PENN STATE HBG
MIDDLETOWN, PA 17057
Biography
Jennifer C. Gibbs joined the faculty at Penn State Harrisburg in 2013. After finishing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Keuka College and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Niagara University, Dr. Gibbs earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she completed her dissertation focusing on the influence of police and state legitimacy on terrorist attacks targeting police in 82 countries – research that won the Homicide Research Working Group 2012 Richard Block Outstanding Dissertation Award.
Dr. Gibbs’ research interests include policing, terrorism, victimization and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Notably, her research, “A Structural Analysis of Homicides of Baltimore Police Officers”, presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences won the 2010 William L. Simon/Anderson Publishing Outstanding Student Paper Award. Dr. Gibbs' subsequent work with Dr. Jonathan Lee on "Race and attitudes toward police: the mediating effect of social distance" was selected as a Highly Commended Paper in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence. Dr. Gibbs is a member of the American Society of Criminology and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
Research Interests
- Policing
- Terrorism
- Violence & Victimization
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Publications
*Co-author is an undergraduate student
**Co-author is a graduate student
Emily Strohacker, Jennifer C. Gibbs and Samantha Woolford* [Accepted]. Pennsylvanians’ perceptions of the nature and extent of human trafficking. Journal of Human Trafficking.
Meya Richmond** and Jennifer C. Gibbs [Accepted]. Police perceptions of training on interactions with persons with mental illness. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology.
Jennifer C. Gibbs [Accepted]. Preventing attrition among women and minority police applicants. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice.
Jennifer C. Gibbs (2020). Terrorist attacks targeting police, 1998-2010: Exploring heavily hit countries. International Criminal Justice Review, 30(3), 261-278.
Jennifer C. Gibbs, Jonathan Lee and Baha Bachnak** (2020). Low police-public social distance as the key to recruiting. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 14(1), 181-190.
Jennifer C. Gibbs (2019). Diversifying the police applicant pool: Motivations of women and minority candidates seeking police employment. Criminal Justice Studies: A Critical Journal of Crime, Law and Society, 32(3), 207-221.
Sara M. McMullen** and Jennifer Gibbs (2019). Tattoos in policing: A survey of state police policies. Policing: An International Journal, 42(3), 408-420.
Daniela Barberi,* Jennifer Gibbs and Jennifer Schally (2019). K9s killed in the line of duty. Contemporary Justice Review: Issues in Criminal, Social, and Restorative Justice, 22(1), 86-100.
Jennifer C. Gibbs, Emily Priesman, James Ruiz, and Amy Mills** (2018). Police officers killed on duty: Comparing the influence of social investment on line of duty deaths of men and women officers in the United States. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 20(4), 284-295.
Jennifer C. Gibbs, Joongyeup Lee, Joseph Moloney* and Steven Olson (2018). Exploring the neighbourhood context of serious assaults on police. Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 28(8), 898-914.
Jennifer C. Gibbs (2018). Terrorist attacks targeting the police: The connection to foreign military presence. Police Practice and Research: An International Journal, 19(3), 222-240.
Jennifer C. Gibbs and Jim Taylor (2016). Comparing student self-assessment to individualized instructor feedback. Active Learning in Higher Education, 17(2), 111-123.
Jennifer C. Gibbs (2016). The importance of discussing crime victimization in criminal justice courses: An empirical assessment of a new curriculum to enhance student learning. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 27(1), 35-52.
Hyunseok Jang, Joongyeup Lee and Jennifer C. Gibbs (2015). The influence of the national government on confidence in the police: A focus on corruption. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 43, 553-568.
Jennifer C. Gibbs, James Ruiz and Sarah Anne Klapper-Lehman* (2015). Sugar and spice… and a badge and a gun: A cross-national comparison of women’s involvement in policing. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 17(3), 155-163.
Joongyeup Lee and Jennifer C. Gibbs (2015). Race and attitudes toward police: the mediating effect of social distance. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(2), 314-332.
**Selected as a Highly Commended Paper in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence
Education
B.S.; M.S.; Ph.D. (U of Maryland)