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44-Across, Joshua Alan Lane

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Moderating Effect Of Intimate Exchange On The Reciprocal Relation Between Best Friend Delinquency And Child Externalizing Behavior, Alden Elizabeth Gaertner

Masters Theses

Research indicates both peer selection (choosing behaviorally similar individuals as friends) and peer socialization (mutual regulation of behavior) processes impact the development of problem behavior in childhood and adolescence. Differential association theory explains these processes by suggesting children and adolescents elect to participate in peer groups that conform to a commonly accepted set of group norms. Moreover, deviant peer groups ascribe to unconventional norms characterized by a higher proportion of pro-deviance messages learned in the context of intimate personal groups. Consistent with differential association theory, the current study examined the moderating effect of intimate exchange, or relational closeness, on the …

The Spatial Demography Of Reported Crime: An Examination Of Urban-Rural Crime Articulation And Associated Spatio-Temporal Diffusion Processes, U.S. 1990 - 2000, Jeremy Reed Porter

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, increased attention has been given to the social and environmental context in which crimes occur (Wells & Weisheit 2004). This new interest in the human ecology of crime is largely demographic, both in terms of subject matter and increasingly in terms of the analytic methods used. Building on existing literature on the social ecology of crime, this study introduces a new approach to studying sub-county geographies of reported crime using existing census place and county definitions coupled with spatial demographic methods. Spatially decomposing counties into Census places and what Esselstyn (1953) earlier called “open country,” or non-places, allows for …

Local Law Enforcement's Counter Terrorism Capabilities., J. Ryan Presnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze local law enforcement's counter-terrorism capabilities as it relates to the varying size of United States local law enforcement agencies. Data for the study came from a study entitled "Impact of Terrorism on State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies and Criminal Justice Systems in the United States, 2004". Statistical analysis revealed that there are large disparities in the allocation of resources to intelligence gathering, analyzing, and sharing between smaller local law enforcement agencies and their larger counterparts. Furthermore, smaller agencies are not interacting with federal agencies in a manner consistent with the interactions …

Police Stress: An Examination Of The Effects Of Stress And Coping Strategies., Derrick Kenwright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How police officers deal with stress greatly affects how they carry out their daily lives and how they treat family and friends. In this study 2 police departments were issued surveys to see how the police officers experienced stress. Questions on the survey asked the officers about the sources of stress, sources of support, and which methods they used to alleviate the stress. The surveys were given to the respective departments over a period of 2 months, and 132 surveys were returned. The statistical analysis performed showed danger was a factor when examining stress. Administration support was found to be …

A Study Of Statewide Transfer And Articulation Reporting System (Stars) Approved Courses Completed At An Alabama Community College, Khristy Gibson Large

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if students have earned more STARS articulated and transferrable hours since the creation of the STARS program than students did before the existence of the program in the state of Alabama. Study results revealed that the STARS program has had a significant impact on the amount of articulated credit hours students have earned since the creation of the STARS program. Additional variables such as ethnicity, gender, GPA, status, and student type were also used to determine if significant differences existed among these variables in students completing STARS-approved hours. Pre-existing data were …

Physiological Correlates Of Aggression In Adolescent Females, Ashley Dibble

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, with the development of new technology, researchers have focused on physiological predictors of aggressive behavior, specifically cortisol and alpha amylase. Gordis, Granger, Susman, and Trickett (2006) found the interaction between cortisol and alpha-amylase significantly predicted parent reports of aggression indicating that low levels of physiological reactivity was associated with higher levels of problem behavior. While this research has provided valuable information about aggressive behavior, a major limitation is the majority of research focuses on males, or has not examined gender differences explicitly. This study expanded on work by Gordis et al. (2006) and other researchers on the HPA axis …

Asian American Social Workers: Exploring Relationships Among Factors Influencing Career Choices, Soon Min Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing minority groups in the United States. One of the stereotypes associated with Asians is that they are more likely to choose careers in science, medicine, and engineering rather than social science, inclusive of social work, mass communication, or humanities (Leong & Serafica, 1995; Tang et al., 1999). This occupational stereotyping of Asians is not just a myth in that descriptive studies have shown that only a few Asians choose social work as a career (Lennon, 2005; NASW, 2006). Few studies exist on Asian Americans who do not choose Asian stereotypical career choices, …

An Exploration Of The Effects Of Long-Term Intimate Partner Violence: Listening To Older Women, Suzanne Lowe

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract AN EXPLORATION OF THE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: LISTENING TO OLDER WOMEN By Suzanne Faries Lowe, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008 Chairman of Committee Laura J. Moriarty, Ph.D. Professor of Criminal Justice Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs There has been a great deal of research during the past four decades on the topic of domestic violence. Very little research has been conducted, however, on the effects of long-term intimate partner violence on older women. The …

Pathways To Drug Use Among Rural And Urban African American Adolescents: The Mediating And Moderating Effects Of Parent And Peer Influences, Trenette Clark

Theses and Dissertations

African American adolescents have traditionally engaged in drug use at disproportionately lower rates than youth of other ethnic groups. Nonetheless, African American youth and adults suffer disproportionately higher rates of drug-related consequences. This paradox is a health and social disparity that has been given fair attention but needs additional culturally intelligent theoretical and empirical explanations. Research that targets African American adolescent drug use has emerged but has failed to fully or moderately explain this paradox. The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature by helping to explain the first part of the paradox, African American …

Sex Trafficking: Explanations And Suggested Solutions, Tylee Potter

All Theses

This thesis employs framing theory (Goffman 1974) to analyze interviews with sex workers and three groups of service providers experienced with sex trafficking: (1) law enforcement officials, (2) social service agents, and (3) health care providers. The data set, 'International and Domestic Trends in Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States, 1999-2000,' was collected in 2000 by Dr. Donna Hughes and Dr. Janice Raymond and entails verbatim interviews on various topics regarding sex trafficking including explanations for occurrence and solutions for combating sex trafficking in the United States. Framing theory was used to analyze the diagnostic and prognostic frames …

The Evaluation Of Sharper Future: A Community-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program, Lindsay M. Cunningham

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A program evaluation of Sharper Future’s Substance Abuse Services Coordinating Agency (SASCA) sex offender treatment program was conducted in order to ascertain whether the program is meeting its treatment goals as outlined by the SASCA contract and Sharper Future program goals. The participants of this evaluation were 248 past male Sharper Future clients who had been mandated to treatment at the Sharper Future facilities and were funded by the SASCA program. The data used in this program evaluation was archival, as it existed in the clients’ file as supplied by the Sharper Future clinics that run a SASCA treatment program. …

Unto The Third & Fourth Generation Of African-Americans: Kaleb Norris's Stories Of Generational Poverty And Inequality In The South, Derrick Marcel Tennial

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an inquiry that explores the cross-generational lived affects of educational, political, and public policies on my paternal family from 1899 to the present in Northern Mississippi and West Tennessee. It is an exploration of my family's history and my lived experience as the first person in the family to obtain an undergraduate degree, a graduate degree, and a doctorate, who has attempted to use education in a substantive way to break the cycle of generational poverty. Members of six generations of my family are the main characters in the stories collected. Using oral history, I document their experiences. …

Financialism In Pretrial Release And Criminal Case Outcomes: A Relative Comparison Of Finances, Ethnicity And Sex, Daniel White

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of financial resources upon pretrial release and criminal case outcomes. Data related to the pretrial and criminal case outcomes was analyzed to determine the effect that financial ability has on being released prior to trial and the subsequent adjudication outcome rendered. Other relationships included were ethnicity and sex based on the literature in this area.

The data that were chosen for this study included individual and county-level data compiled by the State Court Processing Statistics (SCPS) program of the Bureau of Justice Statistics on the processing of a sample of …

Examining The Laws Of War And The Necessity Of Evolving Legal Principles To Counter Terrorism, Erik Leigh Dutkiewicz

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the dilemma surrounding the quest for an internationally binding legal solution to countering terrorism. It examines the evolution of international laws of war and the definition of terrorism, and the shortcomings of these laws and principles in the classification and adjudication of acts of international terrorism. In doing so, it examines the applicable treaties on the laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949, various multilateral and regional treaties, and various domestic laws. Recommendations include a proposed definition of terrorism for use in the revision of international laws and a proposed …

Automated Data Type Identification And Localization Using Statistical Analysis Data Identification, Sarah Jean Moody

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research presents a new and unique technique called SÁDI, statistical analysis data identification, for identifying the type of data on a digital device and its storage format based on data type, specifically the values of the bytes representing the data being examined. This research incorporates the automation required for specialized data identification tools to be useful and applicable in real-world applications. The SÁDI technique utilizes the byte values of the data stored on a digital storage device in such a way that the accuracy of the technique does not rely solely on the potentially misleading metadata information but rather …

Technologically Assisted Intervention (Tai): Are Clients Satisfied With Online Therapy?, Jennifer A. Morrow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the level of satisfaction reported by participants of a technologically assisted intervention study (TAI). TAI is a type of teletherapy done through online, live video conferencing. Satisfaction was examined at three different time points, post therapy, 3-months post therapy, and 6-months post therapy. Analyses examined if there were any changes in reported satisfaction over the three time periods. Participants received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) targeted at reducing symptoms of mild to moderately severe depression. A satisfaction measure was developed for this study, and included quantitative and qualitative items which were analyzed to determine participants' level of satisfaction. …

Assessing Treatment Access For Adult Sex Offenders Under Community Supervision In Kentucky: An Exploratory Study, Lincoln Bradley Sloas

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Lincoln Bradley Sloas on November 24, 2008.

Building-Level School Administrators' Perceptions Of Cyber Bullying , Among Students Under Their Supervision: Implications For Prevention And Intervention, James P. Colt

Education Doctoral

Research has indicated that both technology use and cyber bullying behavior by teenagers are increasing. Despite the importance of the role of building-level school administrators in establishing climate and addressing violence, the research on cyber bullying to date has not included the perceptions of building-level school administrators. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of building-level school administrators about cyber bullying, the factors that influenced their response to cyber bullying, and the measures they and their schools are taking in regard to prevention and intervention of cyber bullying. This study employed a sequential explanatory mixedmethods strategy, which …

Protecting The Self: An Ethnographic Study Of Emotion Management Among Child Protective Investigators, Aaron Christopher Howell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The question that I investigate here is what emotion work is performed by child protective investigators in order to be successful at their work, and how do they manage these emotional challenges within a community of their peers? Many different workers, from airline employees (Hochschild, 1983) to mortuary science students (Cahill, 1999) to 911 operators (Shuler & Sypher, 2000), have been studied to examine strategies and effects of emotion management. Yet scholars do not agree on whether emotion management at work is positive or negative.

For my research, I conducted interviews with ten investigators and observed a night unit of …

Challenging The New Penology: A Case-Study Analysis Of Correctional Management, Interstate Inmate Transfers, And Administrative Intent, Robert Thomas Swan

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of interstate inmate transfers (IITs) by prison wardens and the administrative intent that guide their use. This study assesses the explanatory power of the new penology in three cases and asks three broad questions of two prison wardens and the DOC: What correctional goals do you hope to accomplish with interstate inmate transfers? Why? And what contextual factors (if any) are felt to inhibit or facilitate these goals?

IITs are controversial. Supporters of IITs argue that in addition to serving the needs of correctional managers, they may also serve to …

The Role Of Coping Resources And Neuroticism In Predicting Female Aggression In Intimate Relationships., Dara N. Rampersad

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

One hundred and eighty six adult heterosexual females enrolled in colleges across the United States were sampled to determine the influence of personality and coping variables on female Intimate Partner Aggression (IPA). The research instruments administered included online versions of: the Revised-Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2; Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996), which explored female Intimate Partner Psychological Aggression and Physical Assaultiveness; the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP; Goldberg, 1999), which measured the personality trait of Neuroticism; and the Coping Resources Inventory for Stress-Short Form (CRIS-SF; Matheny, Curlette, Aycock, Pugh, & Taylor, 2007), which assessed the coping resources of Tension Control …

Extra-Legal Characteristics And Sentencing Disparity Among Federal Drug Offenders, Justin D. Galasso

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The development of the federal sentencing guidelines was made as an attempt to provide a uniform standard of sentencing procedure for defendants convicted within the federal legal system. Unfortunately, such unvarying policy has over the years birthed a system of sentencing that lacks equality among like defendants. The Supreme Court, in 2005, ruled that the sentencing guidelines were no longer to be compulsory during sentencing procedures, but rather act as an ancillary tool. The present study examines multiple legal and extra-legal variables and their influence on two aspects of imprisonment probability for federal drug offenders for the years of 1999-2006: …

Why Do Patients Seek Emergency Psychiatric Care? Their Reasons And Characteristics, Peter Yang

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Many believe that psychiatric emergency services (PES) are misused, but there is little empiric data available addressing this issue. We investigated reasons patients actually sought emergent care, and whether alternative facilities could have addressed their needs. We reviewed 200 consecutive evaluations in a teaching hospital emergency department via chart review. Data collected included psychiatric history, substance use, and contributing etiologies. PES clinicians involved were asked directly about underlying reasons for emergent care and whether suitable care could have been provided in a less acute setting. Acute behavioral disturbances proved to be the most frequent reason for emergency visits. Half of …

Family Variables As Predictors Of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Outcome, Gina R. Sillo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current study sought to investigate the importance of family variables as they potentially predict treatment outcome for adolescents at two intensive outpatient drug treatment programs. A growing body of research has demonstrated that family dynamics serve to influence drug using behaviors and substance abuse treatment. More specifically, empirical support has suggested that the quality of family relationships is an important factor serving to influence affective treatment. The current investigation considered two primary domains of family influence: family cohesion and family conflict. Results revealed that the study variables comprising these domains were not found to be associated with adolescent treatment …

An Exploratory Study Of Mental Health Providers' Awareness Of Internalized Oppression Of Women Who Experience Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence, Sharon E. Harp

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study's purpose was to examine mental health providers' awareness of the intersecting and compounding internalized oppressions (racism, sexism and homophobia) of women who experience same-sex intimate partner violence. The research attempted to address the question: Are mental health providers aware of the internalized oppressions among women who are in same-sex relationships in which intimate partner violence occurs? A qualitative study was conducted using a semi-structured, self-designed interview guide with open-ended questions. The sample included a total of twelve mental health providers recruited using a non-probability, convenience method. The findings indicate all twelve participants were aware of internalized oppressions …

Three Studies Of Sexual Offenders : Female Perpetrated Sexual Victimization, Comparison Of Male And Female Perpetrated Sexual Victimization, And Escalation Histories, Sarah Guillaume Belanger

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This thesis incorporates three studies which explore adult and adolescent male sexual offenders. The first two articles examine the occurrence and effects of female perpetrated sexual abuse within a population of adolescent sexual offenders. The final article explores the occurrence of escalation in the offending histories of adult male sexual offenders. The first article examined the occurrence and characteristics of female perpetrated sexual abuse within a population of adolescent sexual offenders, as well as the arousal and victim chooses of the youth. The findings suggest that this population experiences female sexual abuse at increased rates. Also supporting the 'victim to …

Alcoholic Beverage Sales To Underage Buyers In The Commonwealth Of Virginia: Deterrence And Equality, William L. Goodman

Theses & Honors Papers

The Commonwealth of Virginia relies on the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to enforce laws designed to deter alcohol and cigarette sales to underage persons. ABC employs underage buyers (UAB) who attempt to make controlled purchases of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.

The primary purpose of this research project is to determine if compliance checks deter alcohol sales to underage persons. Second, this study attempts to find if underage buyer demographics align with state demographics. Finally, this research attempts to determine if businesses are more likely to sell alcohol to underage buyers based on their race, ethnicity, and gender. This …

College Student Vulnerability To Harmful Religious Groups Based On Perceptions., Kevin Clark Dreher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted in an attempt to understand which, if any, groups of college students are susceptible to cult influence based on false perceptions. Religion is a powerful practice that, if used for the wrong reasons, can influence a person to dissolve social and financial relationships with family, friends, and the surrounding community. Surveys were given to randomly selected cluster samples of students currently enrolled at the university. These surveys consisted of demographic questions and a scale designed to measure perceptions. Also devised was a scale to measure traits of depression. Both bivariate and multivariate analysis showed that the …

Compliance Gaining Appeals And Sources Of Influence In Cognitive Behavioral Violence Prevention Fatherhood Groups, Maria Elena Villar

Open Access Dissertations

Cognitive behavioral violence prevention (CB-VP) parenting groups are commonly used for the primary and secondary prevention of violence. These groups use persuasive messages that target violence-related attitudes and cognitions, with the expectation that this will result in behavior change. Despite their frequent use as family violence prevention strategies, little is known about the actual messages being exchanged in CB-VP groups and how participants perceive and recall these messages. This study analyzes messages aimed at changing behaviors as recalled by Hispanic participants in federally funded Fatherhood groups in Miami, Florida. Applying concepts from violence prevention, behavior change messages were classified by …