Laura E. Agnich

A Cross-National Analysis of Principals' Reports of School Violence

School violence is a growing problem throughout the world, although some nations exhibit higher rates of violence than others. This research examines the relationships between measures of strain and principals’ reports of school violence in schools across 39 nation-units derived from the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies survey. Using multilevel linear analysis, findings indicate that schools with larger eighth-grade sizes, fewer females, and greater resource shortages exhibit higher levels of violence across nations, in addition to higher national average school sizes and lower national levels of math achievement, lending support to strain theory. Interestingly, nations with higher gross domestic products (GDPs) and those that spend higher percentages of their GDP on education also exhibit higher levels of reported school violence, suggesting that potentially, the construct of school violence may be more socially acceptable to report and address in wealthier nations.

Exploring the Relationship Between Gender Violence and State Failure A Cross-National Comparison

The concept of state failure has only recently emerged in the political science and legal literature. Although state failure has been used to predict violent conflicts, and all citizens are affected by violence in failed/fragile states, women are especially at risk. Using data from the WomanStats project, this study’s findings reveal that the physical security of women is lower in failed/fragile states compared with more sustainable nations. The characteristics of failed states that increase the likelihood of various forms of violence against women are identified, including high levels of militarization, countries with neighboring states at war, and massive movement of refugees.

Cheating around the World: A Cross-National Analysis of Principal Reported Cheating

An increasing problem of great concern for academic institutions around the world is the pervasiveness of academic cheating among students. However, there is a dearth of prior research on cheating in cross-national contexts. The present study examines the relationships between structural measures of strain and principals’ reports of problematic cheating in schools across 35 nations, derived from the 2007 Trends in International Math and Science Studies survey. The study employs multilevel logistic regression analysis to evaluate whether indicators of economic disadvantage, educational achievement, and educational inequalities influence the level of problematic cheating reported by school principals cross-nationally. Additionally, we identify which socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of nation-states are most related to perceptions of problematic academic cheating as reported by school principals. The findings indicate that schools with resource shortages, greater levels of economic disadvantage, and those with larger national average grade sizes experience higher levels of problematic cheating.

Committing Mass Violence to Education and Learning

Laura E. Agnich and Meghan Hale on the rational, if overblown, fears reconfiguring classrooms.

Does breaking gender stereotypes contribute to victimization at school

Abstract Victimization is a serious problem facing youth in American public schools. Prior research demonstrates that victimization is stratified by sex/gender; however, few studies consider factors that may moderate this relationship. This research investigates if victimization occurs when students break sex/gender stereotypes at school among female and male youth. The broad research question for this study is – are breaking sex/gender stereotypes regarding academic activities, math, and sports associated with victimization for female and male students at school? To address this research question, this study employs nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) of 2002 to investigate if breaking sex/gender stereotypes contributes to the likelihood of victimization for female and male students at school. The study finds that females who have favorable attitudes toward math and participate in math-related activities are less likely to be victimized, while students of both sexes who participate in female dominated sports (i.e. cheerleading and softball) have a higher risk of victimization, as do females who participate in male dominated sports (i.e. football and baseball). The implications for future research and policy implementation are discussed.

The effects of adoption openness and type on the mental health, delinquency, and family relationships of adopted youth

ABSTRACT Analyzing the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents, this study examines the impact of open adoption, demographics, and other factors on adopted children’s mental health, delinquent behavior, and family relationships. Specifically, we compare findings for youth in private and public (i.e., foster care) adoptions and identify key similarities and differences between predictors of children’s well-being across these two types of adoption. We find that youth in open foster care adoptions are more likely to receive an attachment disorder diagnosis than those in closed foster care adoptions but are also more likely to have family relationships characterized by trust and adoptive parents’ willingness to recommend adoption to others. Further, we find children in both public and private adoptions who are older at placement are more likely to have posttraumatic stress disorder diagnoses. For children in private adoptions, no statistically significant predictors affected youths’ delinquency outcomes or family relationships, with the exception of parents of private adoptees in households characterized by lower levels of poverty indicating they would be more likely to recommend adoption to others. The implications of the key findings are discussed with regard to service provision for multiple types of adoptive families.

Who Seeks Counseling for Intimate Partner Violence? The Role of Emotional Distress

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive problem in the United States affecting every demographic group. Victims of IPV suffer a wide range of negative health issues including depression, anxiety, and loss of self-esteem. However, little is known about help-seeking behaviors among IPV victims. This study utilized a university sample to explore who seeks counseling for exposure to threatening IPV. Results revealed that older students and females were more likely to seek counseling than younger students and males. Students who were exposed to greater levels of IPV and reported greater emotional distress were more likely to seek counseling than those with lower exposure to IPV and distress. Importantly, victimization accompanied by emotional distress was the key to explaining help-seeking help behavior. Programs and policies should focus on outreach to young students and males who have experienced IPV and provide focused services to victims with high levels of emotional distress.

Unpaid debt to society: exploring how ex-felons view restrictions on voting rights after the completion of their sentence

Abstract The Supreme Court has asserted that ex-felon disenfranchisement is not a punishment. Regardless of the Court’s interpretation, however, many ex-felons perceive restrictions on voting rights as punitive. Therefore, felony disenfranchisement should be examined in terms of criminological theories of sanctions. In Florida, ex-felons are prevented from voting after the completion of their sentence until they go through a lengthy and in some cases impossible process of rights restoration. The consequences of this policy have resulted in hundreds of thousands of Floridians who have completed their sentences, but are unable to vote. This research employs 54 semi-structured interviews with men convicted of felonies in Florida who have lost the right to vote, but have completed their sentencing obligations to the state. Our purpose is to better understand the meaning former offenders attribute to the loss of their civil rights. Findings from this study suggest that many former offenders view this type of punishment as illegitimate and are angered by both the complex system of restoration and the inability to participate in democratic life. Other ex-offenders are embarrassed or fatalistic about their loss of rights. The implications for criminal justice policies and practices are discussed.