Education Commons^™

Restorative Justice Initiatives In Marin County: Mitigating The Impacts Of The School-To-Prison Pipeline On Youth, Gina Dudley

Social Justice | Senior Theses

My senior thesis project delves into Restorative Justice's role in addressing the school-to-prison pipeline in Marin County. Restorative Justice prioritizes repairing the harm caused by crime to individuals, relationships, and communities, advocating for offenders to take responsibility and make amends rather than solely facing punishment (Restorative Justice Exchange, 2022). My capstone aims to pinpoint factors driving student exclusion from schools and subsequent entanglement in the legal system while highlighting how restorative approaches can prevent such outcomes. Additionally, it discusses the benefits of removing police officers from schools and reducing reliance on law enforcement within educational settings. My research will use …

Pathways To Success: Unleashing Experiential Learning In Higher Education For Aspiring Law Enforcement Professionals, Leonard A. Averhoff

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This generic qualitative inquiry (GQI) explores experiential learning in higher education for students interested in law enforcement careers. Through interviews and focus group discussions, the study aimed to uncover insights into the perceptions and experiences of students engaging in a university student security program (USSP). The USSP allows full-time students to work as uniformed, unarmed paid employees of the university’s police department providing various law enforcement type functions. The research identified five themes that emerged from the data analysis: exposure, career development, training, leadership, and personal growth.

The theme of exposure highlighted the importance of hands-on learning, allowing students to …

Law Enforcement Leadership And Organizational Culture In A Post-2020 Society, Carlos A. Perkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to investigate the perceptions of selected law enforcement leaders regarding the impending transition in law enforcement agencies in a post-2020 society. Specific elements of this transition investigated included recruitment, training, socialization, leadership roles/qualifications, change strategies/process, stakeholder involvement, and measures of success. Purposeful, convenience, and snowball sampling were used to select study participants. Study participants (N=21) were active sworn law enforcement leaders in a law enforcement agency in North Carolina. Participants possessed a broad range of law enforcement years of experience and/or leadership/supervisory experience at a minimum rank of lieutenant. Semi-structured interviews were …

Human Trafficking: The Impact Of Covid-19 On Labor Trafficking In The Us, Anthony A. Mottola

Theses and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a global phenomenon where traffickers prey upon their victims without discriminating against age, gender, ethnic background, or nationality. The United States (US) is not immune to the human rights violations of human trafficking. The victims of human trafficking are coerced into a life of exploitation through forced labor or sexual exploitation. Many victims are migrants from disadvantaged countries that travel to the US seeking employment but end up the victims of abuse, both physically and mentally, at the hands of traffickers. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the global economy, forcing quarantines, travel bans, and social distancing. …

The Lived Experiences Of 911 Telecommunicators: Life Outside Of The Call Center, Mary's Dariela Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

911 operators are tasked with solving the caller's problem by promptly and efficiently decoding a cry for help, collecting pertinent information, quickly deciding its priority level, and dispatching the appropriate assistance. These employees are responsible for what happens on that line, internalizing their problems to solve those of the callers, which often result in stress disorders, trauma, and personal, professional, and social issues. Their job duties are extensive, the responsibility is vast, and the overall environment can be overwhelming. Aside from the environmental stressors, the details of each critical incident leave the employee susceptible to various risk factors and other …

Relations Between On-The-Job Stress, Mental And Physical Health, And Job Satisfaction Of Correction Officers, Sarah Chandebal

Theses and Dissertations

This research study aimed to examine the direct and indirect relationships between on-the-job stress, physical and mental health, and job satisfaction for correction officers. Correction officers have one of the most stressful jobs in law enforcement, however, they are one of the most understudied groups in their field. It is therefore important to examine how stress can affect these correction officers. In this study, the predictors of stress for correction officers were discussed, along with the impact that this stress can have on their physical and mental health. Ultimately, as their health declined, it was hypothesized that the job satisfaction …

Perceptions Of School Resource Officers On Their Role In Southern Maryland Public Elementary Schools, Lori B. Lodge

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the perceptions of school resource officers (SROs) in Southern Maryland regarding the support SROs could provide elementary schools to foster positive interpersonal relationships while maintaining school safety and what additional resources that the SROs needed to support their job.

The overall school climate and morale at some elementary schools have significantly decreased due to increased student-aggressive behaviors. The school climate is correlated to student academic success (Sanders et al., 2018). School climate can include safety, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning, and the school environment.

There is a need for school resource officers in …

First-Line Police Supervisors’ Utilization Of Criminal Justice Higher Education, Dennis George Hippert

Theses and Dissertations

A first-line police supervisor holds a large influence over street-level police officer behavior (Ingram, et al., 2014), but little consistency exists between police agencies regarding the minimum educational requirements necessary to successfully perform the functions of a first-line police supervisor. This study explored the experiences of criminal justice degree holding first-line police supervisors in using the content of their college curriculum to guide street-level officers in acceptable use of force practices, professional communication with the public, and discretionary decision-making. Employing a grounded theory method of inquiry with a constructivist approach, this study utilized semi-structured, one-on-one interviews to examine the ways …

Exploring The Influence Of School Location On School Resource Officers’ Perceptions Of Their Roles And Priorities, Larry A. Potts

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the widespread presence of school resource officers (SROs) in public schools for decades, their proper roles and priorities have remained unsettled because those roles are often varied, complex, conflicting, and ambiguous. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how SROs perceive their roles and priorities and whether school location influences those perceptions. Qualitative research methods provided opportunities for one-to-one interviews with SROs and their supervisors. Two elements embedded in the design consisted of a descriptive questionnaire provided to the SROs before their interviews, and a qualitative interview question designed to elicit a percentage estimate response from SROs. …

Public Safety Presence And Response In Campus Housing: Using Restorative Justice Interventions To Mitigate Harm And Restore Trust In The Residential Community, Sydney Pidgeon

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

In the wake of social unrest and demands of police reform (Childress et al., 2020; Davidson, 2020; Rogers & Gravelle, 2020), institutions of higher education have a unique opportunity to model a system of campus safety that mitigates harm and restores trust. This research explores the complex relationship between campus safety officers and residential life staff and student leaders at a mid-sized private institution and implements restorative justice interventions to rebuild trust between the two populations. This research created an intervention framework that improved the ongoing partnership between the Office of Residential Life and Department of Public Safety and facilitated …

A Cleave Within The Piney Woods: Nacogdoches, Stephen F. Austin State University And How Racial Integration Divided The Town And Gown, Caitlin Hornback

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stephen F. Austin State University was once the pride and joy of the city of Nacogdoches, Texas. When the Texas State Legislature began to look for a location for their new state normal school, the people of the East Texas town fought to have it built there and the Stephen F. Austin Teacher’s College opened its doors in September 1923 to a proud community. Through the trials and tribulations of early twentieth century events, the school managed to stay afloat and grow in numbers. Dr. Ralph W. Steen became the president of the college in 1958 and he oversaw a …

Factors For Thriving In Law Enforcement, Kelly K. Wedley

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this non-experimental and quantitative study was to evaluate the degree to which law enforcement officers perceive themselves as thriving. The sample for this study was convenient, non-probable, and purposive and comprised of 214 law enforcement officers from one large law enforcement agency in the State of Florida. The study’s researcher-constructed survey instrument was determined to be internally consistent and reliable. A one sample t-test was used to assess the statistical significance of study participant mean score response to perceptions of thriving and the results were statistically significant. The use of between-subjects analytic techniques was used to compare …

Building Leaders In Policing: Using Leadership Characteristics And Attributes To Develop First-Line Supervisors And Line Officers, Brad Stewart

Education Projects

Organizational effectiveness and legitimacy in policing are largely based on public perception witnessed predominantly through interactions with line officers and first-line supervisors. The demand for highly effective first-line supervisors falls short as agencies are ill-equipped to provide leader development. This mixed methods study examined the characteristics and attributes of first-line supervisors as perceived by line officers in the Asheboro, North Carolina Police Department. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: (a) Which dominant characteristics and attributes are perceived by police officers to be associated with leader efficacy; (b) Which of the perceived characteristics and attributes contribute to the development …

Police Officer Attitudes About The Importance Of External Procedural Justice, David Borchardt

Theses and Dissertations

External procedural justice has been found to have a relationship with cooperation, compliance, and police legitimacy. Extant methods to increase external procedural justice during police-citizen interactions have been met with mixed results. Fair policing from the inside out proposes that organizationally just treatment of officers will lead to external procedural justice during encounters between officers and citizens. Police organizational justice, comprised of the dimensions of distributive justice, procedural justice, interpersonal justice, and informational justice, has been found to have a relationship with external procedural justice, however, the majority of research has been conducted using overseas samples. The minority of work …

Higher Education For All Law Enforcement Officers, Johana Constantino Madrigal

University Honors Theses

In this brief prospectus, the focus is on the many arguments for why it should be a requirement for all law enforcement officers to have a higher education background. Given light to recent events, the importance for more highly trained and educated officers has become more dire as people call for justice in an attempt to right the wrongs that have been done. The articles found all address the manner in which higher education can help with better judgement calls, analyze and respond to situations better, and the overall perception officers have, who have a form of higher education, on …

Victim Impact: The Manson Murders And The Rise Of The Victims’ Rights Movement, Merrill W. Steeg

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Is This Seat Taken? African American Male Perceptions Of Ascension In The Federal Office Of Inspectors General Community, Donrich L. Young

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The federal law enforcement community is one that should be diverse and reflect society as a whole. Traditionally, federal law enforcement, and specifically the Office of Inspectors General (OIG) Community, has been occupied by White males at all levels. This qualitative exploratory case study examined the perceptions and lived experiences of eight African American males currently employed in or recently retired from the federal OIG community. The research findings resulted in the emergence of three themes: (1) mentorship, (2) treatment and opportunities, and (3) underrepresentation. The implications and recommendations which evolved from this research study may contribute to the development …

An Examination Of African Americans’ Fear Of Police Among Generation Z, James Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of fear Generation Z-African Americans have of police. The population for this research consisted of African Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 and resided in the United States of America. From this population, a sample size of 105 participants were constructed for the study. The research compared the level of fear Blacks have of police when grouped by age, gender, education level, region of the country, and community of residence. Random sampling was used for participant selection, and a series of non-parametric ANOVAs (i.e., Kruskal-Wallis tests) were conducted …

The Influence Of Active Shooter Incidents In K-12: Principals Perceptions Of Armed Personnel And Tactical Police Capabilities In New Jersey District Factor Group (I) Public School Districts, Adela Ames-Lopez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In the wake of increased shootings in schools, safety concerns are in the forefront of school administrators’ concerns. This study is a replication of a dissertation published in 2016 as well as some components of a research study published in 2014. The 2014 study examined elementary principals in an urban public-school district in Paterson, New Jersey, within District Factor Group (A), whereas the 2016 study examined suburban public-school districts in New Jersey’s District Factor Group (GH) with a median household salary ranging between $86,000 and $105,000. An interview study was utilized for this qualitative research design to assist in determining …

A Delphi Study Of Actions Needed For Active Shooter Preparedness To Lower The Number Of Casualties And Injuries During Active Shooter Incidents At K-12 Schools, Michael Maley

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify specific actions that experts perceive are needed for active shooter preparedness for educational facilities, to lower the active shooter incident casualties and injuries in the U.S. K-12 schools. The study also examined the degree of importance for the identified specific actions needed for active shooter preparedness at educational facilities and those actions most likely to be implemented.

Methodology: The research design for this study is utilizing the Delphi technique that provides a systematic process in collecting data of opinions from a panel of experts. The Delphi study includes collecting …

The Present And Future Law Enforcement Workforce: A Generational Comparison Of Motivators For Entering And Remaining In The Profession, Nicole Cain

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Recruitment and retention are persistent issues within the law enforcement organizations because positions are remaining vacant and fewer people are attracted to the profession. The purpose of this research study was to understand the differences between generational cohorts and specifically the millennial generation’s motivation for entering and remaining in the law enforcement profession, as well as their satisfaction with their career choice. This quantitative, non-experimental research study utilized a survey method to address six research questions. A convenient, purposive sample consisting of sworn police officers from one mid-size law enforcement agency located in central Florida represented the study’s data source. …

Job Stress Effects On Job Satisfaction And Attrition In 9-1-1 Call Centers, Damarys Jaile Gilligan

Theses and Dissertations

In 9-1-1 call centers across the nation the personnel shortage has become a crisis. The nature of the job of a 9-1-1 telecommunicator is stressful due to the high volume of emergency calls. This applied dissertation was designed to learn if there is a relationship between job stress, burnout levels, and job satisfaction in 9-1-1 telecommunicators. This was a nonexperimental quantitative survey research with a correlational approach. The population was a nonprobability convenience sample recruited through the Survey Monkey Audience platform. Data was collected at one point in time. A total of 37 participants took part in the study. All …

Law Enforcement Officers As Victims Of Felonious Killings And Assaults: An Analysis Of The Predictors Of Lethality And The Likelihood Of Officer Assault Or Death, Gabriella Mercado

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the predictors of lethality for the outcome of police officer assault with injury and felonious death. Recent news has focused on police brutality and their excessive use of force. Conversely, the inverse relationship has not received much focus. To explore the aforementioned relationship, data from the LEOKA program on 1,375 officers who were feloniously killed or assaulted with serious injury between the years of 2008 and 2017 were examined to determine the statistical significance between several predictor variables and the outcome variable.

Binary logistic regression was used to answer the research questions posed by …

Higher Education And Police Officers: The Effects On Citizen Complaints, Evan D. Brown

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study was conducted to examine the effects that different levels of education may have on the number of citizen complaints filed against police officers. There are many literature articles pertaining to the education of police officers but few studies have been conducted to measure the specific effects of higher education in law enforcement. The analysis in this paper will show relationships between higher education of police officers and if it has a relationship with the number of officer complaints.

Measuring Police Officer Self-Efficacy For Working With Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Abigail M. A. Love

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently one of the most researched of all childhood developmental disorders and is receiving attention in many domains including popular media, social sciences, education, and medicine. The purpose of this dissertation was to design and provide initial psychometric evidence for a scale that measures police officer self-efficacy for working with individuals with ASD. Psychometric properties of a scale designed to measure knowledge of ASD were also explored. Data from 620 police officers actively serving in the United States were collected in two separate phases. A 13-item scale was created to measure police officer self-efficacy for …

Creating The Best: A Two-Prong Policy Approach To Improve The Quality Of Future Certified Ohio Peace Officers, Amy English

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This qualitative client applied study explained and explored a two-fold approach that could be used to implement policy changes that will aid small Ohio police departments in commissioning intellectually developed and psychologically suited individuals for employment in law enforcement. Several issues needed to be addressed in order to accomplish these policy changes. Criminological theories were correlated to deviant behaviors of criminally charged Ohio police officers. Past legislated police reform acts were addressed. Past studies of police officer higher education were analyzed. Finally, the implementation factors for psychological evaluations as a police academy pre-enrollment requirement were identified. This study, based on …

Building A Cognitive Readiness Construct For Violent Police-Public Encounters, James Eric Preddy

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this multi-methods study was to explore police use-of-force (UoF) instructors’ perceptions about cognitive readiness in the context of violent police-public encounters, examine how experience influences those perceptions, identify competencies of cognitive readiness deemed essential for preparation and response to violent encounters, and align those competencies deemed essential with current UoF training strategies. The results of the study suggest that UoF instructors generally feel that police officers are not adequately prepared for violent police-public encounters. They cited deficiencies in the range of tactics taught, the frequency with which UoF training is delivered, and obstacles such as: time, resources, …

A Case Study Of The Umpqua Community College Shooting, Timothy P. Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the deadliest shooting that has happened on a community college campus. The following research questions guided this dissertation study: (1) What was the law enforcement response to the deadliest community college campus shooting in history? (2) Did previous mass shootings inform the law enforcement response to the deadliest community college campus shooting? (3) What implications for practice can be derived by studying the deadliest of these shootings? This case study utilized multiple sources of information, from official police reports, official institutional reports, archives of publications, and participant interviews from some of the …

Examining Correctional Leadership Styles That Encourage Cooperative Compliance From Federal Offenders, Paul Gonzalez

All Theses And Dissertations

Since its inception in 1930, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has experienced tremendous growth in its inmate population. Concluding 1930 with 14 federal prisons, the Bureau of Prisons now maintains 122 federal prisons, and is accountable for over 180,000 federal offenders within federal prisons walls and within contracted correctional centers. The federal inmate population has also grown in diversity, and training offered by the Bureau of Prisons to its employees has not transformed in a manner that addresses the rise in offender diversity. Officers are left to independently devise various leadership styles to meet the needs of the organization. Bureau …

Policing Postsecondary Education: University Police Legitimacy And Fear Of Crime On Campus, Christina N. Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessing the perceptions that students have of the university police officers charged with ensuring student safety is important to maintaining the overall safety of the campus. The current study sought to assess the relationship between student perceptions of university police and the fear of crime felt by students while on campus. Data collection was conducted through a survey methodology using a convenient sample of students in which a self-report survey was sent to the university email addresses of all students enrolled in a southeastern university (n=260). Through the employment of a scale developed to assess the perceptions of university police …