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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Media Consumption Effects On College Students' Perceived Risk Of Victimization And Fear Of Crime: Does The Usage Of Social Media Police Scanners Alter Public Perceptions Of Safety?, David Kim May 2023

Media Consumption Effects On College Students' Perceived Risk Of Victimization And Fear Of Crime: Does The Usage Of Social Media Police Scanners Alter Public Perceptions Of Safety?, David Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although there is a robust body of research examining various predictors of fear of crime, there are still predictors of one’s perceived safety that have not been thoroughly assessed. Using primary data collected from a sample of college students (N = 662) enrolled at five universities in the United States the main objective of the study was to identify the factors more likely to predict variations in fear of crime, which is viewed here as a bidimensional concept that includes the affective side of fear (worries about becoming a victim) and the cognitive dimension of fear (i.e., personal judgment of …


Social Disorganization And Violent Crime Across Nonmetropolitan Areas Of Kentucky., Daniel Ray Jude Dec 2021

Social Disorganization And Violent Crime Across Nonmetropolitan Areas Of Kentucky., Daniel Ray Jude

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This macro-level study examines the effects of social disorganization predictors on violent crime registered in nonmetropolitan areas of Kentucky from 2012 to 2016. The study intends to expand the line of research interested in verifying the applicability of the social disorganization theory (Shaw & McKay, 1942), including its new theoretical developments, to non-urban settings and plans to contribute to the literature willing to provide a better understanding of violent crime in rural areas. In response to Narag et al.’s (2009) call for a theoretical integration of environmental contaminants among the ecological factors that influence variations in crime, the study also …


Charting The Unknown: Examining The Prevalence And Correlates Of Seconday Traumatic Stress In Kentucky Probation And Parole Officers., Amanda Marie Roberts Dec 2021

Charting The Unknown: Examining The Prevalence And Correlates Of Seconday Traumatic Stress In Kentucky Probation And Parole Officers., Amanda Marie Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to discern the prevalence and magnitude of both exposure to traumatic events and Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS); as well as potential correlates of STS in a group of Probation and Parole officers in the state of Kentucky Department of Corrections (KY DOC). Participants (N=302) completed a written survey which asked them to indicate demographic variables (age, gender, and ethnicity), as well as several important occupational variables, namely years of experience in the KY DOC, caseload volume, prison work experience, and whether or not they are responsible for a sexual offender caseload. Participants were also …


General Strain Theory And Violent Behavior In A Military Sample., Leslie A. Greenwell Aug 2021

General Strain Theory And Violent Behavior In A Military Sample., Leslie A. Greenwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines violent behavior in a military sample through an examination of General Strain Theory (GST). The overall sample (n = 21,449) is made up of active-duty, national guard, and reserve U.S. Army soldiers surveyed from 2011 to 2013 for the All Army Study (AAS) component of the Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS). The present study is a secondary analysis of the STARRS’ data. Overall, the results of the present study produce empirical support for GST. Binomial logistic regression analyses show that all measures of strain (e.g., deployment, health, and life spheres strain), …


Correctional Officers' Response To Stress: An Exploration Of The Associations Between Violence And Trauma Exposure, Coping Mechanisms, And Ptsd., Katie Lorraine Hughes-Taylor May 2021

Correctional Officers' Response To Stress: An Exploration Of The Associations Between Violence And Trauma Exposure, Coping Mechanisms, And Ptsd., Katie Lorraine Hughes-Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines correctional officer coping mechanisms and whether they impact the likelihood of an officer developing PTSD symptoms. Additionally, research questions focus on whether problem-focused or emotion-focused coping mechanisms moderate the relationship between exposure to trauma and PTSD symptoms. The data for the current dissertation comes from a larger National Institute of Justice grant determined to examine mindfulness as an intervention for correctional officer PTSD within Kentucky Department of Corrections. Approximately 245 officers from seven adult institutions participated in the study and completed a lengthy survey. Main variables for the current analysis include two dependent variables, both of …


Getting Up: An Ethnography Of Hip Hop Graffiti Writers, Their Art, And Perceptions Of Society's Reactions., Theodore Malone Aug 2020

Getting Up: An Ethnography Of Hip Hop Graffiti Writers, Their Art, And Perceptions Of Society's Reactions., Theodore Malone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This ethnographic analysis of the modern hip hop graffiti writing subculture connects the separate but complementary theoretical constructs of serious leisure (Stebbins 1982), dark leisure (Smith and Raymen 2016), recreational specialization theory (Bryan 1977), and edgework (Lyng 1990) and situates the writer “standpoint” (Smith 1987) in terms of interrelations of policy and written discourse. Past research found that writers were motivated by fame and status, to express artistic skills, and to control and destroy space (Brewer and Miller 1990). Others found that writers sought to express contestant notions of style and resist economic and political authority (Ferrell 1996; 2006), and …


Gender-Differential Effects Of Perceived Discrimination On Lawyers' Job Satisfaction: A General Strain Theory Approach., Caroline Isabelle Jalain May 2020

Gender-Differential Effects Of Perceived Discrimination On Lawyers' Job Satisfaction: A General Strain Theory Approach., Caroline Isabelle Jalain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between workplace discrimination and job satisfaction for lawyers. Using the After the JD – Wave 1 data, a national longitudinal survey of law school graduates with a sample size of 4,538, and following a general strain theory approach, structural equation models were conducted to analyze gender-differential effects of perceived discrimination on lawyer’s job satisfaction. The results indicated that men and women lawyers differ in their experience with workplace discrimination and their job satisfaction. Notably, women lawyers were found to experience more instances of workplace discrimination compared to …


Predictors Of Binge Drinking Among Military Veterans: A General Strain Theory Approach., Emily Ann Hayden May 2020

Predictors Of Binge Drinking Among Military Veterans: A General Strain Theory Approach., Emily Ann Hayden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is theoretically informed by General Strain Theory (GST) (Agnew 1992, 2002), and examines binge drinking within a military veteran population. It begins with an assessment on reform and focuses on shaping knowledge around the issue of binge drinking by military veterans. The current study uses Agnew’s GST to argue for an understanding of how strain and stress can affect individuals who have served in the military and acknowledges how this strain can lead to negative coping mechanisms such as binge drinking. The latter part of the dissertation argues that understanding Agnew’s GST (1992, 2002) with a military population …


Police Stress, Depression, And Substance Use Among Police Officers: A General Strain Perspective., Kyra Nicole Fritz Dec 2019

Police Stress, Depression, And Substance Use Among Police Officers: A General Strain Perspective., Kyra Nicole Fritz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the utility of general strain theory in explaining substance use as a form of coping among a sample of police officers in a Midwestern, metropolitan city. The dissertation is comprised of five chapters, including the introduction, literature review, method, results, and discussion. Chapter one describes the stressful nature of a career in law enforcement, concentrating on the adverse consequences of prolonged stress, including depression and substance use. Chapter one also examines strain, depression, and substance use among police officers using a general strain perspective, highlighting the limitations of existing empirical studies. Chapter two details the theoretical premise …


Furthering Understanding Of Forensic Units: A Detailed Examination Of Knoxville Police Department's Crime Scene Unit., Cassandra Christina Rausch Dec 2018

Furthering Understanding Of Forensic Units: A Detailed Examination Of Knoxville Police Department's Crime Scene Unit., Cassandra Christina Rausch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the past three decades, the criminal justice system has decidedly employed new technologies for the purposes of establishing guilt or innocence. Forensic science, with its synthesis of scientific methodology and investigative considerations of law enforcement, ushered in the development of DNA profiling and forever changed the process of crime scene investigation.This shift in focus also led to a shift in the individuals involved in investigation, producing the widespread formation of stand-alone crime scene units. Utilizing both civilian and sworn employees of a law enforcement agency, these units became responsible for the documentation, collection, and preservation of evidence that would …


Art Theft, Art Vandalism, And Guardianship In U.S. Art Institutions., Katharine L. Salomon Aug 2018

Art Theft, Art Vandalism, And Guardianship In U.S. Art Institutions., Katharine L. Salomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Art crime scholars and art world professionals constantly grapple with determining the most effective methods by which to reduce and prevent victimization by art thieves and art vandals. Despite the numerous accounts of this form of criminality, there is a dearth of empirical studies focused on the security and care of art collections. Using Routine Activities Theory to guide the research, the present study explores the relationship between social and physical guardianship practices and the prevalence of art theft and art vandalism using questionnaire data collected from 111 American art museums and art galleries. The results indicate an overwhelming lack …


The Styles Of Criminology : Writing Among The Stars., Ethan Maxwell Higgins May 2018

The Styles Of Criminology : Writing Among The Stars., Ethan Maxwell Higgins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how criminological writing style is "a [more] complicated terrain" than we realize in criminology (Butler, 1990, p. xix). Data is drawn from interviews with forty of the one hundred most influential criminological writers (Walters, 2015) to explore perceptions of good writing in the field, namely in describing writing practices, norms and values. Thus, the findings of this study come in three chapters. The first two result chapters explore the terrain of writing in criminology by presenting perceptions of best practices and values of good writing. The third results chapter then examines these perceptions within a lens of …


A Cross-Sectional Exploration Of Household Financial Reactions And Homebuyer Awareness Of Registered Sex Offenders In A Rural, Suburban, And Urban County., John Charles Navarro Aug 2017

A Cross-Sectional Exploration Of Household Financial Reactions And Homebuyer Awareness Of Registered Sex Offenders In A Rural, Suburban, And Urban County., John Charles Navarro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As stigmatized persons, registered sex offenders betoken instability in communities. Depressed home sale values are associated with the presence of registered sex offenders even though the public is largely unaware of the presence of registered sex offenders. Using a spatial multilevel approach, the current study examines the role registered sex offenders influence sale values of homes sold in 2015 for three U.S. counties (rural, suburban, and urban) located in Illinois and Kentucky within the social disorganization framework. Homebuyers were surveyed to examine whether awareness of local registered sex offenders and the homebuyer’s community type operate as moderators between home selling …


The Sources Of Behavioral Reinforcement : An Examination Of Nonsocial Reinforcement Theory., Heather Tolle May 2017

The Sources Of Behavioral Reinforcement : An Examination Of Nonsocial Reinforcement Theory., Heather Tolle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to gain a better understanding of the means by which deviant behavior is perpetuated. Nonsocial reinforcement theory proposes that behavior is reinforced by psychological, physiological, and social rewards of the behavior. This reinforcement of the behavior causes the frequency of the behavior to increase. Specifically, when an individual uses marijuana, the psychological and physiological rewards gained from the behavior can lead the individual to continue using marijuana over time. This dissertation will test this reciprocal impact of increased psychological and physiological responses leading to an increase in the behavior. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth …


Moral Time And Homicide Investigations., David Stuart Lapsey Jr. May 2017

Moral Time And Homicide Investigations., David Stuart Lapsey Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature explores the many dimensions of homicide investigations, including case and individual characteristics, evidence and investigative activities. However, little research delves into situational characteristics and their relationship to specific homicides, charge severity sought by prosecutors and sentence length given to homicide offenders. The current study sampled homicide cases (N=68) to gather baseline information and data regarding judicial outcomes. Donald Black’s Theory of Moral Time (2011) is tested and utilized as the study’s conceptual framework for the study’s hypotheses.


How The City Of Indianapolis Came To Have African American Policemen And Firemen 80 Years Before The Modern Civil Rights Movement., Leon E. Bates Aug 2016

How The City Of Indianapolis Came To Have African American Policemen And Firemen 80 Years Before The Modern Civil Rights Movement., Leon E. Bates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores a series of events that occurred in the spring of 1876. The relationship between the Indianapolis city government, the Marion County Courts, the Indianapolis Police Department, and the African American community came together to usher in changes never before envisioned. The Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) was formed in 1855, then disbanded 12 months later in a political dispute. From 1857-to-1876, the IPD was all white. These changes took place as the Reconstruction era was coming to a close. The first Ku Klux Klan was at its apex, terrorizing black communities, and Jim Crow was coming into its …


Same-Sex Child Molestation Within The Boy Scouts Of America Initiation And Termination In Victim Narratives., Leah Catherine Jihee Shon May 2016

Same-Sex Child Molestation Within The Boy Scouts Of America Initiation And Termination In Victim Narratives., Leah Catherine Jihee Shon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies of child molestation have largely used a sample of either incarcerated or convicted sex offenders. Previous studies have also failed to provide substantial analyses regarding how physical contacts between child victims and adult perpetrators were initiated and terminated at the crime scene; few studies have focused on “what exactly happened” while physical touching was taking place through an analysis of behavioral sequences of both child victims and adult offenders. Although previous literature on interpersonal child abuse used child victims of sexual abuse as their data source, those studies focused on effective victim treatment plans to deal with victims’ …


Examining Macro-Level Correlates Of Farm Equipment Theft : A Test Of Routine Activity Theory And Social Disorganization Theory., Dustin Lee Osborne Aug 2015

Examining Macro-Level Correlates Of Farm Equipment Theft : A Test Of Routine Activity Theory And Social Disorganization Theory., Dustin Lee Osborne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the potential for routine activity theory and social disorganization theory to explain incidence of farm equipment theft at the county level. Relatively few attempts have been made to discern the factors that contribute to such theft. Most are relatively dated, and all focus upon the relationship between victimization risk and the characteristics of individual farms. Accordingly, the current study represents the first attempt to examine the influence of macro-level processes and characteristics upon the problem. Data are gathered for 306 counties housed within four Southeastern States. Counts of farm equipment theft are collected from the 2011-2012 iterations …


Support Partners Of Registered Sex Offenders : Exploring Their Experiences, Identities, And Perceptions., David Patrick Connor May 2015

Support Partners Of Registered Sex Offenders : Exploring Their Experiences, Identities, And Perceptions., David Patrick Connor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although it is widely recognized that many convicted criminal offenders experience considerable setbacks in communities that make their lives more arduous, registered sex offenders (RSOs) who live in American society arguably face more challenging impediments. As a result, ensuring their access to social support is especially salient. The notion that social support is particularly relevant to RSOs is perhaps best manifested through a common feature of community-based sex offender treatment programs, where participating RSOs are obligated to forge social relationships with primary support partners. These individuals are an important population to examine, as they purportedly play important roles with respect …


Judges' Perceptions Of Sex Offender Registration, Community Notification, And Residency Restrictions., Lauren Nicole Lennon May 2015

Judges' Perceptions Of Sex Offender Registration, Community Notification, And Residency Restrictions., Lauren Nicole Lennon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a meager amount of literature available on how criminal justice system actors perceive the range of sex offender registration and community notification (SORN) policies and their effectiveness, as well as sex offenders themselves. To date, only one study has been done on judges regarding their attitudes toward sexual offenders by Bumby and Maddox (1999). However, a study has not been completed in regard to judges’ perceptions of SORN and its efficacy in addition to their views on residency restrictions. The following study tries to expand the literature available and examines the perceptions of judges concerning SORN, residency restrictions, …


The Impact Of Victimization On The Disabled., Derek James Allen May 2015

The Impact Of Victimization On The Disabled., Derek James Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date victimizations amongst the disabled has been researched, but the literature tends to group these victimizations amongst disabled as a whole. This research is also limited for this particular population and this review tries to outline, expand, and attempts to explain improvements for research by identifying the disabled into specific groups rather than all as one group. For example, individualizing policies and research for the blind specifically or any disability in an individualized approach. In the following an intensive online search of literature regarding different victimizations rates, types of disabilities and correlative victimizations, and the relationship these disabled individuals …


Racial Profiling : Using Propensity Score Matching To Examine Focal Concerns Theory., Anthony Gennaro Vito May 2015

Racial Profiling : Using Propensity Score Matching To Examine Focal Concerns Theory., Anthony Gennaro Vito

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines traffic stops by the Louisville Police Department between January 1 and December 31, 2002 to see if racial profiling was evident. Focal concerns theory is tested as a theoretical explanation for racial profiling. The method of statistical analysis used is propensity score matching. The analysis examines all White and Black drivers, all White and Black male drivers, and all White and Black female drivers to see if there was evidence of racial profiling by the Louisville Police Department.


An Ethnographic Study Of Scrappers And Metal Thieves., Benjamin Fred Stickle May 2015

An Ethnographic Study Of Scrappers And Metal Thieves., Benjamin Fred Stickle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metal theft is a crime that has significantly affected the U.S. in the last decade causing millions of dollars of damages and losses. However, little is known about its prevalence and harms to society. Moreover, even less is known about the individuals who are involved in metal theft. This lack of knowledge has hampered the ability of law enforcement, governments and individuals to prevent metal theft. The present study provides the first known qualitative examination of scrappers and metal thieves. Qualitative data is derived from participant observation and unstructured interviews with scrappers as well as metal thieves. The goals are …


Knocking On The Door : Police Decision Points In Executing Search Warrants., Brian Patrick Schaefer May 2015

Knocking On The Door : Police Decision Points In Executing Search Warrants., Brian Patrick Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that search warrants raids increased during the 1990s and continue to be a common enforcement tool for law enforcement. The extant literature does not provide a detailed understanding of why police departments are increasingly using search warrants and in particular why plainclothes detectives are conducting these raids at a higher rate. Furthermore, the research does not provide an understanding for how search warrants are secured and executed by police departments. This research examines the social constructions detectives use to justify and carry out the various stages of the search warrant process. Ethnographic research was used to observe 73 …


Sex Offenses At Protestant Christian Churches : A Typology And Examination Using Social Disorganization Theory., Andrew Stephen Denney May 2015

Sex Offenses At Protestant Christian Churches : A Typology And Examination Using Social Disorganization Theory., Andrew Stephen Denney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study is two-fold. First, using data obtained via content analyses of published news articles, this study examines sexual offenses that have occurred at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian churches in the US. Drawing upon 326 identified cases spanning from 1999 until 2014, this study aims to explore common offense, offender, and victim characteristics of sex offenses that occur at these locations. Moreover, this study aims to create a typology of offenders and victims at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian churches. Second, using the data from the content analyses and social disorganization measures …


Capital? Child Rape : Does Public Opinion Support The Use Of The Death Penalty On Child Rapists?, Charlene Kaye Chudacoff 1987- May 2015

Capital? Child Rape : Does Public Opinion Support The Use Of The Death Penalty On Child Rapists?, Charlene Kaye Chudacoff 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many years scholars have quested to determine public support for the death penalty while achieving varying degrees of accuracy. Some studies have asked respondents to rate their level of agreement with the imposition of the death penalty for the crime of murder while others simply ask respondents if they agree with the use of the death penalty at all. The purpose of this thesis is to challenge oversimplification of death penalty polls while testing citizens’ willingness to impose the death penalty for the crime of child rape. Two surveys were administered, one survey with statements of five different crimes …


Prevalence Of Knowledge In Forensic Anthropological Field Methods Within Traditional Forensic Investigation., Cassandra Christina Rausch 1988- May 2014

Prevalence Of Knowledge In Forensic Anthropological Field Methods Within Traditional Forensic Investigation., Cassandra Christina Rausch 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As forensic evidence has come to be of increasing importance in the courtroom, standards and practices regarding documentation, collection, and preservation of evidence have also become increasingly necessary. This study examines forensic anthropological field methods and their incorporation into crime scene investigation. Prior research suggests that incorporation could increase evidence recovery, result in better preservation of evidence, and enhance chain of custody. Examination of baseline survey data and a specific cross-regional analysis seeks to discover how/if these methods are being utilized within crime scene investigation. Baseline results are compared with follow-up interviews from a small sample of agencies to examine …


The Social Development Model And Delinquent Behavior : A Case Study., Jessica Noel Mullikin Dec 2006

The Social Development Model And Delinquent Behavior : A Case Study., Jessica Noel Mullikin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine the impact that extreme economic deprivation has on adolescent social development. Data for this study was collected from the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau. This study uses the Developmental Prevention model as a theoretical basis, a theory which posits that extreme economic deprivation, as measured by income, poverty, crime rates, racial composition of neighborhoods, and prevalence of mothers and grandparents as sole caregivers, is a risk factor for all delinquent behaviors. The specific delinquent behaviors examined in this study were teen pregnancy, school dropout, poor school attendance, and criminality. A study was conducted to compare …