Knowledge and perceptions of domestically violent veterans with PTSD among Criminal Justice students at California State University, Sacramento

Thesis (M.S., Criminal Justice)--California State University, Sacramento, 2014.A survey was distributed to a total of 381 undergraduate criminal justice students at California State University, Sacramento during the Spring 2013 semester. The student participants were enrolled in either CrJ 4 or 190 in order to compare the responses of lower and upper division students. The study aimed to gain an understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions held by the students regarding the treatment and/or punishment of veterans with PTSD who engage in acts of domestic violence. The results indicated that there was not a measureable difference in responses between the upper and lower division students in terms of sympathy, the belief in PTSD as a mitigating factor, or extent of knowledge on the issue. However, those students who indicated that they, or some member of their immediate family, were former or current military service members showed a significantly higher level of knowledge on the topic.Criminal Justic