This study examined how race, gender, and age interact to affect defendants’ sentences using a trichotomized dependent variable. The findings indicate that the racial and gender disparity found in sentencing decisions was largely due to Black men’s increased likelihood of receiving jail as opposed to probation. The results also show that being young resulted in increased odds of receiving probation over jail for White men and for women but resulted in decreased odds for Black men. Separate analysis of incarceration terms to jail and prison further reveal that legal factors had a greater impact on prison than on jail sentence length. Overall, the results strongly support the argument that sentencing research needs to consider sentences to jail and prison separately.

As usage of the Internet has grown to approximately 657 million users worldwide, criminality online has become more prevalent. Termed "cybercrime," this form of criminal behavior can occur in several different. While cybercrime in general is fairly new comparably to crimes in the physical realm, one of the most recently recognized forms of cybercrime is cyberbullying. The present study will examine the victimoffender relationship. Results indicate that both males and females with lower levels of self-control were more likely to participate in cyberbullying by posting hurtful messages or pictures to Facebook. Second, both sexes were more likely to cyerbullying via Facebook if they had been cyberbullied as well.

This study attempts to further the understanding of how familial roles affect male and females' sentences. In accordance with familial paternalism theory, the effects of familial roles presenting different levels of social costs and control were examined for drug and property offenders. The findings show that living with a child or paying child support reduced defendants' odds of incarceration. Once familial role variables were included in the model, gender was not a significant predictor of odds of incarceration. When split models for gender and offense type were examined, females and property offenders had a reduced likelihood of being incarcerated if they were caretakers to children. Interaction effects, however, found that the impacts did not differ significantly for males and females or for property and drug offenders.

There is a large body of research examining the impact of race on juvenile court outcomes. Fewer studies have specifically examined the decision by prosecutors to formally petition a case to the juvenile court. A much smaller body of literature statistically controls for structural level variables (e.g., population density and racial composition), while examining the impact of race. Using the symbolic threat hypothesis, the current study examines the effect of race on the decision to petition a case to the juvenile court among youths in West Virginia's juvenile court, while controlling for both individual and structural factors. The results show that race at the individual level did not have a significant impact on odds of petition; although, percentage in poverty significantly interacted with race to increase the odds of Black youths being petitioned in areas of increased poverty. Implications of the results are further discussed.

This study sought to determine the effects of family role, gender, and race on judges' sentencing decisions. To assess these effects, factorial surveys were sent to 360 Court of Common Plea judges who presided over criminal court cases in the state. Survey administration resulted in a 51% response rate. The findings indicate that defendants who were depicted as performing caretaker roles had a significantly decreased likelihood of incarceration. Further analysis found that the reduction in likelihood of incarceration for being a caretaker was larger for males than for females. Examination of the interaction of familial role with race found that familial role equally reduced the likelihood of incarceration for black and white females. Familial responsibility, however, resulted in a significantly greater decrease in likelihood of incarceration for black men than for white men.