Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Participation In The Johnson City, Tn Citizen's Police Academy., Angela Elkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Citizen's Police Academy allows citizens to attend the police academy to learn more about police departments and police work. While increasing in popularity, very little research has focused on participant impact. This study examines the impact of the Johnson City CPA on participants' attitudes and beliefs about police work. Surveys were analyzed to discover differences in age, education levels, gender and prior interest in police work concerning satisfaction, importance of training, and behavior change. Older respondents reported the most benefit from participation, while younger respondents were more likely to change their behaviors. Those with mid level educations gained the …

Comorbidity Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Gender With Internalizing And Externalizing Symptoms., Anna Louise Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the association between internalizing and externalizing symptoms, gender, and the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Participants included 104 males and 74 females, aged 6 to 16 from a diagnostic clinic. Parents and teachers completed the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale, Second Edition (ADDES-2) to determine whether they met the criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) in order to measure internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Regression analyses indicated partial support for association between inattention and internalizing symptoms, with higher ratings of inattention found for both anxiety and depression as rated by parents and higher …

Selected Georgia High School Principals' Perceptions Of Student Diversity, Ronald James Wiggins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to identify Georgia high school principals' perceptions of student diversity. The student demographics of many Georgia school districts and schools are changing rapidly, while some school districts and schools have not experienced much, if any, demographic change. As a result, it is important for principals to be aware of what other principals perceive as advantages and disadvantages, the types of policies/programs that impact principals in regard to student diversity as well as to be familiar with artifactual evidence that may represent an appreciation or awareness of student diversity. The data displayed in this study was gathered …

Community Coalitions: Implications For Educational Policy And Administrators, A Study Of Anderson Elementary In The Anderson Weed And Seed Neighborhood., Mary A. Rausch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2001, the Anderson Neighborhood of Bristol, Tennessee, received official recognition as a Weed and Seed site by the United States Department of Justice. This designation is provided to a local coalition of committed community members organized to “weed” out the elements that contribute to crime and delinquency in a targeted neighborhood and “seed” in strategies to build strong neighborhoods. Anderson Elementary School is a key partner in the effort and the conduit for a variety of coalition initiatives.

Through investigation of measures and surveys administered at Anderson Elementary School, the study was designed to ascertain if there were improvements …

Relationship Between Conviction Rates Of Child Abuse Perpetrators And Forensic Medical Examinations Performed By Trained Versus Non-Trained Examiners On Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse, Leila Smith Bragg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thorough and detailed forensic medical examinations on sexually abused children can result in findings that make stronger cases against alleged perpetrators involved in child sexual abuse. A retrospective chart review was conducted of 1561 child abuse cases occurring in the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia during a 3-year period. Charts were reviewed to assess whether or not the child received a forensic medical examination and if the examination was performed by a trained or a non-trained forensic examiner. Court conviction data were obtained from the office of the district attorney in order to compare conviction rates to the forensic medical …

Juvenile Commitment Rate: The Effects Of Gender, Race, Parents, And School., Mitchell Andrew Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze those factors that affect the commitment rate of juveniles and how outside variables such as gender, race, parents, and school attendance affect the commitment rate of crime and delinquency. The variables used for this study came from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) data collected by Esbensen and Osgood (1999). The analysis revealed that females are more likely to have a higher commit rate than males, that Whites have a higher commit rate than other races, that those juveniles living with their father have a lower commit rate than those living …

Intimate Violence: The Effects Of Family, Threatened Egotism, And Reciprocity., Jessica Lynne Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken in an attempt to investigate the impact of family, threatened egotism, and reciprocity on a person’s use of intimate violence. Threatened egotism proposes that aggression is the result of high but unstable self-esteem, which is conceptualized as high self-esteem coupled with high narcissism. Self-report questionnaires were administered to randomly selected cluster samples of 423 college students, 147 males and 276 females. The mean age is approximately 22 with 93% indicating they are White and 7% non-White. While no support was found for threatened egotism, violence witnessed in the family of origin and reciprocity were found to …

A Qualitative Study: Gendered Perceptions Of Bullying Among Adolescents At A Boys And Girls Club., Beverly Small Chandley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a form of peer violence needing extensive research to help understand the differences in gender for the prevention of such behavior. Most research has been performed in school settings and in a quantitative manner. This study was conducted by six researchers in an after-school facility with a qualitative approach. A minimum of 15 hours per researcher was spent observing behaviors and 20 interviews were performed. A grounded theory approach was used for the analysis of data which tend to show more similarities than differences in the way children bully as well as their perceptions of bullying.

The Alternatives To Detention Program : Assessment Of One Kentucky County's Efforts To Deinstitutionalize Status Offenders., Arthur Hayden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the beginning of the juvenile justice movement in the United States over a century ago, considerable debate has persisted among policymakers and practitioners concerning the causes of juvenile offending and the appropriate responses to control it. Although the juvenile justice system was conceived and developed to provide individualized, benevolent treatment to young offenders, the system has gradually shifted to resemble a more punitive, adult criminal justice model. While presently the system includes characteristics of both the juvenile and adult justice models, future directions are uncertain. This is problematic for young offenders who need and deserve more solicitous care in …

Risk Factors For Adult Victimization Among Florida's Homeless Women, Rebecca Michelle Weichsel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much of the existing research on violence against homeless women has concluded that homeless women are particularly vulnerable to violence and experience victimization at rates often exceeding the rates of housed women. Little research, however, has focused upon the specific risk factors that expose homeless women to physical assault, rape, and stalking. Utilizing a sample of 737 homeless women from the Florida cities of Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami, this study investigated the risk factors for experiencing adult personal victimization. The characteristics of homelessness, demographics, drug and alcohol use, subsistence activities, childhood victimization, mental health status, and criminal activities were …

Planning Release: An Evaluation Of The Allegheny County Jail Project, Rae Dorer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the Allegheny County Jail Project is to allow inmates to maintain social bonds by obtaining meaningful employment and reduce the rate of recidivism. The rates of recidivism were evaluated for the Allegheny County Jail Project and then compared to the rate of recidivism of the general population of the Allegheny County Jail to measure the success of the program. A population of 126 enrollees, the first and second year enrollees of the program combined, was selected for this evaluation from September 2001 to June 2003, and then a follow up of one year was conducted to find …

Effects Of Emotional Intelligence Training On Incarcerated Adult Males Involved In Pre-Release Programming, Holly Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation summarizes a study conducted to explore the effectiveness of emotional intelligence (EI) training for adult male inmates. Acts of crime and violence cause psychological repercussions to crime victims and financial burdens on our society. Historically, those involved in the criminal justice system have strived to gather knowledge about criminal behavior in order to guide interventions. Furthermore, research on potential interventions has been encouraged in order to support evidence-based rehabilitative efforts that may ultimately impact recidivism. Emotional intelligence is a relatively new construct that may be related to social functioning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the …

Gender Differences In Characteristics Of Intimate Partner Homicide Offenders, Heather Lynn Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses whether or not male and female intimate partner homicide offenders differ in a variety of characteristics using data from the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study, 1995-1998. Frequencies of male and female intimate partner homicide offender's risk factors were compared to look at how they differ. The areas that were explored were demographics, prior abuse, and the criminal justices response. A number of gender differences were found. Directions for future research pertaining to intimate partner homicide offenders are discussed.

Relationship Between Adolescent Behavior And Civic Engagement, Michael Ernst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Citizenship - commitment to and participation in a political community - is the heart of constitutional democracy and a free society. Knowledge of the rights, responsibilities, and privileges are the electrical impulses that keep a steady beat. Without the participation of educated citizens, a democratic republic can not and does not function. This study analyzed the relationship between adolescent behavior and civic engagement. This task was accomplished by examining the amount of civic knowledge possessed by two groups within a population. The population examined, a high school in Flagler County, was composed of "at risk" students (those who had an …

Designing A Document Delivery System For Ucf S Interlibrary Loan Department, Abha Y. Trivedi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interlibrary Loan entails obtaining copies of library materials not found in the library's collection on behalf of the library's patrons (borrowing), as well as providing copies of library materials requested by other libraries (lending). The dynamic nature of today's library environment is well illustrated by the rapid changes occurring in the role of interlibrary loan. The vision statement of the University of Central Florida Library is: The library performs a central role of adding value to information for the academic community by creatively improving and providing information resources and services. The library strives to create an environment that encourages the …

Availability Of The Felony-Murder Rule Today: Equitable And Just Or Unfair And Excessive?, Traci Rose Francis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current research provides an examination of felony murder to determine the similarities and differences among jurisdictions in the nation. It provides a current analysis of jurisprudence to update the literature as to practices in the United States pertaining to the availability of felony murder and the specific elements that make up the rule. This research conducts a survey of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal System. It provides an overview of the felony-murder rule and its availability, the degrees to which the doctrine is utilized, and the subsequent sentences allowable for defendants convicted under the …

Assessment And In Vitro Repair Of Damaged Dna Templates From Forensic Stains, Ashley Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DNA extracted from biological stains is often intractable to analysis. This may due to a number of factors including a low copy number (LCN) of starting molecules, the presence of soluble inhibitors or damaged DNA templates. Remedies may be available to the forensic scientist to deal with LCN templates and soluble inhibitors but none presently exist for damaged DNA. In fact, only recently has the biochemical nature, the extent of DNA damage in physiological stains and the point at which the damage inflicted upon a particular sample precludes the ability to obtain a genetic profile for purposes of identification been …

Regional Readiness For Intelligence Information Sharing To Support Homeland Security, Christine Genet Kemp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age was created to produce recommendations on how to best leverage intelligence and information to improve security without compromising existing civil liberties. Their second report proposed that the government set up an information-sharing network using currently available technology to improve our ability to prevent terrorist attacks, while protecting civil liberties. The Markle recommendations have been incorporated into the recent Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The proposition is that the Markle task force recommendations are sufficient to achieve the required data integration in the United States. To affirm …

Guilty By Association: The Impact Of Mainstream Media Portrayal Of African Canadian Male Criminal Participation On The African Canadian Community., Phyllis A. Kumi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of media produced constructions of Black masculinity and crime on Toronto's diverse African communities. Nineteen individuals, living in the areas of Downtown Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough and East York, were interviewed about their experiences with the racialization of crime in the print and visual media. Interview discussions revolved around the welcome of immigrants of African descent, depictions of Black males, media coverage of crime according to the ethnicity of the assailant and victim and parental concerns of how their children are viewed by society. A second group of issues discussed is intra-group conflict and …

The Relationship Between Readiness To Change And Relapse Prevention Outcome: A Continuum Approach With An Alcohol Treatment Group, Dory Becker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the role of readiness to change (RTC) within the context of a relapse prevention (RP) treatment program for individuals with alcohol use disorders. RTC was assessed using the continuous version of the Readiness to Change Questionnaire, as research does not support the use of the categorical version with treatment seeking clients. Participants included 80 men and women seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders. Findings revealed that RTC did not predict treatment outcome. These results may have been a product of the poor psychometric properties of the continuous version of the RTCQ, as established in this study. Associated …

Scoring The Charter: A Twenty-Year Analysis Of Supreme Court Voting Trends (Pierre Trudeau)., Jason A. Daigle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Charter has transformed the way the policy process is conducted in Canada. It has ushered in a revolution focused on individual and collective group rights. The entrenchment of codified rights and freedoms has forced the legislatures to conform to the contents within the Charter and has reshaped Canadian socio-political values. Various studies have attempted to explain the Charters role in this process, however the question left unanswered is how has the Charter reshaped the policy process and what is the impact to Canadian constitutionalism? This thesis seeks to answer this question through a detailed quantitative analysis. The body of …