BEIRUT ? Syria's president faced a growing challenge to his iron rule from home and abroad Wednesday, with renegade troops launching their most daring attack yet on the military and world leaders looking at possibilities for a regime without Bashar Assad.
France recalled its ambassador to Damascus in the wake of recent attacks against diplomatic missions and increasing violence stemming from the 8-month-old uprising. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said warned that "the vise is tightening" around Assad, and a government spokeswoman said Paris is working with the Syrian opposition to find an alternative to the regime.
The move comes as the 22-member Arab League formally suspended Damascus over the crackdown, which the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,500 people, and threatened economic sanctions if the regime continues to violate an Arab-brokered peace plan.
The foreign ministers also gave the Syrian government three days to respond to an Arab peace plan that involves sending an Arab League delegation to monitor compliance.
"Economic sanctions are certainly possible if the Syrian government does not respond," said Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim.
Gamal Abdel Gawad, an Arab affairs expert in Cairo, said the League's vote suggests Arab leaders are scrambling to influence the type of regime Syria sees in the future.
"Regime change is unavoidable," he told The Associated Press.
The growing calls for Assad's ouster are a severe blow to a family dynasty that has ruled Syria for four decades ? and any change to the leadership could transform some of the most enduring alliances in the Middle East and beyond.
Syria's tie to Iran is among the most important relationships in the Middle East, providing the Iranians with a foothold on Israel's border and a critical conduit to Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
Syrian allies in Russia and China also worry that the downfall of Assad will be a severe blow to their interests in the Middle East.
On the other side of the equation, Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and other U.S. allies in the Mideast have long tried to break the Syria-Iran alliance in a campaign to roll back Tehran's influence in the region. Assad's fall could usher in a regime more bound to Sunni power.
Iran has encouraged Assad to talk to the opposition and even suggested he cannot rely only on force and intimidation ? coincidentally, the same formula used in 2009 by Iran against protesters after the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
But generally, Tehran has mirrored the Damascus line about the unrest, saying foreign powers are stirring up trouble as part of a conspiracy to destabilize Syria.
Javad Larijani, the head of Iran's Human Rights Council, on Wednesday accused the West of incitement.
"Our position is that all the hands should be cut off from this kind of interference. It is up to the people of Syria to decide," Larijani told a press conference Wednesday at U.N. headquarters in New York.
But as more countries shift away from Damascus, Assad's power could wobble.
Assad, a 46-year-old eye doctor who inherited power 11 years ago, already is facing the most profound isolation of his family's four-decade rule.
World leaders who once hoped Assad could transform his father's stagnant dictatorship into a modern state now are abandoning him in rapid succession.
French government spokeswoman Valerie Pecresse said Wednesday that Paris is working with the Syrian opposition "to try to develop a political alternative" to Assad's government.
Britain's Foreign Office said its ambassador will remain in Syria despite France's decision to recall its envoy, although it said the matter is under "regular review."
In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford still planned to return to Syria next week.
"Let's be very clear that it is the brutal tactics of Assad and his regime in dealing with what began as a nonviolent movement is now taking Syria down a very dangerous path," Toner said. "We have said all along the brutal crackdown by the Syrian government would engender this kind of reaction."
The king of neighboring Jordan said this week that Assad should step down for the good of his country ? the first Arab leader to publicly make such a call. Jordan's powerful Islamic opposition then urged Amman to recognize the broad-based Syrian National Council in yet another rebuke to Assad.
Inside Syria, thousands of people who even a year ago would have been too terrified to speak out against the ruling elite are now calling for nothing less than Assad's downfall. It is a stunning transformation for a leader who insisted in January that his country was immune to the Arab Spring uprisings because he is in tune with his people's needs.
In a series of interviews, Israeli officials told the AP they expect Assad to fall within months, if not weeks.
While they remain concerned that Assad's downfall could destabilize the area, they are also less convinced that an Islamic regime hostile to Israel will take power in Damascus after he leaves.
One Israeli official who deals with the question of Syria said Israel had drawn up several scenarios, including a survival of a military regime dominated by the minority Alawite sect even if Assad is forced to step down. Assad and the ruling elite belong to the sect, although Syria is overwhelmingly Sunni.
The officials, including both government and military figures, all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing sensitive security and diplomatic assessments.
Alawite dominance in Syria has bred resentment, which Assad has worked to tamp down by pushing a strictly secular identity. But he now appears to be relying heavily on his Alawite power base, beginning with highly placed relatives, to crush the resistance.
Assad and his father before him stacked key military posts with Alawites to meld the fates of the army and the regime ? a tactic aimed at compelling the army to fight to the death to protect the family dynasty.
In many ways, however, the unrest is spinning out of Assad's control.
Attacks on Syrian forces by defecting troops have been growing, highlighting the potential for a larger armed conflict in a country of 22 million with a volatile religious and ethnic mixture.
Although activists say the anti-government protesters have remained largely peaceful, an armed insurgency has developed recently, targeting Assad's military.
On Wednesday, Syrian army defectors attacked military and intelligence bases near the capital of Damascus and an army checkpoint in Hama province.
The deadliest attack was in Hama, where army defectors killed at least eight soldiers and security forces in the checkpoint assault in the village of Kfar Zeita, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
But the most brazen attacks were just outside Damascus. Attacks by army defectors have been rare near Assad's seat of power, so Wednesday marked a significant shift.
The Free Syrian Army ? a group of military defectors ? said in a statement that its main pre-dawn attack targeted a compound run by air force intelligence in the Damascus suburb of Harasta. Defectors also hit checkpoints in the Damascus suburbs of Douma, Qaboun and Arabeen and Saqba.
Despite the army defections, the military has remained loyal to Assad to a large degree.
Most of the defectors appear to be lower-level Sunni conscripts, not officers. But observers say the tide could change if the military continues to be called upon to shoot unarmed protesters.
Wednesday's attacks could not be independently confirmed, and the Free Syrian Army released no details about the fighting or possible casualties.
The Syrian government has largely sealed off the country, barring most foreign journalists and preventing independent reporting. Details gathered by activist groups and witnesses, along with amateur video, have become key channels of information.
Violence has continued unabated in Syria for months, even after Damascus agreed Nov. 2 to an Arab-brokered peace deal that called for the regime to halt violence against protesters, pull tanks and armored vehicles out of cities, release political prisoners, and allow access for journalists and rights groups.
On Saturday, the Arab League voted to suspend Damascus over its failure to stop the bloodshed. The group officially enforced that decision Wednesday in Rabat, Morocco.
"The Syrian government has to sign the protocol that was sent by the Arab League and end all the violence against the demonstrators and free political detainees and all that has to happen in three days," said bin Jassim, the Qatari foreign minister.
"At that point we will send a mission of observers," he said.
The suspension has enraged Syria, which considers itself a bastion of Arab nationalism. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem boycotted the meeting.
Damascus fears the United States and its allies might use the rare Arab consensus to press for tougher sanctions at the United Nations. Veto-wielding Russia and China have so far opposed efforts at the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on Syria ? a stance that could become harder to maintain in the face of the Arab position.
___
Schemm reported from Rabat, Morocco. AP writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Jamey Keaten in Paris, Bradley Klapper in Washington, Amy Teibel in Jerusalem and Dan Perry in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
___
Bassem Mroue can be reached on http://twitter.com/bmroue
LOS ANGELES ? A scientist who was the star defense witness in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor will be in court Wednesday to fight a threatened $1,000 fine for contempt.
Dr. Paul White is a pioneer in the use of the anesthetic propofol. He clashed with Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor over comments in and out of court during Dr. Conrad Murray's trial.
Pastor says White deliberately brought up banned information in his testimony.
Pastor is giving White a chance to appear Wednesday and explain why he should not be found in direct contempt of court and fined $1,000. A member of the trial defense team, Michael Flanagan, is representing him.
Murray is in jail awaiting sentencing for involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death and is not required to attend the hearing.
Our time has come. For three hundred years we prepared; we grew stronger while you rested in your cradle of power believing your people were safe and protected. You were trusted to lead the Republic, but you were deceived, as our powers of the dark side have blinded you?.
You were deceived and now your Republic shall fall.
With the Sith Empire's defeat in the Great Hyperspace War, the Republic decided how to deal with their fallen enemy: the Supreme Chancellor ordered the Republic military to exterminate all remnants of the Sith. But one Sith Lord and a group of survivors escaped the Republic's slaughter of their kind and made it to the Unknown Regions. There, he re-founded the Empire, himself assuming the title of Sith Emperor, and created a council of other Sith Lords. Using the power of the dark side, the Emperor kept himself alive for over a thousand years after the Great Hyperspace War, rebuilding the Empire's strength and promising his people revenge on the Republic and Jedi.
In the year 3,681 BBY, the Sith Emperor saw that the chance for revenge against the Republic and the Jedi had come, and launched an invasion of the Republic...
Will you be the Republic's Salvation? Or will you see to it's destruction?
So, Simon Cowell is now on Twitter.?That was the big news in social media Wednesday. What was your first reaction? I'll tell you what mine was not: "Amazing! He'll have so many insights to share, and we really don't see that much of him on any of his other media platforms."
Phil Mccarten / Reuters file
With all due respect to Cowell, who I do believe is quite an influential man about television and music, I don't see the need for him to be on Twitter. Here's the thing: most celebrities do their best work in the platform in which they became famous. Very few actually gain something by becoming more accessible via the internet. Take one of Cowell's inaugural tweets, for example: "Melanie --incredible but Josh just stole the show." Does this sound like the Cowell we've all come to know and love/hate? No. That comment about the "X Factor" contestants could have come from anyone, and arguably doesn't serve as any sort of meaningful extension of Cowell himself.
To be fair, it's still early for Cowell, and I'm not suggesting that celebs should stay off of Twitter entirely -- they're just as entitled to the platform as anyone else (and I'm sure Twitter isn't upset about their participation, even when it goes awry). Rather, it's not often that a celebrity manages to use the platform for good. Love him or hate him, Howard Stern did something really cool when, unannounced, he started live tweeting behind-the-scenes anecdotes from "Private Parts" when it was playing on cable one weekend. That is an amazing use of the platform, and something you really didn't see happen before Stern did it.
But Stern is definitely an exception, and there's also this: celebrities are at their most interesting when less is known about their private lives. This is true when we're trying to believe them in a role on a big screen, and it's true when we're following them on smaller screens, like Twitter for iPhone.
So, who DO you like to follow on Twitter? Are there more A-listers like Stern out there who go beyond the "I love 'insert brand here'" or "I have awesome fans" tweets? Take the discussion over to?The Scoop on Facebook, and maybe we can float the good ones to the top of the Twitter pile.
NEW YORK ? Charlize Theron likes being single for the first time in her adult life.
The Oscar winning actress tells the December issue of Vogue magazine this is the "first time" she's been unattached since she was nineteen. She used to go from one relationship to another ? some within a month ? saying she found a "comfort zone" being monogamous.
The 36-year-old Theron dated actor Stuart Townsend for nearly 10 years before their breakup in 2010. She says she pulled back on her career as an effort to save the union when the relationship began to go downhill, calling that "the priority" and that she "wouldn't do it any different way."
Theron is now ready to work with the romantic comedy "Young Adult" written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman. It opens Dec. 16.
The December issue of Vogue magazine goes on sale Nov. 22.
NEW YORK ? Start spreading the news: The musical based on the film "Newsies" is striking a path to Broadway.
Disney Theatrical Productions said Tuesday that the show will begin a limited run at the Nederlander Theatre beginning in March. It had a critically acclaimed debut in September at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, N.J.
"It just plays like a great, classic musical with this wonderful choreography," said Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions, the theatrical production arm of The Walt Disney Co. "It's fun."
The new musical is based on the 1899 true story of child newspaper sellers in turn-of-the-century New York who go on strike. The 1992 film, starring Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, Robert Duvall and Ann-Margret, did poorly at the box office but has become something of a cult hit.
Alan Menken and lyricist Jack Feldman, who were responsible for the film score, teamed up again to transform "Newsies" into a musical for the stage, reworking the songs and collaborating with the new story writer, Harvey Fierstein, known for his work in "Hairspray," "La Cage aux folles" and "Torch Song Trilogy."
The new musical retains the memorable songs "Santa Fe," "The World Will Know," "Carrying the Banner," "Seize the Day" and "King of New York," but adds a young female reporter to the story.
The musical will play its first Broadway preview on March 15 and the final performance is scheduled for June 10. That translates into exactly 101 performances, something Disney has some familiarity with. "It's a convenient number but it has nothing to do with dogs or spots," said Schumacher. "It gives us a long enough run where we can put our stake in the ground."
While Disney executives might be happily inclined to extend the run, they've calculated that 101 performances will at least ensure that the venture breaks even. It also makes the brand more appealing: For years, schools and theater companies have asked Disney for a stage version of the film and a stint on Broadway only adds to the license's value.
Casting the Broadway version of "Newsies" has not been worked out yet, but will almost certainly not include Jeremy Jordan, who starred in the Paper Mill Playhouse production as Jack Kelly but is now playing Clyde in a Broadway version of "Bonnie and Clyde."
"Obviously no show hangs on one person," said Schumacher. "I love him to death and he's wonderful, but if you look at the track record we've had with almost everything we've done, it's the title and its material that always has to come first for us."
The jump to Broadway was widely expected and is aided by the fact that producers spent a little bit extra when the sets were being built for the Paper Mill to make them able to travel.
"The happy accident of that is that it also means that for a very small cost relative to mounting a Broadway show, we can get the physical production in," he said.
The $5 million musical, which is directed by Jeff Calhoun, comes at a time of economic strife and when people are rising up against social systems across the Arab world and here at home in the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Schumacher says the "Newsies" musical has been in development for years and Disney isn't trying to piggyback off the moment. "We're not that smart," he said, laughing.
"Is there a resonance that happened? Yes. There's no question. But we're just making a sweet, fun musical where these kids triumph and make the world a little bit of a better place."
These are exciting days for Disney's theatrical arm. Besides "Newsies," its "Peter and the Starcatcher," a madcap look at Peter Pan's background based on the novel of the same name by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson ? and Disney's first straight play ? will open on Broadway this spring.
A new version of "The Little Mermaid" is being reworked by playwright Doug Wright and is set to open in Holland, and a stage adaptation of "Aladin" is on its way to Europe once it clears another round of development.
Director Bart Sher is also planning a stage version of "Father of the Bride" based on the novel and 1950 Spencer Tracy movie, and Disney plans a big stage musical version of "Dumbo" by "Billy Elliot" director Stephen Daldry.
The eclectic mix of projects hasn't been done by design, says Schumacher, but by necessity. "You have to follow the work," he said. ""What's normal? I don't know normal."
___
Online:
http://www.NewsiesTheMusical.com
___
Follow Mark Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
UC a strong presence at American Society of Criminology MeetingPublic release date: 15-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: M.B. Reilly reillymb@ucmail.uc.edu 513-556-1824 University of Cincinnati
Does the use of housing vouchers lead to crime?
What are the odds of victimization within prison populations?
These and other research topics will be presented by University of Cincinnati criminal justice faculty at the Nov. 16-19 American Society of Criminology Meeting in Washington, D.C. In all, UC which houses one of the nation's top-ranked criminal justice programs will present 41 papers or posters.
Below are summaries of just a few of the UC research to be presented. Visit the conference site to view the complete list of UC research presentations at the meeting and search the preliminary program.
Race Group Differences in the Odds of Violent Victimization among Prison Inmates in Ohio and Kentucky
Research that examined over 5,000 inmates housed in 46 prisons throughout Ohio and Kentucky found that the odds of victimization by physical assault and by theft were significantly higher among whites compared to African Americans. Among whites in prison, the odds of being physically victimized are higher for males, inmates in maximum-security prisons, and persons incarcerated for non-violent crimes. Among African Americans, the odds of violent victimization are higher for younger inmates, females, inmates without families, inmates in maximum-security prisons, and persons incarcerated for non-violent crimes. How inmates spend their time in prison (jobs, recreation, education classes, etc.) is more important for determining the odds of victimization for whites relative to African Americans. And background factors (age, criminal histories, etc.) had the same impact on victimization for both race groups.
Author: John Wooldredge, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Benjamin Steiner, University of South Carolina
Public Land Use and Fear of Crime
Research has shown a link between land use (residential vs. public) and rates of crime. Several mechanisms by which land use could affect crime have been suggested. The given theoretical explanations between these variables may also be beneficial for explaining residents' perceptions of crime in their communities. Using data from the Seattle Neighborhood and Crime Survey, the current study examines the relationship between neighborhoods' non-residential land use and residents' fear of crime. More specifically, the hypothesis that the presence of non-residential land use (bars, schools, parks, hotels, malls, and bus stops) influences individuals' worry about potential victimization is tested. This analyses offer limited support for the hypothesis that fear of violent crime is affected by non-residential land use through its effect on collective efficacy and disorder; however, the proposed theory is not effective in explaining fear of property crime.
Author: Susan McNeeley, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Amy Stutzenberger, University of Cincinnati
Can Living with a Custodial Grandparent Impact Juvenile Delinquency? A Study of Youth in Chicago Neighborhoods
This study explores the influence of traditional and non-conventional caregivers on juvenile delinquency with a sample of families in Chicago. While previous literature has examined the physical health and emotional well being of mothers and grandparents, little is known about juveniles who reside with a custodial grandparent. Less is known about the effects of caregiver family structure and juvenile delinquency. The present study uses data from the Project of Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to compare delinquency rates of juveniles raised by natural parents, grandparents, and other types of caregivers.
Author: Natalie Goulette, University of Cincinnati
Attendance and Participation Patterns of Offenders Sanctioned to Attend AA
This observational study aims to understand the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous as a judicial sanction. In particular, the quality-assurance component of the treatment model has been evaluated to see if offenders required to attend AA are receiving the proper dosage of treatment and are participating in the way the model suggests they do. De-identified data has been gathered from 50 meetings. The data gathered from these 50 meeting sites indicates that participants who are required to attend AA meetings come in much later and participate far less than those who are there by their own choice. Interestingly, those required to attend uniformly attend 4 p.m. AA meetings, never the 10 a.m. meetings.
Author: Beau James Shine, University of Cincinnati
The Crime Prevention Effects of Open-Street CCTV in South Korea
This research studied the crime prevention effects of open-street Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) implemented in the city of Chuncheon, South Korea, on serious crimes and crimes related to disorderly conduct. After controlling the length of the month, seasonal effects and temporal trends, a mixed linear model for repeated measurements was applied to analyze the general crime-reduction effects of open-street CCTV. A Weighted Displacement Quotient (WDQ) was also used to analyze the crime reduction effects of each open-street CCTV location. The results showed that, overall, open-street CCTV did not show a statistically significant effect on the reduction of serious crimes or disorder crimes. However, the analysis of a WDQ showed that the crime-reduction effect of each open-street CCTV location depended on the characteristics of the locations. The results also showed higher crime-reduction effects in relations to serious crimes vs. crimes involving disorderly conduct.
Author: Hyung Jim Lim, University of Cincinnati
Co-authors: Jeonglim Kim, Sam Houston State University
Hee Sub Shim, University of Cincinnati
Yongsok Kim, Texas State University, San Marcos
Neighborhood Disadvantage, Intimate Partner Violence, and Depression
Studies have found that living in neighborhoods plagued by street-level violence and disorder is associated with depression. Depression is also strongly associated with being victimized by intimate partner violence. Finally, a growing body of research indicates that women's risk of being victimized by intimate-partner violence is substantially higher in disadvantaged and disordered neighborhoods net of the individual and couple level factors that influence this form of violence. The previously established crosscutting associations between neighborhood disadvantage, intimate partner violence, and depression suggest that the effects of IPV on this form of psychological distress may be exacerbated for women who reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, we investigate this possibility.
Author: Michael Benson, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Emily Wright, University of South Carolina
Group Social Ties: The Dynamics of Violent Street Group Interactions and Connections
Social connections form the foundation of interactions among members of a community, including both pro-social and anti-social groups and members of those groups. Social ties among violent group members and the groups themselves play a large role in the network of interaction within urban areas. Most importantly, these group interactions shape the nature of violence in these areas. This study seeks to assess the changing nature of street group interactions in Cincinnati overtime via social-network analysis.
Author: Jessica Dunham, University of Cincinnati
Rethinking Packer: What New Approaches to Policing Suggest for the Due Process vs Crime Control Tradeoff
In 1968, Herbert Packer asserted that there is a conflict between two models of criminal justice operations. The due process model emphasizes a procedural approach to guarantee the fair and appropriate treatment of alleged offenders. The crime control model emphasizes reducing crime. Packer claimed that the more one of these models was emphasized, the less the other model would be applied. This critique has informed policy discussions and academic research to this day. We review Packer's theory in light of changes in policing strategy that have since occurred. We propose that new policing strategies may alter this tradeoff, in some cases making it less severe or relevant.
Author: John Eck, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Robin Engel, University of Cincinnati
Scottish Student Crime & Victimization: Early Findings
Victimization surveys have becoming increasingly important as a means of investigating not just prevalence and incidence rates for specific types of crime amongst different demographic groups, but also measuring awareness of risks and concerns about crime and victimization. While general victimization surveys are regularly conducted in the United Kingdom, less focused attention has been given to university student populations, despite that fact that they are likely to have specific concerns and fears about crime and victimization as well as perceptions of risk and security both on and off campuses that merit investigation. Until very recently no research had been conducted on student victimization in Scotland. This paper will present findings from research that has sought to address this knowledge gap. Data and findings will be presented from a student victimization survey conducted with undergraduate students in a Scottish university. This will be focused on assessing the prevalence and incidence of a number of types of victimization (including violent and sexual in all its forms) among university students and explore whether demographic variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, student 'type' (home/overseas), and lifestyle are linked to victimization experiences and prevention behavior.
Author: Bonnie Fisher, University of Cincinnati
Co-authors: Lesley McMillan, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland
Annette Robertson, Glasgow Caledonian University
Jon Godwin, Glasgow Caledonian University
The Drugs/Love Nexus: Broadening Beyond Crime to Better Understand Drime
Drugs are associated with a number of crimes. Goldstein's (1985) typology suggests three drugs-crime relationships, or "drimes". This framework has oriented criminological work on drime for more than two decades and will continue to do so in the future. Recently, a line of inquiry has emerged that expands understanding of drime by focusing on antithetical behavior. Based on data obtained in interviews with drug dealers, bars, and coffee shops in Amsterdam, this paper extends Goldstein's typology by suggesting three drugs-love relationships, or "droves": (1) the psychopharmacological model is when the ingestion of drugs increases toleration, apology, negotiation, gift giving, and cheaper prices; (2) the economic compulsive model involves gift giving and providing cheaper prices in order to help people obtain drugs; and, (3) the systemic model holds that involvement in an illegal market increases toleration, apology, and negotiation by reducing victims' access to law. The rationale behind this framework is that by giving scholarly attention to why, when and how drove occurs, then more can be learned about drime and, in turn, how to control it.
Author: Scott Jacques, University of Cincinnati
Virtual Reality and the Criminal Justice System: New Possibilities for Research
Virtual reality (VR) systems are being used to achieve a broad range of goals in a variety of fields. The criminal justice system can benefit from this rapidly expanding technology in a variety of ways. Using VR, researchers can create a multitude of situations in a controlled environment, allowing them, with a few clicks of the mouse, to manipulate anything in the virtual world. In addition to a great deal of experimental control, VR offers both researchers and subjects the benefits of conducting research in safe and cost-effective environments. Subjects can be exposed to real world threats without facing the pitfalls of real world harm. VR also allows researchers to utilize objective measures. Multiple studies involving VR have successfully used devices to measure heart rate, perspiration and muscular tension. Additionally, studies have incorporated the use of electroencephalography, positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure other physiological responses while in the virtual environment. Other methodological issues such as sample size, validity and causal inference can also be addressed using VR. Data collection is automatic, thereby minimizing the potential for coding errors. Virtual reality offers a cost-efficient and effective means of addressing the diverse needs of criminal justice research.
Author: Bobbie Ticknor, University of Cincinnati
The Effect of Victimization on Women's Health: Does the Victim-Offender Relationship Matter?
Existing empirical research from various disciplines has demonstrated that violence against women is a pervasive social problem affecting women of all ages, races, and socioeconomic statuses. Despite criticism of the field for a lack of national-level data and problems with differing terminology and definitions, the violence against women research has made great progress towards demonstrating the scope and extent of violence women experience. Using the National Violence Against Women Study (NVAWS), the present research seeks to expand what is known about violence against women by exploring the impact of the victim-offender relationship on a variety of negative health outcomes. Two research questions are tested: 1) what is the prevalence of violence against women by victim-offender relationship? and 2) what is the effect of the victim-offender relationship on a woman's psychological and physical health, and wellbeing? Findings indicate that a variety of perpetrators are responsible for violence against women, and that no single group can be ignored. Additionally, it appears that while victimization is related to negative health outcomes, the victim-offender relationship does not significantly contribute to increasing the odds of experiencing negative health outcomes. These findings are discussed in relation to previous empirical research and the direction of future research.
Author: Megan Stewart, University of Cincinnati
"Code of the Hallway": Examining the Effects of School Subculture on Delinquency
This study draws upon the subculture of violence literature that is usually applied to communities or neighborhoods to explain variation in criminal behavior. However, using data from almost 4,000 students nested within 111 unique school contexts, here we apply subculture to schools and explore how schools may serve as a context that somewhat parallels a community. That is, we examine how the subculture of a school (i.e., its "code of the hallway") may affect delinquency that occurs in school versus delinquency that occurs outside of school. In addition, we examine these effects in relation to different forms of violence (e.g., physical assault and robbery vs. sexual assault), and we explore whether these effects are possibly gendered (i.e., more powerful for males).
Author: Kristan Swartz, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Pamela Wilcox, University of Cincinnati
A Survey of Correctional Staff Support of Rehabilitation
While there is a substantial body of literature on public support for rehabilitation, the knowledge base regarding correctional staff support of rehabilitation is significantly smaller. Of those studies that have measured correctional staff support, there is considerable variation in the definition of support and the scales used to measure it. Even further, there is an untested assumption that the construct of rehabilitation has unwavering face validity across surveys and between different staff positions. For this study, the authors designed a survey to measure correctional staff support for rehabilitation while also testing the various definitions of support. In addition to a comprehensive understanding of correctional staff support of rehabilitation, the implications of the findings for the creation of a standardized assessment of correctional employee attitudes toward rehabilitation are discussed.
Author: Jessica Warner, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Paula Smith, University of Cincinnati
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UC a strong presence at American Society of Criminology MeetingPublic release date: 15-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: M.B. Reilly reillymb@ucmail.uc.edu 513-556-1824 University of Cincinnati
Does the use of housing vouchers lead to crime?
What are the odds of victimization within prison populations?
These and other research topics will be presented by University of Cincinnati criminal justice faculty at the Nov. 16-19 American Society of Criminology Meeting in Washington, D.C. In all, UC which houses one of the nation's top-ranked criminal justice programs will present 41 papers or posters.
Below are summaries of just a few of the UC research to be presented. Visit the conference site to view the complete list of UC research presentations at the meeting and search the preliminary program.
Race Group Differences in the Odds of Violent Victimization among Prison Inmates in Ohio and Kentucky
Research that examined over 5,000 inmates housed in 46 prisons throughout Ohio and Kentucky found that the odds of victimization by physical assault and by theft were significantly higher among whites compared to African Americans. Among whites in prison, the odds of being physically victimized are higher for males, inmates in maximum-security prisons, and persons incarcerated for non-violent crimes. Among African Americans, the odds of violent victimization are higher for younger inmates, females, inmates without families, inmates in maximum-security prisons, and persons incarcerated for non-violent crimes. How inmates spend their time in prison (jobs, recreation, education classes, etc.) is more important for determining the odds of victimization for whites relative to African Americans. And background factors (age, criminal histories, etc.) had the same impact on victimization for both race groups.
Author: John Wooldredge, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Benjamin Steiner, University of South Carolina
Public Land Use and Fear of Crime
Research has shown a link between land use (residential vs. public) and rates of crime. Several mechanisms by which land use could affect crime have been suggested. The given theoretical explanations between these variables may also be beneficial for explaining residents' perceptions of crime in their communities. Using data from the Seattle Neighborhood and Crime Survey, the current study examines the relationship between neighborhoods' non-residential land use and residents' fear of crime. More specifically, the hypothesis that the presence of non-residential land use (bars, schools, parks, hotels, malls, and bus stops) influences individuals' worry about potential victimization is tested. This analyses offer limited support for the hypothesis that fear of violent crime is affected by non-residential land use through its effect on collective efficacy and disorder; however, the proposed theory is not effective in explaining fear of property crime.
Author: Susan McNeeley, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Amy Stutzenberger, University of Cincinnati
Can Living with a Custodial Grandparent Impact Juvenile Delinquency? A Study of Youth in Chicago Neighborhoods
This study explores the influence of traditional and non-conventional caregivers on juvenile delinquency with a sample of families in Chicago. While previous literature has examined the physical health and emotional well being of mothers and grandparents, little is known about juveniles who reside with a custodial grandparent. Less is known about the effects of caregiver family structure and juvenile delinquency. The present study uses data from the Project of Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to compare delinquency rates of juveniles raised by natural parents, grandparents, and other types of caregivers.
Author: Natalie Goulette, University of Cincinnati
Attendance and Participation Patterns of Offenders Sanctioned to Attend AA
This observational study aims to understand the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous as a judicial sanction. In particular, the quality-assurance component of the treatment model has been evaluated to see if offenders required to attend AA are receiving the proper dosage of treatment and are participating in the way the model suggests they do. De-identified data has been gathered from 50 meetings. The data gathered from these 50 meeting sites indicates that participants who are required to attend AA meetings come in much later and participate far less than those who are there by their own choice. Interestingly, those required to attend uniformly attend 4 p.m. AA meetings, never the 10 a.m. meetings.
Author: Beau James Shine, University of Cincinnati
The Crime Prevention Effects of Open-Street CCTV in South Korea
This research studied the crime prevention effects of open-street Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) implemented in the city of Chuncheon, South Korea, on serious crimes and crimes related to disorderly conduct. After controlling the length of the month, seasonal effects and temporal trends, a mixed linear model for repeated measurements was applied to analyze the general crime-reduction effects of open-street CCTV. A Weighted Displacement Quotient (WDQ) was also used to analyze the crime reduction effects of each open-street CCTV location. The results showed that, overall, open-street CCTV did not show a statistically significant effect on the reduction of serious crimes or disorder crimes. However, the analysis of a WDQ showed that the crime-reduction effect of each open-street CCTV location depended on the characteristics of the locations. The results also showed higher crime-reduction effects in relations to serious crimes vs. crimes involving disorderly conduct.
Author: Hyung Jim Lim, University of Cincinnati
Co-authors: Jeonglim Kim, Sam Houston State University
Hee Sub Shim, University of Cincinnati
Yongsok Kim, Texas State University, San Marcos
Neighborhood Disadvantage, Intimate Partner Violence, and Depression
Studies have found that living in neighborhoods plagued by street-level violence and disorder is associated with depression. Depression is also strongly associated with being victimized by intimate partner violence. Finally, a growing body of research indicates that women's risk of being victimized by intimate-partner violence is substantially higher in disadvantaged and disordered neighborhoods net of the individual and couple level factors that influence this form of violence. The previously established crosscutting associations between neighborhood disadvantage, intimate partner violence, and depression suggest that the effects of IPV on this form of psychological distress may be exacerbated for women who reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, we investigate this possibility.
Author: Michael Benson, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Emily Wright, University of South Carolina
Group Social Ties: The Dynamics of Violent Street Group Interactions and Connections
Social connections form the foundation of interactions among members of a community, including both pro-social and anti-social groups and members of those groups. Social ties among violent group members and the groups themselves play a large role in the network of interaction within urban areas. Most importantly, these group interactions shape the nature of violence in these areas. This study seeks to assess the changing nature of street group interactions in Cincinnati overtime via social-network analysis.
Author: Jessica Dunham, University of Cincinnati
Rethinking Packer: What New Approaches to Policing Suggest for the Due Process vs Crime Control Tradeoff
In 1968, Herbert Packer asserted that there is a conflict between two models of criminal justice operations. The due process model emphasizes a procedural approach to guarantee the fair and appropriate treatment of alleged offenders. The crime control model emphasizes reducing crime. Packer claimed that the more one of these models was emphasized, the less the other model would be applied. This critique has informed policy discussions and academic research to this day. We review Packer's theory in light of changes in policing strategy that have since occurred. We propose that new policing strategies may alter this tradeoff, in some cases making it less severe or relevant.
Author: John Eck, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Robin Engel, University of Cincinnati
Scottish Student Crime & Victimization: Early Findings
Victimization surveys have becoming increasingly important as a means of investigating not just prevalence and incidence rates for specific types of crime amongst different demographic groups, but also measuring awareness of risks and concerns about crime and victimization. While general victimization surveys are regularly conducted in the United Kingdom, less focused attention has been given to university student populations, despite that fact that they are likely to have specific concerns and fears about crime and victimization as well as perceptions of risk and security both on and off campuses that merit investigation. Until very recently no research had been conducted on student victimization in Scotland. This paper will present findings from research that has sought to address this knowledge gap. Data and findings will be presented from a student victimization survey conducted with undergraduate students in a Scottish university. This will be focused on assessing the prevalence and incidence of a number of types of victimization (including violent and sexual in all its forms) among university students and explore whether demographic variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, student 'type' (home/overseas), and lifestyle are linked to victimization experiences and prevention behavior.
Author: Bonnie Fisher, University of Cincinnati
Co-authors: Lesley McMillan, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland
Annette Robertson, Glasgow Caledonian University
Jon Godwin, Glasgow Caledonian University
The Drugs/Love Nexus: Broadening Beyond Crime to Better Understand Drime
Drugs are associated with a number of crimes. Goldstein's (1985) typology suggests three drugs-crime relationships, or "drimes". This framework has oriented criminological work on drime for more than two decades and will continue to do so in the future. Recently, a line of inquiry has emerged that expands understanding of drime by focusing on antithetical behavior. Based on data obtained in interviews with drug dealers, bars, and coffee shops in Amsterdam, this paper extends Goldstein's typology by suggesting three drugs-love relationships, or "droves": (1) the psychopharmacological model is when the ingestion of drugs increases toleration, apology, negotiation, gift giving, and cheaper prices; (2) the economic compulsive model involves gift giving and providing cheaper prices in order to help people obtain drugs; and, (3) the systemic model holds that involvement in an illegal market increases toleration, apology, and negotiation by reducing victims' access to law. The rationale behind this framework is that by giving scholarly attention to why, when and how drove occurs, then more can be learned about drime and, in turn, how to control it.
Author: Scott Jacques, University of Cincinnati
Virtual Reality and the Criminal Justice System: New Possibilities for Research
Virtual reality (VR) systems are being used to achieve a broad range of goals in a variety of fields. The criminal justice system can benefit from this rapidly expanding technology in a variety of ways. Using VR, researchers can create a multitude of situations in a controlled environment, allowing them, with a few clicks of the mouse, to manipulate anything in the virtual world. In addition to a great deal of experimental control, VR offers both researchers and subjects the benefits of conducting research in safe and cost-effective environments. Subjects can be exposed to real world threats without facing the pitfalls of real world harm. VR also allows researchers to utilize objective measures. Multiple studies involving VR have successfully used devices to measure heart rate, perspiration and muscular tension. Additionally, studies have incorporated the use of electroencephalography, positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure other physiological responses while in the virtual environment. Other methodological issues such as sample size, validity and causal inference can also be addressed using VR. Data collection is automatic, thereby minimizing the potential for coding errors. Virtual reality offers a cost-efficient and effective means of addressing the diverse needs of criminal justice research.
Author: Bobbie Ticknor, University of Cincinnati
The Effect of Victimization on Women's Health: Does the Victim-Offender Relationship Matter?
Existing empirical research from various disciplines has demonstrated that violence against women is a pervasive social problem affecting women of all ages, races, and socioeconomic statuses. Despite criticism of the field for a lack of national-level data and problems with differing terminology and definitions, the violence against women research has made great progress towards demonstrating the scope and extent of violence women experience. Using the National Violence Against Women Study (NVAWS), the present research seeks to expand what is known about violence against women by exploring the impact of the victim-offender relationship on a variety of negative health outcomes. Two research questions are tested: 1) what is the prevalence of violence against women by victim-offender relationship? and 2) what is the effect of the victim-offender relationship on a woman's psychological and physical health, and wellbeing? Findings indicate that a variety of perpetrators are responsible for violence against women, and that no single group can be ignored. Additionally, it appears that while victimization is related to negative health outcomes, the victim-offender relationship does not significantly contribute to increasing the odds of experiencing negative health outcomes. These findings are discussed in relation to previous empirical research and the direction of future research.
Author: Megan Stewart, University of Cincinnati
"Code of the Hallway": Examining the Effects of School Subculture on Delinquency
This study draws upon the subculture of violence literature that is usually applied to communities or neighborhoods to explain variation in criminal behavior. However, using data from almost 4,000 students nested within 111 unique school contexts, here we apply subculture to schools and explore how schools may serve as a context that somewhat parallels a community. That is, we examine how the subculture of a school (i.e., its "code of the hallway") may affect delinquency that occurs in school versus delinquency that occurs outside of school. In addition, we examine these effects in relation to different forms of violence (e.g., physical assault and robbery vs. sexual assault), and we explore whether these effects are possibly gendered (i.e., more powerful for males).
Author: Kristan Swartz, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Pamela Wilcox, University of Cincinnati
A Survey of Correctional Staff Support of Rehabilitation
While there is a substantial body of literature on public support for rehabilitation, the knowledge base regarding correctional staff support of rehabilitation is significantly smaller. Of those studies that have measured correctional staff support, there is considerable variation in the definition of support and the scales used to measure it. Even further, there is an untested assumption that the construct of rehabilitation has unwavering face validity across surveys and between different staff positions. For this study, the authors designed a survey to measure correctional staff support for rehabilitation while also testing the various definitions of support. In addition to a comprehensive understanding of correctional staff support of rehabilitation, the implications of the findings for the creation of a standardized assessment of correctional employee attitudes toward rehabilitation are discussed.
Author: Jessica Warner, University of Cincinnati
Co-author: Paula Smith, University of Cincinnati
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Public release date: 15-Nov-2011
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