Thesis (M.S.)--Villanova University, 2006. / Psychology Dept. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2007. / Thesis advisor: Jennifer Hedlund. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Criminal Justice." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-50). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This dissertation examines the relationship between same-sex sexual behavior and Age, Period, and Birth Cohort through an analysis of the General Social Survey (GSS). The GSS has undertaken 14 rounds of data collection between 1988 and 2010 in which questions on sexual behavior have been administered (n=33,212, 14,591 Males, 18,621 Females). Logistic regression models were employed in order to parse out the effects of Age, Period, and Birth Cohort, along with other explanatory variables, to determine the likelihood of the reporting same-sex sexual behavior. It was found that among women, but not men, there is a significant birth cohort effect on same-sex sexual behavior. Among, men, but not women, there was significant period effect on same-sex sexual behavior in Time 3 of the study. Among both men and women, there was a significant curvilinear relationship between age and the reporting of same-sex sexual behavior. Shifts in cultural values and methodological issues may explain the birth cohort and period effects on same-sex sexual behavior. The idea of the "sexual narrative" is introduced to explain the curvilinear age effect on same-sex sexual behavior. / 10000-01-01

Anxieties about the premature sexualisation of children (Bailey, 20II) and the prevalence of abuse among children (Radford et al, 20 11) have coincided with ongoing attempts through legislation and policy to protect children from sexual abuse by adults and children alike since the early 1990s (Masson, 2006). As the legal framework has expanded in scope, research by psychologists, criminologists and social scientists suggest that children convicted of sexual offences have low rates of recidivism (Hargreaves and Francis 2013), reduced further by interventions that meet their needs as young people in a holistic fashion (Rich, 20II; Hackett, 2004). Against this background, Children, sex and the law explores the complex issues that emerge when the law is used to respond to sexual activity by children. The research comprises a combination of secondary research of the legal framework and direct inductive qualitative research through in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten young people, followed by interviews with ten professionals to contextualise their experiences. The findings provide a unique insight into the experience of ten young people with histories of harmful sexual behaviour in contact with the criminal justice system and their experiences of the legal processes. The findings consider the journeys of these ten young people in three distinct phases, each marked by legal events: in the lead up to contact with the criminal justice system, their navigation through the system and their preparation towards reintegration. The study concludes that the current legal framework is ill suited to achieving its aim of protecting children and preventing reoffending.

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M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This study investigates the stereotypic ways in which superheroes and superheroines are portrayed in children's animated programs. Previous studies have concluded that both animated males and females are presented in traditional sex-role stereotypic ways. Therefore, it was expected that heroic characters would be portrayed similarly. Of the 61 programs recorded, 24 contained heroic characters resulting in 46 superheroes and 24 superheroines. Each character was evaluated on physical appearance, personality traits, physical behaviors, and communicative behaviors. T-tests indicated significant differences between males and females, with superheroines portrayed as more attractive, emotional, superficial, inquisitive, easily excited, and worried about appearance compared to their male counterparts. Superheroes were presented as muscular, tough, angry, and more likely to threaten others compared to females. The potential implications of presenting characters in sex-role stereotypic ways are explored. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2004. / Date of Defense: March 24, 2004. / Gender Roles, Cartoons, Stereotyping / Includes bibliographical references. / Arthur A. Raney, Professor Directing Thesis; Laura M. Arpan, Committee Member; Donnalyn Pompper, Committee Member.

The overarching goal of the current work was to explore sanctions experienced by sex offenders prior to incarceration, during incarceration, and after their release using three separate but interrelated studies. The first study analyzed how the media framed sex offenders, and how this compared to the media’s portrayal of murderers. The study used a content analysis of newspaper articles published in 2007, the year after the Adam Walsh Safety and Protection Act was passed, and 2017. Open coding (the identification of categories and concepts) and axial coding (the process of relating categories and concepts) strategies were used. Findings showed that the media relied on specific categories to describe offenders, victims, and offenses, with an emphasis on sensationalized stories. The second study was an exploratory effort to understand how sex offenders were treated in prison, whether they were subject to greater maltreatment and/or distrust than other inmates, and if certain segments of the inmate population were more accepting of sex offenders than others. The study used labeling theory to guide these efforts, with an emphasis on stigma and stigmatic shaming. The data were from 5 years of letters written by a convicted sex offender during his incarceration. A content analysis using open coding and axial coding were used. Findings suggested that public perceptions of prison life as dangerous and violent were not consistent with the offender’s lived experience. The last study examined which areas offenders were most likely to reside and characteristics of these communities. The study drew from social disorganization theory and focused on the concept of concentrated disadvantage. The study used ArcGIS, a mapping software program, to demonstrate the areas in which sex offenders reside and the locations in which they were in violation of current housing restrictions. The study found that a proportion of sex offenders in Mississippi were in violation of housing restrictions that prevented them from living close to areas where children were most likely to be present (e.g., parks and schools).

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published_or_final_version / abstract / English / Master / Master of Philosophy