Eileen Ahlin | Penn State Harrisburg (original) (raw)

Papers by Eileen Ahlin

Despite much recent attention devoted to understanding the ramifications of residential mobility,... more Despite much recent attention devoted to understanding the ramifications of residential mobility, especially negative consequences for youth, there is scant research exploring how inner-city mobility impacts youth violence and victimization among minorities and immigrants. Leaving the city imparts benefits: decreasing deviance and improving youth outcomes. Considering that many are unable to "escape" the city, clarifying what effects, if any, inner-city mobility has is critical. Destination neighborhoods for youth who move in the city are either contextually the same, better, or worse than their original neighborhood. Evidence suggests that immigrant families are more likely to move as are racial minorities. Because of this, the researchers examined the extent to which moving within a city affects minority and immigrant youth experiences, particularly in relation to changes in neighborhood collective efficacy; a major characteristic shaping community crime rates and youth ...

Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2017

Exposure to community violence (ETV-C) negatively impacts youth development and is associated wit... more Exposure to community violence (ETV-C) negatively impacts youth development and is associated with many negative outcomes. Although attention has been paid to examining risk and protective factors that promote or reduce ETV-C, many of the studies in this growing body of literature do not place predictive models within a theoretical framework. In this review, we argue that the routine activity theory and lifestyles perspectives (RAT/LS) within an ecological framework is a useful strategy for examining how a series of behaviors and choices enacted by youth in their everyday lives affects their ETV-C. By focusing on the role of target suitability and capable guardianship within the neighborhood, family, peers, and individual levels of the mesosystem, we suggest scholars can examine the relative salience of these various components to determine whether they serve to increase youth's ETV-C or buffer against such experiences. We propose that the RAT/LS perspectives can not only be placed in an ecological framework, but it also provides effective tenets with which to explore ETV-C.

Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 2016

Using hierarchical generalized linear modeling and the Project on Human Development in Chicago Ne... more Using hierarchical generalized linear modeling and the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods data, the authors examine whether different types of guardianship protect youth against exposure to violence in the neighborhood while controlling for situations where exposure is most likely to occur. Protective family management practices and internal locus of control significantly reduce exposure to community violence. Contrary to expectations, however, neighborhood collective efficacy exerted no effect. The findings emphasize the importance of considering family management practices and individual characteristics as protective factors against harmful environments. Further, guardianship is not restricted to external informal agents of control.

Journal of interpersonal violence, 2018

Experiences with neighborhood violence can produce negative consequences in youth, including stre... more Experiences with neighborhood violence can produce negative consequences in youth, including stress, anxiety, and deviant behavior. Studies report that immigrant and minority youth are more likely to be exposed to violence but less likely to perpetrate it. Similarly, research shows parenting practices are differentially adopted by Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics. Although family management strategies can often act as a barrier to the detrimental effects of exposure to community violence (ETV-C), there is a paucity of investigation on how Hispanic subgroups (e.g., Puerto Rican, Mexican) and immigrant families employ such practices in protecting their children against victimization and violence in the community. Applying an ecological framework, we use data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods to examine the role of parenting and peer relationships on youth ETV-C, across race/ethnicity and immigrant generational status. Our sample is drawn from Cohorts 9, 12, a...

This book places youth violence within a Routine Activity Ecological Framework. Youth violence, s... more This book places youth violence within a Routine Activity Ecological Framework. Youth violence, specifically youth exposure to community violence and perpetration of violent behaviors, occurs within various contexts. Ahlin and Antunes situate their discussion of youth violence within an ecological framework, identifying how it is nested within the four mesosystem layers: community, family, peers and schools, and youth characteristics. Contextualized using an ecological framework, the Routine Activity Theory and Lifestyles perspective (RAT/LS) are well suited to guide an examination of youth violence risk and protective factors across the four layers. Drawing on scholarship that explores predictors and consequences of youth violence, the authors apply RAT/LS theory to explain how community, family, peers, schools, and youth characteristics influence violent behavior. Each layer of the ecological framework unfolds to reveal the latest scholarship and contextualizes how concepts of RAT/LS, specifically the motivated offender, target suitability, and guardianship, can be applied at each level. This book also highlights the mechanisms and processes that contribute to youth exposure to and involvement in violence by exploring factors examined in the literature as protective and risk factors of youth violence. Youth violence occurs in context, and, as such, the understanding of multilevel predictors and preventive measures against it can be situated within an RAT/LS ecological framework. This work links theory to extant research. Ahlin and Antunes demonstrate how knowledge of youth violence can be used to develop a robust theoretical foundation that can inform policy to improve neighborhoods and youth experiences within their communities, families, and peers and within their schools while acknowledging the importance of individual characteristics. This monograph is essential reading for those interested in youth violence, juvenile delinquency, and juvenile justice research and anyone dedicated to preventing crime among youths.

The Journal of Primary Prevention, 2020

The Journal of Primary Prevention is dedicating this special issue to the topic of gun violence a... more The Journal of Primary Prevention is dedicating this special issue to the topic of gun violence and the detrimental effects it has on communities. The papers represent original research articles providing scientific evidence on the unintended consequences of gun violence and exposure to such violence in neighborhoods and communities. These papers also take seriously the role of theory in our understanding of gun violence. Funding for gun violence research is experiencing a resurgence, and these papers substantively contribute to that narrative.

The procedural justice literature has demonstrated that police fairness leads to many desirable o... more The procedural justice literature has demonstrated that police fairness leads to many desirable outcomes, including citizen cooperation with the police. Police fairness also should decrease citizen resistance-behaviors, including confrontational behavior during contacts with the police. Using the 2008 Police-Public Contact Survey (PPCS), several questions asking respondents whether they believe the police acted fairly during the contact they had with the police are compared with whether respondents reported using a variety of resistance-behaviors during this contact. Findings suggest that perceptions of police fairness are connected to whether citizens defy the police and policy implications are discussed.The ability of the police to maintain formal social control over situations is largely dependent on citizens' perceptions of their legitimacy. Whether the public perceives the police to have the legitimate authority to act on behalf of the government is a crucial factor in obta...

It is a widely held belief among the legislative and judicial branches of state government in the... more It is a widely held belief among the legislative and judicial branches of state government in the United States that first offenders criminally convicted of violating an alcohol-related traffic law are drivers with a single and isolated alcohol-related event. This finding is inconsistent with published estimates that a person can drive while impaired by alcohol 200 to 2,000 times before being arrested once (1-6). Moreover, some drivers manage to have their records expunged under certain conditions and many state motor vehicle administration (MVA) offices routinely purge driving records after a set number of years. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the typical so-called first offender will have had an extensive history of alcohol-impaired driving by the time he or she makes it into the MVA's record system. The low probability of arrest (much less conviction) for alcohol-impaired driving, the practice of expunging and/or purging driver records, and the leniency with which...

The existing literature on alcohol-related traffic offenses includes demographics of adults with ... more The existing literature on alcohol-related traffic offenses includes demographics of adults with multiple alcohol-related traffic offenses but fails to address why recidivism occurs. Criminological theories, such as Travis Hirschi's social bond theory, may be utilized to explain the crime of alcohol-impaired driving. Social bond theory maintains that those individuals with strong attachments, involvements, commitments and beliefs will be less likely to engage in criminal and delinquent behavior. The current study applies Hirschi's social bond theory to a population of adults with multiple alcohol-related traffic offenses and investigates the association between social bonds and recidivism. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference, see ITRD Abstract No. E201067.

Youth Violence in Context

Journal of Criminal Justice Education

Abstract While criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) undergraduate programs serve the bulk of ou... more Abstract While criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) undergraduate programs serve the bulk of our students, much research within the field pays attention to Ph.D. programs and their faculty. Such focus at the polar ends of educational opportunities for those seeking higher education in CCJ leaves a gap in information on master’s degrees in the discipline. This research note describes the programmatic features and experiences of 34 programs and paints a picture of current master’s level education to guide program refinement and development and assist undergraduate students applying to CCJ master’s programs. Findings suggest there are a set of core courses offered across programs that often align with faculty expertise and students have varied culminating experience opportunities. There is also much productivity among graduate students who conduct research and publish and/or present their findings. The paper describes gaps in the literature and discusses suggestions for future research directions.

Race and Justice

The present study aims to investigate whether U.S. citizenship status influences the racializatio... more The present study aims to investigate whether U.S. citizenship status influences the racialization of offenders engaged in homicide, sexual violence, and terrorism. The role of social media exposure and interracial contact are explored as additional proximal factors that may explain racialization across citizenship status. The cross-sectional online survey consisted of 729 participants enrolled at a culturally diverse northeastern university. Results suggest that non-U.S. citizens have a more color-blind perspective and are less likely to racialize crime when associating a particular race/ethnicity with violent crimes. Surprisingly, social media exposure and interracial contact were not significant contributors to racialization. Suggestions for future research and policy implications are discussed.

Journal of Criminal Justice Education

Abstract Much work by criminology and criminal justice scholars assesses and ranks doctoral progr... more Abstract Much work by criminology and criminal justice scholars assesses and ranks doctoral programs and faculty based on productivity measured as number of articles, journal prestige, and grantspersonship. These state-of-the-field publications provide important information about the subset of Ph.D. programs and their faculty. Less attention is paid in these discussions to productivity among faculty at master’s degree granting programs; omitting a considerable bulk of scholars. Using self-report survey data from 34 residential criminal justice master’s degree granting programs, the present research explores productivity of faculty by examining a variety of publication outlets and grantspersonship to assess contributions to the field over a five-year period, 2014–2018. This study is a first step in understanding the strengths of master’s level program faculty and their representation in the discipline. The paper concludes by outlining future considerations for research to extend the discussion on faculty productivity to scholars from a wider-range of programs.

The Veterans Treatment Court Movement

Victims & Offenders

ABSTRACT This exploratory research quantifies the prevalence of sexual victimization of juvenile ... more ABSTRACT This exploratory research quantifies the prevalence of sexual victimization of juvenile inmates ages 16–17 housed in the adult correctional system in the United States, using data collected from 1,618 juveniles during the National Inmate Survey (NIS-3) conducted between 2011 and 2012. The study presents a number of policy directives to further reduce the number of inmates under the age of 18 subject to sexual crimes while incarcerated. First, there is a need for inmates aged 16 and 17 to be extensively screened for risk of victimization at intake. Second, correctional administrations need to clearly define, communicate, and model appropriate behavior for employees, and to respond swiftly and definitively when a reported incident occurs. Lastly, states, counties, and territories must reassess both their juvenile waiver policies and their protocols for housing juveniles in facilities with older inmates. The NIS data, as well as prior research, indicate that juveniles are being waived into the adult justice system, and housed pretrial in adult facilities, for non-violent offenses. Key stakeholders in criminal justice, child welfare, state legislatures, and the general public should demand greater transparency within the waiver process.

Despite much recent attention devoted to understanding the ramifications of residential mobility,... more Despite much recent attention devoted to understanding the ramifications of residential mobility, especially negative consequences for youth, there is scant research exploring how inner-city mobility impacts youth violence and victimization among minorities and immigrants. Leaving the city imparts benefits: decreasing deviance and improving youth outcomes. Considering that many are unable to "escape" the city, clarifying what effects, if any, inner-city mobility has is critical. Destination neighborhoods for youth who move in the city are either contextually the same, better, or worse than their original neighborhood. Evidence suggests that immigrant families are more likely to move as are racial minorities. Because of this, the researchers examined the extent to which moving within a city affects minority and immigrant youth experiences, particularly in relation to changes in neighborhood collective efficacy; a major characteristic shaping community crime rates and youth ...

Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2017

Exposure to community violence (ETV-C) negatively impacts youth development and is associated wit... more Exposure to community violence (ETV-C) negatively impacts youth development and is associated with many negative outcomes. Although attention has been paid to examining risk and protective factors that promote or reduce ETV-C, many of the studies in this growing body of literature do not place predictive models within a theoretical framework. In this review, we argue that the routine activity theory and lifestyles perspectives (RAT/LS) within an ecological framework is a useful strategy for examining how a series of behaviors and choices enacted by youth in their everyday lives affects their ETV-C. By focusing on the role of target suitability and capable guardianship within the neighborhood, family, peers, and individual levels of the mesosystem, we suggest scholars can examine the relative salience of these various components to determine whether they serve to increase youth's ETV-C or buffer against such experiences. We propose that the RAT/LS perspectives can not only be placed in an ecological framework, but it also provides effective tenets with which to explore ETV-C.

Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 2016

Using hierarchical generalized linear modeling and the Project on Human Development in Chicago Ne... more Using hierarchical generalized linear modeling and the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods data, the authors examine whether different types of guardianship protect youth against exposure to violence in the neighborhood while controlling for situations where exposure is most likely to occur. Protective family management practices and internal locus of control significantly reduce exposure to community violence. Contrary to expectations, however, neighborhood collective efficacy exerted no effect. The findings emphasize the importance of considering family management practices and individual characteristics as protective factors against harmful environments. Further, guardianship is not restricted to external informal agents of control.

Journal of interpersonal violence, 2018

Experiences with neighborhood violence can produce negative consequences in youth, including stre... more Experiences with neighborhood violence can produce negative consequences in youth, including stress, anxiety, and deviant behavior. Studies report that immigrant and minority youth are more likely to be exposed to violence but less likely to perpetrate it. Similarly, research shows parenting practices are differentially adopted by Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics. Although family management strategies can often act as a barrier to the detrimental effects of exposure to community violence (ETV-C), there is a paucity of investigation on how Hispanic subgroups (e.g., Puerto Rican, Mexican) and immigrant families employ such practices in protecting their children against victimization and violence in the community. Applying an ecological framework, we use data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods to examine the role of parenting and peer relationships on youth ETV-C, across race/ethnicity and immigrant generational status. Our sample is drawn from Cohorts 9, 12, a...

This book places youth violence within a Routine Activity Ecological Framework. Youth violence, s... more This book places youth violence within a Routine Activity Ecological Framework. Youth violence, specifically youth exposure to community violence and perpetration of violent behaviors, occurs within various contexts. Ahlin and Antunes situate their discussion of youth violence within an ecological framework, identifying how it is nested within the four mesosystem layers: community, family, peers and schools, and youth characteristics. Contextualized using an ecological framework, the Routine Activity Theory and Lifestyles perspective (RAT/LS) are well suited to guide an examination of youth violence risk and protective factors across the four layers. Drawing on scholarship that explores predictors and consequences of youth violence, the authors apply RAT/LS theory to explain how community, family, peers, schools, and youth characteristics influence violent behavior. Each layer of the ecological framework unfolds to reveal the latest scholarship and contextualizes how concepts of RAT/LS, specifically the motivated offender, target suitability, and guardianship, can be applied at each level. This book also highlights the mechanisms and processes that contribute to youth exposure to and involvement in violence by exploring factors examined in the literature as protective and risk factors of youth violence. Youth violence occurs in context, and, as such, the understanding of multilevel predictors and preventive measures against it can be situated within an RAT/LS ecological framework. This work links theory to extant research. Ahlin and Antunes demonstrate how knowledge of youth violence can be used to develop a robust theoretical foundation that can inform policy to improve neighborhoods and youth experiences within their communities, families, and peers and within their schools while acknowledging the importance of individual characteristics. This monograph is essential reading for those interested in youth violence, juvenile delinquency, and juvenile justice research and anyone dedicated to preventing crime among youths.

The Journal of Primary Prevention, 2020

The Journal of Primary Prevention is dedicating this special issue to the topic of gun violence a... more The Journal of Primary Prevention is dedicating this special issue to the topic of gun violence and the detrimental effects it has on communities. The papers represent original research articles providing scientific evidence on the unintended consequences of gun violence and exposure to such violence in neighborhoods and communities. These papers also take seriously the role of theory in our understanding of gun violence. Funding for gun violence research is experiencing a resurgence, and these papers substantively contribute to that narrative.

The procedural justice literature has demonstrated that police fairness leads to many desirable o... more The procedural justice literature has demonstrated that police fairness leads to many desirable outcomes, including citizen cooperation with the police. Police fairness also should decrease citizen resistance-behaviors, including confrontational behavior during contacts with the police. Using the 2008 Police-Public Contact Survey (PPCS), several questions asking respondents whether they believe the police acted fairly during the contact they had with the police are compared with whether respondents reported using a variety of resistance-behaviors during this contact. Findings suggest that perceptions of police fairness are connected to whether citizens defy the police and policy implications are discussed.The ability of the police to maintain formal social control over situations is largely dependent on citizens' perceptions of their legitimacy. Whether the public perceives the police to have the legitimate authority to act on behalf of the government is a crucial factor in obta...

It is a widely held belief among the legislative and judicial branches of state government in the... more It is a widely held belief among the legislative and judicial branches of state government in the United States that first offenders criminally convicted of violating an alcohol-related traffic law are drivers with a single and isolated alcohol-related event. This finding is inconsistent with published estimates that a person can drive while impaired by alcohol 200 to 2,000 times before being arrested once (1-6). Moreover, some drivers manage to have their records expunged under certain conditions and many state motor vehicle administration (MVA) offices routinely purge driving records after a set number of years. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the typical so-called first offender will have had an extensive history of alcohol-impaired driving by the time he or she makes it into the MVA's record system. The low probability of arrest (much less conviction) for alcohol-impaired driving, the practice of expunging and/or purging driver records, and the leniency with which...

The existing literature on alcohol-related traffic offenses includes demographics of adults with ... more The existing literature on alcohol-related traffic offenses includes demographics of adults with multiple alcohol-related traffic offenses but fails to address why recidivism occurs. Criminological theories, such as Travis Hirschi's social bond theory, may be utilized to explain the crime of alcohol-impaired driving. Social bond theory maintains that those individuals with strong attachments, involvements, commitments and beliefs will be less likely to engage in criminal and delinquent behavior. The current study applies Hirschi's social bond theory to a population of adults with multiple alcohol-related traffic offenses and investigates the association between social bonds and recidivism. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference, see ITRD Abstract No. E201067.

Youth Violence in Context

Journal of Criminal Justice Education

Abstract While criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) undergraduate programs serve the bulk of ou... more Abstract While criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) undergraduate programs serve the bulk of our students, much research within the field pays attention to Ph.D. programs and their faculty. Such focus at the polar ends of educational opportunities for those seeking higher education in CCJ leaves a gap in information on master’s degrees in the discipline. This research note describes the programmatic features and experiences of 34 programs and paints a picture of current master’s level education to guide program refinement and development and assist undergraduate students applying to CCJ master’s programs. Findings suggest there are a set of core courses offered across programs that often align with faculty expertise and students have varied culminating experience opportunities. There is also much productivity among graduate students who conduct research and publish and/or present their findings. The paper describes gaps in the literature and discusses suggestions for future research directions.

Race and Justice

The present study aims to investigate whether U.S. citizenship status influences the racializatio... more The present study aims to investigate whether U.S. citizenship status influences the racialization of offenders engaged in homicide, sexual violence, and terrorism. The role of social media exposure and interracial contact are explored as additional proximal factors that may explain racialization across citizenship status. The cross-sectional online survey consisted of 729 participants enrolled at a culturally diverse northeastern university. Results suggest that non-U.S. citizens have a more color-blind perspective and are less likely to racialize crime when associating a particular race/ethnicity with violent crimes. Surprisingly, social media exposure and interracial contact were not significant contributors to racialization. Suggestions for future research and policy implications are discussed.

Journal of Criminal Justice Education

Abstract Much work by criminology and criminal justice scholars assesses and ranks doctoral progr... more Abstract Much work by criminology and criminal justice scholars assesses and ranks doctoral programs and faculty based on productivity measured as number of articles, journal prestige, and grantspersonship. These state-of-the-field publications provide important information about the subset of Ph.D. programs and their faculty. Less attention is paid in these discussions to productivity among faculty at master’s degree granting programs; omitting a considerable bulk of scholars. Using self-report survey data from 34 residential criminal justice master’s degree granting programs, the present research explores productivity of faculty by examining a variety of publication outlets and grantspersonship to assess contributions to the field over a five-year period, 2014–2018. This study is a first step in understanding the strengths of master’s level program faculty and their representation in the discipline. The paper concludes by outlining future considerations for research to extend the discussion on faculty productivity to scholars from a wider-range of programs.

The Veterans Treatment Court Movement

Victims & Offenders

ABSTRACT This exploratory research quantifies the prevalence of sexual victimization of juvenile ... more ABSTRACT This exploratory research quantifies the prevalence of sexual victimization of juvenile inmates ages 16–17 housed in the adult correctional system in the United States, using data collected from 1,618 juveniles during the National Inmate Survey (NIS-3) conducted between 2011 and 2012. The study presents a number of policy directives to further reduce the number of inmates under the age of 18 subject to sexual crimes while incarcerated. First, there is a need for inmates aged 16 and 17 to be extensively screened for risk of victimization at intake. Second, correctional administrations need to clearly define, communicate, and model appropriate behavior for employees, and to respond swiftly and definitively when a reported incident occurs. Lastly, states, counties, and territories must reassess both their juvenile waiver policies and their protocols for housing juveniles in facilities with older inmates. The NIS data, as well as prior research, indicate that juveniles are being waived into the adult justice system, and housed pretrial in adult facilities, for non-violent offenses. Key stakeholders in criminal justice, child welfare, state legislatures, and the general public should demand greater transparency within the waiver process.