Gann, Taylor L

English

Georgia State University

TITLE: Effects of Personal Hygiene and Arrest Rates 
AUTHOR: Taylor Gann 
FACULTY SPONSORS: Dr. Dean Dabney, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal 
Justice and Criminology & Dr. Brent Teasdale, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal 
Justice and Criminology 
Introduction: A number of studies in multiple disciplines suggest that more attractive people 
receive benefits that less attractive people do not. The question remains- is there a significant 
correlation between personal hygiene and arrest rates? 
Method: For the past year, research assistants have been collecting data on this issue via 
observational research with a police jurisdiction in the Southeast. Researchers have been 
recording the final course of action taken by the officer, and suspect’s physical features. The key 
measures that have been recorded are: whether a suspect had poor or good dental hygiene, poor 
or undetectable odor, and whether their skin was in poor or good condition. 
Analysis: In the data that has been collected thus far, the likelihood of an individual with poor 
dental hygiene being arrested was calculated at 34.8%. However, the likelihood of a suspect with 
good dentition being arrested was 7.7%. According to the analysis on both suspect odor and 
facial condition, there also appeared to be a significant association between being detained and 
poor hygiene. For example, suspects whose body odor was recorded as poor were arrested in 
33% of encounters, as opposed to those with undetectable odor (19.6% arrested). As for poor 
facial condition, suspects recorded with such conditions were arrested in 30.8% of police 
encounters. Suspects recorded with good facial conditions were recorded to have a 17.2% 
likelihood of being arrested.  
Conclusion: All of these associations were significant at the p < .05 level using chi-square tests 
of independence.   
Keywords: Hygiene, Arrest, Odor, Dentition, Skin 


Effects of Personal Hygiene and Arrest Rates

ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University

TITLE: Effects of Personal Hygiene and Arrest Rates AUTHOR: Taylor Gann FACULTY SPONSORS: Dr. Dean Dabney, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology & Dr. Brent Teasdale, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology Introduction: A number of studies in multiple disciplines suggest that more attractive people receive benefits that less attractive people do not. The question remains- is there a significant correlation between personal hygiene and arrest rates? Method: For the past year, research assistants have been collecting data on this issue via observational research with a police jurisdiction in the Southeast. Researchers have been recording the final course of action taken by the officer, and suspect’s physical features. The key measures that have been recorded are: whether a suspect had poor or good dental hygiene, poor or undetectable odor, and whether their skin was in poor or good condition. Analysis: In the data that has been collected thus far, the likelihood of an individual with poor dental hygiene being arrested was calculated at 34.8%. However, the likelihood of a suspect with good dentition being arrested was 7.7%. According to the analysis on both suspect odor and facial condition, there also appeared to be a significant association between being detained and poor hygiene. For example, suspects whose body odor was recorded as poor were arrested in 33% of encounters, as opposed to those with undetectable odor (19.6% arrested). As for poor facial condition, suspects recorded with such conditions were arrested in 30.8% of police encounters. Suspects recorded with good facial conditions were recorded to have a 17.2% likelihood of being arrested.  Conclusion: All of these associations were significant at the p < .05 level using chi-square tests of independence.   Keywords: Hygiene, Arrest, Odor, Dentition, Skin 

https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1468&amp;context=gsurc

Effects of Personal Hygiene and Arrest Rates

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