Victim Studies Research

Faculty in the Victim Studies Department focus on research regarding victimization in different forms. As you can see from select publications below and their CVs (please see faculty and staff profiles) the faculty publish in various outlets. Faculty welcome students to participate in research with them. In the past, faculty have had students work on research projects with them and faculty have published with students on peer-reviewed publications. The close partnership with the Crime Victims Institute (CVI) is another way that the department has opportunities for research within the community and student involvement.

Cyberabuse of Women & Girls

Dr. Shelly Clevenger, Department Chair and Associate Professor in the Victim Studies Department, spoke at a Congressional Briefing in October 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. She was speaking out in support of the passage of the ENOUGH Act. The passage of this act would have made Image Based Nonconsensual Pornography (revenge pornography) illegal and a crime at the federal level. The act was not passed, but she continues to fight for the rights and protections of victims of cybercrimes. [Watch it on YouTube]

Faculty Research Publications

Clevenger, S.L., Navarro, J., & Gilliam, M. (2018). Technology and the Endless ‘Cat and Mouse’ Game: A Review of the Interpersonal Cybervictimization Literature. Sociology Compass. Online first. DOI: 10.1111/soc4.12639 [LINK]

Clevenger, S.L. (2016). Mothers of sexualassault victims; How women ‘do mother’ after their child has been sexually assaulted. Feminist Criminology. Vol.11(3) 227-252. *Received Feminist Criminology’s Article of the Year Award. [LINK]

Clevenger, S., & Navarro, J.N. (2016) Seeing life in their shoes: Fostering empathy towards victims of interpersonal violence through five active learning activities. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 28 (3). [LINK]

Hartley, Deborah J., Mullings, Janet L. and Marquart, James W. (2013). Factors Impacting Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse, Physical Abuse, and Neglect Cases Processed through a Child’s Advocacy Center. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 6(4): 260-273.

Mullings, Janet, James W. Marquart, Deborah Hartley. 2004. The Victimization of Children: Emerging Issues. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma. Part I: 8(1): 1-203.

Mullings, Janet, James W. Marquart, Deborah Hartley. 2004. The Victimization of Children: Emerging Issues. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma. Part 2: 8(2): 204-310.

Booker, J., Breaux, M., Abada, S. & Burnett, J. (2017) Assessment of older adults’ satisfaction with Adult Protective Services investigation and assistance. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect.

Breaux, M. , & Booker, J. (2017). A Qualitative Study of Perceptions and Experiences of On-Line Victim Services Academic Community Engagement: Graduate Student Reflections. In Heather K. Evans (Ed.) Community Engagement Findings Across the Disciplines: Applying Course Content to Community Needs (pp. 31-42). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Morris, E. W., & Ratajczak, K. (2019). Critical Masculinity Studies and Research on Violence Against Women: An Assessment of Past Scholarship and Future Directions. Violence Against Women, 25(16), 1980–2006. [LINK]

Stamatel, J., Ratajczak, K., & Hoekstra, R. (2020). Do Gun Policies Really Protect Women? A Cross-national Test of the Relationship between Gun Regulations and Female Homicide Victimization. Journal of Mediterranean Knowledge, 5(1), 19–46. [LINK]