John Jay College of Criminal Justice

The present study examined the frequency and content of implicit questions asked to 6- to 17-year-olds during cross-examinations ( N = 122) of children in child sexual assault trials and analyzed how often they rebutted these questions. Through qualitative content analysis, we found that defense attorneys most commonly asked children implicit questions about: ulterior motives, coaching, being untruthful, missing disclosure opportunities, having poor memory, and other credibility issues. Implicit questions were posed in 63% of cases, with children rebutting only 11% of implied inquiries. We observed no significant correlations between the age of children testifying and the overall frequency of implicit questions or rebuttals. However, age differences were found based on the content of the questions; younger children (aged 6–12) were more frequently subjected to implicit inquiries about coaching, whereas teenaged adolescents (aged 13–17) faced more questions related to truthfulness and credibility issues. In conclusion, children were frequently asked implicit questions that implied credibility concerns, which may be difficult for children to understand. Furthermore, defense attorneys change the focus of the content of their implicit questions depending on the age of the child testifying.

Despite large-scale racial inequalities across multiple social domains, racial innocence highlights the complacency of the law and social science research in denying racial power through race neutral assumptions. We explore three theoretical and methodological mechanisms maintaining racial innocence within quantitative social science: treating unequal structural conditions and organizational practices as impartial, isolating samples to reflect limited stages, and focusing on individual levels of analysis. Given that mass incarceration is one of the most visible modern-day exemplars of racial subordination in the United States, we use the example of incarceration sentencing to highlight these mechanisms. Using case processing data from Miami-Dade County between 2012 and 2015 (N = 86,340), we first examine racial inequality in incarceration sentencing when treating unequal case characteristics impartially across racial groups relative to when we allow case characteristics to be unequal across racial groups. Second, we examine racial inequality when isolating limited samples with narrow decision points relative to when we draw from samples across multiple stages. Finally, we examine racial inequality with individual-level frameworks relative to a neighborhood level frameworks. In this case, racial inequalities in incarceration sentencing with a racially consciousness approach are twice as large than with a racially innocent one.

When is online content antisemitic? This matter is highly contested, except in the case of explicit language. Yet implicit antisemitic content and conspiracy narratives about Jews have been on the rise, especially on moderated platforms. This paper maps empirically the connections between explicit antisemitic content and these other forms of content, showing the language game at play in an online community identified as antisemitic and providing a relatively simple answer to the classification of content question. Using data from two QAnon subreddits, r/CBTS_Stream and r/greatawakening, we identify the co-occurrence of explicit and implicit antisemitic language posted to the subreddits. The language game involves an ingroup having specialized knowledge related to implicit language or dog whistles; the ingroup knows and uses the secret meaning of these terms as an insider’s code. Content network analysis and qualitative coding illustrate that QAnon taught this insider’s code by presenting the overt, antisemitic meanings of implicit terms and generalized narratives in posts that combined them with explicit language. While explicit language appeared rarely and was used by only a small proportion of users, more than a third of QAnon users employed implicit antisemitic language in their posts. This implicit language communicated antisemitic conspiracy narratives and antisemitic ideas more generally, to an audience “in the know” while also offering the user plausible deniability. Moreover, the implicit antisemitic terms circumvent platform censorship and provide an opportunity to leverage common ground around antisemitic conspiracy narratives with new users without the stigma of explicitly antisemitic content. The question of whether content is antisemitic may easily be answered by looking at a community’s posts that combine explicit and implicit antisemitic language. (272 words).

This article is an argument for the inclusion of nuanced concepts like colorism in the public administration lexicon. Colorism is skin color discrimination-the darker the skin, the more likely an individual will be subject to discrimination. To a fault, colorism has been aligned with racial discrimination. This enmeshment has created a population of uncounted victims. Currently, public organizations have no way to detect administrator-citizen/client colorism that might transpire during the public encounter. The article discusses these conditions and strategies for addressing knowledge and practice gaps associated with this form of colorism. In addition, it provides action steps for practice, pedagogy, and research. Read-Only Copy: https://shorturl.at/N588b

Parents play an important role in protecting their children from childhood sexual abuse. Yet, there is relatively little empirical research examining what parents in the United States are currently doing to keep their children safe. Thus, our study examined which strategies a sample of United States parents reported using to prevent childhood sexual abuse and assessed the attitudes and beliefs they hold about sexual violence prevention. Parents were recruited for participation using an online crowd sourcing platform and completed a survey assessing their attitudes and beliefs related to childhood sexual abuse prevention. To assess prevention behaviors, participants reported their engagement in certain behaviors, use of prevention resources, and strategies for assessing the safety of other adults. The final sample (n = 383) was primarily White and college educated, with a slight female majority, and reported households largely comprised of cohabitating mothers and fathers. We found that parents in this sample are generally reporting implementing strategies reflecting best practice, including internet safety behaviors and parent-child discussions and education. Parents from this sample reported attitudes and beliefs thought to positively contribute to childhood sexual abuse prevention, including awareness of the prevalence of perpetration by known individuals, support for bodily autonomy, and use of correct anatomical terms for genitals. Lastly, a small negative correlation was found between parental perceptions of their child(ren) not being at risk for childhood sexual abuse and parental engagement in discussion-based practices.

Growing evidence suggests exposure to high temperatures may result in increased urban crime, a known driver of health and health inequity. Theoretical explanations have been developed to describe the heat-crime relationship without consensus yet achieved among experts. This scoping review aims to summarize evidence of heat-crime associations in U.S. cities. Further examination of empirical and translational inconsistencies in this literature will ensure future studies of urban heat-crime relationships in the U.S., and their policy impacts are informed by a thorough understanding of existing evidence. We performed a comprehensive literature search of empirical studies on heat-crime relationships in U.S. cities published between January 2000 and August 2023. The included studies were qualitatively synthesized based on operationalized exposures, outcomes, covariates, methodologies, theoretical framing, and policy implications. In total, 46 studies were included in this review. Most studies (93%) reported significant, positive associations between urban heat exposure and both violent and non-violent crime outcomes. The shape and strength of these associations varied based on operational definitions of urban heat exposures, crime outcomes, and relevant covariates in employed methods. We also found inconsistencies in the theoretical explanations and policy implications reported across studies. Climate-driven extreme heat events are projected to increase in frequency and severity. Our findings underscore the urgency of refining the understanding and translation of the complex relationship between urban heat and crime. In this review, we highlight opportunities to improve the methodological quality and responsible policy translation of future research in U.S. cities, which has implications for research globally.

Taking Global Constitutionalism as an agora, a platform for international interdisciplinary discussions this article asks a question about the state we are in with regard to the international order as an order that is not just a ‘rule-based order’ but also more substantially, a ‘legal order’ based on the rule of law. The topic is illustrated with reference to examples of ‘contested compliance’ i.e. objections to implementing international law and/or international rulings by international actors on behalf of signatories of states parties of a treaty. Three questions guide this discussion. The first is a question of normative change: are we facing a change regarding United Nations member states’ respect for and handling of the rule of law, or is a larger change of international law itself imminent? The second is a question about the effects of the shift from ‘normal’ contestations of norms to ‘deep’ contestations of the international order itself. And the third is a question about pluralism and diversity: are the UN Charter Order’s institutions, conventions and organisations sufficiently equipped to respond to an ever more diverse range of internationally, transnationally, and sub-nationally raised justice-claims? The article elaborates on each of the three themes in light of the current situation of contested compliance with obligations under international law.

Internationally, there has been a decline in the use of juvenile legal facilities (Puzzanchera et al., 2022). Yet, it is well documented that the process of reentering the community following placement in these settings presents numerous challenges for young people. Resilience-focused research offers a critical framework for prevention and intervention efforts to promote positive youth development; however, limited attention is given to the resilience of young people reentering communities from carceral and residential facilities. Addressing this gap in empirical knowledge requires an understanding of existing research on youth reentry and resilience. This scoping review identified peer-reviewed research from the past 20 years that focuses on the resilience of young people reentering from juvenile legal facilities, with a special interest in the subpopulations and identity groups represented and underrepresented in this research area. We identified, synthesized, and appraised 75 international and multidisciplinary studies on resilience experienced by youth who reenter from juvenile legal facility settings. Utilizing the Resilience Portfolio Model (Grych et al., 2015), we classified resilience processes relevant to youth reentry, including: (a) regulatory processes such as coping strategies and motivation; (b) meaning-making strengths such as sense of self, cultural identity, and future orientation; and (c) interpersonal relationships and social ecology, such as educational and vocational support. The utility of this scoping review includes identifying opportunities for future study on the role of resilience for system-involved young people, as well as a translational discussion of implications for existing and future practice, policy, and research in juvenile and criminal legal systems.

The present study utilizes a sophisticated street network statistical method to investigate the spatial and temporal influences of bus stops on the variations of crime in conjunction with environmental backcloth and target mobility. Specifically, we examine: (1) the spatial impacts of bus stops on street robbery, commercial robbery, commercial burglary, and residential burglary by time of the day and day of the week, land use, and target mobility, and (2) crime risk trajectory around bus stops. The findings reveal a heterogeneous impact of bus stops on crime, contingent on multiple factors. Notably, the influence of bus stops on crime varies significantly based on the nature of the surrounding environment, the time of day, and target mobility. In addition, the analysis reveals that crime risks around bus stops exhibit patterns of distance decay. The findings underscore the need for strategic deployment of crime prevention resources in areas of the highest risk, particularly in the immediate vicinity of bus stops in commercial zones, and calls for a strategic shift to “hot time” policing that prioritizes targeted interventions during peak hours of criminal activity.

We ignore the organisms that swirl around us at our peril

In Princess Jellyfish, authored by Higashimura Akiko, fashion is presented as an integral element in the constitution of gender and social status for women. This chapter examines how the protagonist Tsukimi and other female characters, treated as social outcasts due to their otaku obsessions and insufficiently gendered clothes, use fashion-designing to protect their all-female domain. With the help of Kuranosuke, a male transvestite, they learn how to use feminine clothes for their self-empowerment, rather than internalizing the socially appropriate gender assumptions integrated in feminine attire. This self-empowerment, however, does not lead them along the conventional trajectory typical of the female bildungsroman in shōjo manga. Instead of having its characters “grow up” into a heteronormative happy ending by establishing exclusively heterosexual dyads, this “neo”-shōjo manga ends with the re-establishment of the female-centered queer communal space, where the women can continue to live happily and love their objects of obsession.

The law enforcement profession has long been perceived as a stressful occupation, with the dangers of police work considered particularly relevant in explaining officers’ responses to stress and poor mental health outcomes. The current study contributes to the empirical literature on the sources of stress in policing and provides insight into the underlying mechanism of the relationship between job-related stressors and occupational stress. Using data from a representative sample of sworn police officers in the Korea Coast Guard (N = 757), this study examines the association between perceived job dangerousness and occupational stress as well as the possible mediating mechanisms through which job-related danger may increase occupational stress, specifically highlighting the mediating role of strain-based and time-based work–family conflict. The results indicate that officers who perceive their job as dangerous are more likely to experience higher levels of occupational stress. Additionally, work–family conflict mediates the impact of perceived job dangerousness on occupational stress, although only strain-based work–family conflict demonstrates a significant mediating effect. Based on our findings, we discuss policy implications in light of the unique demands of policing for the Korea Coast Guard.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) elimination in the U.S. will require increased screening among at-risk groups. Nontraditional immigration destinations (NTIDs) are those which have historically not been home to large Latino immigrant populations, and which have less culturally relevant services available. Methods: Interviews were performed with Latino immigrants in an NTID to understand health beliefs relevant to TB screening. A community advisory board (CAB) was formed to suggest interventions consistent with health beliefs using the RE-AIM framework for planning. Based on the CAB's suggestions, educational videos were developed. A survey was used to assess the impact of the videos in a pilot study. Results: Community members had low perceived susceptibility to TB, high perceived severity of disease, were unfamiliar with indications for screening, and had attitudes which supported screening, particularly if there was knowledge of treatment options. The CAB suggested making an educational video and helped to recruit participants to pilot the video which was made. Watching the video increased participants’ perceived importance of screening and intention to be screened. Conclusion: Partnering with community members and community-serving organizations in an NTID helped to co-create an educational initiative which increased intention to be screened for TB among Latino immigrant groups and provided information on where this could be accomplished.

Advocates for US state-level policy on behalf of low- and middle-income groups are increasingly focused on taxation but face difficulties framing policy goals. This case study of coalitions campaigning for progressive tax structures in Illinois and New York examines strategic framing. The article analyzes interviews and Facebook posts, websites and reports to examine how coalition members approached framing tasks (diagnostic and prognostic framing), how campaigns articulated frames, and variation across and within coalitions. While the prognosis was framed as fair tax in Illinois and investment/tax the rich in New York, the basic structure of arguments was similar—each bridged a public crisis to an inadequate tax structure and predicted some similar outcomes in their vision of hoped-for policy. Differences in political opportunity structure, time and policy accounted for some variation within and across coalitions. Consistent with prior literature, the history and structure of the coalition and organization characteristics were also important. Diagnostic posts in Illinois were less likely to identify a particular group to blame under the status quo or to hold responsible for paying more under new policy and described the wealthy in softer terms. This study shows the value of combining other types of data with social media when studying framing.

Different studies have examined racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Empirical examinations indicate that pretrial detention is a critical source of cumulative disadvantage in the United States. However, few studies have been undertaken in Latin America, where racial bias and pretrial detention remain understudied. This study utilized primary data collected from cases presented at Custody Hearings in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, employing logistic regression and path analysis. The findings indicate that while race does not have a direct effect on conviction decisions, it exerts an indirect effect through pretrial detention. Specifically, Afro-Brazilians face higher odds of pretrial detention compared to their white counterparts, which subsequently increases their odds of being convicted. Implications concerning racial disadvantages in the Brazilian criminal justice system are discussed.

Executive Summary Throughout the world, confessions serve an important function in law enforcement and the administration of criminal justice. Analyses of wrongful convictions in the United States and elsewhere, however, have shown that admissions and confessions drawn from innocent people—a highly counterintuitive phenomenon—are a major contributing factor. In 2010, Kassin et al. published a Scientific Review Paper (SRP) in which they reviewed basic principles of psychology and forensic research that identified the types of police interrogation practices and suspect vulnerabilities that increase the risk. In light of additional exonerations and an explosion of new research, this article aims to update and expand that earlier review by considering not only the causes and correlates of false confessions but the harmful consequences that follow and the remedies that should be implemented to prevent their occurrence. This article is motivated by four objectives. The first is to bring together a multidisciplinary group of scholars (from clinical, social, cognitive, and developmental psychology; law and criminology) to review the state of the relevant science. Our second objective is to identify the personal and situational factors that compromise the reliability of confession evidence. Third, we seek to extend our analysis to the consequences of confessions—namely, their biasing effects on eyewitnesses, alibis, and forensic examiners; their tendency to increase the rate of false guilty pleas and jury convictions at trial; and the stigma that follows innocent confessors through the system, even after exoneration. Fourth, we summarize recent research on science-based cognitive alternatives to suspect interviewing that help to prevent police-induced false confessions. In light of data showing that Miranda warnings fail to safeguard the accused, we propose the following remedies: (1) mandate the video recording of all suspect interviews and interrogations in their entirety and from a “neutral” camera angle; (2) require that police have an evidence-based suspicion before commencing a guilt-presumptive interrogation; (3) curb the use of accusatorial tactics by imposing limits on detention and interrogation time and banning the presentations of false evidence and minimization themes that imply leniency; (4) adopt a science-based model of cognitive interviewing as an alternative; (5) protect youthful suspects and vulnerable adults by mandating the presence of a defense attorney, and a suitable appropriate adult where required; (6) shield lay witnesses and forensic examiners from confessions to ensure the independence of their judgments; and (7) abolish contributory clauses from compensation statutes that penalize innocent individuals who confessed and/or pled guilty. These reforms should help to prevent confession-based wrongful convictions and improve the administration of justice for all concerned.