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Photograph of Lynn Addington

Lynn Addington Professor Justice, Law & Criminology

Additional Positions at AU
Affiliate Professor, Department of Public Administration and Policy
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Israel Studies
Degrees
PhD State University of New York, Albany
MA State University of New York, Albany
JD University of Pennsylvania
BS Northwestern University

Bio

Professor Addington’s research interests include the nature of violent crime and its impact on victims, measurement of crime, and utilization of U.S. crime statistics. Her current work focuses on issues around older adults, aging in place, and safety concerns. In addition to her work at AU, she is a member of the Age Friendly DC Task Force. She also served as a Visiting Fellow at the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Professor Addington received AU's top faculty research award in 2016. Her recent publications have addressed the quality of crime data, campus victimization, school violence, fear of victimization, and the long-term effects of Columbine. She is the co-editor of a volume of original research entitled Understanding Crime Statistics: Revisiting the Divergence of the NCVS and UCR and the lead author of Are America's Schools Safe? Students Speak Out. Her research has been funded by the American Educational Research Association, American Statistical Association, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and National Institute of Justice. Professor Addington is a regular consultant on federal crime surveys for the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education. She previously served as editor in chief of Homicide Studies. Prior to attending graduate school, Professor Addington practiced law for four years during which time she clerked for a federal district court judge and worked as a civil litigator.




Twitter Profile

For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

Fall 2024

  • JLC-245 Cities and Crime

  • JLC-245 Cities and Crime

Spring 2025

  • JLC-368 Juv Del: Causes,Prevnt & Trmt

  • JLC-417 Victimology

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

Addington, L.A. (2022). Rethinking Older Adult Murder Victims: Looking Back at 25 Years of Homicide Studies to Inform Future Research Needs. Homicide Studies,26, 106-117. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/10887679211046905

Addington, L.A. (2022). Exploring Help Seeking Patterns for Emerging Adult Victims Using the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey.  Violence Against Women, 28, 1188-1212. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012211014552

Addington, L.A. (forthcoming, 2021). Keeping Black Girls in School: A Systematic Review of Opportunities to Address Exclusionary Discipline Disparity.  Race and Justice. Available February 3, 2021 at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2153368720988894

Addington, L.A. & Lauritsen, J.L. (2021). Using National Data to Inform our Understanding of Family and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization: A Review of a Decade of Innovation. Feminist Criminology, 16, 304-319. Available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1557085120987621

Grier, S., Poole, S.M., Thomas, K., Sobande, F., Ekpo, A., Torres, L.T., Addington, L.A., Henderson, G.R. & Weeks-Laidlow, M. (2021). Operationalizing Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the Marketplace. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 40, 126-142. Available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0743915620964114

Addington, L.A. (2020). Turning 75: Why Age Matters for Victims of Assaultive Violence Reported to Police. Innovation in Aging, 4 (Suppl 1), 47–48. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.155

Addington, L.A. (2020). Police Response to Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence in the Marriage Equality Era. Criminal Justice Journal, 33, 213-230. doi: 10.1080/1478601X.2020.1786277

Addington, L.A. (2019). Black Girls Doing Time for White Boys’ Crime?: Considering Columbine’s Security Legacy Through an Intersectional Lens.  Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 35, 296-314. doi: 10.1177%2F1043986219840205

Addington, L.A. & Lauritsen, J.L. (2018). Is the trouble still going on? Exploring victims’ accounts of why repeat violent victimization ends.  Violence and Victims, 33, 1193-1208.

Yablon, Y.B. & Addington, L.A. (2018).  Students’ Feeling of Safety in Israeli Schools: A Place-Based Perspective.  Psychology of Violence, 8, 401-08.

Yablon, Y.B. & Addington, L.A. (2018).  Students’ Feeling of Safety in School: Does Frequency of Victimization Matter?  American Journal of Criminal Justice, 43, 26-38.

Tanner-Smith, E.E., Fisher, B.W., Addington, L.A., & Gardella, J.H. (2018). Adding security, but subtracting safety? Exploring schools’ use of multiple visible security measures. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 43, 102-119.

Weiss, K.G., Addington, L.A. & Nolan, J.J. (2018). Is Gender a Discretionary Factor in Reporting and Arrests of Non-Fatal Violent Crime? Women and Criminal Justice, 28, 1-18.

Addington, L.A. (2017). What is the effect of being bullied?: Comparing direct harms of bullying experienced by LGB and non-LGB students.  Journal of Family Strengths.

 

Addington, L.A. (2016). Using Constitutional Law Classes to Address the “Civic Empowerment Gap” among Inner-City Public High School Students.  Education and Urban Society, 48, 807-826. 

 

Rennison, C.M. & Addington, L.A. (2015). Rape against Emerging Adult and Adolescent Females:  Using NIBRS to Compare Contexts and Inform Policy. Justice Research & Policy, 16, 165-183.

 

Lynch, J.P. & Addington, L.A. (2015).  Crime Trends and the Elasticity of Evil:  Has a Broadening View of Violence Affected Our Statistical Indicators?  Crime & Justice, 44, 297-331.

Rennison, C.M. & Addington, L.A. (2014). Violence Against College Women: A Review to Identify Limitations in Defining the Problem and Inform Future Research.  Trauma, Violence & Abuse.

Addington, L.A. & Rennison, C.M. (2015). Keeping the Barbarians outside the Gate?: Comparing Burglary Victimization in Gated and Non-Gated Communities. Justice Quarterly, 32, 168-192.

Addington, L.A. & Perumean-Chaney, S. (2014). Intimate Partner Violence: What Separates the Men from the Women for Victimizations Reported to Police. Homicide Studies.  

Lee, E.T., Addington, L.A. & Rushin, S. (2013).  Which Felonies Pose a "Serious Potential Risk of Injury Under the ACCA Residual Clause?  Federal Sentencing Reporter.

Addington, L.A. (2013) Reporting and Clearance of Cyberbullying Incidents:  Applying "Offline" Theories to Online Victims.  Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 29, 454-474.

Addington, L.A. (2013). Who You Calling Old?: Measuring “Elderly” and What It Means for Homicide Research. Homicide Studies, 17, 134-153.

Addington,  L.A. & Yablon, Y. (2011). "How Safe Do Students Feel at School and While Traveling to School?: A Comparative Look at Israel and the United States." Journal of American Education, 117, 465-493.

Addington, L.A. (2009 ).“Cops & Cameras: Public School Security as a Policy Response to Columbine.” American Behavioral Scientist. View Online

Addington, L.A. & Rennison, C.M. (2008). Co-Occurring Rape:  Do Additional Crimes Affect How Victims and Police Respond to Rape? Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 24, 205-226.

Book

Lynch, J.P. & Addington, L.A. (co-editors) (2007). Understanding Crime Statistics:  Revisiting the Divergence of the NCVS and the UCR. Cambridge, UK:  Cambridge University Press.

Published Reports

Addington, L.A. & Randour, M.L. (2012). "Animal Cruelty Crime Statistics:  Findings from a Survey of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs." Washington, DC: Animal Welfare Institute.

Grants and Sponsored Research

Active Externally-Funded Projects (Solo PI)

Principal Investigator (January 2022 – August 2024) -- Project: Fatal and Non-Fatal Intimate Partner and Family Violence Against Older Women: An Exploration of Age and Police Response to Inform Research, Policy and Practice. National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice ($195,135).

Completed Externally-Funded Projects (past 5 years) (solo PI)

Principal Investigator (January 2017 – September 2019) -- Project: Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Violence against LGB Individuals:  Exploring Victims’ Use of Formal and Informal Services through Analysis of Existing Data Sources.  National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice ($134,520).

Principal Investigator (2016) -- Project: The Use of Visible Security Measures in Public Schools:  A Review to Summarize Current Literature and Guide Future Research.  Invited White Paper on School Violence and School Safety.  National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice ($10,000).

Principal Investigator (January 2016 – December 2017) -- Project: Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking and Sexual Violence Among Non-College Attending Emerging Adults:  Exploring the Prevalence of the Problem and Utilization of Victim Services.  National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice ($39,958)

Professional Presentations

Congressional Panel "U.S. Department of Defense Response Systems to Adult Sexual Assault Crimes Panel," June 27, 2013: Watch here.

Academic Minute: "Pandemic Planning with Older Adults in Mind" August 1, 2022: Listen here Lynn Addington, American University – Pandemic Planning with Older Adults in Mind - The Academic Minute