Thomas L. Austin

Responding to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Gender Differences Versus Organizational Imperatives

Whether the police response to domestic assault differs from how they handle incidents involving strangers continues to be a topic of debate and research. Based on a 1-year sample of cases from a midwestern city, the hypothesis that an inverse relationship characterized the association between level of intimacy and arrest was tested. Notwithstanding relevant elements of probable cause such as the presence of weapons, witnesses, injury, and the offender, the results confirmed the hypothesis.

An Examination of Direct and Indirect Effects of Maltreatment Dimensions and Other Ecological Risks on Persistent Youth Offending

The study examined the ecological model by testing the direct and indirect effects of four maltreatment dimensions (supervisory neglect, age at onset, recurrence, and severity) on persistent youth offending. A path model was constructed hypothesizing that maltreatment, family functioning, and community risks would increase behavior and academic problems in childhood and delinquency in adolescence. The design featured within-group analysis that included methodological and statistical controls determining how variations in maltreatment affect delinquent behavior among maltreated children. Supervisory neglect produced direct and indirect effects. Maltreatment severity produced direct effects only. Family functioning and community risks produced indirect effects. The results support the ecological explanation of the maltreatment/delinquency link. The key implication of the study is that accurate and early identification of maltreatment, coupled with interventions that improve parental discipline and supervision, will reduce persistent youth offending while also mediating the effects of other risk factors.

The Effect of Legal and Extralegal Factors on Statutory Exclusion of Juvenile Offenders

The study describes implementation of legislation that excludes youth offenders from juvenile court jurisdiction and examines two elements of deterrence theory that underscored the legislation’s rationale. Between-court analyses comparing youths decertified to juvenile court with those remaining in criminal court report no between-court differences concerning the certainty of punishment. Although the criminal court was more likely to impose more severe sentences, controls on legal sentencing factors explained the between-group differences. Legal and extralegal factors predicted the likelihood of certainty and severity of punishment within the juvenile and adult systems respectively. Implications for the restorative justice model are discussed.

What Do College Students Think of Policewomen

Abstract Police departments across the United States now commonly require new recruits to possess either a two— or four-year college degree before admittance to the academy. As such, the pool of applicants for law enforcement positions is now centered in our nations colleges and universities. At the same time, many departments are making conscious efforts to increase both the number of female officers on patrol duty and in administrative/management positions. Given these organizational changes in a traditionally male-dominated profession, the present research assesses the attitudes of 835 undergraduate students at a midsize, state-supported university in the Northeast toward women in the field of policing. Results are compared with similar research from the 1970s and 1980s, and conclusions are drawn regarding the present attitudes of future law enforcement personnel.

Class Scheduling and Academic Achievement in a Non-Traditional Graduate Program.

This study examines the relationship between scheduling format and academic achievement in a nontraditional masters degree program. At the beginning of each of three successive semesters, a pretest was administered to juvenile probation officers enrolled in a research methods course. Each group was exposed to the same course content but under varying conditions: “intensive,” eight hours a day for five consecutive days; “compacted,” eight hours a day for two and one-half successive week-ends; and “normal,” four hours each day on weekends spread out equally over five weekends of a regular 15-week semester. A posttest was administered at the conclusion of each class and results compared to a control group that had experienced the course under a traditional format of three hours per evening, one day a week for 15 successive weeks. Findings indicate no effect due to scheduling format. However, of interest is the finding that academic achievement is positively associated with having had a research methods course as an undergraduate but negatively associated with the elapsed time between receiving a baccalaureate degree and commencing graduate study. Implications from the finding for nontraditional graduate programs are discussed.

Arming the campus cops: a descriptive and multivariate assessment of support

The general characteristics of crimes occurring on American college and university campuses have changed, reflecting a much greater frequency and variety of criminal activities. Therefore, many campus police departments are considering alternative mechanisms aimed at crime control and diminishing the fear levels of constituents. While most municipal police agencies routinely arm themselves, traditionally, armed police forces have been uncharacteristic of campus law enforcement, especially at smaller, rural and suburban schools. The present research assesses campus constituency support and rationale for arming the police force at one university. Constituent status, gender, fear of crime, outcome of contact with an officer, and political ideology are among the variables discussed in relation to this contemporary issue.

Policy Implications of the Effects of Maltreatment Type, Age, Recurrence, Severity, and Other Ecological Risks on Persistent Offending Among Disadvantaged Boys

Although research indicates that the presence of maltreatment affects delinquency when comparing maltreated with nonmaltreated children, studies examining maltreatment dimensions have been confounded by conceptual and methodological problems. This study featured within-group analyses that included methodological controls to examine effects of four maltreatment dimensions and other ecological risks on persistent youth offending among maltreated children. Results indicate that supervisory neglect, maltreatment recurrence, and maltreatment severity produce direct effects on persistent youth offending after controlling for individual and other environmental risks. Comparisons of effects indicate that supervisory neglect is the strongest predictor. The study highlights the value of an ecological approach in explaining the maltreatment/ delinquency link and discusses the implications for policy and research.

The Effect of Legal and Extra‐Legal Variables on the Recommending and Granting of a Pardon

A familiar but little studied area of criminal justice is that of pardons. Using data from the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, the decision-making process is examined to determine the degree of correspondence between the board’s recommendation and the governor’s decision to grant or deny a pardon. Included in the analysis is an assessment of the relative impact of legal and extra-legal variables on the decision-making process. The paper concludes with a discussion on the dynamics of the process, including why some individuals are more likely than others to be granted a pardon, and the implications the findings have for both policy and theory development.

Perceptions and attitudes of domestic violence shelter victims towards the social and criminal justice systems

This paper examines characteristics of clients as well as patterns of usage within a large urban domestic violence service agency. Findings from the study provide support for the often‐voiced assumption that persons who seek the services of such agencies do so in part because of their prior experiences with more traditional public service agencies including those within the criminal justice and social services system. Results from the study also provide support for several other assumptions regarding victims of domestic violence while at the same time raise questions about the validity of others.

Interim occupational activities of recalled police officers

The authors examine the interim occupational activities of a sample of police officers who were laid off from their department in 1980 due to budget considerations. Findings from the study indicate that: (1) laid off officers were anxious to return to their former positions; (2) a significant number of those employed during the layoff were in the field of private security; and (3) interest in law enforcement employment during the layoff was partly a function of the officers’ sex. Implications of these findings are examined and discussed.