Computer crime is a fairly new area of research in criminology and deviance. With the exception of Hollinger, few studies have examined the occurrence of illegal computer acts and virtually none have tried to offer a theoretical explanation for the behavior. In this article, the authors provide data on the lifetime, past year, and past month prevalence of five illegal computer activities from a multistage sample (N = 581) of students at a southern university. The authors also examine the etiology of computer crime by testing the ability of social learning theory to explain these behaviors. Using multiple regression procedures, they demonstrate that measures of differential association, differential reinforcement and punishment, definitions, and sources of imitation are significantly related to computer crime. Findings from this study are compared with Hollinger's data and discussed in terms of why social learning theory is an appropriate and useful theoretical perspective for understanding why college students commit illegal computer acts.
Research on victimization among oppressed groups such as lesbian and gay people has provided limited insight into its impact on the lives of those who are frequently targeted. This is due in part to small sample sizes and the absence of significant variables known to influence mental well-being. This analysis examines the prevalence and effects of victimization on a large sample (N = 1067) of lesbians and gay men living in a southern state. Multiple regression is used to determine the psychological consequences of victimization as measured by depression. Additional factors thought to contribute, either positively or negatively, to the effect of victimization on mental well-being, i.e., social support, self-esteem, external stress, and internalized homophobia, are also included in the analysis. Results indicate that victimization has a significant positive effect on depression for both lesbians and gay men when controlling for other variables. Self-esteem was found to be the strongest predictor of depression for the entire sample. Social support was found to have a similar effect for lesbians and gay men with partner support and having no support being significant. Gender differences were found for measures of external stress, internalized homophobia, and age.
Studies on illicit and licit drug use among homosexuals of both sexes have focused primarily on gay men, used limited drug measures, and been conducted in cities known for large homosexual populations. This paper examines (1) the prevalence of 12 illicit and licit drugs by sex and age group and (2) the demographic predictors of past-year frequency of marijuana, alcohol, and cigarette use. Organizational mailing lists were used to collect self-report data on 455 homosexuals living in a southern state. Differences were found between gay men and lesbians in the use of specific substances and in the demographic predictors of drug use.
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