Digital Commons Network^™

The Needs Of The Counterterrorism Workforce: The Availability And Utility Of Datasets On Domestic Terrorism And Targeted Violence, Michael Logan, Steven Windisch, Adrienne Brookstein

Reports, Projects, and Research

Nature of the Problem. While counterterrorism (CT) professionals prioritize the development of national security measures, many off-the-shelf datasets may not be suited for the unique work that Homeland Security professionals do. As such, this project is designed to identify and assess the most up-to-date datasets that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can provide its counterterrorism workforce. By assessing the specific needs of current counterterrorism professionals, academics will have a clearer picture of the types of data most helpful in addressing the threats of domestic terrorism (DT) and targeted violence (TV). Method. We adopted an interdisciplinary, multi-method approach that included …

The Nciter Newsletter December 2023, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center

Newsletters

NCITE (National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education) is the Department of Homeland Security's center of excellence for terrorism prevention and counterterrorism research. They are a federally funded academic consortium based in Omaha, Nebraska. Their newsletters covers the current news, activities, and updates of the center and the latest in counterterrorism research. NCITEr newsletter covers specifically center updates.

An Analysis Of The Impact And Effectiveness Of Human Trafficking State Laws And Policies In Missouri And Nebraska, Madeleine Mather

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to use another person for sex or labor. Human trafficking is a prevalent issue within the United States that is not talked about enough. This leads to a misrepresentation of facts about human trafficking that can lead to common myths related to human trafficking. It is each state’s responsibility to develop laws and policies that protect victims and prosecute offenders justly according to the crime. This research delves into an analysis of Missouri and Nebraska state statutes to determine their effectiveness and assess the level of awareness among residents of …

Epidemiological Criminology And Covid: A Transdisciplinary Analysis Of Violent Crime And Emergency Department Admissions During Covid, Lindsey Wylie, Julie D. Garman, Gaylene Armstrong, Ashley Farrens, Jenny Burt, Mark Foxall, Michael Visenio, Macall Cox, Cynthia Hernandex, Charity H. Evans, Ashley Ann Raposo-Hadley

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

As little is known about the influence of COVID-19 on rates of violent crime, the purpose of this study is to examine violent injury captured by emergency department admissions and by law enforcement in a mid-sized midwestern city (Omaha, Nebraska) from January 2016 to December 2020. Although COVID-19 did not show a direct significant relationship, weeks during the COVID-19 period showed a marginal increase in incident rate ratios for violent incidents in both datasets. While violence remained stable during the pandemic, racial differences between samples were observed. This study emphasizes the utility of a transdisciplinary approach to understand the underlying …

The Cpacs Collective November 2023, College Of Public Affairs And Community Service, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

CPACS Newsletters

The College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) newsletter that reported on the news, collaborations, events, and general happenings of the UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service. This newsletter has had many names and variations over the years including SPACS Newsletter (1973); Newsletter of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (1973-1974): Happenings (1974-1980s); and the current e-newsletter titled the CPACS Collective (2021-)

Prevention Program Sustainability And Associated Determinants: A Literature Review, Version 1.0, Andrea Walker, Sarah Steele, Matt Allen, Nicholas J. Arreola

Reports, Projects, and Research

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made millions of dollars available through the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program to help communities across the United States develop capabilities to combat terrorism and targeted violence. Given this investment, a key objective is ensuring the long-term impact of these programs, which depends on their sustainment beyond the initial grant. Thus, the purpose of this report is to review the relevant literature on program sustainability and discuss implications for the TVTP Grant Program. We began the review by exploring definitions of sustainability as well as similar social programming concepts, such …

Trends In The Return And Prosecution Of Isis Foreign Terrorist Fighters In The United States, Tanya Mehra, Merlina Herbach, Devorah Margolin, Austin C. Doctor

Reports, Projects, and Research

Approximately 300 Americans are estimated to have traveled or attempted to join the Islamic State (ISIS) as part of the group’s campaign in Syria and Iraq between 2013 and 2019. These individuals joined more than 53,000 men, women, and minors from roughly 80 countries. Often referred to as foreign (terrorist) fighters (FTF), these are individuals from third countries who travel to join a terrorist group to support its activities. In the United States (U.S.) context, the FTF designation does not denote the act of fighting itself, but rather the support of a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO). While many of …

Understanding Threats To Public Officials, Peter Simi, Seamus Hughes

Reports, Projects, and Research

Threats against public officials are ticking up, a disturbing trend that NCITE researchers are charting in a 10-year examination of federally investigated threats. Since 2013, researchers have counted 501 such threats, most resulting in conviction. Threats were most commonly made against members of the criminal justice system, from law enforcement officers to judges. Elected officials and those who run or manage elections comprised the second most-targeted category. Educators and healthcare workers also received threats. The following graphics show further analysis. It is important to note that the figures capture only federally charged cases. There is a high bar for such …

Applying Normal Accident Theory To Ideological And Nation-State-Sponsored Cybercrimes, Thomas J. Holt, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center

Reports, Projects, and Research

This project aims to explore a new perspective on cyberattacks by applying normal accident theory, typically used to analyze complex system failures, to the realm of cybersecurity. The goal is to gain insights into the factors contributing to cyberattacks and identify potential strategies to prevent and mitigate them. Applying normal accident theory to cyberattacks reveals that while complete prevention is challenging, focusing on human and organizational aspects of cybersecurity can significantly reduce risks. Encouraging adherence to best practices and establishing cybersecurity audit and compliance entities are critical steps toward a more resilient cybersecurity landscape.

Summer 2023 Graduation Survey Responses, Systems Intelligence And Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Graduation

Summer 2023 Graduation survey responses master file without identifiers.

Understanding And Applying Sar To Ideological And Nation- State-Sponsored Cybercrimes, Thomas J. Holt, Steve Chermak, Joshua D. Freilich, Emily Greene-Colozzi, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center

Reports, Projects, and Research

The use of computer hacking, malicious software, and other forms of cyberattacks against U.S. infrastructure has increased dramatically since the 1990s. Many of these attacks target corporations and individuals for instrumental economic gain, such as the theft of personal information for use in fraud. Ideologically motivated attacks also occur, though the degree to which they are understood or documented is generally limited. For instance, jihadi groups have expressed an interest in cyberattacks since the early 2000s (see Holt et al., 2022). Similarly, DHS (2009) noted in the late 2000s that they expected cyberattacks from environmental or animal liberation-focused groups to …

Facilitating Suspicious Activity Reporting At The Community Level, Karyn Sporer, Brooke Buxton

Reports, Projects, and Research

The purpose of this report was to identify how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other law enforcement agencies can leverage community partnerships to help counter targeted violence and to provide actionable insights on what technological, social, and financial barriers exist for families of extremists in reporting suspicious activities.

The Downfall Of Daniel Fitzpatrick: A Creative Short Story, Renee Horsley

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Daniel grew up with humble beginnings in Starlight, Nebraska. His loving parents provided him and his four other siblings with as much as they could. Victoria grew up wealthy in a small town in Georgia but by fifth grade, Victoria would move to Starlight due to her father’s business proposition. Soon Daniel and Victoria’s worlds collided setting the way for the most epic and yet tragic love story to ever hit Starlight Nebraska. A creative short story that intertwines the disciplines of criminal justice, intergroup dialogue, psychology, and the law.

The Nciter Newsletter May 2023, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center

Newsletters

NCITE (National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education) is the Department of Homeland Security's center of excellence for terrorism prevention and counterterrorism research. They are a federally funded academic consortium based in Omaha, Nebraska. Their newsletters covers the current news, activities, and updates of the center and the latest in counterterrorism research. NCITEr newsletter covers specifically center updates.

The Nciter Newsletter May 2023, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center

Newsletters

NCITE (National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education) is the Department of Homeland Security's center of excellence for terrorism prevention and counterterrorism research. They are a federally funded academic consortium based in Omaha, Nebraska. Their newsletters covers the current news, activities, and updates of the center and the latest in counterterrorism research. NCITEr newsletter covers specifically center updates.

Community And Network Responses For Assisting Mobile Vulnerable Populations, Teresa C. Kulig, Allison V. Schlosser, Morgan A. Vanslyke, Laura E. Alexander, Cristián Doña-Reveco

Latino/Latin American Studies Reports

The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the increasing vulnerability of individuals, households, and communities. It has almost certainly been even more devastating for those who rely on community networks and organizations for aid but are less able to access aid networks in conditions of reduced mobility. This is the case for “mobile vulnerable populations,” among which include persons experiencing homelessness, victims of human trafficking,immigrants, refugees, and Latinos/as. This report summarizes our research with local Omaha service providers about what they need to serve mobile vulnerable populations in the community, how the pandemic has affected their ability to do so, and whether there …

Analyzing Intergroup Dialogue's Impact On Perceptions Of Inclusion Among Students, Maeve Hemmer

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This case study was intended to explore how perceptions of inclusion among college students taking an Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) course changed across the four group stages. This study was done by collecting and measuring changes in self-reported levels of overall inclusion, individuation and belonging of students enrolled in an IGD course. IGD was a semester-long pilot course intended to increase social understanding, relationships, and action, and was offered in Spring 2023 at a midwestern university. The findings showed that perceptions of inclusion, individuation, and belonging increased as the four group stages progressed. This case study demonstrated the need for additional …

Making Sense Of Unofficial Deadly Force Data, Justin Nix

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Ferguson. Baltimore. Louisville. Minneapolis. Deadly police-civilian encounters over the past decade in these and other U.S. cities have launched presidential task forces and sparked protests, riots, and in some cases, retaliatory violence against officers (e.g., Dallas). Yet shockingly, there still isn’t a comprehensive, official dataset that tracks the use of deadly force by police officers. The absence of such a dataset seems absurd, given the widespread ability to track other information like current employment statistics or when a package will arrive at the recipient’s doorstep. The absence of such a dataset makes it too easy for people with large platforms …

An Experimental Look At Reasonable Suspicion And Police Discretion, Kyle Mclean, Justin Nix, Seth W. Stoughton, Ian T. Adams, Geoffrey P. Alpert

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study aims to demonstrate the need for further examination of legal judgments and the exercise of discretion in policing.

Design/methodology/approach

A factorial vignette survey with traffic stop scenarios based on US Court of Appeals decisions was administered to 396 police officers across six states. Officers were asked to indicate their assessment of the presence of reasonable suspicion and the likelihood that they would extend the stop for investigatory purposes.

Findings

Officers' reasonable suspicion judgments are significantly influenced by the vignette facts and align with court ruling expectations. However, even in the presence of reasonable suspicion, responses indicate a …

Victimization Prior To Jail: The Effect Of Physical And/Or Sexual Victimization On Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder In A Population Of Jailed Inmates, Melissa A. Kowalski, Michael Campagna, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Previous research shows a link between abuse histories and negative outcomes, including a relationship between abuse victimization and mental illness and/or substance use disorder and between such victimization and criminal behavior. The relationship between abuse and offending or reoffending is likely indirect, working by way of mental illness and/or substance use disorder. However, the effects of these abuse experiences prior to incarceration as well as the impact of abuse perpetrator type and abuse timing on mental health and substance use outcomes have been underexplored in jail populations. The current analysis addresses this gap. From February 21st, 2017 to September 12th, …

Fact Book, Academic Year 2022, Systems Intelligence & Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Fact Book

The Fact Book presents important campus information in data tables and charts. Included are details regarding students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Generally, data are broken out by college, rank, level, gender, age and ethnicity for both spring and fall semesters, past to present. There are a few academic year tables that include information on tuition & fees, student credit hours by program, and degrees conferred. We wish to thank the many individuals and departments at the University for their contributions to the Fact Book.

The Cpacs Collective April 2023, College Of Public Affairs And Community Service, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

CPACS Newsletters

The College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) newsletter that reported on the news, collaborations, events, and general happenings of the UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service. This newsletter has had many names and variations over the years including SPACS Newsletter (1973); Newsletter of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (1973-1974): Happenings (1974-1980s); and the current e-newsletter titled the CPACS Collective (2021-)

Victimization Prior To Jail: The Effect Of Physical And/Or Sexual Victimization On Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder In A Population Of Jailed Inmates: Research Brief, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, M. Kowalski, Michael Campagna, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

The relationship between abuse and offending is likely indirect, by way of mental illness and/or substance use disorder. However, the effects of abuse experiences prior to incarceration, as well as the impact of abuse perpetrator type and abuse timing on mental health and substance use outcomes, are underexplored in jail populations. The current analysis addresses this gap. In 2017, an assessment with 79 questions was administered to 4,713 individuals admitted to a large, Midwestern jail. The majority of the population (72.3%) reported no history of abuse, but 17.5% indicated a history of physical abuse, 3.2% a history of sexual abuse, …

Healthcare Facilities: Maintaining Accessibility While Implementing Security, Ryan Vilter

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In the wake of the Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital shooting in the summer of 2022, it was made clear that more security needed to be implemented in healthcare facilities. As a result, I inquired: What is the happy balance for healthcare facilities to maintain their accessibility to the public while also implementing security measures to prevent terrorist attacks? With that base, I give recommendations in the areas of cybersecurity, physical infrastructure, and physical and mental health, based off the existing literature and data gathered from terrorist attacks against hospitals over several decades.

Do Degrees Matter? Rethinking Workforce Development For Youth With Intellectual Disabilities And Mental Health Challenges, Susan Reay, William E. Reay, Kris Tevis, Lisa Patterson

Social Work Faculty Publications

The global workforce crisis significantly impacts how evidence-based treatment is provided to youth with developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. Addressing the workforce crisis requires re-examining the long-standing methods of selecting individuals for employment based on academic degrees. This project offers an innovative workforce development option that provides specialized training to staff with advanced education degrees and staff with less education. The participants in this study were employed in a rural area of the USA within the mental health, child welfare, and correctional industries. All participants worked with youth experiencing intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Results indicated that participants …

Vicarious Trauma Via The Observation Of Extremist Atrocities: A Rapid Evidence Assessment, Matthew Crayne, Neil Shortland

Reports, Projects, and Research

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Members of the DHS workforce and terrorism researchers are systematically exposed to the propaganda, ideologies, and psychologies of actors who seek to launch terrorist attacks. This content is inherently value-laden and possibly personally troubling, causing these individuals to confront potential violations of their “sacred” or “protected” values such as the preservation of life (e.g., Tetlock et al., 2000). Here we present the result of a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) which sought to review research across multiple fields of work in which individuals are exposed to traumatic imagery, or events. This REA found that there is …

Reintegration Of Foreign Terrorist Fighter Families: A Framework Of Best Practices For The U.S., Austin C. Doctor, Haroro J. Ingram, Devorah Margolin, Andrew Mines, Lorenzo Vidino, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center, Program On Extremism, George Washington University

Reports, Projects, and Research

This report outlines a comprehensive framework of best practices in the reintegration of foreign terrorist fighter spouses and children (i.e., “the FTF family”). It collates and synthesizes a suite of interlocking principles to guide reintegration policy and implementation, covering practical challenges and programmatic objectives, the organizational structure and process of reintegration management in the U.S. context, the role of strategic communications and trauma-informed care, and the use of specialized risk assessment tools. Drawing on original work conducted in previous investigative streams, this report combines scholarly analyses from both theory and practice, interviews with practitioners and stakeholders, case study investigations, and …

Evidence-Based Inventory Of Criminal Justice Programs In Nebraska, Katelynn Towne, Christopher Campbell, Monica Miles-Steffens, Brian Gildea, John Ursino, Ryan E. Spohn, Zachary Hamilton, Michael Campagna, Addison Kobie, Taylor L. Claxton, Laura Dueland, Tara Grell

Reports

This report is the product of collaborative efforts from the Nebraska Center for Justice Research, the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Criminology and Criminal Justice department at Portland State University. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the importance of using evidence-based practices and programs, examine the quantity and needs addressed by adult criminal justice programs, and provide a snapshot of operating evidence-based programs throughout Nebraska. This report provides findings related to the discovery of programs and a review of branded programs operating in Nebraska. Product 1 – Inventory …

The Theorizing Of Terrorism Within Criminology, Daren Fisher, Erin M. Kearns

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives. While terrorism studies were once castigated as atheoretical and unempirical, criminology has been well suited to apply theories of crime to terrorism and to then test those theories with rigorous methods and robust data. The present study takes stock of how criminologists have theorized about terrorism and tested those theories over time in 13 of the discipline’s leading journals. Methods. The study systematically examines theoretical framing, hypotheses, methodological approach, focus within criminology and criminal justice, and policy recommendations in terrorism-focused articles. Results. While terrorism has become more central within top journals, sparse attention has been paid to many criminological …

External Funding Bulletin, January - June 2023, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

No abstract provided.