Browsing by Author "Barnes, James C."
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Item Developmental Trajectories of Physical Aggression in Low-Income African American and Hispanic Children: Relations to Household Risk and Child Inhibitory Control(2017-08) Pacheco, Daniel Frank; 0000 0003 5627 7714 (Barnes, JC); 291931116 (Owen, MT); Owen, Margaret Tresch; Barnes, James C.This dissertation examined developmental trajectories of physical aggression in low-income African American and Hispanic preschoolers as they transitioned to primary school. Three developmental trajectories were expected to be identified in the data: a low physical aggression group, a group that begins higher in physical aggression that the low group but declines to near zero levels by Wave 4, and a group high in physical aggression across all four time points. More boys and African American children were expected to be classified into the high physical aggression group whereas children with higher inhibitory control competency were expected to be classified into the low physical aggression group. Additionally, cumulative risk was measured at all four time points and more cumulative risk was expected to be characteristic of the high physical aggression group. Data from the Dallas Preschool Readiness Project (DPReP), a longitudinal study of 407 low-income African American and Hispanic children and families, were used to estimate developmental trajectories across four waves beginning when the children were 2½ years of age. Additional waves were included when children were 3½, in kindergarten, and in first grade. Using group-based trajectory modeling, a model consisting of four trajectories of physical aggression was selected. The model identified a no physical aggression group (18%), a low declining group (41%), a high declining group (32%), and a high chronic group (9%). The groups did not differ by child gender but more Hispanic children were classified into the no physical aggression and low declining groups while more African American children were classified into high declining and high chronic groups. To gain a better understanding of the trajectories, cumulative risk and inhibitory control were modeled as predictors of physical aggression group membership but in different ways. Cumulative risk was modeled as a time-varying covariate of physical aggression and showed to distinguish the low declining and no physical aggression groups from high chronic and high declining physical aggression groups. Higher levels of cumulative risk characterized the high chronic physical aggression group and lower cumulative risk characterized the no and low declining physical aggression groups. Inhibitory control at Wave 2 when children were 3½ distinguished the no physical aggression from the low declining and high chronic groups. No differences related to cumulative risk or inhibitory control were found between the high chronic and high declining groups. This study extends extant research on the developmental course of physical aggression at these early ages by examining individual differences related to variations in risk and inhibitory control within a high-risk sample of ethnic minority children. Most of the prior research investigating physical aggression in young children has included predominantly middle-income, Caucasian samples. The current study addressed the unanswered question of whether the developmental course of physical aggression in very young, low-income, African American and Hispanic children is similar to that found in Caucasian-majority samples in prior studies. The findings reported here show substantial within-group variability in physical aggression in low-income African American and Hispanic children. The current study findings appear to indicate consistency with prior research. That is, distinct high chronic, high declining, low declining and no physical aggression groups were identified from the analysis, with significant between group differences between the extreme groups. Inconsistencies with past research are discussed at length.Item The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Crime: Evidence from State Panel Data, 1990-2006(Public Library of Science, 2014-03) Morris, Robert G.; TenEyck, Michael; Barnes, James C.; Kovandzic, Tomislav; 0000 0003 5627 7714 (Barnes, JC); 0000 0000 5311 5742 (Kovandzic, T); 2011138406 (Barnes, JC); 2006005160 (Kovandzic, T); 87819498 (Murdoch, JC)Background: Debate has surrounded the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes for decades. Some have argued medical marijuana legalization (MML) poses a threat to public health and safety, perhaps also affecting crime rates. In recent years, some U.S. states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, reigniting political and public interest in the impact of marijuana legalization on a range of outcomes. Methods: Relying on U.S. state panel data, we analyzed the association between state MML and state crime rates for all Part I offenses collected by the FBI. Findings: Results did not indicate a crime exacerbating effect of MML on any of the Part I offenses. Alternatively, state MML may be correlated with a reduction in homicide and assault rates, net of other covariates. Conclusions: These findings run counter to arguments suggesting the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes poses a danger to public health in terms of exposure to violent crime and property crimes.Item A Functional Polymorphism in a Serotonin Transporter Gene (5-HTTLPR) Interacts with 9/11 to Predict Gun-Carrying Behavior(2013-08-28) Barnes, James C.; Beaver, K. M.; Boutwell, B. B.; 0000 0003 5627 7714 (Barnes, JC); 2011138406 (Barnes, JC); Barnes, James C.On September 11, 2001, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in US history took place on American soil and people around the world were impacted in myriad ways. Building on prior literature which suggests individuals are more likely to purchase a gun for self-protection if they are fearful of being victimized, the authors hypothesized that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 would lead to an increase in gun carrying among US residents. At the same time, a line of research has shown that a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene (i.e., 5-HTTLPR) interacts with environmental stressors to predict a range of psychopathologies and behaviors. Thus, it was hypothesized that 9/11 and 5-HTTLPR would interact to predict gun carrying. The results supported both hypotheses by revealing a positive association between 9/11 and gun carrying (b =. 426, odds ratio = 1.531, standard error for b =. 194, z = 2.196, p =. 028) in the full sample of respondents (n = 15,052) and a statistically significant interaction between 9/11 and 5-HTTLPR in the prediction of gun carrying (b = -1.519, odds ratio =. 219, standard error for b =. 703, z = -2.161, p =. 031) in the genetic subsample of respondents (n = 2,350). This is one of the first studies to find an association between 9/11 and gun carrying and, more importantly, is the first study to report a gene-environment interaction (GxE) between a measured gene and a terrorist attack.Item Indicators of domestic/intimate partner violence are structured by genetic and nonshared environmental influences(Elsevier, 2012-11-17) Barnes, James C.; TenEyck, Michael; Boutwell, Brian B.; Beaver, Kevin M.; 0000 0003 5627 7714 (Barnes, JC); 2011138406 (Barnes, JC); Barnes, James C.One of the most consistent findings to emerge from domestic/intimate partner violence (IPV) research is that IPV tends to ―run in the family.‖ Social learning theories appear to be consistent with empirical data, but almost no attention has been given to alternative explanations, including that genetic factors explain intergenerational transmission of IPV. Data for this study were drawn from wave 4 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Three indicators of IPV were measured and genetic factors accounted for 24% of the variance in hitting one’s partner, 54% of the variance in injuring one’s partner, and 51% of the variance in forcing sexual activity on one’s partner. The shared environment explained none of the variance across all three indicators and the nonshared environment explained the remainder of the variance. These findings point to the importance of genetic factors in the etiology of IPV.Item Individual and group IQ predict inmate violence(Elsevier, Inc., 2012) Diamond, Brie; Morris, Robert G.; Barnes, James C.There is a long tradition of theoretical and empirical research linking intelligence to criminal activity. At the same time, the extant literature has been slow to examine this relationship in other settings. One such setting in which this relationship may also manifest is the prison environment, where knowledge on the determinants of prison misconduct has important implications for prison management and security. Drawing from a representative sample of inmates from a large Southern state in the US, the current study presents the first assessment of the relationship between intelligence and prison misconduct. The effect of intelligence, measured via the WAIS-R, on violent prison misconduct is analyzed controlling for inmate and prison-level factors. Results indicated that the individual’s IQ, as well as the average IQ of the prison unit, was significantly and negatively related to violent prison misconduct. Implications and directions for future research are highlighted.