Keith F. Durkin

COLLEGE STUDENTS AND BINGE DRINKING: AN EVALUATION OF SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

ABSTRACT Although binge drinking is a prevalent and often problematic behavior among college students, there has been relatively little sociological research on this phenomenon. This study evaluates the applicability of social learning theory (Akers 1985 2000) to the binge drinking of a sample of approximately 1,500 students enrolled at four institutions of higher education. The social learning model explains approximately 45% of the variance in the binge drinking of these students. The results indicate that differential peer associations are by far the best predictor of this behavior. Other significant predictors include the definitions that students hold about binge drinking as well as their perceptions of the direct effects of alcohol consumption. These social learning variables also mediate the effects of demographic variables (i.e., gender, race, fraternity/sorority membership) on binge drinking. The results are discussed with respect to programs designed to prevent binge drinking. Possible directions for future research in this area are also suggested.

PATHOLOGICAL INTERNET COMMUNITIES: A NEW DIRECTION FOR SEXUAL DEVIANCE RESEARCH IN A POST MODERN ERA

This article explores the impact of the Internet and related technologies on the nature of deviant behavior, deviant communities, and the future of deviance research. The idea that pathological communities, once largely suppressed by time, space, and societal restraints, can now create and use virtual communities is focal. Those new communities may expand their numbers and/or pathology, while reinforcing their rationales for rule violations. Investigation of these new virtual communities is especially complex for both conceptual and methodological reasons: identity is hard to ascertain in cyber-settings; nationality, ethnicity and other background traits and standard (e.g., random) sampling methods are not feasible. Nonetheless, the impact of communications technology on the creation and expansion of pathologically deviant communities requires exploration to determine whether, for example, immersion and social support lead to satiation-catharsis, more aggressive real-time behavior, and/or increases in the depth and number of pathological sexual preferences.

Show Me the Money: Cybershrews and on-line Money Masochists

This article documents the existence of a novel form of deviant behavior, called money slavery, which utilizes the Internet. This practice involves males (called “money slaves”) making monetary payments to women (called “money mistresses”) they contact on-line in exchange for being humiliated, degraded, and even blackmailed. The data for this study were gathered over a four-year period from Web pages, newsgroups, message boards, and discussion forums. The results indicate that participants utilize various social control strategies in an attempt to prevent the ample opportunities for fraud associated with this practice. Moreover, participants sometimes offer accounts (Scott and Lyman 1968) in an apparent attempt to manage stigma. These findings are considered in the framework of postmodern culture, and social learning theory is offered as a possible explanation of this behavior. The significance of this phenomenon is also examined, and the possible real-life ramifications of these mens behavior are also considered.

An exploratory analysis of the cognitive distortions of a sample of men arrested in internet sex stings

Abstract The use of the internet by individuals who are sexually interested in children is considered a major problem which has received a tremendous amount of attention in recent years from the media, general public and law enforcement. However, there has been relatively little research on the so-called “travellers”, men who attempt to solicit children online to eventually meet in person for sexual purposes. This exploratory study will address the types of cognitive distortions possessed by a sample (n=18) of men who were arrested for attempting to solicit sex from minors online. These arrests were part of proactive investigations where law enforcement personnel and associates pose as a minor online to identify men who are soliciting sex from children. The results indicate the presence of three types of cognitive distortions in these subjects—refutation, minimization and justifications/rationalizations. The majority of subjects offered justifications/rationalizations, and sought to minimize their behaviour. Implications for mental health professionals and law enforcement are discussed, and suggestions for future research are presented.

THERE MUST BE SOME TYPE OF MISUNDERSTANDING, THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF MISTAKE: THE DEVIANCE DISAVOWAL STRATEGIES OF MEN ARRESTED IN INTERNET SEX STINGS (2008 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS)

Revolutionary advances in telecommunications technology have created a “virtual world.” There are a variety of new social phenomena associated with this novel milieu. This represents an excellent opportunity for the discipline of sociology to revisit its descriptive roots. This is especially true for the sociology of deviant behavior because new forms of deviance are clearly related to technological innovations (e.g., Internet crimes against children, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying). The current undertaking examines the deviance disavowal strategies of men arrested in Internet sex stings. The data consisted of the videotaped police interrogations of 18 subjects, about half of whom were arrested in televised stings. The results indicate these men engaged in three disavowal strategies seeking to maintain a normal definition of self and manage the stigma of their arrest. Directions for future studies in the sociology of deviance are suggested.

The Comparative Impacts of Risk and Protective Factors on Alcohol-Related Problems in a Sample of University Students.

The purpose of this study was to examine the comparative influences of various protective and risk factors on the alcohol-related problems of a sample of university students. The conceptualization of these protective and risk factors in the current undertaking was informed by problem behavior theory, and draws heavily on two sociological theories of deviant behavior (social learning theory and social bond theory). A questionnaire containing indicators measuring various protective and risk factors, as well as various alcohol-related problems, were administered to a sample of 1,459 students from four colleges and universities. The results indicated that both risk and protective factors were associated with alcohol-related problems in this sample. However, risk factors explain a far greater amount of variance in these problems. Implications for campus programming designed to reduce alcohol-related problems are discussed.

Recidivism among Child Molesters: A Brief Overview.

Abstract The sexual abuse of children has received a tremendous amount of attention in recent years. Accordingly, both the criminal justice and mental health systems deal with child molesters. Since much of the public concerns revolve around the potential dangerousness of any given child molester, practitioners are frequently responsible for making assessments regarding these risks. Ideally, this should be based on the research on recidivism. However, studies on this topic frequently produce conflicting and confusing results. This paper reviews the relevant literature to summarize the problems facing many recidivism studies. Considering these limitations, estimates of baseline recidivism rates and risk factors for recidivism are discussed.