Gayle Rhineberger-Dunn

CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSES OF COLLECTIVE EFFICACY AND POLICE SATISFACTION

ABSTRACT Two important contributions to social disorganization theory are Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls’ (1997) addition of the collective efficacy concept and Silver and Millers (2004) incorporation of police satisfaction as mechanisms that mediate the criminogenic effects of neighborhood structural characteristics on crime. We seek to contribute to systemic social disorganization theory by first assessing the dimensionality of these two important concepts with a confirmatory factor analysis, and then assessing how they are differentially impacted by neighborhood composition and structural conditions. We argue that the concept of collective efficacy conflates two distinct systemic elements-social cohesion and informal control-and that police satisfaction contains two distinct dimensions-formal control (maintaining order and preventing crime) and police-citizen relations (how well the police respond to problems that are important to people in the neighborhood, victims in the neighborhood, and local issues). Secondly, we argue that both social cohesion and informal control, and police-citizen relations and formal control, need to be assessed separately, using hierarchical linear modeling, in order to understand how they are differentially impacted by neighborhood composition and structural characteristics. Confirmatory factor analyses of data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (Earls, 1999) support our theoretical claims that both collective efficacy and police satisfaction contain two dimensions. Finally, results of hierarchical linear models show that neighborhood composition and structural characteristics have diverse effects on social cohesion, informal control, police relations, and formal control. These findings suggest that strengthening these mediating mechanisms will require different strategic approaches.

Cross-national homicide: a review of the current literature

Since LaFree’s review of 34 cross-national homicide studies in 1999, an additional 50 studies have been published on this topic. There have been a few reviews of the extant literature, and a meta-analysis of cross-national predictors of homicide. However, none of these have directly assessed the degree to which the subsequent research has heeded the recommendations provided by LaFree, nor considered the long-term implications of his analysis for ongoing cross-national homicide research. We extend the literature by updating the review conducted by LaFree and detailing the major changes that have occurred in this body of research since the late 1990s. Our review reveals that recent studies appear to have taken into account LaFree’s recommendations, particularly in regard to data sources, theoretical perspectives, and variable choices. We conclude that while advances in this field have been made, there are issues that have remained problematic over time and should be considered by researchers engaged in cross-national homicide research.

Comparing Demographic Factors, Background Characteristics, and Workplace Perceptions as Predictors of Burnout Among Community Corrections Officers

The purpose of this article was to explore the association between demographic and background characteristics, as well as workplace perceptions that may predict burnout among two connected groups of community corrections officers. Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, we assessed whether burnout differed between probation/parole and residential officers and analyzed whether predictors of burnout varied across these two groups. Our results indicated that while probation/parole officers were more likely to report Emotional Exhaustion, they were not any more or less likely to experience Depersonalization or Personal Accomplishment. In addition, educational training had a stronger impact for residential officers, while schedule fit was more important for probation/parole officers, when predicting Personal Accomplishment. These results not only extended the existing research on burnout but also helped inform key correctional stakeholders about what policies and practices were working well, as well as indicated potential areas of change to help minimize burnout among staff.

Secondary trauma among community corrections staff: An exploratory study

ABSTRACT This article explores the demographic factors, background characteristics, and workplace perceptions that predict secondary trauma among probation/parole and residential officers. Our results indicate that probation/parole officers were more likely to report secondary trauma than residential officers. Additionally, we found that officers who reported better health, better job training, and fewer contact hours with offenders were also less likely to report secondary trauma. These results fill a much-needed gap in the literature, as well as provide information that may be utilized by the department of corrections to minimize symptoms of secondary trauma among community corrections staff.

EXPLORING ACADEMIC DISCOURSE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE ETHICS: WHERE ARE WE?

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to understand the current state of discourse on ethics in the disciplines of criminal justice and criminology, in terms of pedagogy, verbal dialogue (with criminal justice professionals, faculty, and students), and scholarly activities (conference attendance, conference presentations, and publishing). Understanding the extent to which faculty and students are engaged in such discourse on criminal justice ethics is critical for both criminal justice and academic professionals, due to the increased call for accountability in professional conduct, as well as the rise in popularity of academic criminal justice programs. Using quantitative and qualitative data obtained from an email survey of American Society of Criminology members, we find that respondents discuss criminal justice ethics more with faculty and students than criminal justice professionals, and these discussions are influenced by academic rank, type of institution, and academic exposure to ethics. Further, respondents have little experience teaching ethics-specific courses and publishing peer-reviewed ethics-related materials. Lastly, we find there is controversy over the place of ethics in criminal justice and criminology program curricula.

Impact of Workplace Factors on Role-Related Stressors and Job Stress Among Community Corrections Staff

Community corrections staff are responsible for supervising more than 4 million offenders nationwide; yet, little research exists on understanding their experiences with role-related stressors and job stress. The purpose of this study was to extend the existing community corrections literature by examining the impact of job characteristics, danger-related factors, and role preference on role-related stressors (i.e., role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload) and job stress, with a focus on determining whether the relationships varied across specific job positions (i.e., probation/parole vs. residential). Results indicated that each type of role-related stressor was differentially affected by job characteristics, danger-related factors, and role preference, and that these relationships also differed by position. Threat of harm was a significant predictor of each type of role-related stressor for probation/parole officers, but only had a significant effect on role overload for residential officers. Furthermore, safety training had significant effects on role ambiguity and role overload for residential officers, but was not a significant predictor of any role stressor for probation/parole officers. Role preference was significant for both positions, but only for the role overload variable. Most surprisingly, the only variable to predict job stress was role overload.

To Carry or not to Carry: Predictors of Support for Allowing Probation/Parole Officers to Carry Firearms

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to explore predictors of community corrections staff’s opinions on allowing probation/parole officers to carry firearms on the job. Using a sample of nearly 300 probation/parole and residential officers, the authors analyze the role of demographic factors, job characteristics (e.g., job tenure), and workplace perceptions (e.g., dangerousness, threat of harm) in determining opinions on this issue. Findings indicate that predictors of support for firearms carrying among probation/parole officers differ by gender and tenure, as well as by perceptions of job dangerousness and role orientation.

Race, criminal justice professionals, and intellectual authority in fictional crime dramas

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to extend the existing media and crime literature by discussing how minority criminal justice personnel are granted or not granted intellectual authority in fictional crime dramas by their representation as presenters of crime and non-crime fact-based statements. An analysis of 117 episodes from four fictional crime dramas appearing in the top 20 Nielson ratings from 2003 to 2010 indicate that Black characters are not given the same intellectual authority as White characters, and therefore are imbued with less power and status than their White counterparts. In some cases, Black characters are not even given intellectual authority within their respective intellectual fields.

Victim Blame in Fictional Crime Dramas: An Examination of Demographic, Incident-Related, and Behavioral Factors

How victims are portrayed in fictional crime dramas is an important way that individuals come to understand and interpret what it means to be a victim of crime. We examine how demographic variables (e.g., gender, race, age), incident variables (e.g., location of offense, relationship between victim and offender, type of crime), and behavioral variables (e.g., drug use/alcohol use, sexual promiscuity, negative personality traits, or concealing elements of personality) predict victim blame. Although some literature has analyzed victims in fictional crime dramas, such literature has been limited to a single year, a single show, a particular crime, or a particular factor. We extend this literature by focusing on multiple factors that predict victim blame using data collected from a systematic sample of 124 episodes from 4 fictional crime dramas (CSI, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace) over 7 years (2003–2010).

Comparing large and small metropolitan newspaper coverage of delinquency with arrest data: differential coverage or more of the same?

It is generally assumed and expected that newspapers do not portray an accurate picture of crime. However, little research exists to confirm this misrepresentation as it relates to juvenile offenders in small compared to large metropolitan areas. The purpose of this study is to assess how accurate small and large Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) newspapers are in their depiction of juvenile offenders compared to Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data and whether or not the degree of accuracy differs across different sized metropolitan areas. An analysis of 953 articles reveals that small and large MSAs differentially cover juvenile offenders and that this coverage differs by gender. It is equally clear that newspaper coverage of delinquency in both small and large MSAs does not accurately represent arrest statistics and that this accuracy also differs by both MSA size and gender.