Handbook of Community Sentiment [Hardcover]

This volume is?the most comprehensive reference book on community sentiment available.?The classic book about community sentiment is Norm Finkels Commonsense Justice: Jurors Notions of the Law (1995). A similarly influential book called Justice, Liability, and Blame was published at the same time, examining lay sentiment about a variety of criminal issues and suggesting ways in which the substantive criminal law could be reformed in light of such lay responses (Robinson & Darley, 1995). Although these books were influential and important for their time (and since), this Handbook?expands significantly on them, both by updating research since that time and broadens the scope of topic areas to ones that are not limited to trial and criminal justice issues.?Each chapter is original/unpublished and focuses on an area related to children/families, many of which are hot topic areas in the news and courts today. For instance, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a case in June 2012 about the constitutionality of life without parole for juvenile offendersa topic discussed in the Fass and Miora chapter. Thus, it is?of interest to those interested in family law topics as well.

Section I:An Introduction to Community Sentiment.- 1. There Ought to be a Law!: Understanding Community Sentiment.-?2.The Influence of Media and Community Sentiment on Policy Decision-Making.- 3.Methods and Measures Used in Gauging Community Sentiment.- Section II: Measuring Community Sentiment.- 4.Using Mock Jury Studies to Measure Community Sentiment toward Child Sex Abusers.- 5.Using Secondary Survey Data to Study Community Sentiment: An Example Examining Sentiment toward Income Based on Family Needs.- 6.Understanding how Individual Differences are Related to Community Sentiment toward Safe Haven Laws Using a Student Sample.- 7.Using Mail Surveys to Assess Perceptions of Law Enforcement Officers and Prosecuting Attorneys Regarding Parental Involvement Laws.- Section III: Changl“)