Greg S. Weaver

Violent Encounters A Criminal Event Analysis of Lethal and Nonlethal Outcomes

This study identifies key factors from the criminal events perspective that affect the lethality of violent encounters. Data for this research are derived from the National Incident-Based Reporting System of the FBI. Using logistic regression analysis, the effects of several contextual factors, including weapon, location, time of incident, circumstances, and victim and offender characteristics and relationships are explored. Analysis reveals that variables from each of the six categories affect the lethality of interpersonal violence, but the circumstance and type of weapon exert the strongest influence. Our investigation demonstrates the utility of the criminal events perspective for explaining the outcomes of violent encounters.

Variables associated with adolescent alcohol use: a multiethnic comparison.

Abstract The authors examined the influence of sociodemographic variables on the frequency and intensity of alcohol use among a nationally representative sample of Black, Hispanic, and White adolescents who had participated in the 1991 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993). The sample consisted of 8,756 U.S. adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. The authors found that (a) approximately 19% of the respondents had used alcohol in the last 30 days; (b) among the respondents who had used alcohol, 21% had consumed 1 or more drinks per drinking episode; and (c) there were important similarities as well as important differences in variables that promoted alcohol use among Black, Hispanic, and White adolescents.

The Vulnerability of Mobile Home Residents in Tornado Disasters: The 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado in Macon County, Tennessee

Abstract Mobile home residents are known to be highly vulnerable to tornadoes and account for a considerable portion of tornado-related fatalities. The problem is partially related to the limited protection provided by the structure; however, shortcomings in preparedness and response to warnings may also play a role. This study investigated mobile home resident preparedness and responses to warnings for identifying areas where they might be more vulnerable than permanent home residents (brick and wood-frame houses). The study site was Macon County, Tennessee, which reported the highest number of fatalities during the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. A post-disaster survey was conducted within days of the disaster, and the study group included 127 local residents: 35% mobile home (MH) residents, 61% permanent home (PH) residents, and 4% other. An unconditional exact test was used to test for statistical significance (0.05 level) because the sample was nonrandom. The MH residents were less prepared than...

Household Preparedness for Tornado Hazards: The 2011 Disaster in DeKalb County, Alabama

AbstractThis paper contributes to existing knowledge on factors that influence adoption of hazards adjustments for tornadoes. The Protective Action Decision Model provides the theoretical basis for the study, which was conducted after the 2011 disaster in DeKalb County, Alabama. Most of the 124 survey participants had received public safety information on how to prepare for a tornado, understood the definition of a tornado warning, had participated in a tornado drill, and had a plan for seeking shelter. Few owned a NOAA weather radio or had a tornado-resistant shelter on the premises. Demographic analysis found that older residents (60+ yr) and households without children were significantly less likely to have participated in a tornado drill, lower income residents were significantly less likely to have a tornado-resistant shelter on the premises or a plan for seeking shelter, and mobile home residents were significantly less likely to have a plan for seeking shelter. Locus of control and past experience ...

Highway Robbery: Testing the Impact of Interstate Highways on Robbery

Research has shown that the occurrence of crime is based on multiple factors including a variety of geographical characteristics. Previous researchers have suggested that the environmental feature of the interstate system has an influence on crime. For this study, we test for a relationship between interstate presence and robbery at the county-level in Georgia. Additionally, we test whether or not urban/rural differences affect this relationship. Findings are consistent with previous research showing that the number of interstate exits in a county significantly increases crime; in this case the robbery rate.

Previous Experience and Tornado Preparedness in DeKalb County, Alabama

Previous experience with hazards influences peoples perceptions about hazards in a variety of ways. This article investigates the influence of past experiences with tornadoes on preparedness for a tornado. A questionnaire survey study was conducted immediately following the April 2011 tornado disaster in DeKalb County, Alabama. Past experience characteristics included number of tornadoes, time (years) elapsed, seeing or hearing the tornado, seeking shelter, and experiencing damage. Tornado preparedness included owning a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio, participating in a tornado drill, having a tornado-resistant shelter on the premises (basement, underground shelter, or safe room), and having a plan for seeking shelter. The results will help emergency mangers in developing education programs in communities recently impacted by a tornado. The findings will also provide insight into aspects of household preparedness that would likely receive greater support from local residents in efforts to build resilience following a tornado disaster.

Fatal Factors for Preschoolers Victims, Offenders, and Context

This research examines how victim and offender characteristics, as well as contextual factors are related to the lethality of assaults for children less than 5 years old. The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data for 2006 to 2011 were analyzed using logistic regression techniques to estimate two models designed to explore factors associated with the death of preschoolers. Results indicate that the probability of fatality is significantly influenced by victim and offender characteristics, victim–offender relationship, weapon used, time of incident, and region of the United States in which the incident occurred.

District of Columbia et al. v. Heller

n a 5-4 decision on June 26, 2008, the Supreme Court of the United States identified circumstances under which the SecondAmendment to the Constitution allows for an individual to lawfully possess a handgun. In the majority opinion of the Court, Justice Scalia stated, “The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home” (Supreme Court of the United States, 2008, p. 1). This potentially landmark decision addresses (at least in part) the longstanding question over whether the right to bear arms mentioned in the Second Amendment applies to individuals or whether it authorizes states to arm militias. More specifically, the Heller decision overturned the 1976 ban on handguns in the District of Columbia, which prohibited the possession of handguns, prohibited their registration, and invalidated the requirement that other firearms (e.g., rifles and shotguns) stored within the home must be (a) unloaded and (b) disassembled or equipped with a trigger locking device (Supreme Court of the United States, 2008). No doubt, the potential implications of the Heller case will result in even more debate over an issue that Wellford, Pepper, and Petrie (2004) suggest is already one of the most controversial subjects in the United States. The primary objective of this essay is to show how the case reflects the extremely complex issue of guns and policies surrounding their ownership and use.