Deconstructing the Ferguson effect: a multilevel mediation analysis of public scrutiny, de-policing, and crime

Abstract

Joel A. Capellan*a, Rachel Lautenschlagerb & Jason R. Silvaca Law & Justice Studies, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USAb Department of Sociology, The University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USAc Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, USAJoel A. Capellan is an assistant professor in the Law and Justice Studies department at Rowan University. Capellan specializes in statistics and spatial analysis. He has conducted and published research on state-sponsored repression, segregation, lone wolf terrorism, policing bias, and criminological theories. Currently, he is devoting most of his attention to the study of mass public shootings.Rachel Lautenschlager is a doctoral candidate in sociology concentrating in the areas of criminology and race and ethnic relations. Her research explores how law enforcement and other components of the criminal justice system vary across neighborhoods, and the ways that this results in differential outcomes across racial and ethnic groups.Jason R. Silva is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at William Paterson University. His research examines media and crime, mass shootings, school violence, and terrorism. Recent publications have appeared in Aggression and Violent Behavior, Criminal Justice Policy Review, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, and Victims & Offenders.