Exploring the Effects of Child Race and Age on Mock Jurors' Decisions
The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of alleged victim race and age in a mock child sexual abuse (CSA) case. We are particularly interested in how race and age may interact to affect mock jurors' decisions.
Jury Decision-Making in Sexual Assault Trials
Consent to engage in sexual activity is defined legally, but laypeople also have views of what consent is and means in terms of cases that enter into the criminal justice system. The purpose of this study is to examine how jurors view acquaintance rape and behaviors of both the alleged perpetrator and victim involved in the case. We are also interested in how mock jurors collectively discuss issues of consent. This is a collaboration project with Appalachian State University.
Media Representations of Teacher-Student Sexual Misconduct
This purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the manner to which the media reports about teacher-student sexual encounters. Approximately 1,400 media articles published in 2014 will be coded for information about the charges, case outcomes, and language used to explain teacher-student sexual encounters. In the future, we seek to compare media reports from 2014 to post #MeToo movement reports published in 2018. This is a collaboration project with Appalachian State University.
Views of Legal Defenses in Sexual Assault Trials
Sexsomnia, a condition in which people engage in sexual activity while in NREM sleep, has been increasingly used as a defense in sexual assault trials. The purpose of this study is to investigate how lay people perceive the credibility of sexsomnia as a legal defense in comparison with two other common sexual assault defenses.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Domestic and Sexual Violence Services in Western South Dakota
South Dakota has one of the worst rates of sexual violence in the country, with Indigenous women facing double the rates of the general population. However, there is no research that examines how BIPOC survivors in rural communities may face additional barriers to escaping violence. The purpose of this study is to investigate these issues coming from two lens: survivors of sexual assault/abuse and staff stationed at survivor shelters located in Western South Dakota. Findings from this study will be available to inform social service organizations in rural settings on the efficacy of their current services for BIPOC clients.
Student Views of Campus Sexual Assault and Title IX
Sexual assault continues to be a prominent problem on college campuses around the nation. The present study aims to examine college students' views of the Title IX reporting process and identify the underlying reasons for low reporting. We also aim to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) to predict campus sexual assault reporting intentions.
Stand Your Ground Case Views
Stand Your Ground (SYG) laws which are used to allow an individual to defend themselves against anyone they believe to be an imminent threat in their dwelling or on their property, are presently growing throughout the United State. However, archival research has suggested that defense strategies based on SYG laws and are biased against people of color and women. This study aims to investigate mock jurors’ perceptions of a SYG homicide case summary where the defendant’s race and gender are manipulated. Racist and sexist attitudes will also be investigated as mediators between defendant demographics and case outcomes.