~ RGVRC Affiliate Scholar ~

Cheryl Lero Jonson is an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She received her PhD in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2010. Her research examines public opinion regarding various criminal justice issues and policies and the effectiveness and psychological impact of active assailant training. She recently has conducted several large-scale national studies exploring the public’s perception of the causes of mass shootings, gun ownership, appropriate punishments for those who engage in mass violence, policies to reduce school shootings, and the police response to shootings occurring in schools. Her work has been published in Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Criminology & Public Policy, Crime & Justice: A Review of Research, and the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Jonson’s findings have been cited by the United States Supreme Court and various media outlets. Jonson also is the chair and founding member of the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Public Opinion & Policy.