Exposure, Indecent

Encyclopedia EntryPre-publicatio

Homophobic assault

Encyclopedia EntryPre-publicatio

Characteristics of successful personal ads in a BDSM on-line community

The bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism (BDSM) community today uses online personal ads as a major way for members to meet. Such communities have designed their on-line experience around the format of the once prevalent newspaper=magazine personals ads and often feature physical descriptions, personal pictures, and special interests listings. This study examines personal profiles posted on an on-line BDSM community, which allows for the examination of the type and content of these ads that may be the impetus for them to be ‘‘successful.’’ As such, this approach goes beyond traditionally studied aspects of personal ads from other mainstream groups (Paul et al. 2010; Rajecki et al. 1991; Strassberg and Holty 2003). This is achieved through an experimental approach of creating profiles to see which attract the most viewers; such an approach is fairly unique, although not completely new (Goode 1996a; Sitton and Blanchard 1995; Strassberg and Holty 2003). Content-analysis is also performed on the viewers of the experimental profiles in order to gauge common characteristics/content that users have on their profiles for the purported purpose of making themselves attractive for more views.Journal Articl

How to write a literature review

Learning how to effectively write a literature review is a critical tool for success for an academic, and perhaps even professional career. Being able to summarize and synthesize prior research pertaining to a certain topic not only demonstrates having a good grasp on available information for a topic, but it also assists in the learning process. Although literature reviews are important for one’s academic career, they are often misunderstood and underdeveloped. This article is intended to provide both undergraduate and graduate students in the criminal justice field specifically, and social sciences more generally, skills and perspectives on how to develop and/or strengthen their skills in writing a literature review. Included in this discussion are foci on the structure, process, and art of writing a literature review.Journal Articl

Bug chasing: The pursuit for HIV infection

Book ChapterPre-prin

Motivations and the need for fulfillment of faith-based halfway house volunteers

This case study examines the motivations and personal benefits of individuals who volunteer for a Protestant Christian faith-based halfway house for recently released offenders. Drawing on eight in-depth interviews with volunteers from a faith-based ministry located in a Southern U.S. city, the study examines why volunteers arrive to their positions and what they perceive as rewards of their work. Typically, volunteers report receiving more benefits themselves than they perceive offender clients receiving. Chief among perceived rewards are a transparent community in which volunteers could more safely share personal aspects of themselves than what they could experience elsewhere. This study provided valuable information to scholars, legislators, and correctional professionals by showing that faith-based ministries do not necessarily emphasizes the religious aspect of their program.Journal ArticleFinal article publishe

Beyond basic needs: Social support and structure for successful offender reentry

Barriers to successful reentry have long been identified as impeding an offender’s ability to successfully reenter society upon release from incarceration. As a result, research has long examined what shared obstacles the majority of offenders often face upon reentering society. Much of the research identifies factors such as poor education, obtaining/maintaining employment, stable housing, and transportation as common barriers to successful reentry. By using in-depth interviews with ex-offenders deemed as successful that were conducted by two respective non-profit agencies, the present study explores what significant requirements, if any, successful offenders perceive to need and/or have experienced as lacking while attempting to successfully reenter society. Findings from this study highlight that many of the research- identified needs are not major barriers because they are often provided for by various non-profit agencies. Furthermore, successful ex-offenders overwhelmingly identify poor social support as a major barrier that oftentimes remains neglected in government and non-profit organizational programming.Online Journal ArticleFinal article publishe

Measuring work stress among correctional staff: A Rasch measurement approach

Today, the amount of stress the correctional staff endures at work is an important issue. Research has addressed this issue, but has yielded no consensus as to a properly calibrated measure of perceptions of work stress for correctional staff. Using data from a non-random sample of correctional staff (n=228), the Rasch model was used to assess whether a specific measure of work stress would fit the model. Results suggest that three items accurately represented correctional staff perceptions of work stress.Journal ArticlePre-publicatio

Disciplinary infractions behind bars: An exploration of importation and deprivation theories

Using data from one Midwestern state, this article investigates whether or not characteristics of importation and deprivation serve as predictors of receipt of institutional disciplinary infractions. The results of the logistic regression analyses indicate that both importation and deprivation factors were significant indicators of having received disciplinary infractions. Specifically, among 585 adult male inmates, data reveal that two importation measures and two deprivation measures were significant predictors of receipt of any disciplinary infractions. An inmate’s gang membership status and conviction for a sex offense are also found to have been significant indicators of having or not having received at least one serious disciplinary infraction. Policy implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.Journal Articl