Meredith G. F. Worthen

College Student Experiences with an LGBTQ Ally Training Program: A Mixed Methods Study at a University in the Southern United States

In recent years, many universities across the United States have instituted “ally” programs that have been designed to promote awareness and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) persons. While such ally programs have emerged at many colleges and are certainly publicly visible, little empirical research has investigated the impact that ally programs have on college students. The current study explores college student experiences with an LGBTQ ally training program located at a large university in the southern United States. Using a mixed methods approach, I analyze both qualitative responses (N = 66) and quantitative survey data (N = 804) to examine ally training program experiences. Results indicate that both awareness of the program and participation in the ally training program are related to supportive attitudes toward LGBTQ individuals.

Sex Disparities in Arrest Outcomes for Domestic Violence

Domestic violence arrests have been historically focused on protecting women and children from abusive men. Arrest patterns continue to reflect this bias with more men arrested for domestic violence compared to women. Such potential gender variations in arrest patterns pave the way to the investigation of disparities by sex of the offender in domestic violence arrests. This study utilizes data from a quantitative dataset that includes responses by police officers who completed a specially mandated checklist after responding to a domestic dispute. The results showed that while females are arrested quite often in domestic disputes, there remains a significant difference in the arrest outcome whereby male suspects were more likely to be arrested than female suspects. Regression models further indicated differences based on sex and certain predictors of arrest, which supported sex-based rationales in arrests for domestic violence.

Gender Differences in Delinquency in Early, Middle, and Late Adolescence: An Exploration of Parent and Friend Relationships

Researchers often examine juvenile delinquency without considering the developmental differences between early, middle, and late adolescence. Much research suggests that relationships with parents and friends differ throughout adolescence; however, no research to date has explored how gender differences in friend and parent relationships throughout the stages of adolescence may affect delinquent involvement. In the current project, I utilize a large sample of adolescents to explore the ways friend and parental relationships differ among young men and women throughout adolescence and how these changing relationships affect gender differences in delinquency. I find that both friend relationships and parent–child bonding affect delinquency and that these relationships differ by both gender and stage of adolescence.

Gender differences in parent–child bonding: implications for understanding the gender gap in delinquency

The consensus of contemporary research indicates that adolescents who have healthy relationships with their parents are less likely to be involved in delinquency. While a great deal of research points to the importance of the parent–child bond in reducing delinquent involvement, few studies have explored gender as a construct that might contribute to our understandings of how the parent–child bond affects adolescent delinquency. Because most research suggests that sons and daughters have different relationships with their parents, it is likely that there are gender differences in the parent–child bond. In addition, such gender variations in the parent–child bond may contribute to significant differences in delinquency. In the current project, I utilize a large sample of adolescents to explore the ways gender differences in the parent–child bond contribute to the gender gap in delinquency. This study extends on prior research by examining several constructs related to the parent–child bond including emotional attachment, time spent with parents, and parental monitoring. Results suggest that parental bonding differs for young men and women and this can affect their delinquent involvement. Furthermore, the gender gap in delinquency can be at least partially explained by gender differences in parental bonding.

Heterosexual College Student Sexual Experiences, Feminist Identity, and Attitudes Toward LGBT Individuals

Although sexual experiences among college students have been well documented, few studies have explored how sexual activity may be related to attitudes concerning sex and sexuality. Limited research suggests there may be an important relationship between sexual experiences, feminist self-identification, and supportive attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Using a college sample of heterosexual students (n = 735) from a large southern university, this article explores sexual activity, feminism, and perspectives toward LGBT individuals. Overall, results suggest that measures of sexual experience are unrelated to attitudes toward LGBT individuals, unless coupled with feminist ideology.

Gay and Lesbian Individuals’ Attitudes Toward the Death Penalty: An Exploratory Study of the Roles of Empathic Concern and Political Beliefs

Research examining attitudes toward the death penalty has led to a variety of theoretical and practical implications that continue to inform both research and policy. While many studies have examined how race, class, and gender are related to attitudes toward the death penalty, there is a complete lack of literature regarding sexual orientation and attitudes toward the death penalty. This is quite surprising since demographic research suggests that gay and lesbian individuals (compared to heterosexual individuals) have significantly higher levels of education and may be much more likely to align with liberal politics (two things that have been found to be correlated with a lack of support for the death penalty). Furthermore, studies suggest that gender differences in attitudes toward capital punishment can be related to the fact that women are socialized to be more empathic than men; however, it is unclear how these gender differences in empathic concern may be related to death penalty attitudes among gay and lesbian individuals. In this exploratory analysis using the General Social Survey (years 2002 and 2004), the authors investigate gay and lesbian individuals’ attitudes toward the use of the death penalty. Preliminary findings indicate that similar to heterosexuals, the majority of gay and lesbian individuals support the death penalty; however, being a gay man exerts a significant negative effect on death penalty support. Furthermore, both empathic concern and political beliefs entirely mediate the effects of gender and sexual orientation on attitudes toward the death penalty.

Understanding College Student Attitudes toward LGBT Individuals

While past research has certainly investigated a variety of correlates of attitudes toward LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) individuals, the current study is one of the first that examines attitudes toward each of these groups separately. This is especially important because efforts to understand prejudices are likely to be most successful if they are based in research that explores how correlates of attitudes are both similar and different across specified targets of prejudice. In the current study, I investigated attitudes toward LGBT individuals using a college sample from the southern United States (n = 775) and a diverse set of predictors to better understand the correlates of these attitudes. Results indicated that sexual orientation, measures of LGBT affiliations, and beliefs about sexuality were nearly universal predictors of attitudes toward each of these groups. In addition, being female was positively related to attitudes toward gay men and transgender individuals but negatively related to attitudes toward lesbians. Results suggest that future sociological studies should incorporate measures that explore specific targets of prejudice when investigating stereotypes in order to better understand attitudes toward marginalized groups.

Gender Differences in Delinquent Involvement: An Exploration of the Interactive Effects of Friend Bonding and Friend Delinquency

The criminological literature faces a paradox regarding gender, friend relationships, and delinquency. Past research shows that while friends are an important part of adolescence for both young men and young women, males are more likely to have delinquent friends, and male friendships are more likely to cultivate delinquency. Past studies indicate that “girl friends are better” for inhibiting delinquency. Beyond the gender composition of friendship networks and the recognition that young men tend to be more criminally involved, researchers have done little to explain how friend relationships and friend delinquency contribute to gender variations in delinquent involvement. Why are friendships among young men more likely to result in delinquent involvement compared to friendships among young women? It may be because friend bonding differs for young men and women, and these differences may explain gender variations in delinquency. Furthermore, the impact of friend bonding on delinquency may be conditioned by friend delinquency. I utilize a sample of adolescents in the Toledo area to investigate gender, friend relationships, and delinquency. Results suggest that the interactive effects of friend bonding and friend delinquency partially explain the gender gap in delinquency.

General strain theory for LGBQ and SSB youth. The importance of intersectionality in the future of feminist criminology

This study applies an intersectional general strain theory (GST) framework to understand the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning (LGBQ) youth, and youth involved in same-sex sexual behavior (SSB). Using a statewide probability sample of LGBQ and SSB youth (N = 539) in grades 9 to 12, results show that understanding LGBQ and SSB youths’ experiences with victimization (feeling unsafe, threatened/injured, property stolen) and negative outcomes (poor academic performance, substance use, suicidality) must be underscored with the significance of and intersections between gender, sexual identity, and sexual behavior. Implications for the importance of intersectionality in GST and the future of feminist criminology are offered.

Expanding the Spectrum of Attitudes Toward the Death Penalty How Nondichotomous Response Options Affect Our Understandings of Death Penalty Attitudes

Overall, studies show that the majority of Americans support the use of the death penalty for murderers; however, few studies have investigated response patterns to death penalty survey questions that offer more than yes/no response options. Without a realistic understanding of Americans’ attitudes, the existence of this controversial legislation may hinge on inaccurate depictions of public opinion. The current study utilizes a college sample of students from a southern university (N = 775, average age 22) to investigate how nondichotomous response options affect our understandings of death penalty attitudes. Using independent variables that are commonly found in quantitative studies about death penalty attitudes (i.e., religiosity, biblical literalism, political attitudes, race, gender, age, southern region) as well as independent variables less commonly seen in death penalty studies (i.e., feminist identity, and student-specific variables: grade point average, freshman status, high school size, and sociology major/minor), ordinary least squares and logistic regression results indicate that examining death penalty support with nondichotomous response options reveals more nuanced results when compared to examinations of death penalty that use dichotomous response options. Policy implications are discussed.