Late onset offending fact or fiction

This research focuses on a detailed exploration of late onset offending. Using the National Youth Survey (NYS) I seek to answer three questions. First, is late onset offending a real phenomenon, second, if late onset does exist, is the evidence for it conditioned by how we define crime and delinquency? Finally, is late onset offending an artifact of measurement methodology? Most literature evidencing late onset relies on official police contact and arrest data. Propensity or control theories in general posit that late onset should not exist. Propensity, namely self-control, should be instilled early in life and if absent, result in early initiation into crime and delinquency. Research in developmental psychology seems to support this notion. The findings from this study indicate that late onset offending is almost nonexistent when self-reported measures are used leading one to conclude that contemporary evidence for late onset is heavily conditioned by how we measure crime and delinquency. A comprehensive discussion includes future directions for research, implications for theory development and methodology, and policy implications

Research Note: Assessing the validity of college samples: Are students really that different?

Objective The purpose of this research note is to explore the validity of college student samples for criminology and criminal justice research. Some scholars have suggested that college populations are comprised of individuals who are different from the rest of society and that the use of college students for social research may distort our theoretical understanding of crime and criminality.Method The National Youth Survey is used to assess, college students' self-reported behaviors, frequency of behaviors, and attitudes in relation to the general population.Results The results indicate that there is almost no statistically significant difference in behaviors and only minor differences in the frequency of behaviors and attitudes.Conclusion The findings from this investigation suggest that while college students may be culturally unique, this uniqueness does not seem to affect validity.

Are causes of police stress global?: Testing the effects of common police stressors on the Turkish National Police

Purpose – This study aims to assess the effects of commonly examined police stressors’ on the members of a developing country’s centralized police department: Turkish National Police (TNP). Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on a data collected through a self-administered survey among the members of the TNP during the summer of 2005 (n ¼ 812). Using multivariate level OLS regression models, predicting effects of commonly examined police stressors on the participants’ stress levels are analyzed. Findings are evaluated in comparison to existing literature about police stress. Findings – This study indicates that organizational issues are the most important causes of stress in policing. Besides, it was found that several police stressors, as found for local police departments, might not be having the same effects for larger, centralized police departments. Practical implications – Modern policing can be a less stressful job if the police organizations take necessary steps towards applying modern management techniques at both macro and micro levels. Demographic differences, danger at work, or workload should not be counted as predictors of stress in policing without a through consideration of organizational matters. Originality/value – This is the first study empirically and systematically assessing the issue of stress among the members of the TNP. In addition, it is one of the rare studies published in English regarding the issue of police stress in a developing country.Journal Articl