptions of criminal punishment, and findings show that while minorities believe in the role and rule of law, they simultaneously perceive the justice system as acting in a biased and/or unfair manner. Two limitations have stalled this literature. First, research has focused mainly on criminal punishments to the neglect of noncriminal punishments. Second, most studies have not examined whether race remains salient after considering other demographic variables or discrimination and legitimacy attitudes.Methods. Using data from 400 adults, we examine how race affects perceptions of criminal punishment and subsequent reinstatement into the National Football League in the case of Michael Vick, a star professional quarterback who pled guilty to charges of operating an illegal dog-fighting ring.Results. Findings show that whites are more likely to view Vick's punishment as too soft and that he should not be reinstated, while nonwhites had the opposite views. Race remained significant after controlling for other variables believed to be related to punishment perceptions.Conclusion. Attitudes toward both criminal punishment and NFL reinstatement vary across race such that there exists important divides in how individuals perceive the system meting out punishment and subsequently reintegrating offenders back into society. These results underscore that white and nonwhites perceive the law and its administration differently.

Peer delinquency is a robust correlate of delinquent and criminal behavior. However, debate continues to surround the proper measurement of peer delinquency. Recent research suggests that some respondents are likely to misrepresent their peers’ involvement in delinquency when asked in survey questionnaires, drawing into question the traditional (i.e., perceptual) measurement of peer delinquency. Research also has shown that direct measures of peer delinquency (e.g., measures obtained via networking methods such as Add Health), as compared with perceptual measures, differentially correlate with key theoretical variables (e.g., respondent delinquency and respondent self-control), raising the question of whether misperception of peer delinquency is systematic and can be predicted. Almost no research, however, has focused on this issue. This study, therefore, provides detailed information on respondents’ misperceptions of peer behavior and investigates whether individual characteristics, the amount of time spent with peers, and peer network properties predict these misperceptions. Findings indicated that 1) some individuals—to varying degrees—misperceived the delinquent behavior of their peers; 2) self-control and self-reported delinquency predicted misperception; 3) respondents occupying densely populated peer networks were less likely to misperceive their peers’ delinquent involvement; and 4) peers who occupy networks in which individuals spend a lot of time together were more likely to misperceive peer delinquency. Implications are discussed.

D uring the past few decades, lawmakers have devoted increasing attention to policies aimed at managing sex offenders released to the community. Indeed, since 1994, all 50 states have enacted at least two pieces of legislation specific to sex offenders; at the minimum, each of the 50 states has established a sex offender registry and a community notification system in compliance with the Jacob Wetterling Act of 1994 and Megan’s Law of 1996, respectively (CSOM, 2008). Since this time, states have passed several other laws targeted at sex offenders. For example, some states require sex offenders to carry special identification cards, whereas other states have the authority to impose chemical castration (Mancini, 2009). Among the newest wave of sex offender policies to sweep the United States are residence restrictions. A recent analysis revealed that since 1999 more than half of all states have enacted a residence restriction law (Mancini, 2009). Residence restrictions come in different shapes (i.e., different “hot-spot” locations) and sizes (i.e., different “buffer zones”). A hot spot is a specific location that is restricted for sex offenders, and it typically is defined as a park, playground, daycare center, or school. A buffer zone is the exclusion perimeter that is established around identified hot spots. For example, a buffer zone of 500 feet means that sex offenders cannot reside within 500 feet of hot spots. Buffer zones can range from 500 feet to more than 5,000 feet depending on the state of interest (Mancini, 2009; Meloy, Miller, and Curtis, 2008). Despite variation in the scope of hot spots that can be included and the size of buffer zones that can be used, all residence restriction laws operate on the following underlying rationale: keeping a sex offender away from areas where children are

Purpose Provide the first direct test of Moffitt's (1993) hypothesis linking the maturity gap with adolescent delinquency. Methods Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and a direct measure of the maturity gap was constructed. Negative binomial regression models—survey-corrected to account for the Add Health research design—were estimated. Results Consistent with Moffitt's theory, the results of the analyses revealed that the maturity gap was predictive of minor forms of delinquency and drug use but not of more serious types of offending behaviors for males. Findings were less supportive of Moffitt's hypothesis for females. Conclusions Moffitt's maturity gap thesis is a viable explanation of adolescent delinquency, especially for males. This portion of the theory, which has largely gone unexamined, warrants further inquiry from criminologists.

Does increasing police strength deter more crime? Some studies have found apparent negative effects of police manpower levels on crime rates, and the most common explanation of such findings is that greater police strength increases perceptions of arrest risk, thus reducing crime via general deterrence mechanisms. The authors directly tested this hypothesis by estimating the association between survey respondents’ perceptions of arrest risk and the level of police strength prevailing in the counties where they live. No relationship between the number of police officers per capita and perceptions of the risk of arrest was found, suggesting that increases in police manpower will not increase general deterrent effects and decreases will not reduce these effects. The authors also considered the possibility that police manpower levels influence the number of criminals incarcerated, and thus affect crime rates via the incapacitative effects of incarceration, but concluded that such an effect is unlikely. These findings point to a need to reconsider previous interpretations of findings as supportive of a deterrent effect of increased police manpower on crime rates.

Since 2001, the federal Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative has instituted a comprehensive effort to reduce gun crimes in local communities across the United States. In South Carolina, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina established Project CeaseFire, a localized response to reduce the prevalence of gun crime through targeted prosecution and increased public education. One element of Project CeaseFire was carried out by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services. The current study utilized a quasi-experimental design to compare firearm-related incidents among a random sample of offenders under community supervision prior to and after the implementation of the SCDPPPS CeaseFire program. Although incidents involving a firearm were rare, the current results did not indicate a reduction in firearm-related incidents among offenders entering supervision after the SCDPPPS CeaseFire program was implemented. Instead, an increase in firearm incidents was observed after CeaseFire implementation. Possible explanations for the observed results are offered along with limitations to the study and policy implications. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nationally, there have been increased calls for evidence-based criminal justice policy. Despite considerable progress toward that objective, there still is no systematic, comparative foundation for assessing the relative effectiveness of diverse sanctions in achieving any of a range of goals. In this article, the importance of evidence-based policy and the critical research gaps that must be filled were discussed, as well as the next steps that must be taken to place criminal justice sanctioning on a solid, evidence-based foundation. Concluding remarks focused on the implications of current research gaps and several strategies for addressing them.

Previous qualitative research has suggested that Hispanic gang membership is linked to the process of acculturation. Specifically, studies have indicated that those who are less assimilated into mainstream American or “Anglo” society are at greater risk for joining gangs. Building on these observations, this study examines the relationship between acculturation and gang membership within a theoretically and empirically informed multivariate framework. Based on a sample of Hispanic adolescents residing in the American Southwest, results largely supported previous qualitative studies that have suggested that a number of factors, including acculturation, are necessary to an understanding of gang membership within this demographic. Findings from logistic regression analyses indicated that respondents’ grade in school, neighborhood drug availability, level of ethnic marginalization, and level of acculturation were all significantly associated with self-reported gang membership. Results also suggested that marginalization may partially mediate the effects of acculturation.

Since first appearing in the late 1980s, drug courts have quickly become one of the leading intervention strategies for offenders exhibiting problems with drug abuse. Popular with policy makers for their innovative approach to breaking the drugs-crime nexus, drug courts are now considered one of the hallmarks of both the adult and juvenile justice systems of corrections. Empirical research has indicated that drug courts are one of the most promising contemporary correctional strategies in reducing recidivism among substance abusing offenders. This study examined a juvenile drug court in an effort to answer some recent research questions that have been proffered by empiricists. Results suggested that clients with a history of mental health problems had greater odds of being admitted to the drug court. No client characteristics, however, were predictive of client success in the drug court. Policy implications are also considered.

Adolescents in delinquent gangs are at risk for multiple forms of antisocial behavior and related negative outcomes, including victimization. Theoretical attempts to explain the delinquency-gang nexus include selection, facilitation, and enhancement models, but each has limitations in terms of selection biases. To redress this, the current study used propensity score matching (PSM) to evaluate the effects of gang membership on victimization at two time points using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The most antisocial youths and those with more delinquency victimization were more likely to join gangs, which supports the selection model. In support of the enhancement model, the authors found that after controlling for selection effects using PSM, gang membership maintained a significant predictive relationship with victimization measured contemporaneously and longitudinally. Membership in a gang increases youths' chances of being victimized above and beyond personal characteristics, and the deleterious gang effect does not weaken over time.

Behavioral genetic research has consistently revealed that antisocial behaviors are due partially to genetic factors and partially to environmental factors. Even in light of these findings, researchers have failed to examine the genetic and environmental contributors to adolescent victimization. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by analyzing a sample of twin pairs drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The results of the statistical models revealed that genetic factors explained about 40% to 45% of the variance in adolescent victimization, with the remaining variance attributable to the nonshared environment. Moreover, additional analyses revealed that 64% of the variance in repeat victimization was due to genetic factors. The implications that these findings have for victimization researchers are discussed.

Prior research indicates that individual perceptions of the risk of punishment for criminal behavior are unrelated to actual risks of punishment in the areas in which individuals reside. It could be argued, however, that the relevant policy question is whether variation in actual punishment levels affects average perceptions of risk among aggregates. Scholars have argued that there is “collective wisdom” in the perceptions of collectivities of humans, even if the views of individuals are inaccurate. This thesis is tested using survey data on individual perceptions of the risks of legal punishment for crimes, aggregated up to the level of county populations. The authors find that the aggregate perceptions of county populations are generally not related to actual county levels of the certainty, severity, and swiftness of punishment. Thus, neither the perceptions of individuals nor the average perceptions of populations have any significant association with actual risks of punishment.

Despite the fact that low self-control and exposure to delinquent peers are two of the most robust and consistent predictors of crime, delinquency, and antisocial behavior, much remains unknown about what causes self-control to develop and what causes youths to befriend antisocial peers. This study estimated the relative effects of environmental and genetic factors on levels of self-control and contact with delinquent peers in a sample of twins from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). DeFries-Fulker analysis of the Add Health data revealed that both self-control and contact with drug-using friends were influenced by genetic factors and the nonshared environment, whereas the shared environment exhibited relatively small and inconsistent effects. Implications for self-control theory and social learning theory are discussed.

The influence of demeanor in criminal justice research has predominantly centered on arrest and sanctioning outcomes. This study examines demeanor at the juncture of juvenile drug court admission by attributing behavior perceived to be favorable or unfavorable to program compliance and success to either juveniles or their parents/guardians. Analysis of 76 juvenile drug court case files enabled examination of how parent and child demeanor impacts specialty court admission. Findings suggest that program admittance (i.e., system leniency through diversion) is largely a function of projected attitude and behavior during screening interviews, but selection decisions are made irrespective of demeanor source. Implications of the findings for drug court processes and continued system involvement are discussed.

Recently, several states have enacted legislation that restricts sex offenders from living in close proximity to certain areas in an effort to counter recidivism and alleviate community safety concerns. The South Carolina Legislature is currently debating two pieces of legislation that would prohibit registered sex offenders from living in close proximity to schools, daycare centers, child recreational facilities, parks, playgrounds, bus stops, and other areas where children are known to congregate. Given the recent emergence of residence restriction statutes, insufficient research has examined their impact on offenders, communities, and the criminal justice system. Using spatial analysis, four of the six South Carolina counties with the highest number of registered sex offenders are examined in relation to the effects of the two proposed statewide residence restriction laws. Implications concerning offender access to housing and treatment opportunities are discussed along with potential effects to local communities and the criminal justice system.

To assess scholarly productivity in criminology and the criminal justice sciences, Cohn, Farrington, and Sorensen (2005, Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 11, 35–48) and Rice, Cohn, and Farrington (2005, Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 16(2), 244–264) identified cohorts of research “stars” who both graduated from criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) doctoral programs from 1988 to 1997 and authored frequent journal publications. Since stardom’s threshold criterion was a criminology or criminal justice PhD, sociology PhDs were categorically excluded. This operationalization problematically excludes and marginalizes sociology graduates specializing in crime, deviance, and law. The current study assessed the relative influence of sociology and CCJ doctoral programs on CCJ via publication measures drawn from an integrated cohort of prolific sociology, criminology, and criminal justice PhDs. Replicating aspects of Rice et al.’s (2005) methodology, this study updated productivity numbers, expanded ...

In this article, we advance the idea that getting arrested amounts to “failing at crime.” And akin to the notion of the generality of deviance—where those who engage in any given form of criminal behavior are also likely to engage in a wide array of other problematic behaviors—we examine whether failing at crime (getting arrested) is associated with other forms of life failure. Using data from multiple waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, our results reveal that, independent of one’s level of self-reported criminal behavior and other key potential confounders (IQ and self-control), being arrested is a significant predictor of a host of life failures related to education, employment, relationships, and health. The key implication of our study is that it highlights the need to develop a theory of the “generality of failure.”

Research on suspect and defendant demeanor in the juvenile and criminal justice systems has concentrated on arrest and the severity of sanctioning outcomes. This article examines demeanor at an earlier juncture in the system: juvenile drug court admission. Regression analysis of 76 juvenile drug court case files suggests that program admittance (i.e., potential system leniency through diversion) is largely a function of projected attitude and behavior. Those exhibiting favorable demeanor during intake and assessment are significantly more likely to be accepted into drug court as are those with a dual diagnosis. Implications of the findings are considered for continued system involvement.

OBJECTIVES: Recent violent attacks on college campuses in the United States have sparked discussions regarding the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the perpetration of violence among college students. While previous studies have examined the potential association between mental health problems and violent behavior, the overall pattern of findings flowing from this literature remain mixed and no previous studies have examined such associations among college students. METHODS: The current study makes use of a nationally representative sample of 3,929 college students from the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) to examine the prevalence of seven violent behaviors and 19 psychiatric disorder diagnoses tapping mood, anxiety, personality, and substance use disorders. Associations between individual and composite psychiatric disorder diagnoses and violent behaviors were also examined. Additional analyses were adjusted for the comorbidity of multiple psychiatric diagnoses. RESULTS: The results revealed that college students were less likely to have engaged in violent behavior relative to the non-student sample, but a substantial portion of college students had engaged in violent behavior. Age- and sex-standardized prevalence rates indicated that more than 21% of college students reported at least one violent act. In addition, more than 36% of college students had at least one diagnosable psychiatric disorder. Finally, the prevalence of one or more psychiatric disorders significantly increased the odds of violent behavior within the college student sample. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that violence and psychiatric disorders are prevalent on college campuses in the United States, though perhaps less so than in the general population. In addition, college students who have diagnosable psychiatric disorders are significantly more likely to engage in various forms of violent behavior. Language: en

Sociological thinking has dominated criminological scholarship since the two disciplines parted ways more than half a century ago. Though sociology and criminology have formed distinct disciplines,...

Context An increasing body of research has linked the geographic distribution of lead with various indicators of criminal and antisocial behavior. Objective 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. Design Ecological study. Setting St. Louis, Missouri. Exposure measure Blood lead levels. Main outcome measure 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. Results 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). Conclusions 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.

This chapter provides a theoretical bridge between traditional sociological criminology and emerging biosocial approaches. Biological approaches to crime were prominent in the late nineteenth century, but fell from favor in the early twentieth century. Several factors contributed to this fall. Innumerable environmental experiences are correlated with an individual’s relative involvement in crime or delinquency. The family domain includes parents and siblings during childhood, and spouses and offspring during adulthood. Poor parental supervision, sibling conflict, and association with deviant peers may increase the probability of risky behavior that may result in head injury, thus affecting executive functioning. The human tendency to exhibit social concern helps explain why people are generally susceptible to similar sources of constraint against crime. Variables such as low arousal, high testosterone, and low serotonin may also exert influences on the other some life-domains. The chapter concludes the general framework for understanding how biosocial research can inform effective, but simultaneously ethical, crime-control policy.

The characteristic time model (CTM) represents the dominant physical subprocesses related to combustor performance in terms of characteristic times. Properly formulated, these characteristic times account for variations in combustor geometry, fuel characteristics, and operating conditions. Here, a CTM for piloted–lean premixed combustor NOx emissions is used to investigate the sensitivity of NO formation in such combustors to fuel/air unmixedness and suggests an experimental method of evaluating premixed performance under fired conditions that is discussed in the companion paper.Copyright © 1997 by ASME

Lean premixed combustor manufacturers require premixer concepts that provide homogeneity (mixedness) of the fuel which burns in the main flame. Ideally premixer evaluation would be conducted under realistic combustor operating conditions. However, current techniques typically are limited to cold—flow, low pressure (

Essential features of the crystal structures of [NH3(CH2)nNH3]2+.2(HOOCCOO)−.H2O (0 < n < 6) are preserved through changes of conformation and space group. In each structure the cation and the water molecule occupy special positions. Linear hydrogen-bonded chains (Hoxalate)n are parallel to and connected to hydrogen-bonded spirals in which the water molecules link anions and cations. Unique to each structure are additional hydrogen bonds, perpendicular to these chains, which connect cations and anions into three-dimensional arrays.

An impressive amount of research has begun to suggest that language deficits and externalizing behavioral problems in children are closely connected. To this point, however, little research has been aimed at examining potential risk factors that might disrupt both the development of behavior and the acquisition of language in early childhood. Findings from empirical-based studies have consistently indicated that lead exposure is a risk factor for myriad negative outcomes in children. We build off this literature and examine the effects of lead exposure on both language development and externalizing problem behaviors. The current study analyzes data drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study in order to investigate the effects of parentally reported lead exposure on verbal intelligence and externalizing problems in children. Our findings suggest that the development of externalizing problems and language deficits appear to share a common pathway which may be vulnerable to the deleterious influence of lead exposure.

There has been a great deal of research examining the link between a polymorphism in the promoter region of the MAOA gene and antisocial phenotypes. The results of these studies have consistently revealed that low activity MAOA alleles are related to antisocial behaviors for males who were maltreated as children. Recently, though, some evidence has emerged indicating that a rare allele of the MAOA gene—that is, the 2-repeat allele—may have effects on violence that are independent of the environment. The current study builds on this research and examines the association between the 2-repeat allele and shooting and stabbing behaviors in a sample of males drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Analyses revealed that African-American males who carry the 2-repeat allele are significantly more likely than all other genotypes to engage in shooting and stabbing behaviors and to report having multiple shooting and stabbing victims. The limitations of the study are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.

An ever-growing body of research has begun to focus closely on the role of prenatal smoke exposure in the development of conduct problems in children. To this point, there appears to be a correlation between prenatal nicotine exposure and behavioral problems. We build on this prior research by examining the coalescence of prenatal smoke exposure and genetic risk factors in the prediction of behavior problems. Specifically, the current study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of twin pairs collected during early childhood. Our findings suggested that an interaction existed between prenatal smoke exposure and genetic risk factors which corresponded to increased risk of behavior problems. These findings provide evidence of a gene-environment interaction, in that prenatal smoke exposure conditioned the influence of genetic risk factors in the prediction of aggressive behavior. Interestingly, the association between genetic risk and prenatal smoking was sex-specific, and only reached statistical significance in females. Given the nature of our findings, it may shed light on why heterogeneity exists concerning the relationship between prenatal smoke exposure and externalizing behavioral problems in children.

On September 11, 2001, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in US history took place on American soil and people around the world were impacted in myriad ways. Building on prior literature which suggests individuals are more likely to purchase a gun for self-protection if they are fearful of being victimized, the authors hypothesized that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 would lead to an increase in gun carrying among US residents. At the same time, a line of research has shown that a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene (i.e., 5-HTTLPR) interacts with environmental stressors to predict a range of psychopathologies and behaviors. Thus, it was hypothesized that 9/11 and 5-HTTLPR would interact to predict gun carrying. The results supported both hypotheses by revealing a positive association between 9/11 and gun carrying (b = .426, odds ratio = 1.531, standard error for b = .194, z = 2.196, p = .028) in the full sample of respondents (n = 15,052) and a statistically significant interaction between 9/11 and 5-HTTLPR in the prediction of gun carrying (b = -1.519, odds ratio = .219, standard error for b = .703, z = -2.161, p = .031) in the genetic subsample of respondents (n = 2,350). This is one of the first studies to find an association between 9/11 and gun carrying and, more importantly, is the first study to report a gene-environment interaction (GxE) between a measured gene and a terrorist attack.

Drawing on a sample of twin children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B; Snow et al., 2009), the current study analyzed 2 of the most prominent predictors of externalizing behavioral problems (EBP) in children: (a) parental use of spankings and (b) childhood self-regulation. A variety of statistical techniques were employed, and, overall, the findings can be summarized into 2 points. First, the results show that the relationships among spanking, self-regulation, and EBP are highly nuanced in that multiple explanations for their intercorrelations appear to fit the data (e.g., bidirectional relationships and shared methods variance). Second, genetic influences accounted for variance in each variable (EBP, spankings received, self-regulation) and even explained a portion of the covariance among the different variables. Thus, research that does not consider genetic influences when analyzing these associations runs a risk of model misspecification.

The enol of 4,4-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione (3-hydroxy-6,6-dimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-one, C 8 H 12 O 2 ) forms hydrogen-bonded spiral chains like those in 5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione, except for disorder of the optical isomers. 2,5,5-Trimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione monohydrate (enol form 3-hydroxy-2,5,5-trimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-one monohydrate, C 9 H 14 O 2 .-H 2 O) forms hydrogen-bonded layers containing tetramolecular rings with a short OH...water hydrogen bond [2.428 (4) A].

One of the 5,5-dimethyl­1,3-cyclohexandione residues of the title comound, Cs+.C16H21O5-.H2O, appears as the anion whereas the other is in the keto form; in the parent molecule the enol predominates. The Cs atom is seven coordinate, with Cs—O distances between 3.008 (3) and 3.396 (4) A.

Semiempirical models for gas-turbine combustor emissions distinguish between the dominant subprocesses of combustion related to pollutant emissions. They assign characteristic times, which are based on combustor geometry, fuel characteristics, and operating conditions, to these subprocesses. Linear ratios of these characteristic times, or of sums of the times weighted with empirical constants, are proportional to the emissions indices of oxides of nitrogen and of carbon monoxide (CO). The capability of a semiempirical model to predict and correlate CO emissions from two heavy-duty, dual-fuel (natural gas and fuel oil) diffusion flame combustors without inert injection is assessed. The model is termed the characteristic time model. Since the characteristic time model had not been used to correlate or predict CO emissions from stationary, heavy-duty combustors prior to this study, application of the models to the heavy-duty emissions data was not expected to, and did not yield acceptable predictions or correlations. Thus, modification of the characteristic time model was performed. A new algorithm determines the CO oxidation quench position in the combustor and provides a reasonable correlation of the CO data.

The extensive hydrogen-bonded networks of the title compounds, C 7 H 10 O 6 , (I), NH 4 + .C 6 H 7 O 6 - .1/2H 2 O, (II), and 4NH 4 + .C 8 H 6 O8 4- .H 2 O, (III), have been analyzed. In compound (I), layers are formed by eight-membered and 16-membered hydrogen-bonded rings. In compound (II), the anions are arranged into double chains of 30-membered rings through short hydrogen bonds. These chains are cross-linked by weaker hydrogen bonds to H 2 O and NH 4 + . In compound (III), stacks of centrosymmetric anions are connected by hydrogen bonds to H 2 O and NH 4 + .

Moffitt’s (1993) developmental theory has garnered an extensive amount of attention from scholars across a range of disciplines, and the results generated from this body of literature have been consistently supportive. Specifically, the segment of the population predicted by Moffitt to be chronically aggressive—called life-course persistent offenders—has been found to account for a disproportionate number of serious crimes. What remains less certain, however, is whether this same group of offenders are also responsible for perpetrating acts of forced sex. The authors examined the tendency for life-course persisters to sexually assault using a nationally representative sample of individuals. Our findings suggest that life-course persisters are disproportionately more likely to be sexually coercive compared to other individuals.

The study of human crime and violence represents a flashpoint for discussion across academia. Multiple theories exist pertaining to the topic, all aimed at organizing numerous findings surrounding correlates of antisocial behavior. Along these lines, Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy has emerged as a theory well supported by empirical research. Noticeably absent, though, has been an effort to apply an evolutionary framework to Moffitt’s dual taxonomy of offending. With this in mind, the current study is intended to examine Moffitt’s different typologies in the context of Rushton’s Differential K theory (an adaptation of r–K selection from life history theory). Our findings suggest that life-course persistent offending may represent a viable reproductive strategy characterized by higher levels of sexual involvement over the life-course.

Driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while intoxicated (DWI) are related to a range of serious health, legal, and financial costs. Given the costs to society of DUIs and DWIs, there has been interest in identifying the causes of DUIs and DWIs. The current study added to this existing knowledge base by estimating genetic and environmental effects on DUIs and DWIs in a sample of twins drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The results of the analyses revealed that genetic factors explained 53% of the variance in DUIs/DWIs and the nonshared environment explained 47% of the variance. Shared environmental factors explained none of the variance in DUIs/DWIs. We conclude with a discussion of the results, the limitations of the study, and how the findings might be compatible with policies designed to reduce DUIs and DWIs.

This study considers a biosocial explanation of why johns, the purchasers of commercial sex exchanges, are almost exclusively male. Trivers's theory of parental investment and sexual selection predicts that differential parental investment by biological sex will lead to divergent sex-based reproductive instincts. The sex bearing the larger parental investment will tend to be choosier, whereas the sex bearing the lesser investment will tend to be relatively indiscriminate and competitive for access to sexual resources. We hypothesized that men are more likely than women to offer objects of value in exchange for access to sexual resources. Using self-reports of sex-purchasing from Add Health data (N = 14,544), we found that maleness was a robust predictor of john behavior even after controlling for well-known criminogenic risk factors.