title: Regional differences in sodomy laws.
abstract: As of 1989, 24 states prohibited either heterosexual or homosexual sodomy. This raises for study the following question: in what ways do states with sodomy laws differ from states without sodomy laws. It was hypothesized that states with sodomy laws are more punitive (as measured by the rate of adults under correctional supervision and the number of restricted civil rights for a felony conviction), rural, and southern. Although the first two hypotheses were rejected, states with sodomy laws scored significantly higher than states without such laws on Gastil's Index of Southerness. Sodomy laws may be more commonly found in the South given regional differences in social values about sex, morality, and family life.
authors.affiliation: Criminal Justice Department, Washburn University, Topeka, KS 66621.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D011639:Public Opinion; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D012931:Social Environment; D012945:Social Values