Melanie Clark Mogavero, PhD

 I am a criminologist and I conduct research to inform policy. 

My research is predominantly on autistic individuals in the criminal justice system, autism and sexuality, sexual offending, and sexual offender policy.   

Scholarship and Publications

Most Recent Work:

1. Mogavero, M. C. (in press). Mental Health, Neurodiversity, and Criminal Justice: A Guide for Students and Practitioners. Palgrave Macmillan. 978-3-031-88815-1
2. Mogavero, M. C., Finrich, A., Patel, R., & Etzi, S. (2025). Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Sexual Offending. In R. J. Tully, G. Bohall, D. S. Prescott (Eds.), Best Practices in Sexual Offender Assessment and Management (pp. 541–584). Springer Publishers. 978-3-031-83134-8

Peer-reviewed Academic Journals:

1. Hsu, K-H., Choi, J., & Mogavero, M.C. (2025). The role of social media in undergraduate students’ perceptions of police and career interest in law enforcement. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 1-29, https://doi.org/10.1080/10511253.2025.2485977
2. Cooper, D., Frisbie, S., Wang, S., Jonas, V., Gibbs, V. Love, Abigail M. A., Mogavero, M, Benevides, T. W., Hyatt, J. M., Hooven, K., Basketbill, I., & Shea, L. (2024). What do we know about autism and policing globally? Preliminary findings from an international effort to examine autism and the criminal justice system. Autism Research, https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3203
3. Shea, L. L., Cooper, D., Wilson, A. B., Hyatt, J., Msipa, D., Hofvander, B., Overland, S., Da Silva, W. C., Mogavero, M., Green, D., Wall, N., Lerner, M., Stahmer, A., Hooven, K., Bornman, J., Robinson, K., & Burke, J. (2024). A response to and caution of “Language is a critical mediator of autistic experiences within the criminal justice system.” Autism Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3111
4. Love, A. M. A., Gibbs, V., Cooper, D., Benevides, T. W., Mogavero, M. C., Basketbill, I. L., Shea, L. L. (2023). Creating the Global Criminal Justice Survey: A questionnaire designed to gather perspectives from autistic people and criminal justice professionals. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05835-1
5. Mogavero, M. C., Hsu, K. H. & Bolger, P. C. (2022). A conjunctive analysis of false accusations, official misconduct, and race in violent and sexual exonerations cases. Behavioral Sciences & The Law, 40(6), 756-786. http://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2587
6. Mogavero, M. C. (2020). An exploratory examination of intellectual disability and mental illness associated with alleged false confessions.  Behavioral Sciences & The Law, 38(4), 299-316. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2463
7. Mogavero, M. C. & Hsu, K. H. (2020).  Dating and courtship behaviors among those with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Sexuality and Disability, 38, 355-364. https:/doi.org/10.1007/s11195-019-09565-8.
8. Mogavero, M. C.  (2019).  What do criminal justice students know about autism?  An exploratory study among future professionals.  Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 34(4), 428-438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-018-9302-0
9. Mogavero, M. C., & Hsu, K. H. (2018).  Sex offender mobility: An Application of crime pattern theory among child sex offenders.  Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 30(8), 908-931.  https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063217712219
10. Mogavero, M. C. & Hsu, K. H.  (2018).  Autism Spectrum Disorder and harassment: An application of attribution theory.  International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 7, 260-274.  https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4409.2018.07.19
11. Mogavero, M. C., & Kennedy, L. W. (2017).  The social and geographic patterns of sexual offending: Is sex offender residence restriction legislation practical?  Victims & Offenders, 12(3): 401-433.  https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2015.1084962
12. Mogavero, M. C. (2016).  Autism, sexual offending, and the criminal justice system.  Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behavior, 7(3), 116-126.  https://dio.org/10.1108/JIDOB-02-2016-0004.

Book Chapters/Encyclopedia Entries:

1. Mogavero, M.C. (2021). “Passing the Trash,” In Sexual Harassment and Misconduct: An Encyclopedia.  Santa Barbara, CA: ABC/CLIO.
2. Mogavero, M.C. (2021). “Affirmative Consent Laws,” In Sexual Harassment and Misconduct: An Encyclopedia.  Santa Barbara, CA: ABC/CLIO.
3. Mogavero, M.C.  (2019).  “Female Sexual Predators,” In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Women and Crime. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
4. Mogavero, M. C.  (2017).  “Teddy Roosevelt’s Fight against Police Corruption,” In The Use and Abuse of Police Power in America: Historical Milestones and Current Controversies. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC/CLIO.

Professional Conferences:

1. Mogavero, M. C., Shea, L., Cooper, D., Love, A., Gibbs, V., Benevides, T., Basketbill, I., Hooven, K. (2023). Criminal Justice Professionals’ Autism Knowledge and Perceptions of Confidence when Interacting with Autistic Individuals. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 2023 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Nov. 17. https://asc41.org/events/2023-asc-annual-meeting/
2. Mogavero, M. C. & Hsu, K. H. (2023). “Tik Tok you don’t stop”: Social Media Consumption and Criminal Justice Students’ Perceptions of Police. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 2023 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Nov. 15. https://asc41.org/events/2023-asc-annual-meeting/
3. Mogavero, M. C., Hsu, K. H., & Bolger, P. C. (2022). A conjunctive analysis of official misconduct, false accusations, and race in violent and sexual exoneration cases. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 2022 Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA Nov. 16. https://asc41.org/events/2022-asc-annual-meeting/
4. Gibbs, V., Love, A. M, Benevides, T. W., Mogavero M. C., Hooven, K. and Basketbill, I.(2022). Global Criminal Justice Survey: Initial Scale Development and Validation. Identifying Interdisciplinary and International Approaches to Address Inequities in the Criminal Justice System Contact Among Autistic Individuals May 12, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM.  INSAR 2022, Austin, TX. May 11-14, https://www.autism-insar.org/page/2022AnnMtg.
5. Mogavero, M. C. (2021). Autism, sexual offending, and the criminal justice system. Sexuality in Neurodivergent Individuals.  Sept. 1, 2021. The University at Salford, Manchester, UK. https://www.salford.ac.uk/news/event-sexuality-neurodivergent-individuals
6. Mogavero, M. C. (2020). Taking stock of wrongful convictions: A Conjunctive Analysis of The National Registry of Exonerations.  Paper Accepted at the American Society of Criminology 76^th Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. (meeting canceled due to COVID-19). https://asc41.org/events/2020-asc-annual-meeting/
7. Mogavero, M. C. (2019). An exploratory examination of cognitive ability and other legal and extra-legal risk factors associated with false confessions. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 75^th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. https://asc41.org/events/2019-asc-annual-meeting/
8. Mogavero, M. C. & Hsu, K. H. (2018).  Autism and persistent courtship: A test of attribution theory.  Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 74^th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.https://asc41.org/events/2018-asc-annual-meeting/
9. Mogavero, M. C. & Hsu, K. H. (2017).  Attribution model of stalking and autism spectrum disorder.  Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 73^rd Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. https://asc41.org/events/2017-asc-annual-meeting/
10. Hsu, K. H. & Mogavero, M. C. (2017). Persistent dating and courtship behaviors among those on the autism spectrum.   Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 73^rd Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. https://asc41.org/events/2017-asc-annual-meeting/
11. Mogavero, M. C. (2016).  A comparison of the Sexually Violent Predator Acts: New Jersey and Florida. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 72^nd Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA. https://asc41.org/events/2016-asc-annual-meeting/
12. Mogavero, M. C. (2015).  The social and geographic patterns of sexual offending: Questioning the practicality of residence restriction legislation. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology 71^st Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. https://asc41.org/events/2015-asc-annual-meeting/

Book Reviews:

1. Mogavero, M. C. (2022, June). [Review of the book Law and Neurodiversity: Youth with Autism and the Juvenile Justice Systems in Canada and the United States by D. L. Baker, L. A. Drapela, & W. Littlefield] Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books.
2. Mogavero, M.C. (2020, March). [Review of the book The Psychology of False Confessions: Forty Years of Science and Practice, by G.H. Gudjonsson].  Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books.
3. Mogavero, M. C. (2018, January).  [Review of the book Contemporary Issues in Victimology: Identifying Patterns and Trends, edited by C. M. Hilinsji-Rosick and D. R. Lee]. Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books.
4. Mogavero, M. C. (2017, January).  [Review of the book Implied Consent and Sexual Assault: Intimate Relationships, Autonomy, and Voice, by M. Plaxton].  Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books.
5. Mogavero, M. C. (2016, September).  [Review of the book Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Beyond Victims and Villains, by A. Lutnick].  Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books.
6. Mogavero, M. C. (2016, January).  [Review of the book In Cold Storage: Murder and Sex on the Plains, by J. W. Hewitt].  Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books.
7. Mogavero, M. C. (2016, January).  [Review of the book The Common Language of Homicide and Suicide: Evidence of the Value of Durkheim’s Typologies, by J. M. Bozeman].  Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books.