Alerting Faculty, Staff, and Students? Public Opinion on Sex Offender Notification on College Campuses.

Institutes of higher education have been called to action to address and prevent sexual violence perpetrated against college students. Based on legislation, one potential pathway is the extension of sex offender registration and notification (SORN) to the campus community. No research has assessed public perceptions of extending SORN, and in particular the perceived importance of notifying faculty, staff, and/or students about an enrolled student on campus that is registered. Via an online survey, this research assessed public perceptions of 1,269 U.S. adults in relation to campus notification. Using logistic regression, influencing factors that increased the odds respondents would find notification important for faculty/staff and students included their level of concern about registered persons attending college, number of children, and perceptions of social problems being worse now compared to 10 years ago. In regard to notifying students, African American respondents were more likely to think notifying students was important. Findings are discussed in relation to prior work on SORN as well as policy implications and considerations.

Faculty and Staff Perceptions of Title IX Mandatory Reporting Policies at Two Institutions.

Most faculty and staff at postsecondary institutions are mandatory reporters who must disclose sexual assault to a Title IX Coordinator. However, scholarship examining their role is sparse. We address this gap by investigating perceptions and experiences of employees (n = 166) at two institutions. Findings indicate that most employees are aware of their reporting duties, likely to comply, have received training, and support mandated reporting. Additionally, we find significant sociodemographic differences in perceptions of mandatory reporting. Those who have had a direct experience reporting have mixed reactions to the process. We discuss research and policy implications.

Public Support for "Get Smart" Criminal Justice Reform Post-2020: Virginia as a Case Study.

Over the last decade, some states have considered reforms to address the consequences of "get tough" justice. The passage of recreational marijuana laws-albeit incorporated across a minority of jurisdictions-is just one popular example. While recent scholarship indicates support for such measures among the public, there is a need for exploration of public views in light of the social unrest of 2020. Additionally, there is a need to understand public views across jurisdictions that are diverse. Accordingly, Virginia stands out as an ideal case study as it is the first state in the South to incorporate or consider a variety of progressive justice reforms. Drawing on a statewide poll conducted in 2021 (N = 1,017), this study explores the extent to which Virginians support recreational marijuana legislation, the repeal of mandatory minimums, and a moratorium on the death penalty. Findings indicate that approval varies by measure and that there are divides in public views, specifically, across socio-demographic dimensions (e.g., political ideology), and also across views about the state of society and willingness to fund the justice system. Implications are discussed.

Race, Bullying, and Public Perceptions of School and University Safety.

Bullying and school crime are important social problems that are receiving increased attention by scholars and policy makers. However, several critical questions remain unaddressed. First, does the public perceive bullying as a serious problem and judge schools-primary, secondary, and postsecondary-as safe or unsafe? Second, does the public use a "bullying lens" to judge school safety-that is, do citizens understand bullying as a serious threat to students' well-being? Third, are there racial differences in these perceptions? Prior research identifies racial differences in the prevalence of bullying, as well as in students' views of school safety and citizens' fear of crime. Similar racial gaps may characterize public perceptions of bullying and school safety. This study begins to illuminate answers to these questions by analyzing data from a representative sample of Virginians. Multivariate regression analyses produce several notable findings. First, we find that members of the public believe bullying in schools is an increasingly serious problem, and their perceptions of bullying influence their judgments of whether schools and colleges/universities are safe. Second, Black members of the public are more likely than persons from other racial and ethnic backgrounds to perceive that bullying is increasing and is a serious problem in schools, and, in turn, to judge that schools and universities are less safe. Our results indicate that members of the public see bullying as a principal threat to student safety. They suggest there is a strong reservoir of public support for antibullying initiatives and, more broadly, efforts to increase student safety.

A First Step, a Second Chance: Public Support for Restoring Rights of Individuals with Prior Convictions.

Recent federal and state-level justice reforms have centered on "legal reintegration" (e.g., permitting expungement for a greater range of crimes and rights restoration). While scholarship has tapped public opinion of this approach, much of it predates recent reentry efforts. We see an opportunity to extend this literature by focusing on a contemporary sample (N = 374) of residents living in Virginia, a state that recently considered such reforms. Results suggest most of the public supports expungement reform, but less than 40% support rights restoration generally, with approval levels dependent on specific type of restoration. Divides are explained by socio-demographic factors, particularly political ideology and race, as well as crime-related views. Implications are discussed.

Sexual Assault in the Ivory Tower: Public Opinion on University Accountability and Mandatory Reporting.

Highly publicized college sex crimes have recently captured public and policy attention. In response, greater discussion has turned to institutional accountability and controversial reforms such as mandatory reporting (MR). No study to date has measured public perceptions of campus sex assault procedures, however. This omission is notable because public opinion can directly and indirectly shape crime policy and because the topic has become increasingly politicized. Drawing on a 2015 poll of Virginia residents, this study evaluates views about campus sexual assault policy. Results indicate that two thirds of the public feel universities can effectively respond to sex crime and a large majority favors MR. Some differences in public opinion are evident. Research and policy implications are discussed.

Parks, Playgrounds, and Incidents of Sexual Assault.

In the United States, certain laws restrict those convicted of sexually offending from accessing social spaces where youth congregate such as parks and playgrounds. However, empirical work to date has rarely described sexual assaults in these locations or tested the assumptions of these laws explicitly. To address these gaps in the literature, we drew on the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to analyze offender, victim, and crime characteristics of sexual assaults that occurred at parks and playgrounds over a 5-year period (2010-2015). Estimated via multivariate logistic regression, results showed support for these law's assumptions when analyzing this particular location. However, stranger perpetrators were significantly more likely to sexually assault adult victims versus youth victims. Several other offense features distinguished youth versus adult victim sexual assault incidents at parks and playgrounds, such as the offender age, the use of force, and the injuries sustained by the victim. Collectively, these findings both support and challenge these types of social space restriction laws.

Public Perceptions of GPS Monitoring for Convicted Sex Offenders: Opinions on Effectiveness of Electronic Monitoring to Reduce Sexual Recidivism.

In the United States, electronic monitoring (EM) and global positioning systems (GPS) are new applications that are used to extensively monitor and track convicted sex offenders. What is unclear though are public perceptions of this strategy. This research examines public perceptions of a national sample of Americans on the use of GPS/EM with convicted sex offenders as a method to reduce their sexual recidivism. Using a multinomial regression model, we analyze the effects of sex offender myths and parental status on public perceptions that sex offender GPS/EM is very effective in reducing sexual recidivism. Findings suggest that public perceptions of effectiveness are partially driven by myths and also that parents are unsure of this strategy. The analysis contributes to the growing body of knowledge on public perceptions of GPS/EM to manage sex offenders in communities. Implications of the study and areas for future research are discussed in light of the findings.

The Good, the Bad, and the Incomprehensible: Typifications of Victims and Offenders as Antecedents of Beliefs About Sex Crime.

Public opinion has played a critical role in the development of sex crime laws. However, little scholarly work has focused directly on the origins of negative attitudes toward sex offenders. We address this research gap by developing and testing a theoretical account of such views. Drawing on recent national survey data, we examine the extent to which typifications about sexual victims and offenders--believing sex crime typically affects children and female victims and is committed by strangers--explain beliefs about the reformability of sex offenders, harm inflicted on victims, and the causes of offending. Results indicate that judging children to be typical targets of sex crimes is a key determinant of public views. We discuss the implications of our findings.

The cycle of violence: examining the impact of maltreatment early in life on adult offending.

Over the last two decades, considerable scholarly attention has been directed toward explaining the "cycle of violence"-a phenomenon whereby victimization and offending appear inexorably linked to one another. Extant work has greatly contributed to our understanding of this cycle for different types of abuse and different types of offending, such as sex offending. The link between sexual abuse and later offending cannot be overstated, with research suggesting the impact of sexual abuse on sex offending to be more pronounced than any other type of abuse. However, in the literature, questions remain regarding sex offenders' patterns of offending. Specifically, it remains unclear whether type of abuse experienced has a differential impact on type of offending in adulthopd. Using retrospective data from sexual offenders in a Canadian penitentiary, we address this research gap by examining the impact of abuse experienced during childhood and adolescence on various types of offending in adulthood. Results indicate partial support for the cycle of violence hypothesis-the extent of criminal involvement can be explained as being a consequence of prior maltreatment; however, findings also suggest refinements to the theory, because the influence of type of abuse varies depending on the type of offending examined. Research and policy implications are discussed.

Resiliency to victimization: the role of genetic factors.

There is a burgeoning line of criminological research examining the genetic underpinnings to a wide array of antisocial phenotypes. From this perspective, genes are typically viewed as risk factors that increase the odds of various maladaptive behaviors. However, genes can also have protective effects that insulate against the deleterious effects of environmental pathogens. The authors use this logic as a springboard to examine whether four different genes protect against victimization in a sample of youths determined to be at risk for being victimized. Analysis of data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) revealed that certain genetic polymorphisms protected adolescents from victimization. The authors conclude by discussing the complex ways in which genes and the environment can promote resiliency to victimization.

Molecularly imprinted polypyrrole encapsulated carbon nanotubes in stainless steel frit for micro solid phase extraction of estrogenic compounds.

A novel micro-solid phase extraction (microSPE) device was prepared by electrochemically adhering molecularly imprinted polypyrrole encapsulated carbon nanotubes (MIPPy/CNTs) onto a stainless steel frit. It was found that the use of CNTs increased the total binding capacity without compromising the porosity of the frit. Three templates, 17alpha-ethynyl estradiol (EE2), 17beta-estradiol (E2), and ochratoxin A (OTA) were imprinted individually to make their respective MIPPy/CNTs-modified frits. The binding properties of these microSPE devices were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FLD). In comparison with non-imprinted polypyrrole encapsulated carbon nanotubes (PPy/CNTs), the molecular imprinting technique enhanced the selective binding towards the imprint molecules. MIPPy/CNTs-microSPE-HPLC-FLD results demonstrated the selectivity of MIPPy had been tailored by imprinting with different templates. This is the first report on how versatile pyrrole can be as a functional monomer for the molecular imprinting of target compounds with a broad range of high to low pKa values.