The Utility of Criminal History Questions in Community Psychology Program Applications
Journal Title: Social Behavior Research and Practice – Open Journal - Year 2018, Vol 3, Issue 1
Abstract
Aim Access to higher education is a valuable protective factor against recidivism. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles criminal justice-involved individuals need to overcome to further their education. This study examined universities with community psychology programs in order to assess: a) the extent of requests for an applicant’s criminal history, and b) whether asking these questions had any effect on rates of crimes. Method We compared the crime rates for institutions that did and did not ask about an applicant’s past involvement with the criminal justice system. Results No statistically significant differences in reported crimes were observed between those academic settings that asked or did not ask for this information. Conclusion Our study suggests that criminal background checks do not support safety concerns as the reason for continuing to request this personal information on applications. These types of stigma-inducing and intrusive questions conflict with the values of community psychology.
Authors and Affiliations
Leonard A. Jason
Keywords
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- EP ID EP524443
- DOI 10.17140/SBRPOJ-3-112
- Views 137
- Downloads 0
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