Michael Rocque
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Bates College
Chapter Member: Maine SSN
Areas of Expertise:
- School Reform
- Children & Families
- Criminal Justice
- Race & Ethnicity
Connect with Michael
About Michael
Rocque’s areas of expertise include race and crime, school discipline, and juvenile justice. In May of 2013 he began a position at the Maine Department of Corrections which will allow him to direct research on the effectiveness of programs and various sanctions for both adults and juveniles. For two years, Rocque worked in medical research at Eastern Maine Medical Center, and was also a member of the Bangor Rotary Club.
Contributions
Mass Shootings – and What Can Stop Them
SSN Basic Facts Brief,
Unfair Punishment at School Can Push America's Minority Students into Troubled Lives
SSN Key Findings Brief,
In the News
"Why We Must Re-Engage, Even When We Disagree," Michael Rocque (with ), Bangor Daily News, July 19, 2018.
Michael Rocque quoted on the lack of research on gun violence in the US in Bruce Bower, "Why Science Still Can’t Pinpoint a Mass Shooter in the Making" Science News, March 23, 2018.
"United States’ Shadow Economy Has Hidden Impact on Crime," Michael Rocque (with ), Maine Voices, Portland Press Herald, March 2, 2018.
"More Guns Won’t Make Our Universities and Colleges Any Safer," Steven E. Barkan (with ), Bangor Daily News, June 4, 2017.
Michael Rocque's research on on how healthy marriages help drive down crime rates across communities discussed in , "Marriage, the Ultimate Crime Fighter?," Bates News, November 13, 2015.
"4 Reasons to Doubt the ‘Ferguson Effect’ and Claims of a National Crime Wave," Michael Rocque (with ), Bangor Daily News, June 10, 2015.
"The Invisible Racism: What Critics of the Ferguson Protests are Missing," Michael Rocque, Bangor Daily News, December 23, 2014.
Michael Rocque quoted on the role of gender in violent crimes in Beth Elderkin, "Why are Almost All Active Shooters Men?" The Daily Dot, November 20, 2014.
"Were You Mature at 18? Jails Get It Wrong by Treating Young Adults as Real Adults," Michael Rocque, Bangor Daily News, April 15, 2014.
Interview on media portrayals of abductions in middle-class communitiesMichael Rocque, Kennebec Journal, December 24, 2011.
"Give Us Reasons to Stay," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, June 26, 2005.
"Real World Awaits," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, May 23, 2005.
"Discrimination at Disney," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, May 8, 2005.
"When You Booze, You Lose: An In-Depth Look at the Social Ramifications of Alcohol," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, April 25, 2005.
"Democrats Need a Solution: Negating GOP Bills is Only Stall Tactic, Not an Answer," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, April 18, 2005.
"Apathy Rampant on Campus," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, April 16, 2005.
"True Cost of War: Families, Soldiers Pay Ultimate Price," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, April 7, 2005.
"It’s High Time for Bush to Lead: President Needs to be a Pillar of Strength in a Time of Crisis," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, April 4, 2005.
"Oppressing Free Speech: Bush, Cohorts Guilty of Deceit," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, March 25, 2005.
"Another Wake-Up Call for Society: More School Shootings, More Deaths, More Finger Pointing," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, March 24, 2005.
"College Means Saying So Long to Snow Days," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, March 6, 2005.
"Instead of Drafting, Withdraw Troops," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, February 13, 2005.
"Bring Back the Draft," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, January 30, 2005.
"Bush’s Bad Call: President May be Making Big Error," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, January 27, 2005.
"One Family’s Wait for News," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, December 24, 2004.
"Working toward a Degree," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, December 20, 2004.
"Running on the Testosterone Ticket: The Gendered Nature of Modern Politics," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, November 11, 2004.
"Courting the College Vote," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, October 11, 2004.
"Dubya’s Reality Check: Dems and Some Republicans Fear Bush is Out of Touch," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, September 24, 2004.
"Campus Abuzz as Classes Resume at UMaine-Orono," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, September 12, 2004.
"Use Your Freedom of Speech: Protest Government Policies," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal, August 21, 2004.
"‘Liberal’ Should Not be an Unwelcome Term in American Politics," Michael Rocque, Kennebec Journal, August 4, 2004.
"Bush’s Mismanaged War: Poor Leadership Sheds Light on a Larger Problem," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, April 19, 2004.
"Bush’s Fading Credibility: Bring on the $500 Trillion Deficit," Michael Rocque, The Maine Campus, March 29, 2004.
Publications
Great Debates in Criminology (with ) (Routledge, 2019).
Explores the role of theory and research in criminology. Adopts a unique and refreshing approach to criminological theory and focuses on the great debates in criminology from its inception as a field to the present day. Explores the debates that have motivated criminological thought, that have represented turning points in theoretical and empirical trajectories, that have offered mini-paradigm shifts, and that have moved the field forward.
"More Than a Feeling: Integrating Empathy into the Study of Law Making, Law Breaking and Reactions to Crime" (with ). International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology (November 2012).
Describes how empathy can help explain why people break laws, why laws are made in the first place, and why people react as they do to law breaking.
"Exploring School Rampage Shootings: Research, Theory and Policy" The Social Science Journal 49, no. 3 (2012): 304-313.
Reviews the literature on school rampage shootings. Finds that the media has over reacted to these types of shootings and that schools remain safe places for children. Several explanations for school shootings are described but each has shortcomings.
"Biosocial Criminology and Modern Crime Prevention" (with ). Journal of Criminal Justice 40, no. 3 (2012): 306-312.
Shows how biology can help us understand how crime prevention programs are effective, and shows that modern crime prevention can address biology in a non-controversial manner.
"Understanding the Antecedents of the ‘School-to-Jail-Link’: The Relationship between Race and School Discipline" (with ). Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology 101, no. 2 (2011): 633-666.
Examines the individual- and school-level correlates of school discipline. Finds that despite controlling for a host of factors related to school discipline, racial disparities remain.
"Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System and Perceptions of Legitimacy: A Theoretical Linkage" Race & Justice 1, no. 3 (2011): 292-315.
Describes the empirical literature on racial disparities across the criminal justice system and presents a theoretical linkage between such disparities and later criminal behavior.
"Office Discipline and Student Behavior: Does Race Matter?" American Journal of Education 116, no. 4 (2010): 557-581.
Examines whether racial disparities in school discipline can be explained by wayward behavior. Even taking “acting out” into consideration, African-Americans are still more likely to be punished than other groups.