Despite recent development in labeling theory, some voids in research still exist. First, labeling theory has overly emphasized formal labeling and relatively neglected the importance of informal labeling. Second, most research has centered on examining between-individual effects of labeling rather than within-individual effects from time to time in spite of a developmental nature of the theory. Third, prior research on informal labeling has not paid enough attention to a variety of mediating and moderating processes involved in the relationship between informal labeling and delinquency. This study addressed these voids by examining the within-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on adolescent delinquency with mediating and moderating processes involved in this effect. As mediating and moderating variables, deviant self-concept, attachment to parents, attachment to teachers, attachment to very close friends, and delinquent peer association were tested. Also, sex and prior delinquency were tested as moderating variables. The data came from Korea Youth Panel Study (KYPS), which consisted of 6 waves of panel data collected from 2003 to 2008. For the analysis, three-level random effect negative binomial models were estimated. The final sample size was 14,491 observations on 2,646 respondents in 100 cities. The result showed that perceived informal labeling had a significant and positive within-individual effect on later delinquency. When it comes to the mediating processes, deviant self-concept did not significantly explain the within-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency, while between-individual effect of deviant self-concept on delinquency was significantly reduced when deviant self-concept was included in the model. Rather, perceived informal labeling significantly reduced deviant self-concept after one year. This result implies that adolescents may deny or reject the labeling imposed by others. Also, attachment to others did not significantly account for the within-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency. This shows that attachment to others is not a consequential factor that explains the effect of labeling on delinquency. Meanwhile, delinquent peer association significantly accounted for the within-individual- and the between-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency as expected. In terms of the moderation analysis, the within-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency was more consequential for females than males, but prior delinquency did not significantly moderate the within-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency. Attachment to teachers reduced the positive within-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency as expected. Also, attachment to very close friends and delinquent peer association amplified the within-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency as expected. Unexpectedly, attachment to parents also turned out to increase the positive within-individual effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency. This result shows that parental attachment itself may not be a protective factor that reduces the harmful effect of informal labeling if the parental attachment does not involve any proper control over the adolescents. In sum, although this study showed a significant effect of perceived informal labeling on delinquency at the within-individual level, mediating and moderating processes involved in this association were somewhat different from prior studies that were based on the effect of formal labeling or between-individual dynamics. More research is needed with a variety of mediating processes, time spans, and samples to fully understand the within-individual dynamics involved in the association between main constructs of labeling theory given that the original theoretical framework of labeling theory proposes within-individual changes of individual behaviors over time. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / July 3, 2018. / delinquency, HLM, informal labeling, KYPS, self-concept / Includes bibliographical references. / Carter Hay, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ming Cui, University Representative; Sonja E. Siennick, Committee Member; William D. Bales, Committee Member.

The shift from indeterminate to determinate sentencing policies over the past three decades and the ensuing decline in the use of parole for monitoring inmates’ transition back into their communities has led to the development of alternate strategies of post-prison release supervision. The use of alternatives to parole varies considerably across the United States, with some states (e.g., Oregon) requiring that all inmates released from prison be subject to supervision after release from incarceration. In contrast others, such as Florida, mandate the post-release supervision of those offenders who meet a statutorily defined list of criteria, while still allowing for the post-incarceration supervision of offenders who may have been sentenced to an additional sanction of community supervision (i.e., split supervision) to immediately follow their prison sentence. To date, the empirical literature that has examined forms of post-prison release supervision have focused almost exclusively on the use of parole. There is extensive literature relating to various forms of community supervision among offenders diverted from imprisonment, however, there remains a lack of understanding regarding the various effects of split supervision on prisoner reentry employment outcomes for released inmates. This dissertation adds to the literature on post-prison release community supervision by examining the effect of one specific form of post-prison supervision on offender recidivism and employment outcomes: split supervision . Using data from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), this paper examines the effects of split supervision in comparison to release from prison with no form of supervision for a cohort of 187,739 inmates released from Florida prisons between January 2004 and December 2011. Given the lack of empirical research surrounding this topic, an extensive analysis of the two groups (those sentenced to a term of split supervision and those sentenced to a term of prison only) is conducted first in order to establish a basis for further analyses. Next, logistic regression and survival analysis methods are used to examine factors that predict who receives split supervision; to predict the likelihood of obtaining employment after release from prison, as well as multiple recidivism outcomes at one, two, and three years after release from incarceration. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / July 12, 2018. / Community Supervision, Employment, Florida, Prison, Recidivism, Sentencing / Includes bibliographical references. / William D. Bales, Professor Directing Dissertation; Melissa Radey, University Representative; Daniel P. Mears, Committee Member; Sonja E. Siennick, Committee Member.

Previous research links antisocial traits with criminal involvement and contact with the criminal justice system. In line with these findings, an emerging body of research has begun to explore if antisocial traits and persistent criminal behavior are associated with life outcomes outside of crime. The limited research that has examined the associations between antisocial traits, persistent offending, and life outcomes outside of crime has revealed that both antisocial traits and persistent offending are associated with an array of negative life outcomes including unemployment, financial instability, health problems, and turbulent interpersonal relationships (Beaver et al., 2016; Farrington, 2006; Miller, Barnes, & Beaver, 2011; Moffitt, Caspi, Harrington, & Milne, 2002; Moffitt et al., 2011). Considerably less research, however, has examined potential protective factors that may moderate the associations between antisocial traits, persistent offending, and negative life outcomes. This dissertation will address these gaps in the literature by examining associations between antisocial traits (i.e., low self-control, psychopathic personality traits), life-course-persistent offending, and life outcomes outside of crime and contract with the criminal justice system. In addition, this dissertation will explore potential individual-level and environmental protective factors that may moderate the associations between antisocial traits, persistent offending, and life outcomes outside of crime. The results reveal that antisocial traits and persistent offending are associated with life outcomes outside of crime. Additionally, the findings indicate that the relationships between antisocial traits, persistent offending, and life outcomes are moderated by several protective factors. The implications of these findings are discussed in reference to theory, policy implications, and future research. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / May 2, 2018. / Antisocial traits, Life-course criminology, Low self-control, Psychopathy / Includes bibliographical references. / Kevin M. Beaver, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stephen Tripodi, University Representative; Eric A. Stewart, Committee Member; Thomas G. Blomberg, Committee Member.

In recent years, criminologists have increasingly focused on understanding stability and change in crime over the life-course. Transitions such as marriage, work, and military service are considered to be potential turning points in the life-course that redirect one’s criminal career. Relatively neglected in life-course scholarship is a consideration of whether residential mobility is also a turning point that facilitates desistance from crime and substance use. The few studies that have examined this topic suggest that individuals who make long-distance moves are less likely to engage in crime compared to those who stay or those who make short-distance moves within their community (Kirk, 2009; 2012; Laub and Sampson, 2003; Osborn, 1980; Sharkey and Sampson, 2010; Shaw, 1966). Yet, several important gaps in the literature exist. The purpose of this dissertation is to advance life-course scholarship by addressing two important gaps in the existing body of research on residential mobility and desistance. First, this dissertation is the first study to examine the relationship between residential mobility (defined as a between-county move) and desistance from crime and substance use during the transition to adulthood. This gap is noteworthy given that residential mobility is an age-graded life event that is central to the transition to adulthood. In the U.S., rates of residential mobility are highest in the young adult years compared to any other developmental period, and scholars suggest that such moves constitute key role transitions and have important implications for locational attainment. Second, this dissertation is also one of the first studies to examine whether the relationship between residential mobility and desistance from crime depends on the context of the move. Although the average effect of moving may be protective, the effect likely depends on a number of factors. Two factors may be especially salient to residential moves during the transition to adulthood: (1) whether the move occurs in the presence of other adult social roles and (2) whether the move results in improvements in community context. There are reasons to expect residential mobility to have stronger or weaker effects depending on these features. This dissertation uses public and restricted geocode data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). These data contain a wealth of information about the transition to young adulthood, including respondents’ residential mobility, crime and substance use, adult social roles, and community context. In addition, restricted geocode data allows me to construct residential mobility patterns of respondents from 1997-2013 and determine the county-level characteristics of every residential location respondents reported living at during the survey. The primary contribution of this dissertation consists of three empirical chapters. The first empirical chapter examines the effect of residential mobility on desistance from crime and substance use during the transition to adulthood. The second empirical chapter examines whether the effect of residential mobility on crime depends on whether the move is accompanied by positive or negative adult social role transitions. The last empirical chapter examines whether moving into, out of, or remaining in counties marked by concentrated disadvantage and racial/ethnic segregation influences desistance from crime. In all three chapters, random effects regression is used to model within-individual change in residential mobility on change in offending, controlling for important time-stable and time-varying confounders. Results revealed that respondents experience immediate reductions in offending after moving, but with delinquency and substance use, the reductions were smaller (and possibly shorter lived); whereas, the reductions for arrest were larger and more sustained. Results also revealed that the effects of moving were relatively robust across key groups (i.e., gender, race, age, and criminal propensity). Finally, results revealed that the effects of residential mobility often depend on whether they are accompanied by adult social roles as well as the community context. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 13, 2018. / Crime and Substance Use, Desistance, Residential Mobility, Transition to Adulthood / Includes bibliographical references. / Sonja E. Siennick, Professor Directing Dissertation; Karin L. Brewster, University Representative; Carter Hay, Committee Member; Daniel P. Mears, Committee Member.

In a study conducted by the Bureau of Justice in 2014, approximately three-quarters (76.6%) of inmates released were re-arrested within five years. Studies have been conducted that examine the impact of inmate characteristics on the likelihood to recidivate once released from custody; however, no criminological studies exist that examine the occupation of inmates as a predictor of institutional misconduct, post-prison employment, and recidivism. This study will contribute to the current body of criminological research by taking a detailed examination of an individual’s occupation prior to incarceration as a possible predictor of their ability to adjust while incarcerated, their ability to gain post-prison employment, and their likelihood to recidivate after release. The data used in this dissertation was created through a National Institute of Justice researcher-practitioner partnership grant between Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) and Florida State University. The dataset is referred to as the ‘recidivism dataset,’ which tracks a cohort of inmates released from prisons in the State of Florida between years 2004-2011 (N=225,000). Results will be discussed along with any relevant policy implications related to the findings. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2017. / October 9, 2017. / Crime Correlates, Occupational Prestige, Recidivism / Includes bibliographical references. / William Bales, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stephen Tripodi, University Representative; Daniel P. Mears, Committee Member; Tom Blomberg, Committee Member.

The field of impression evidence analysis employs the concept of uniqueness, in order to arrive at a conclusion of association, between an evidence and a reference sample. However, the idea of uniqueness and its application in this field of forensic science, is considered conceptual by a few practitioners and courts, as it fails to be supported by sound scientific studies and experimentation. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the idea of uniqueness and its validity in footwear impression evidence analysis. Additionally, this study also aims to determine the presence or the lack of, a variation, between outsole impression size and the outsole size of the footwear that created the impression. The study required 3 volunteers to each, create 30 touch impressions and 10 step impressions with the same footwear, utilizing the EZID^TM Footwear Impression System manufactured by Sirchie®. Using Adobe Photoshop^TM CS4, the 30 touch impressions were analyzed by sequentially overlaying the impressions onto each other, in an effort to determine the area of overlay agreement between the impressions being analyzed. Subsequently, the 10 step impressions were examined by measuring the size of the impression created on the EZID Impression test cards, from the toe area to the heel area of the outsole impression. The data obtained indicate that, even under controlled settings and while attempting to maintain constant pressure through the creation of footwear impressions, it is impossible to generate prints that overlay perfectly. Further, the data also shows that a negligible variation occurs between the footwear outsole length and the length of the impression it creates, using the EZID^TM Footwear Impression System. This variation, however, is too small to cause any major hindrances in the estimation of footwear size.

<p> This study attempted to ascertain the prevalence value of rape myths located within social media user comments on the website Facebook. Research using existing Internet-based comments may provide insight into current attitudes and beliefs surrounding sexual violence. Using a quantitative content analysis, this study gauged the prevalence of rape myths in user comments by referencing a preset code list created with rape myths from the Acceptance of Modern Myths About Sexual Aggression scale (AMMSA) and the Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMA) and by locating emergent codes in the dataset.</p><p>

<p>During adolescence, as children begin to transition into adults, many physical and mental changes occur which bring with them a desire for experimentation. Thus, many adolescents begin to partake in substance use, in alignment with the views and beliefs of their peers and neighborhoods. In the United States, the most popular substances for adolescent use are alcohol and marijuana, which teenagers continue to indulge in at alarming numbers, despite either significant or relative decreases over the years, and has been brought on by exposure to certain risk factors. The goal of this study was to determine which factors create the greatest likelihood for adolescent alcohol and marijuana use, and if certain influential relationships, such as gang membership and other peer relationships, mediate the effects of disadvantaged neighborhoods. Additionally, an attempt was made to determine if the immediate surroundings and relationships of adolescents work in a complementary fashion to influence one another. In the study, it was found that a socially disorganized neighborhood contributes, along with parental relations, to the selections an adolescent makes in choosing peers. It was also found that poor peer selection can lead to gang membership which would consequently increase the chances of alcohol and marijuana use. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth of 1997 focusing on gangs and neighborhoods as influences to adolescent alcohol and marijuana use, it was discovered that various gang categories and having peers who use alcohol or marijuana correlated with increased adolescent alcohol and marijuana use. The explanation for these categories having such a significant impact on increased levels of adolescent substance use can be attributed to the impressionability and malleability of this transitioning age group, in an attempt to fit in with the peers they have chosen to associate with and a desire to indulge in new experiences.

<p> With the growing popularity of the &ldquo;get-tough&rdquo; movement in the early 1990&rsquo;s, juveniles that were at-risk for offending were deterred by way of formal sanctions. As a result, juveniles were being arrested at a higher rate for nonviolent crimes. Current laws are trying to divert first-time and nonviolent juvenile offenders from the juvenile courts and toward diversion. Diversion programs are designed to give limited interventions to &ldquo;at-risk&rdquo; youth with the intention to decrease subsequent offending. Some studies suggest that effective community-based diversion programs reduce recidivism rates of juveniles; however, not all diversion programs are designed the same. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a juvenile diversion program in the state of Louisiana. The current study will specifically look at diversion programs assisted by the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC). All youth diversion services provided will concentrate primarily on behavioral and substance abuse programs targeted for youth aged ten to seventeen. The current study is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of diversion programs by assessing the recidivism rates of first-time offenders.</p><p>

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