News Release

Bettens studying schoolhouse interrogations & confessions

Grant and Award Announcement

George Mason University

Bettens Studying Schoolhouse Interrogations & Confessions

Allison Redlich, Distinguished University Professor, Criminology, Law and Society, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), received funding for the project: “Schoolhouse interrogations and confessions: Perspectives from principals and students.”

This funding is for Talley Bettens, a George Mason doctoral student studying Criminology, Law and Society.

Bettens is conducting two studies.

In the first study, she will conduct a survey with an embedded experiment involving high school principal participants who will report on their interrogation practices and perceptions of student confessions.

In the second study, Bettens will conduct a vignette experiment with high school-aged youth who will offer their confession decisions and perceptions of a hypothetical interrogation led by their principal when accused of misconduct.

Bettens received $120,741 from the National Institute of Justice for this project. Funding began in Jan. 2025 and will end in late May 2027.

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George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.


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