Criminology

Hawdon's criminology research has contributed to the identification of the social factors that contribute to crime as well as social responses to crime. His early research used data from several neighborhoods in South Carolina to analyze how community organizations and police-community relations affect crime rates, finding that community organizations can help reduce crime by increasing social capital and improving citizen perceptions of policy legitimacy.^[8][9][10] In later research, he investigated how communities responded to mass tragedies. In studies of communities that suffered mass tragedies, including school shootings at Virginia Tech and in Jokela and Kauhajoki Finland, he and his colleagues found that incidents such as school shootings can evoke strong emotions and unify communities to restore their compromised sense of security through shared moral emotions.^[11] Furthermore, his study established that the surge in solidarity is sustained by participating in community-focused events, and this heightened solidarity helps both community recovery and the wellbeing of community members even a year after the tragedy.^[12][13][14] In related research, he explored the link between fear of different types of crimes and community solidarity, illustrating that fear of routine street crimes decreases solidarity, whereas concern over collective-targeted crimes like school shootings enhances community solidarity.^[15] In a collaborative study with Matthew Costello, he conducted a criminological analysis to identify factors linked to participation in online attacks and offered recommendations to aid in the identification, mitigation, and prevention of online hate creation and dissemination.^[16] Focusing his research efforts on cyberviolence, his study emphasized the significance of socio-demographic traits and online routines in sustaining cyberviolence while advocating for an integrative approach that draws from multiple criminological theories to comprehend the intricate factors influencing participation in cyberhate attacks among American adolescents.^[17] In research with colleagues Thomas Dearden and Katalin Parti, he investigated the factors that lead to engaging in cybercrimes, finding strong support for Institutional Anomie Theory.^[18][19] They also conducted research on cybercrime victimization among businesses, suggesting that larger companies, those that do not have separate Wi-Fi networks for visitors and employees, and those lacking stringent data storage policies are significantly more likely to experience cybercrime victimization compared to other companies.^[20][21]

Cyber intolerance

Hawdon's cyber intolerance research has provided insights into the role of social media platforms and other factors facilitating online hate speech and extremism.^[22][23][16] His research on hate material exposure among Finnish youth emphasized the significance of fostering positive online behavior and minimizing negative online conduct to preserve social trust.^[24][25][26] In his cross-national examination of youth and young adults' exposure to hate materials online, his study established significant variations across countries and presented evidence supporting the potential effectiveness of anti-hate speech laws in reducing such exposure.^[27] Furthermore, he investigated the disparities in exposure to online hate material targeting sexuality and found that individuals residing in the southern United States and rural areas are more susceptible to such targeting based on sexual orientation.^[28] In 2021, his study advanced the understanding of cyberhate by introducing Ronald Aker's Social Structure-Social Learning Theory (SSSL), shedding light on the social factors influencing its production. The research also emphasized the importance of acknowledging political rhetoric's role in the generation of online hate, urging policymakers to consider this aspect when addressing the issue.^[29]

Drug use and deviance cycles

Hawdon's drug research offers a comprehensive analysis of deviance cycles and their correlation with social and economic shifts in American society.^[30] His early research contributed to understanding how policy rhetoric influences the creation, sustenance, and termination of moral panics related to drug policies, ultimately concluding that President Reagan skillfully incited a public moral panic concerning drug policies.^[31] In related research, his book Drugs and Alcohol Consumption as a Function of Social Structure: A Cross-cultural Sociology provides insights into how rationalization and modernization influence drug and alcohol consumption patterns across diverse cultures and social structures, offering information for designing policies and interventions to reduce drug use and related harms.^[32] His book Encyclopedia of Drug Policy explored the dimensions of the War on Drugs, employing academic perspectives to examine subjects encompassing Mexican kingpins, Colombian cartels, narco-terrorism, heroin production, and governmental spending.^[33] His 2022 book, Marijuana in America: Culture, Political, and Medical Controversies, offers an exploration of medical, legal, historical, and cultural issues surrounding cannabis in the United States and the modern world.^[34] In a collaborative study with Robert Todd Perdue, his study emphasized the inadequacy of current data on novel psychoactive drug (NPD) abuse and proposed the use of big data for predictive analysis to address emerging NPD challenges through improved data collection and analysis.^[35]

Selected books

• The Causes and Consequences of Group Violence: From Bullies to Terrorists (2016) ISBN 9781498500432
• Reconciliation after Civil Wars: Global Perspectives (2018) ISBN 9780815351122
• Marijuana in America: Culture, Political, and Medical Controversies (2022) ISBN 9781440869631

Selected articles

• Hawdon, J. E. (2001). The role of presidential rhetoric in the creation of a moral panic: Reagan, Bush, and the war on drugs. Deviant behavior, 22(5), 419–445.
• Hawdon, J. E., Ryan, J., & Griffin, S. P. (2003). Policing tactics and perceptions of police legitimacy. Police quarterly, 6(4), 469–491.
• Hawdon, J. (2008). Legitimacy, trust, social capital, and policing styles: A theoretical statement. Police quarterly, 11(2), 182–201.
• Oksanen, A., Hawdon, J., Holkeri, E., Näsi, M., & Räsänen, P. (2014). Exposure to online hate among young social media users. In Soul of society: A focus on the lives of children & youth (pp. 253–273). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
• Hawdon, J., Oksanen, A., & Räsänen, P. (2017). Exposure to online hate in four nations: A cross-national consideration. Deviant behavior, 38(3), 254–266.