Criminology Commons^™

The Fear Factor: Exploring The Impact Of The Vulnerability To Deportation On Immigrants' Lives, Shirley P. Leyro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This qualitative study explores the impact that the fear of deportation has on the lives of noncitizen immigrants. More broadly, it explores the role that immigration enforcement, specifically deportation, plays in disrupting the process of integration, and the possible implications of this interruption for immigrants and their communities. The study aims to answer: (1) how vulnerability to deportation specifically impacts an immigrant’s life, and (2) how the vulnerability to deportation, and the fear associated with it, impacts an immigrant’s degree of integration. Data were gathered through a combination of six open-ended focus group interviews of 10 persons each, and 33 …

Law Enforcement Officer Knowledge Of Mental Illness, Nashira Funn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Media and activist groups have recently exposed the problem of negative interactions between law enforcement officers and civilians. Many of these civilians have a mental illness. Various researchers attribute these negative interactions to insufficient officer knowledge of mental illness due to a lack of training, education, and personal experiences. Very little research addresses how insufficient knowledge of mental illness may influence interactions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and analyze self reported law enforcement knowledge using Malcolm Knowles' conceptualization of adult learning theory and andragogy as the theoretical framework. This framework bases self-directed learning/training on a needs …

A Current And Increasing Problem Of Anti-Social Behavior Via Anonymity Using Electronic Mediums Demanding Recognition As A Biophsychosocial Disorder That Perpetuates Criminal Behavior Online, Hannah Wood Despres

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Most people who commit crime fall into a classification of criminological, sociological or psychological disorders called biopsychosocial disorders. Cyber-crime is unique in the fact that, cyber criminals can commit crimes behind completely closed doors and they are virtually anonymous. This makes for a varied environment of theory on the causation of cyber-crimes. The proposed disorder theory, computer mediated anonymity asocial disordered theory, is based on the notion that the anonymous nature of electronic mediums in communication has significantly changed people’s interpersonal skills. The change in interpersonal development is therefore affecting social engagement behavior online and has allowed a lack of …

Redefining Murder : A Qualitative Exploration Of Emotion And Identity Following Loss Of A Loved One To Homicide, Kristen Lee Hourigan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation research project is a qualitative exploration of emotion and identity following loss of a loved one to homicide. It answers the questions, “How do individuals who have lost loved ones to homicide understand and experience forgiveness, and how does this vary by social distance from the offender and social position (race, gender, social class, age, religion, and education)?” and “How do forgiveness processes relate to identity?” It uses a symbolic interactionist framework and draws upon several diverse literatures including identity theory and affect control theory in sociology, research on forgiveness and empathy in psychology, and concepts from restorative …

Correctional Officers "Through The Looking Glass": Understanding Perceptions And Their Impact On Personal And Professional Identity, Emma Mistry

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

The external and institutional stressors that correctional officers face while performing their duties, such as managing a demanding workload, staffing shortages, and monitoring potentially dangerous inmates, have received some attention in the literature. However, researchers have not examined correctional officers’ perceptions of how others view their role and professional identity—whether prisoners, their families, or members of the general public—and how these perceptions are believed to influence an officer’s perspective of their work and their well-being. To explore this gap in the literature, this project seeks to analyze whether or not correctional officers sense these perceptions while performing their duties …

Fitting Eyewitness Identification And Confidence To A Diffusion Model Of Processing, Brittany Nicole Race

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is necessary to better serve justice to understand the mechanisms behind eyewitness identification and reports of confidence. The material contained within attempt to fit eyewitness identification to a diffusion model of processing, RTCON (Ratcliff & Starns, 2009). Participants saw eight mock crime videos and were then tasked with using eight showups or eight lineups to identify the suspects within the video. Half of the presentations were target present and half were target absent. Additionally, participants were either presented with biased or unbiased instructions. Strangely, unbiased lineups led to higher hit rates which is contrary to most findings in the …

Social Identities And Meanings In Correctional Work, Caitlin C. Botelho

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on correctional officers’ values and perceptions of their workplace, the people they work with and for, and members of the general public. Although prior research has investigated correctional staff members’ feelings about their occupation, far fewer studies have implemented a comprehensive qualitative, microsociological approach. The author conducted 20 in-depth interviews with current and former correctional officers (COs) in public-supported facilities. Additional data were collected through two public Facebook pages designated for COs and citizens interested in the criminal justice system. The study offers insights about the significance of COs’ feelings about their work and how the correctional …

Pulling The Trigger On Disarming Domestic Violence Abusers: Implementing Gun Confiscation Policy In Urban And Appalachian Kentucky, Kellie R. Lynch

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The present study investigated why communities differing in culture and resources are willing and able to implement gun confiscation as part of a protective order. Specifically, this study explored whether the perceived risk of intimate partner homicide and gun violence, benefits to engaging in gun confiscation, barriers to gun confiscation, community norms about guns, and community readiness to implement gun confiscation: (a) differ in urban and rural communities, (b) are perceived differently by victim service and justice system key professionals within urban and rural communities, and (c) are related to if a community is able and willing to consistently implement …

Cyber-Psychopathy: Examining The Relationship Between Dark E-Personality And Online Misconduct, Andrew D. Nevin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Currently, there is a lack of research investigating how the unique structural conditions of cyberspace may influence the expression of ‘dark’ personality and the role of such e-personality in explaining instances of online misconduct. Using a theoretical framework of context-dependent personality, this study seeks to fill a gap in the literature by using self-report survey data to explore whether the internet may decrease, increase, or intensify the expression of psychopathy. Quantitative data analysis in this study shows that when controlling for social context, internet users exhibit higher levels of psychopathy online than offline, which is especially pronounced in male subsamples. …

Evaluating A Brief Sexual Violence Therapy Group For Incarcerated Women, Marie Elisabeth Karlsson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Incarcerated women report higher rates of sexual victimization and mental illness than the average woman and incarcerated men. Researchers have argued that sexual victimization is a pathway to prison for women, and that there is a lack of trauma-focused treatments in prisons. Some researchers have evaluated trauma-focused group treatments for incarcerated women (Bradley & Follingstad, 2003; Cole et al., 2007; Ford, Chang, Levine, & Zhang, 2013; Kubiak, Kim, Fedock, & Bybee, 2012; Paquin, Kivlighan, & Drogosz, 2013; Roe-Sepowitz, Bedard, Pate, & Hedberg, 2014; Zlotnick, Johnson, & Najavits, 2009), with mixed results and several limitations. Most of these treatments are lengthy …

Women As Victims Or Survivors, Shelby N. Swanson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research shows that women who have been sexually assaulted once are more likely to be sexually assaulted again (revictimized). Several factors contribute to the likelihood of a woman being revictimized, including social support, personal behavior, and psychological health. This research proposes that a combination of these factors contributes to a woman’s self-perception as a victim or survivor of sexual assault. It is this self-perception that determines revictimization. Twenty women were interviewed to explore the victim or survivor mentality and its relation to revictimization. All women had negative consequences of the assault. Negative consequences lead some women to develop a victim …

Prison, Perceptions, And Policy: Authoritarianism And Attitudes Toward Sexual Assault Victims In U.S. Correctional Facilities, Amy Michelle Magnus

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Existing research on sexual victimization in correctional facilities has expanded since the enactment of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003. Previous literature suggests that the prevalence of sexual victimization in prisons is unknown, yet the known ramifications of reported sexual assaults are serious for both the individuals involved and the institution. Government policies such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003 attempt to address the issue of sexual violence in U.S. correctional facilities. Limitations of PREA, however, derive from a lack of clear distinction between coerced and consensual behavior and how these ideas manifest and co-exist …

Juror Perceptions Of Eyewitness Identification Evidence, Timothy G. Wykes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Jurors rely on eyewitness testimony in deciding a defendant’s guilt or innocence. Archival analyses of hundreds of post-conviction DNA exonerations have identified eyewitness misidentification as the highest individual factor contributing to wrongful convictions (Innocence Project, 2014). Internationally, criminal justice systems have employed procedural safeguards (PSs) to educate juries on factors affecting eyewitness identification accuracy. Two such safeguards include the introduction of eyewitness expert testimony during trial proceedings and the reading of cautionary instructions by a presiding judge. In an independent factorial design, this research sought to examine the effects of a model judicial caution drafted by the Ontario Judicial Council …

Blaming The Victim: Effects Of Victim And Respondent Characteristics On Attribution Of Blame To Rape Victims, Richard Allen Measel

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study examines rape myths and the attribution of blame in instances of rape. This research builds upon previous studies that examined attribution of blame based the effects of gender, attitudes toward rape victims, and race. This study explores the impact of the seriousness of the attack on attributions of blame. It also examines the influence of the level of similarity between the respondent and the victim on attributions of blame. Data was obtained from 408 undergraduate respondents enrolled at a university. Respondents completed an online survey that included the Attitudes Towards Rape Victims Scale and a vignette of a …

Who We Are: Incarcerated Students And The New Prison Literature, 1995-2010, Reilly Hannah N. Lorastein

Honors Projects

This project focuses on American prison writings from the late 1990s to the 2000s. Much has been written about American prison intellectuals such as Malcolm X, George Jackson, Eldridge Cleaver, and Angela Davis, who wrote as active participants in black and brown freedom movements in the United States. However the new prison literature that has emerged over the past two decades through higher education programs within prisons has received little to no attention. This study provides a more nuanced view of the steadily growing silent population in the United States through close readings of Openline, an inter-disciplinary journal featuring …

Reefer Madness To Marijuana And Legalization: Media Exposure And American Attitudes Towards Marijuana (1975-2010), Richard James Stringer

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

American attitudes toward marijuana have varied greatly from the time it was criminalized in the 1930's until 2010, and public opinion favoring the legalization of marijuana has steadily risen since 1990. Since the media is purported to have had an impact on the legislation rather than objective risk factors, it is possible that the marijuana epidemic could be the result of a socially constructed moral panic. As such, this study utilized General Social Survey data to examine the relationship between media exposure and attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana from 1975 through 2010, 1975 through 1990, and 1991 through 2010. …

There Are No "Innocent Victims": The Influence Of Just World Beliefs And Prior Victimization On Rape Myth Acceptance, Rebecca Lynne Vonderhaar

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Approximately 209,000 women report being raped every year. Of those 209,000 rapes, only 19,491 arrests were made (U.S. Department of Justice 2011). Furthermore, reports estimate that one out of every three women will be raped at some point in her life (Amir, 1971). The prominence of rape in the United States, as well as the disparity between documented rapes to the police and victim reports of rape, is problematic for researchers in fully understanding the breadth of the problem. Considering that rape occurs at such an overwhelmingly high rate and frequently goes unreported, it is important to understand the attitudes …

Great Sexpectations: The Application Of Sexual Social Exchange Theory To Date Rape, Kellie R. Lynch

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In a two-part study, dating sexual expectations will be evaluated and the sexual social exchange theory will be investigated in a date rape trial. In Part 1, participants (N = 100) will be presented with one of two fictional date scenarios that will differ only on the cost of the date (i.e., $30 or $175). Participants will then indicate what behaviors (sexual and not sexual) are appropriate at the end of a first date and then a fifth date. It is predicted that all participants will expect sexual intercourse more on the fifth date than the first, and that …

How Would You Feel? Stigma And Self-Esteem In Student Responses To Intimate Partner Violence Vignettes, Taylor Lynn Hall

Graduate Masters Theses

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a public health issue defined as "a constellation of abusive and controlling behaviors including psychological abuse, isolation, threats, stalking, and physical violence that taken together create a climate of fear and intimidation that maintain one partner in a position of domination and control with the other partner in a position of subordination and compliance" (Family Violence Prevention Fund 2004; Campbell 2002). The current study was carried out at the University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMB), and explores the relationship between being a victim of IPV, self-esteem, and stigma across gender and other characteristics. Approximately 250 …

Sexual Harassment In Las Vegas, Jonathan Michael Birds

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual harassment, either "quid pro quo" demands or the creation of a hostile environment harms both success and social confidence (Welsh, 1999). The nature of sexual harassment in an overtly sexual environment like Las Vegas has not yet been explored. The current study primarily analyzed responses from UNLV students who work in Las Vegas. Experiences of and attitudes towards sexual harassment were compared by gender. Finally, experiences of sexual harassment were compared between UNLV students and students at another university.

Education & Crime: A Study In Student Perceptions Of Culpability, Larry Curtis Long

Masters Theses

Criminological research has long been concerned with how stereotypes of offender race and gender affect perceived culpability and policy formation. Using data collected from a college student population that were administered six vignettes written in the form of police blotters that depicted different crimes being committed by offenders with differing educational characteristics, this study seeks to identify whether or not an offender’s educational characteristics affect their perceived culpability. Although the data indicates that offender’s are seen as culpable regardless of their educational characteristics, it is evident that some degree or sociopathy is assessed to offender’s that are seen as educated …

Criminal History And Lsi-R Scores Of Rsat Participants In The State Of Massachusetts: Impact Of Offender Age On Program Completion And Rates Of Offender Recidivism, Jewell E. Hankins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand how offender age impacted residential substance abuse treatment (RSAT) program success in reducing rates of recidivism for offenders exiting the judicial system. Despite passing legislation in the 1980s and 1990s, which increased the penalties for certain crimes, offender recidivism remains high, with no apparent drop in the number of incarcerations and re-incarcerations, resulting in high costs and threats to the safety and quality of life experienced within communities. Social learning theory, behavioral decision theory, and biologically based theories of behavior were the theoretical foundations. Archival data collected from a RSAT grant program …

Untangling Fear Of Crime: A Multi-Theoretical Approach To Examining The Causes Of Crime-Specific Fear, Mariel Alper

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Fear of crime has been a major research topic over the past several decades. However, multiple explanations have been proposed and no clear theoretical model exists. Building on existing research, this study attempts to build a crime type-specific theoretical model of fear. In particular, the predictive power of three theoretical models is explored. This study addresses several methodological shortcomings by measuring offense type-specific, emotionally-based fear of violent and property crime. The results suggest that the predictors of each type of fear vary, and some theoretical models are a better explanation of one type of fear than the other. Overall, the …

Relationship Predictors Of Unwanted Pursuit, Farrahdya Tassy

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study investigated relationship variables related to unwanted pursuit post dissolution of a romantic relationship. Online surveys were administered to 277 undergraduate and graduate students from a large southeastern university. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed levels of idealization, satisfaction, perceptions of alternatives to the relationship, investment size, commitment, and unwanted pursuit. These variables are often essential in romantic involvements, and contribute greatly to the continuation of a relationship. Additional measures of attachment, self-esteem, neuroticism, and jealousy were included to control for their potential effect on pursuit. The sample consisted of individuals who engaged in the pursuit of a former …

Abuse Behind The Badge Intimate Partner Violence And Child Abuse In Police Families, Denicia M. Veroza

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzes the factors that may contribute to intimate partner violence and child abuse among police officers' families. Secondary data was obtained from the National Institute of Justice Data Resources Program, "Police Stress and Domestic Violence in Police Families in Baltimore, Maryland, 1997-1999u (Gershon 2000). Surveys were distributed to 1577 Baltimore Police officers. The sample size for this study was 886, which included only those officers who were married, had live-in partners, or were divorced/separated or widowed. From this sample, it was found that 7.9% of the Baltimore Police officers admitted to committing intimate partner violence and 8.4% admitted …

Testing Social Disorganization As It Pertains To Prostitution, Wynter Leighanne Edwards

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The impact of crime on the community has gained notoriety within the sociological field over the last twenty years. With growing citizen concern it is important to understand the impact of crimes rates on communities. Social disorganization theory focuses on the relationship between crime and the community, however, little research has been done on social disorganization theory as it relates to victimless crimes such as prostitution. It is important to understand how variables derived from social disorganization theory explain levels of prostitution across neighborhoods. This is important because victimless crimes such as prostitution often act as precursors to greater crime …

Predictors Of Psychological Abuse And Violence In College Romantic Relationships, William Amory Barber

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Who Are You Calling "Criminal?": A New Look At The Violent Criminal Stereotype, Heather V. Imhof

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Possible Predictors And Effects Of Rape During The First Semester Of The First Year Of College, Christine Ellen Frydenborg

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Men Who Batter: Personality Variables, Relationship Variables, And Treatment Outcome, Lisa M. Petrica

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between the personality characteristics of male batterers and treatment outcome. It also examined a pattern of communication found in violent couples where the male pursues the female and the female withdraws in an argument. The study also compared alcohol use with treatment outcome.

Twenty-one men who attended a group psychoeducational treatment program for batterers completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). The men were divided into three groups based on their scores: non-pathological (normal profile), narcissistic/antisocial (elevated psychopathic deviate scale), and severely disordered (elevations on several scales). Pre and post-test measures were completed: Dyadic Adjustment …