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There are a number of hidden populations in the United States whose victimization goes undetected and unreported. This study aims to assess the victimization experiences of one such population: American children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Utilizing the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ), this study obtained past‐year and lifetime prevalence rates of interpersonal violence in a sample of children with ASDs (N = 262). Results showed that almost 89% of these children had experienced an incident of victimization in their lifetime, while almost as many (82.1%) had experienced an incident within the last year. Among those who had been victimized once within the last year, 92% experienced at least a second victimization within that same time period, pointing to significant levels of poly‐victimization. Risk ratios confirm that if a child experiences an incident of victimization in the past year, s/he is at risk to experience another type of victimization during that time frame, no matter what type of initial victimization exposure was examined. Previous research specifically addressing the victimization of children with ASDs in the United States has been limited and often focuses on a specific form of victimization, such as bullying. Implications include considering the impact of exposure to multiple forms of victimization and addressing the possibility of long‐term trauma resulting from chronic exposure to victimization.

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Since 2000, the federal government and all fifty states have passed laws that criminalize the trafficking of persons for labor and commercial sex. To date, relatively few human trafficking cases have been identified, investigated, and prosecuted by local criminal justice authorities. Using data from case records and qualitative interviews with police, prosecutors, and victim service providers in twelve counties, we discuss the challenges local police face in identifying cases of human trafficking. We find that the culture of local police agencies and the perceptions of police officials about human trafficking do not support the identification of a broad range of human trafficking cases. Since local definitions of human trafficking are still evolving, police focus on sex trafficking of minors, which they perceive to be the most serious problem facing their communities. Reluctance to differentiate between vice and sex trafficking minimizes the problem of human trafficking and makes labor trafficking seem largely nonexistent.

This study analyzes the law enforcement response to prostitution in Houston, Texas, between 1977 and 2010 to examine whether the traditional approach to policing prostitution disproportionately penalizes women. Data included the disposition and sentencing information for 22,916 first-time prostitution arrests in Harris County. Using bivariate and multivariate analyses, we explored gender differences in the likelihood of receiving punishment, the type(s) of punishment received, and the amount of punishment for first-time prostitution offenses. We find that women were disproportionately arrested for prostitution and that women were more likely to receive a jail sentence for involvement in prostitution than men were. In contrast, male arrestees for prostitution were more likely to receive probation sentences and/or fines. This study adds to a robust body of literature suggesting that gender impacts sentencing in the criminal justice system. Yet, it is unclear whether the role of the arrestee—as either a buyer or seller—moderates the effect of gender. This quandary demonstrates the need for more comprehensive data collection about the role of the arrestee in the commercial sexual exchange.

Crime prevention has long figured prominently in the scholarly and applied traditions of criminology. Using a socio-historical approach, this article examines the developments of and influences on the concept of crime prevention in the USA over the last century. We argue that crime prevention is a unique social and environmental strategy for reducing crime and is distinct from crime control or punishment. Prevention’s main characteristics include a focus on intervening in the first instance – before a crime has been committed – and operating outside of the formal justice system. The historical record of the scholarship and practice of crime prevention in the USA embraces this view. A more current perspective sees crime prevention as the full range of techniques, from prenatal home visits to prison sentences, defined more by its outcome – the prevention of a future criminal event – than its character or approach. A return to the original meaning of prevention is considered.

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