Digital Commons Network^™

Selecting Keyword Search Terms In Computer Forensics Examinations Using Domain Analysis And Modeling, Alfred Christopher Bogen

Theses and Dissertations

The motivation for computer forensics research includes the increase in crimes that involve the use of computers, the increasing capacity of digital storage media, a shortage of trained computer forensics technicians, and a lack of computer forensics standard practices. The hypothesis of this dissertation is that domain modeling of the computer forensics case environment can serve as a methodology for selecting keyword search terms and planning forensics examinations. This methodology can increase the quality of forensics examinations without significantly increasing the combined effort of planning and executing keyword searches. The contributions of this dissertation include: ? A computer forensics examination …

Intercultural Communication Needs Of Mississippi Agricultural Students, Employers, And Hispanic Workers, Rosa Elena Vozzo

Theses and Dissertations

As the inclusion of Hispanic labor in the Mississippi workforce increses, it is necessary to prepare our students to communicate with these workers. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitude toward Spanish speakers, their culture, and the study of Spanish among agricultural students at Mississippi State University. The study also sought to discover cultural differences that could affect communication between American managers and the Hispanic workforce.The Friedman (1997) questionnaire was administered to 204 students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Additionally, open interviews were conducted with 10 participants: four Mexican Hispanci workers, two community leaders, …

Hate: Juror Perceptions Of Crime Classification, Attributions Of Blame, And Impact Of Extra-Legal Factors, Karyn M. Plumm

Theses and Dissertations

A jury simulation paradigm was employed in this series of studies exploring hate crime. In the first two studies., crime label (i.e., bias-motivated assault ·vs. first degree assault) and victim gender were varied within the context of a sexual orientation motivated (study 1) or gender motivated (study 2) hate crime scenario. Results from the first study indicated that attributions of blame against the victim varied as a function of participants' attitudes toward minority sexual orientation. Results of study two indicated that participants in the assault condition were more likely to find the defendant guilty than those in the hate crime …

Cyber-Crime Fear And Victimization: An Analysis Of A National Survey, Abdullah Al-Shalan

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to investigate cyber-crime victimization among Internet users in the United States by: 1) assessing the factors that impact computer virus victimization; 2) assessing the factors that impact cyber-crime victimization; and 3) predicting fear of cyber-crime. Two domains in criminology were applied to the study of cyber-crime phenomenon: routine activity theory, and the fear of crime literature. Three independent models were developed to predict computer virus victimization, cyber-crime victimization, and fear of cyber-crime. Measures of routine activity theory applied to cyber-crime victimization include risk exposure, and suitable targets were created. A more reliable measure of …

Needing To Act: Exploring Deliberate Self-Harm In Incarcerated Women, Jacqueline Mangnall

Theses and Dissertations

Deliberate self-harm (DSH), behavior that causes minor to moderate physical injury that is undertaken without conscious suicidal intent, is a frequent behavior in institutions such as prisons. The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of DSH in incarcerated women. Seven incarcerated women who self-harm were interviewed and constant comparative analysis techniques were used to develop a model of DSH in incarcerated women. The model of Needing to Act emerged from the data of this study. Adverse childhood and adult events, such as sexual and physical abuse, were the predisposing factors for both acting out (criminal offending) …

The 1998 Rome Statute Of The International Criminal Court: Scope Of The Subject Matter And Personal Jurisdiction Of The Court Towards Individual Criminal Accountability, Remigius Oraeki Chibueze

Theses and Dissertations

The principle of individual criminal responsibility evidences the recognition by the international community that crimes against international law are committed by individuals, not abstract entities and only by punishing individuals who commit such crimes can the provisions of international law be enforced.

This principle which was first propagated by the Nuremberg tribunal has now been confirmed and codified by the international community in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Rome Statute established a sui generis permanent international criminal court and unequivocally provides that a person who commits a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court shall be …

An Examination Of Career Decision-Making In The Context Of Female Offenders, Allison L. Stone

Theses and Dissertations

Female offenders often have had increased financial difficulties post-release because of lower levels of educational achievement and less job experience. Career programming may prove useful to female offenders by providing guidance with career decisions and strengthening career decision-making skills. The aims of this study were to investigate career decision-making skills and self-efficacy in the context of vocational programming for a group of female offenders. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used to examine scale scores for a group who participated in programming and a control group at the same correctional facility. A series oft tests revealed no significant differences between the …

Poverty, Inequality & Terrorism Relationship In Turkey, Mutlu Koseli

Theses and Dissertations

Poverty, Inequality & Terrorism Relationship in TurkeyUsing empirical evidence criminological studies have identified a relationship between poverty and crime and many studies have concluded that a high crime rate is associated with a higher poverty rate. Other studies indicate that inequalities are a better determinant of crime than absolute poverty. Social disorganization theory, anomie strain theory and Marxist theory have been used to explain the phenomenon. Guided by the aforementioned theories and previous literature on crime, this study looks at the terrorism issue and explores whether a relationship exists between poverty, inequality and terrorist incidents. The main hypothesis of this …

Understanding How African-American Middle School Students Cope With Peer Victimization: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Suzanne C. Linkroum

Theses and Dissertations

A mixed-methods approach was used to determine how African-American middle school students cope with peer victimization and to identify factors that inhibit and promote the use of prosocial coping strategies. In a previous study, participants had been categorized into four social clusters: well-adjusted, rejected, passively-victimized, or aggressively-victimized based on a cluster analysis of self-reported psychosocial variables. Interviews with a sub sample of 80 students focusing on identifying both how students thought they would respond and how they thought they should respond to hypothetical situations involving peer victimization were analyzed. Interviews also elicited factors that would support or impede the use …

Student Learning Assessment In The Social Sciences: Establishing A National Baseline For Criminal Justice Programs, Jennifer N. Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on student learning outcomes assessment in criminal justice programs in American colleges and universities. Particularly, this research sought to establish a baseline understanding about how criminal justice programs are measuring student achievement toward learning outcomes. The baseline does not include what students should be learning or how that learning should be assessed; it includes only what is actually happening in criminal justice programs in terms of how student learning is being assessed. The baseline data were then compared to the results from two studies that focused on student learning assessment in political science departments and public relations …

Transforming Growth Factor-Β1 (Tgf-Β1) Induces Mast Cell Apoptosis, Farnaz Norozian

Theses and Dissertations

Mast cells are potent effectors of the inflammatory response, playing an important role in atopy, bacterial immunity, and animal models of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease. Hence controlling mast cell numbers and responsiveness is essential for preventing inflammatory disease. This work demonstrated that the cytokine TGF-β1 is a potent inducer of mast cell apoptosis, a finding that was consistent for cultured mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells, peritoneal mast cells, and human mast cells. Cell death appeared to be the result of TGF-mediated repression of IL-3 receptor expression and function, leading to mitochondria1 damage and activation of an apoptotic cascade …