Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Importance Of Interagency Collaboration For Crossover Youth, Emily M. Wright, Ryan E. Spohn, Joselyne Chenane, Nicholas Juliano

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Crossover or dually-involved youth are youth enmeshed in the child welfare (CWS) and juvenile justice systems (JJS). Given their dual status and high needs, attention has recently focused on how to best respond to them in an integrated, interagency fashion. The Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM) is designed to facilitate interagency collaboration between the CWS and JJS in order to enhance services and diversion to these youth. This study reports on the benefits and challenges that the JJS and CWS, as well as the personnel working within them, experience by participating in a CYPM effort in a Midwestern county, and …

Sensitivity To The Ferguson Effect: The Role Of Managerial Organizational Justice, Justin Nix, Scott E. Wolfe

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

We argue that the police have been adversely impacted by Ferguson-related negative publicity in ways beyond the supposed increase in crime (e.g., reduced motivation and increased perception of danger). Further, we suggest that organizational justice is a key factor that influences officers' sensitivity to such Ferguson Effects.

Methods

We used a sample of 510 sheriff's deputies surveyed 6 months after the incident in Ferguson. We explored whether organizational justice is associated with deputies' sensitivity to several manifestations of the Ferguson Effect using OLS and ordered logistic regression models.

Results

The results demonstrated that deputies who believed their supervisors were …

State Of The University Address, Uno Office Of The Chancellor

Chancellor’s Speeches

Good morning.

I want to thank the faculty, staff, students, community members, Board of Regents members, state senators, friends and my family who were able to attend today.

The first time I stood in this spot to deliver a State of the University address, I was interim Chancellor, and I had been in that role for a total of 28 days.

In that speech, I invited you to take a journey with me.

An Examination Of The Impact Of Drug Court Clients’ Perceptions Of Procedural Justice On Graduation Rates And Recidivism, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Over the years, researchers have found drug courts reduce recidivism for participants. Scholars have hypothesized that drug courts are effective at producing positive outcomes for participants due in part to a case management approach that implements concepts of procedural justice. Using a convenience sample of participants involved in one drug court, this study adds to the limited body of research on procedural justice and drug courts by examining whether variation in drug court clients’ perceptions of procedural justice is related to their likelihood of graduation from drug court and recidivism. Results, policy implications, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

“It’S Not A Fucking Book, It’S A Weapon!”: Authority, Power, And Mediation In The Book Of Eli, Seth M. Walker

Journal of Religion & Film

The mediation of religious narratives through sacred texts is intimately bound to the power relations involved in their transmission and maintenance. Those who possess such mediated messages and control their access and interpretation have historically held privileged positions of authority, especially when those positions are not easily contested. The 2010 film The Book of Eli uniquely engages these elements by placing the alleged last copy of the King James Version of the Christian Bible at the forefront of a clash between different individuals in a post-nuclear wasteland. This paper, drawing on Max Weber’s notion of “charisma,” and scholars addressing religion, …

Vol. 27 No. 3 (Autumn 2016), Doi 10.18060/21388 Building An Engagement Center Through Love Of Place: The Story Of The Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, Sara Woods, B. J. Reed, Deborah Smith-Howell

Scholarship of Metropolitan Mission

Universities throughout the United States operate engagement centers to extend campus faculty, staff and student resources to their communities. In 2014, the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) opened the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (Weitz CEC): a privately funded $24 million, 70,000 square foot facility located in the middle of its original Dodge Street campus. In addition to offices for its service learning and community service enterprises, the CEC houses over thirty university and community organizations and offers extensive space for meetings, dialogue and collaboration. This paper will discuss its strategic and programmatic origins, unique design, and lessons learned in …

Gendered Self-Concepts And Drinking Behavior In A National Sample Of Emerging Adults, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Tim Barnum

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Despite evidence that males drink more than females, there is much to be learned about gendered explanations for sex differences in alcohol use. We use the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health data to investigate gendered self-concept as related to alcohol use and related consequences among a sample of emerging adults. Dominance Masculinity (e.g., being aggressive, forceful, dominant) was the most consistent predictor of alcohol-related outcomes for both males and females. Endorsement of feminine characteristics (e.g., compassion, understanding, sympathetic) was protective against binge drinking and social consequences for males whereas endorsement of general masculine characteristics (e.g., independent, assertive, …

Nebraska Watershed Network, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Newsletters 2015-2016

This newsletter features: Water at Kaneko Gallery; NE Scifest; Raise the Roots; Gifford Park Garden; Sustainability Launchpad; Girl Scouts; and Director's Note

Black Lives Matter | Special Edition Omaha Table Talk, Inclusive Communities

Newsletters 2015-2016

OMAHA, NE, July 20, 2016 - Inclusive Communities will host will host a special edition of its monthly Omaha Table Talk, Black Lives Matter at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (Weitz CEC). Black Lives Matter sheds light on the issues surrounding the discussion of race in relation to the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Rape And Mental Health Outcomes Among Women: Examining The Moderating Effects Of “Healthy” Fear Levels, Ryan E. Spohn, Emily M. Wright, Johanna C. Peterson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study examined the mediating and moderating impact of fear of victimization on the relationships between forcible and vicarious rape on depression and PTSD among college women. Forcible and vicarious rape positively affected PTSD and depression symptomology, but fear did not mediate these relationships. Fear moderated the impact of forcible rape on PTSD, but was not a moderator for depression. Findings suggest that there may be “healthy” levels of fear in the aftermath of victimization where having too little fear may leave women unnecessarily vulnerable to victimization, while having too much fear may lead to social isolation and withdrawal.

Is The Effect Of Procedural Justice On Police Legitimacy Invariant? Testing The Generality Of Procedural Justice And Competing Antecedents Of Legitimacy, Scott E. Wolfe, Justin Nix, Robert Kaminski, Jeff Rojek

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives

This study tests the generality of Tyler’s process-based model of policing by examining whether the effect of procedural justice and competing variables (i.e., distributive justice and police effectiveness) on police legitimacy evaluations operate in the same manner across individual and situational differences.

Methods

Data from a random sample of mail survey respondents are used to test the “invariance thesis” (N = 1681). Multiplicative interaction effects between the key antecedents of legitimacy (measured separately for obligation to obey and trust in the police) and various demographic categories, prior experiences, and perceived neighborhood conditions are estimated in a series of multivariate …

Nonstranger Victimization And Inmate Maladjustment: Is The Relationship Gendered?, Calli M. Cain, Benjamin Steiner, Emily M. Wright, Benjamin Meade

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Scholars have hypothesized that victimization elicits distinctive effects on women’s pathways to prison and subsequent prison maladjustment, but few researchers have investigated gender differences in this relationship. Using nationally representative samples of men and women housed in state prisons, we examine gender differences in the effects of experiencing different types of nonstranger victimization prior to prison on inmate maladjustment. Results indicate that pre-prison nonstranger victimization affects men’s and women’s maladjustment similarly, with some gender differences—specifically, the effect of being physically assaulted by a nonstranger as an adult on violent misconduct was stronger among men, as was the effect of child …

Perceptions Of Motivational Interviewing: Validation Of The Client Evaluation Of Motivational Interviewing Scale With Probation Clients, Gaylene Armstrong, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Nancy R. Gartner

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The practice of motivational interviewing (MI) has gained acceptance as an effective approach to support behavior change in various therapeutic contexts. In recent years, MI has been extended to clients within less traditional therapeutic settings including prisons and probation departments. Despite the known strengths of MI for positively affecting behavioral change in therapeutic contexts, the extent to which probation officers are able to effectively utilize MI remains unknown. The current study utilizes self-report responses from 485 probationers to assess the internal consistency and factor structure of the Client Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing (CEMI) as a tool for gathering feedback on …

Student Engagement Spotlights, Uno Office Of Academic And Student Affairs

Accreditation

Community engagement and service are fundamental components of UNO’s identity. The following students exemplify commitment to community engagement. Their work represents the breadth of UNO’s involvement in various causes.

To learn more about these students and others, visit the UNO Campus Commitment website (to be published soon).

Uno Student Engagement Spotlights, Uno Office Of Academic And Student Affairs

Community Engagement

Community engagement and service are fundamental components of UNO’s identity. The following students exemplify commitment to community engagement. Their work represents the breadth of UNO’s involvement in various causes.

P-16 Initiative, Uno Service Learning Academy

Newsletters 2015-2016

This newsletter features: Gaining Perspective: Race & Our Juvenile Justice System; Mapping Histories: Learning Across the Ages; College & Career Readiness Characteristics Found in Service Learning; Service Learning Around the World; Student's Collaboration Leads to Environmental Sustainability; Multiple Collaborative Projects Created Diverse Experiences for Students; Students Learn to Speak Mandarin; Infusing Rigor into Service Learning: A K-12 Teacher & UNO Professor's Perspective; A Lesson in Ethics: What Would a Boys Town Middle School Student Do? and Letter from the Program Coordinator.

Alumni Survey Fall 2015, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Community Engagement

The alumni survey provides the university information on the lives of students one or more years after graduation and their opinions about various topics concerning their time at UNO and beyond. In the past, UNO used an external vendor, ACT, to conduct the alumni survey. The survey was long, the cost was high, the response rate was extremely low, and, ultimately, the vendor discontinued the survey. UNO decided the best route was to create and administer their own alumni survey.

Alumni from 2010 and 2012 were surveyed by UNO in Fall 2015 in an effort to learn which cohort would …

Formal Controls, Neighborhood Disadvantage, And Violent Crime In U.S. Cities: Examining (Un)Intended Consequences, Allison Martin, Emily M. Wright, Benjamin Steiner

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose This study examines the intended and unintended effects of formal social controls on violent crime within and across U.S. cities. Methods Using data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study, we assess whether greater police arrest activity and jail incarceration risk are associated with lower violent crime rates across cities. We also investigate whether greater use of these formal social controls exacerbates the relationship between extreme neighborhood disadvantage and violent crime. Results Results from multilevel analyses show that some formal controls (jail incarceration risk) reduce violent crime across cities, but other formal controls (police arrest activity) amplify the relationship between …

Examining Behaviors Using Respondents’ Cell Phones And A Burst Design: Drinking And Activities Across The First Year Of College Among Transitioning Freshmen, Amy L. Anderson, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Tim Barnum, Rita J. Augustyn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

The study of developmental and life-course changes of an individual necessitates longitudinal data. Traditional panel designs, however, that tend to collect data annually or less often may not reflect change experienced by individuals especially in periods of transition. The first year of college likely is one such period in which change takes place at a rapid pace.

Methods

We followed approximately 100 residential college students across their freshman year. In an attempt to capture the changes taking place in friendships, activities, and alcohol use, we used a traditional panel design in which we administered structured surveys at the beginning, …

Victim Ambiguity: Bystander Intervention And Sexual Assault In The College Drinking Scene, Brandie Pugh, Holly Ningard, Thomas Vander Ven, Leah C. Butler

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Alcohol-related sexual assault is the most common form of sexual victimization on college campuses. Bystander intervention has been suggested as effective in preventing sexual assault, but its usefulness in sexual assaults that involve alcohol in particular has not yet been examined. The current study draws from intensive interviews with 30 undergraduates at a large Midwestern university to understand how students’ perceptions about sexual victimization and alcohol use affect their bystander behavior. Findings suggest that in alcohol-involved situations, the ambiguity of whether the woman is at risk and her perceived worthiness are significant barriers to intervention. Policy implications are discussed.

Yvonne Miller And Carly Conrad, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Carly Conrad and Yvonne Miller were t he recipients of t he 2015 Outstanding Student Service Learning Award. They raised awareness about Native Americans living in Whiteclay, NE through showing the documentary Sober Indian Dangerous Indian.

Jacques Musavyimana, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Jacques Musavyimana is the president of UNO Students Against Hunger. Jacques founded UNO Students Against Hunger in fall 2015 with the aim to educate people about food insecurity and eradicate hunger.

Ferial Pearson, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Feria I Pearson, M.S., is the founder of the Secret Kindness Agents. Ferial started the Secret Kindness Agents to create o kinder community following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Neal Grandgenett, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Neal Grandgenett, Ph.D, is a strong advocate of advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education. As the Haddix Community Chair of STEM Education and the Co-Chair of the UNO STEM Leadership Team, Dr. Grandgenett leads UNO's STEM outreach efforts.

Sandra Rodriguez-Arroyo, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Sondra Rodriguez-Arroyo, D.Ed, was the 2016 recipient of the Service Learning Academy (SLA) Faculty Service Learning Award.

Jeanette Harder, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Jeanette Harder, Ph.D., founded t he UNO nonprofit STEPs.

Matthew Van Ormer, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Matthew Van Ormer worked at The Collaborative and is the co-founder of UNO Be The Match, a student organization aimed at adding individuals to the national bone marrow registry.

Michele Desmarais, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Michele Desmarais, Ph.D., is one of t he founders of the UNO organization SPHRS.

Amelia Squires, Staff Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Amelia Squires is the UNO STEM Outreach Coordinator. She engages youth in STEM education opportunities like EUREKA-STEM!, which is an enrichment program that begins with a 4 week summer camp held on UNO's campus for middle school girls.

Anthony Hughes, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Anthony Hughes led the Queer Nebraska Youth Network (QNYN) from JAnuary 2014 through May 2015. The QNYN is the only youth-focused, peer-led LGBTQ+ group in Nebraska.