Interracial Patterns Research Articles

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Types and Sources of Victimization Inside Prison

Interracial patterns in sexual violence between inmate groups are well documented. Considerably less is known about the interracial pattern of sexual violence as well as physical violence between staff and inmates. This article provides rates of victimization for a single prison system by racial and ethnic groupings and by type of perpetrator. Racial and ethnic patterns were found in prevalence rates by types of victimization and type of perpetrator, but they do not appear to be principally explained by racism. Preventing violence inside prison should include reducing opportunities for victimization as well as “pulling up” the environment by training officers and other staff in supervisory styles that affirm and preserve a “harm-free” environment.

A Structural Approach to Sexual Attitudes

This article evaluates the utility of cultural and structural perspectives in accounting for interracial patterns in sexual values and attitudes, as reflected in anticipated responses to and definitions of both consensual and nonconsensual sexual behavior, drawn from interviews with 932 adolescents. There were no racial differences in attitudes toward rape or toward male-female relationships. The responses of black and white women to a “classic rape” were very similar, while differences were found in responses to a less stereotypic nonconsensual sexual assault and to a consensual sexual incident. Blacks anticipated more negative reactions from the police and expressed greater distrust of other institutional agencies than did whites. Accordingly, black women were more likely to anticipate turning to their parents or other family members for support. The results are interpreted as supportive of a structural perspective.

Economic Deprivation, Opportunity Structure, and Robbery Victimiztion: Intra- and Interracial Patterns

Economic Deprivation, Opportunity Structure, and Robbery Victimiztion: Intra- and Interracial Patterns

Economic Deprivation, Opportunity Structure, and Robbery Victimization: Intra- and Interracial Patterns

Intraracial and interracial robbery victimization rates for a sample of 25 cities are used to test hypotheses derived from economic deprivation and macrostructural opportunity theories. Robbery victimization rates are computed separately for four race-of-victim-race-of-offender combinations: whites victimized by whites, whites victimized by blacks, blacks victimized by blacks, and blacks victimized by whites. The effects of variables important to economic deprivation theory (percent of the offending group in poverty and racial economic inequality) and macrostructural opportunity theory (relative group size and residential segregation) are evaluated through multiple regression analysis. The hypotheses derived from macrostructural theory clearly fare better than those derived from economic deprivation theory. Whereas both relative group size and residential segregation are related to victimization rates in a manner consistent with macrostructural theory, neither the poverty measure nor the measure of racial inequality exhibits the theoretically predicted associations with the dependent variables.

Sweets, snacks, and dental caries: South African interracial patterns: reply to letter by Hackett and Rugg-Gunn

Sweets, snacks, and dental caries: South African interracial patterns: reply to letter by Hackett and Rugg-Gunn

Sweets, snacks, and dental caries: South African interracial patterns

Sweets, snacks, and dental caries: South African interracial patterns

Sweets, snacks, and dental caries: South African interracial patterns

Sucrose has been thought to cause dental caries; sweets and snacks being primarily responsible, together with plaque and their respective interactions. Dietary questionnaires revealed that in 3 to 5 yr olds, protein in black, colored, Indian, and white groups provided 12 to 15% of total intake, fats 10 to 17%, and carbohydrates 69 to 78%. At 16 to 17 yr old, patterns remained essentially similar. Sucrose provided about one-quarter of intake, sweets and snacks less than one-tenth, but dental caries prevalence increased rapidly from black to white. This raised several questions regarding current concepts of caries causation. Are genetic, immunological and other dietary factors also responsible for caries levels experienced?