SAGE Journal Articles

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Kilpatrick, D. G. (2004). What is violence against women: Defining and measuring the problem. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19(11), 1209-1234.

Abstract: Violence against women (VAW) is a prevalent problem with substantial physical and mental health consequences throughout the world, and sound public policy is dependent on having good measures of VAW. This article (a) describes and contrasts criminal justice and public health approaches toward defining VAW, (b) identifies major controversies concerning measurement of VAW, (c) summarizes basic principles in identifying and measuring VAW cases, and (d) recommends changes to improve measurement of VAW. In addition to reviewing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Workshop on Building Data Systems for Monitoring and Responding to Violence Against Women and the World Health Organization World Report on Violence and Health, the article concludes that changes are needed in the FBI Uniform Crime Reports and National Crime Victimization Survey to improve measurement of rape and sexual assault.

Questions to Consider:

1. Discuss the historical background of violence against women in the United States.

2. Why is the examination of criminal code definitions in the United States so complicated as it relates to violence?

 

McLean, K., & Wolfe, S. E. (2016). A sense of injustice loosens the moral bind of law: Specifying the links between procedural injustice, neutralizations, and offending. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 43(1), 27-44.

Abstract: Existing literature demonstrates a clear connection between perceptions of procedural injustice and offending behaviors. Despite this connection, the mechanisms through which procedural injustice influences offending remain theoretically underdeveloped. To address this gap, the current study proposes that techniques of neutralization can be used to further develop our understanding of the connection between procedural injustice and criminal behavior. Using longitudinal data from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program, the links between procedural injustice, techniques of neutralization, and offending are explored. Results show that the effect of procedural injustice on offending is partially mediated by individuals’ neutralization attitudes. This finding expands the scope of procedural justice theory by demonstrating that procedural injustice is associated with attitudes conducive to criminal behavior rather than only the behavior itself.

Questions to Consider:

1. What is procedural justice theory?

2. Do techniques of neutralization mediate the effect of procedural injustice on criminal behavior?