Showing papers by "Francis T. Cullen published in 1997"

The social consequences of self-control: testing the general theory of crime*

Abstract: Gottfredson and Hirschi's recently introduced general theory of crime has received considerable empirical support. Researchers have found that low self-control, the general theory's core concept, is related to lawbreaking and to deviant behaviors considered by Gottfredson and Hirschi to be “analogous” to crime. In this article, we extend this research by assessing the effects of low self-control on crime and analogous behaviors and by using two distinct measures of self-control, an attitudinal measure and the analogous/behavior scale. Thus, following Gottfredson and Hirschi, we use analogous imprudent behaviors as outcomes of low self-control and as indicators of low self-control's effects on crime. We also examine an important but thus far neglected part of the theory: the claim that low self-control has effects not only on crime but also on life chances, life quality, and other social consequences. Consistent with the general theory, we found that both measures of self-control, attitudinal and behavioral, have effects on crime, even when controlling for a range of social factors. Further, the analysis revealed general support for the theory's prediction of negative relationships between low self-control and social consequences other than crime—life outcomes and quality of life.

Public Support for Correctional Treatment: The Continuing Appeal of the Rehabilitative Ideal:

Abstract: For three decades, American correctional policy has focused on “getting tough” with offenders, and recent innovations continue this trend. It is unclear, however, that the public desires such a singularly punitive approach to crime. This study reports results from a statewide, contemporary assessment of citizens' attitudes toward rehabilitation. The results indicate that the public still believes that rehabilitation should be an integral part of correctional policy. Furthermore, support for a treatment approach is fairly consistent across demographic groups and across different types of questions used to tap citizens' views. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.

The social determinants of gun ownership: self‐protection in an urban environment

Abstract: Based on a survey of 539 residents of Cincinnati, this study assesses various explanations of gun ownership. The analysis reveals that gender and childhood socialization into a gun culture are significantly related to protective and general (or ''sport'') firearm possession. In contrast, only protective gun ownership appears to be linked to crime-related factors. Conservative crime ideology and concern about the relative level of crime in one's neighborhood increase armament for defensive purposes, while informal collective security-the belief that neighbors will provide assistance against criminal victimization-reduces protective gun ownership.

Assessing the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990: An Analysis of the Victim Reporting Practices of College and University Students

Abstract: In the late 1980s, celebrated victimizations of college students and grassroots efforts by victims and their families prompted Congress to pass the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990 that requires postsecondary institutions to disseminate crime statistics for their campuses annually. Using data from a victimization study of more than 3,400 college students, the authors examine whether statistics generated by this policy initiative provide an accurate portrait of on-campus crime. Results of their analyses cast serious doubt on the validity and reliability of the statistics generated by the act.

Working While in School and Delinquent Involvement: Implications for Social Policy

Abstract: Based on a national sample of 1,775 youths, the authors explored the relationship of labor market participation on delinquency. Consistent with the limited existing research, the results revealed that working while in school, as measured by hours employed each week, increased delinquent involvement among high-risk males. These findings caution that unless carried out carefully and in conjunction with other treatment modalities, delinquency prevention programs based on employment are likely to be ineffective if not criminogenic.

Public Tolerance for Community-Based Sanctions

Abstract: Based on a factorial design survey of 237 Hamilton County (Cincinnati), Ohio, residents, we assessed not only whether respondents preferred, but also “tolerated” or viewed as acceptable, community-based sanctions. Rating vignettes in which the offender engaged in either burglary or robbery, a slight majority of the respondents favored a sentence involving incarceration. Even so, a sizable minority of the sample preferred to sanction offenders in the community, and tolerance for such a sanction was widespread. There was little support, however, for sanctions that did not involve the close supervision of the offender. We suggest that community-based sanctions will be embraced by the public only to the extent that a persuasive case can be made that the sanction punishes, restrains, and changes offenders—in short, that it “works.”

Crime and the Bell Curve: Lessons from Intelligent Criminology

Abstract: In their best-selling book, The Bell Curve, Herrnstein and Murray argue that IQ is a powerful predictor of a range of social ills including crime They use this “scientific reality” to oppose social welfare policies and, in particular, to justify the punishment of offenders By reanalyzing the data used in The Bell Curve and by reviewing existing meta-analyses assessing the relative importance of criminogenic risk factors, the present authors show empirically that Herrnstein and Murray's claims regarding IQ and crime are misleading The authors conclude that Herrnstein and Murray's crime control agenda is based on ideology, not on intelligent criminology

Work Conditions and Juvenile Delinquency: Is Youth Employment Criminogenic?

Abstract: In both public and scholarly circles, it often is assumed that employ ment is beneficial to the development of adolescents. To assess this claim, we explored the relationship of working to delinquency among a sample of youths, drawn from the National Youth Survey, who were in school and between the ages of 12 and 19. The analysis revealed that work conditions, especially the number of hours employed, were posi tively associated with delinquent involvement. We argue that these results are consistent with a critical criminological perspective, which would see juvenile employment within its structural context and be sen sitive to how the needs of youths are not served in the prevailing labor market. Accordingly, we caution against a policy agenda that views employment as a panacea for delinquency.

Jurors' comprehension of sentencing instructions: A test of the death penalty process in Tennessee

Abstract: In response to the U.S. Supreme Court's mandate in Furman v. Georgia to constrain jurors' discretion, several states devised sentencing instructions that ostensibly guide jurors' decision making in death penalty cases. Recently, however, jurors' ability to comprehend these sentencing instructions has come under scrutiny. To test jurors' comprehension, we provided 495 persons summoned for jury duty in Shelby County, Tennessee (which includes Memphis) with a copy of Tennessee's death penalty sentencing instructions and asked them to complete a questionnaire. The scenarios in the questionnaire measured comprehension of differences in the levels of proof and requirements for unanimity on the existence of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, of the process of weighing mitigating against aggravating circumstances, and of nonenumerated mitigating circumstances. The results suggest that comprehension is relatively high when the instructions are clear and concise. However, when the instructions are poorly wor...

Offender rehabilitation : effective correctional intervention

Abstract: Part 1 Attacking rehabilitation Part 2 Reaffirming rehabilitation Part 3 Programs that work Part 4 The limits of control? Part 5 The future of rehabilitation