Maria D. H. Koeppel

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.

Understanding the Potential Long-term Physical and Mental Health Consequences of Early Experiences of Victimization

Victimization in the USA is a substantial concern, despite a trend of decreasing crime rates. Victims of crime face a number of short-term consequences such as physical injury, fear and anxiety, and/or loss of property. Long-term consequences of victimization, however, may often be overlooked. Using the first six waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, the current study examines the relationship between early experiences of victimization and long-term physical and mental health outcomes, including general health, access to and use of health care, and health risk behaviors. Results find that individuals who are victimized before the age of 12, especially those who experienced repeated bullying, are more susceptible to a number of physical and mental health issues such as negative perceptions of physical and mental health, smoking, subsequent victimization experiences, and homelessness. Public health concerns and policy implications of these findings are also discussed.

Sex Differences in the Health Risk Behavior Outcomes of Childhood Bullying Victimization

ABSTRACT Short- and long-term health consequences of bullying victimization are well documented and include physical and mental health issues as well as increased involvement in risky behavior, but research exploring sex differences in victimization outcomes is still limited. This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth—1997 to examine the consequences of victimization by sex and, more specifically, relationships between bullying victimization and later health risk behaviors—including risky sexual activity, smoking, alcohol use, and drug use. Multivariate analyses identified sex differences for specific health risk indicators, and a substantial difference was evident for overall risk.

Sexual orientation and the effects of intimate partner violence

Studies have demonstrated a relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and depression and other mental health issues such as suicidal behavior and posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite the breadth of the literature, there is a dearth of information specifically regarding the effects of IPV in same-sex relationships. Information regarding the prevalence of substance abuse and health issues in non-heterosexual IPV victims when compared to heterosexual IPV victims will be extremely helpful in developing tailored victim services to sexual minorities. This study uses the National Violence Against Women Survey to examine hypothesized relationships between IPV, its effects, and sexual orientation. Given the higher prevalence rates of IPV in same-sex relationships (Messinger, 2011), logistic regression models are used to test the hypotheses that non-heterosexual victims of IPV will have higher rates of depression, substance use, and health issues.

Gender Sentencing of Rural Property Offenders in Iowa

During recent decades, sentencing patterns of offenders based on gender have been the topic of criminological and sociological research. Particular attention has been given to the lenient sentencing of female offenders compared to male offenders. Several research studies have found that gender affects the sentencing process in ways that are advantageous to female offenders, such as lower incarceration rates and shorter prison sentences. Despite the existing research on gender and sentencing, there are still several specific areas that need to be studied regarding this topic, such as property crimes and rural areas. The current research adds to the existing literature by using data collected from five rural counties in Iowa to examine sentencing patterns of nonviolent property crimes in rural areas. Contrary to existing literature, results found gender did not have an effect on the decision to incarcerate, the sentence length, or the fine amount.

Sexual Orientation and Substance Use: The Moderation of Parental Attachment

There is a substantial amount of research exploring patterns of sexual orientation and substance use, often finding increased substance use for non-heterosexuals. An additional body of research explores the concept of family support from a number of perspectives. There is a noted lack of overlay between family support, sexual orientation, and substance use. This research uses data from Waves III and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine how parental attachment, as a measure of family support, may moderate the association between sexual orientation and substance use. We test the notion that as parental attachment increases, substance use patterns will decrease for both heterosexual and non-heterosexual individuals. We also hypothesize that parental attachment will have a stronger effect of decreasing substance use for non-heterosexuals than for heterosexuals.

Assessing the Association Between Self-Control and Self-Reported Criminal Behaviors Between Sexual Orientation Groups

Since the development of the general theory of crime, self-control has been tested in a variety of manners including various sample populations and criminal outcomes. A smaller, but growing body of research compares the explanatory power of self-control between sociodemographic groups including sex and race. Although the existing body of literature on self-control is extensive, this study addresses a significant gap, that of sexual orientation. Using self-reported data from college students, this research assesses the association between self-control and criminal behavior between heterosexual and nonheterosexual groups. This research further tests the strength of Gottfredson and Hirschi’s theory in a previously unexplored area, as well as offers a glimpse into offending patterns based on sexual orientation. Results from multivariate regression models indicate there are no significant differences in criminal behavior between sexual orientation groups; however, self-control is not a consistent predictor between sexual orientation groups.