Longitudinal Research in Criminology

Criminology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Zane
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Criminal Careers ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Broadly, longitudinal research is research that involves longitudinal data, that is, data with a time dimension. This can be contrasted with cross-sectional data, which records information about the units of analysis at a particular point in time. Longitudinal research in criminology can be used for a variety of purposes, including quantifying trends in human behavior over time, describing the progression of life events, identifying patterns of behavior change, testing theories of crime causation, and evaluating the impact of interventions including criminal justice policy. Different types of longitudinal studies can be used for each of these aims. Panel studies look at multiple waves of data collection using same measures and sample. Cohort studies involve a particular group of individuals that are studied over time, such as a “birth cohort” or a “prison cohort.” Time-series studies involve a series of measurements taken at periodic time intervals in order to measure the impact of a change (such as a policy intervention) by comparing before- and after- measurements of the phenomena of interest. Trend studies look at change over time in a total population or sample that is generalizable to that population. In what follows, longitudinal research in criminology is reviewed with an emphasis on prospective cohort designs. First, an overview of longitudinal research and the methods for analyzing longitudinal data is first provided. Next, major longitudinal cohort studies are discussed, including early (pre-1970) and later (post-1970) cohort studies, long-term follow-ups of prospective cohort studies, and major longitudinal-experimental designs. These studies have allowed researchers to control for possible cohort effects, i.e., similarities within the group, when examining patterns in offending over time. This is especially useful for “life course” researchers who are interested in how a sequence of socially defined events affects individuals over time (i.e., age and period effects). Applications of longitudinal research are then discussed. Most notably, this involves developmental and life-course criminology, which requires longitudinal research to examine criminal careers, early risk factors for offending, offending trajectories, and adult transitions and desistance. Additionally, longitudinal research has been utilized to examine intergenerational transmission of crime, to test major theories of crime, to assess the impact of criminal justice policy, and to examine aggregate trends in crime and punishment. Each of these is briefly discussed.

scholarly journals Recomposing persons: Scavenging and storytelling in a birth cohort archive

2021 ◽  
pp. 095269512199539
Author(s):  
Penny Tinkler ◽  
Resto Cruz ◽  
Laura Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Relational Embeddedness ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Over Time

Birth cohort studies can be used not only to generate population-level quantitative data, but also to recompose persons. The crux is how we understand data and persons. Recomposition entails scavenging for various (including unrecognised) data. It foregrounds the perspective and subjectivity of survey participants, but without forgetting the partiality and incompleteness of the accounts that it may generate. Although interested in the singularity of individuals, it attends to the historical and relational embeddedness of personhood. It examines the multiple and complex temporalities that suffuse people’s lives, hence departing from linear notions of the life course. It implies involvement, as well as reflexivity, on the part of researchers. It embraces the heterogeneity and transformations over time of scientific archives and the interpretive possibilities, as well as incompleteness, of birth cohort studies data. Interested in the unfolding of lives over time, it also shines light on meaningful biographical moments.

scholarly journals Customary physical activity and odds of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 111 prospective cohort studies

2021 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-103140
Author(s):  
Rodney K Dishman ◽  
Cillian P McDowell ◽  
Matthew Payton Herring
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Prospective Cohort Studies ◽  
Over Time

ObjectiveTo explore whether physical activity is inversely associated with the onset of depression, we quantified the cumulative association of customary physical activity with incident depression and with an increase in subclinical depressive symptoms over time as reported from prospective observational studies.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesMEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and CINAHL Complete databases, supplemented by Google Scholar.Eligibility criteriaProspective cohort studies in adults, published prior to January 2020, reporting associations between physical activity and depression.Study appraisal and synthesisMultilevel random-effects meta-analysis was performed adjusting for study and cohort or region. Mixed-model meta-regression of putative modifiers.ResultsSearches yielded 111 reports including over 3 million adults sampled from 11 nations in five continents. Odds of incident cases of depression or an increase in subclinical depressive symptoms were reduced after exposure to physical activity (OR, 95% CI) in crude (0.69, 0.63 to 0.75; I2=93.7) and adjusted (0.79, 0.75 to 0.82; I2=87.6) analyses. Results were materially the same for incident depression and subclinical symptoms. Odds were lower after moderate or vigorous physical activity that met public health guidelines than after light physical activity. These odds were also lower when exposure to physical activity increased over time during a study period compared with the odds when physical activity was captured as a single baseline measure of exposure.ConclusionCustomary and increasing levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in observational studies are inversely associated with incident depression and the onset of subclinical depressive symptoms among adults regardless of global region, gender, age or follow-up period.

scholarly journals Lifetime alcohol intake, drinking patterns over time and risk of stomach cancer: A pooled analysis of data from two prospective cohort studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harindra Jayasekara ◽  
Robert J. MacInnis ◽  
Leila Lujan‐Barroso ◽  
Ana‐Lucia Mayen‐Chacon ◽  
Amanda J. Cross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Stomach Cancer ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Prospective Cohort Studies ◽  
Over Time

Lag as moderator meta-analysis: A methodological approach for synthesizing longitudinal data

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel A. Card
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Impact

Longitudinal data are common and essential to understanding human development. This paper introduces an approach to synthesizing longitudinal research findings called lag as moderator meta-analysis (LAMMA). This approach capitalizes on between-study variability in time lags studied in order to identify the impact of lag on estimates of stability and longitudinal prediction. The paper introduces linear, nonlinear, and mixed-effects approaches to LAMMA, and presents an illustrative example (with syntax and annotated output available as online Supplementary Materials). Several extensions of the basic LAMMA are considered, including artifact correction, multiple effect sizes from studies, and incorporating age as a predictor. It is hoped that LAMMA provides a framework for synthesizing longitudinal data to promote greater accumulation of knowledge in developmental science.

Beyond Panic: Variation in the Legislative Activity for Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws Across States Over Time

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Lytle
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Sex Offender Registration ◽  
Legislative Activity ◽  
Legislative Reforms ◽  
Sex Offense ◽  
Over Time

Nationwide moral panic has long served as a primary explanation for sex offense laws. These laws, however, remain primarily left to state legislatures, which implies potential variation in their content over time. Variation in legislative content, to the degree that it represents implementation, not only suggests differential consequences for registrants and communities, but also it would raise questions to the sufficiency of moral panic as a sole explanation for sex offense policy change. I build upon earlier work by exploring variation in the content and timing of sex offender registration and notification (SORN) reform in all 50 states over time. After documenting variation in these laws, I present the ways in which SORN legislative content has evolved differently across states. In addition, the timing of legislative reforms differed not only across states but also within states over time. These findings have implications for existing theoretical assertions regarding criminal justice policy.

Investigating the Impact of Child Maltreatment Histories on Drug Court Outcomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 799-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley R. Zettler ◽  
Amaia Iratzoqui
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Drug Court ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Type Of Failure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Although child maltreatment, mental illness, and substance abuse are significantly correlated, only the relationship between mental illness and substance abuse has been documented as potentially affecting the implementation of criminal justice policy. The current study considers the influence of child maltreatment histories in addition to mental health and substance abuse issues in predicting the success of participants in a large drug court in the Southwestern United States. Results indicated that child maltreatment was not predictive of overall court failure. However, child maltreatment had an indirect effect on type of failure, through its effects on mental illness and substance abuse diagnoses. Implications for these findings within drug court and for general criminal justice policy are discussed.

Evaluating evaluation

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Enola Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Community Policing ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Sociocultural Context ◽  
Multimodal Approach ◽  
Professional Identities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Justice Evaluation

Abstract This study examines a participant’s narrative in a focus group interview dealing with the evaluation of criminal justice policy – the impact of community policing training. However, rather than look at the narrative solely in the speech of the interviewee, I analyze the integration of speech and embodied conduct like gesture, gaze, and posture in the production and negotiation of professional identities. I demonstrate the applied merits of a multimodal approach to criminal justice evaluation in the mapping between denotational text and interactional positioning, a mapping that inheres in embodied stance and broader sociocultural context.

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