Dr. Jessica Abbott is a dynamic educator and researcher. She joined the faculty at Utah Tech University in 2017 and holds a PhD from Southern Illinois University.
Dr. Abbott’s primary research interests revolve around fear of crime, perceived risk, and victimization. She is especially interested in how policing practices subsequent to victimization affect victims’ fear of crime or perceived risk. You can see her scholarly work in journals including the American Journal of Criminal Justice, Crime & Delinquency, and Victims & Offenders. By virtue of her active research agenda, she was awarded the Distinguished Research Award at Utah Tech University in 2024.
Dr. Abbott’s teaching interests are focused mainly on criminology, victimology, and policing (especially community policing). She has also led students in fostering their own research skills in the Criminal Justice Capstone class for most of her time at Utah Tech. As an educator, she is committed to active learning and the development of critical thinking skills.
In addition to her scholarship and teaching, Dr. Abbott currently serves as Department Chair for the Applied Sociology & Criminal Justice Department as well as Assistant Director of Research at Utah Tech. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, cooking, and hiking/exploring the surrounding areas.
Most Recent Publications
McGrath, Shelly, & Jessica Abbott. 2025. Intimate partner violence and additional victim- offender relationships: An examination of gender and other differences in victim fear using National Crime Victimization Survey data. Violence and Victims, 40, 503-521.
McGrath, Shelly A., Rachel Bridges Whaley, Jessica Abbott, & David C. May. 2024. Why don’t the police make me feel safe? Using Black’s theory of law to potentially extend current findings on crime victims’ fear. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 50, 181-204.
Whaley, Rachel B., & Jessica Abbott. 2024. Exploring police reporting among victimized U.S. nomads. Crime & Delinquency [in press].
Whaley, Rachel B., and Jessica Abbott. 2024. Life on the road: Fear of crime among Nomads. Crime & Delinquency, 70, 2434-2468.
Abbott, Jessica, and Shelly McGrath. 2023. Does utilization of victim services programs influence individuals’ fear of crime: Findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Sociological Spectrum, 43, 109-126.
Whaley, Rachel B., and Jessica Abbott. 2023. How safe is life on the road: Criminal victimization among a sample of U.S. Nomads and the #Vanlife population. Crime & Delinquency, 69, 2124-2163.