Colleen Eren
Associate Professor Of Sociology And Criminal Justice, William Paterson University Of New Jersey
Key Findings
- More than 80% of criminal justice students reported experiencing some type of victimization or knew someone close to them who had been a victim.
- Approximately 40% of criminal justice students reported experiencing a victimization crime.
- Nearly 75% of criminal justice students had someone close to them who was a victim of a crime.
- Racially, victimization was lowest for first generation immigrants than second or third generation immigrants and native born individuals.
- Students who reported experiencing victimization in their past were more likely than their non-victimized peers to perceive the criminal justice system as unequal and that justice was infrequently served.
- Criminal justice students that reported experiencing victimization were more likely to view their major as relevant and were motivated to find a profession where they could make a difference.
- Victimization of one’s self or an individual close to them was a significant factor for students to pursue an education in criminal justice.
Description
In the article, “It’s Personal: The Impact Of Victimization On Motivations And Career Interests Among Criminal Justice Majors At Diverse Urban Colleges,” Eren and her co-authors examine the impact that past victimization experiences have on a university student’s decision to pursue a degree in criminal justice. The importance of this research is to understand how to teach students about difficult topics that they may have a personal history with as the pool of candidates grows and becomes more diverse. To conduct their study, the researchers surveyed more than 350 university students from two large, urban, two-year universities in the United States. The results showed that more than 80% of criminal justice students reported experiencing some type of victimization or knew someone close to them that had such an experience (approximately 40% were a direct victim of a crime and nearly 75% had someone close to them who was a victim of a crime). Racially, victimization was lowest for first generation immigrants than second or third generation immigrants and native-born individuals. Students who reported victimization in their past were more likely than their non-victimized peers to perceive the criminal justice system as unequal and that justice was infrequently served. Criminal justice students that reported victimization were more likely to view their major as relevant and were motivated to find a profession where they could make a difference. Victimization of one’s self or an individual close to them was a significant factor for students to pursue an education in criminal justice. For future research, the researchers suggest a larger sample size to generalize the results. In conclusion, the authors note this data gives criminal justice professors insights into understanding their students and thoughtfully teaching topics in a way that resonates with them.