Criminology Commons^™

Routine Activity Theory At The Census Tract-Level, Abigail G. Orscheln

Theses

The purpose of this study is to better understand predictors of neighborhood crime in metropolitan areas through a routine activity theory (RAT) lens. This paper examines whether neighborhood-level aspects of RAT have varying explanatory power for different crimes. This is accomplished by drawing on a sample of census tracts from the National Neighborhood Crime Study (NNCS). Using these data, multiple independent variables are regressed on four different types of crime using an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The results do not suggest that there is a strong degree of variation in the ability of specific measures to predict specific forms …

A Multilevel Examination Of The Black Middle Class, Segregation, And Neighborhood Crime, Claire A. Greene

Theses

In The Declining Significance of Race, William Julius Wilson (1987) raised key questions about the fate of urban black class structure and the social organization of black communities in the wake of civil rights era reforms. Unlike in previous decades, Wilson asserted that today’s black neighborhoods comprise almost exclusively of the most disadvantaged segments of the African American population, and therefore lack the basic opportunities, resources, and social controls necessary to reduce crime. In response, this study moves away from a focus on the “ghetto” poor to contextualize the neighborhood crime conditions of middle class blacks. Drawing on social …

Was Jack The Ripper A Slaughterman? Human-Animal Violence And The World’S Most Infamous Serial Killer, Andrew Knight, Katherine D. Watson

Cruelty to Animals and Human Violence Collection

Hundreds of theories exist concerning the identity of “Jack the Ripper”. His propensity for anatomical dissection with a knife—and in particular the rapid location and removal of specific organs—led some to speculate that he must have been surgically trained. However, re-examination of a mortuary sketch of one of his victims has revealed several aspects of incisional technique highly inconsistent with professional surgical training. Related discrepancies are also apparent in the language used within the only letter from Jack considered to be probably authentic. The techniques he used to dispatch his victims and retrieve their organs were, however, highly consistent with …

Exploring Victim Precipitation In Internet Crimes Against Children, Bryce L. Coulter

Student Scholar Showcase

In the past decade, reports of online child sexual exploitation have significantly increased. The purpose of this study is to explore how Internet technology has influenced the family structure resulting in the increased vulnerability of juveniles. The Family Systems theory provides rationale as to how the nurturing relationship between juvenile and parent can be reversed. The conceptualized ‘role reversal’ is characterized by parents consistently seeking nurture from their child results in the neglecting of their own child’s development. A secondary data analysis of 356 online child sexual exploitation case files from 2007 to 2014 was utilized to explore victim precipitation …

New Uri Journal Explores Sexual Exploitation, G. Wayne Miller, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Criminal Justice Theories And Variations In Legal Decisions Across Youth Justice Acts, Brenda Kobayashi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Media stories of violent young offenders, while rare events, “signal” to the public that youth crime is on the rise and worse, that today’s youth are capable of horrific crimes. As a result, both the public and politicians call for change – legislation and the courts need to toughen up on youths. The present study, guided by penal populism and focal concerns theory, fills a gap in the literature by examining sentencing decisions of young offenders convicted of violent offences in Ontario, Canada. Three research questions were asked. First, drawing on penal populism is there evidence in Canada, particularly Ontario, …

Uri Professor Launches Online Journal About Sexual Exploitation, Violence, Slavery, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Race And Justice Outcomes: Contextualizing Racial Discrimination And Ferguson, Jason M. Williams

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

While scores of literature may hint at the tumultuous relationship between the criminal justice system and Blacks, such literature, however, fail to assess, comprehensively, the intersectional purpose of present criminal justice processes and race. This paper will examine contemporary applications of justice along racial lines. It is argued that current justice outcomes are advantageous to the status quo. It is no secret that the American system of justice has a race problem; however, if the goal is to administer justice then, as this paper argues, the current system needs to be seriously examined and rebuilt. The paper also argues that …

Addressing The Opioid Epidemic: North Andover Police Department, James Buckley

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

The opioid epidemic is not just a problem that affects major cities, as there is a growing market for heroin in suburban communities. North Andover saw a spike from only seven overdoses in 2015, to twenty-three possible overdoses in just the first nine and a half months of 2016, depicting evidence of how grave the problem really has become in the community. The epidemic is not an issue that can be delayed and gradually deliberated, as immediate action is required to treat individuals affected and heal the community as a whole. The heroin problem has reached North Andover and the …

The Martin Institute Prints, Spring 2017, Stonehill College Martin Institute

The Martin Institute: Prints

No abstract provided.

Twenty Reasons To Publish In Dignity, Donna M. Hughes

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

"I'M Doing Time On The Outside" -A Study Of The Effects Of Parental Incarceration On The Life Outcomes Of Adolescent Children In The City Of Hartford, Margaret C. Brown

Senior Theses and Projects

The mandatory sentencing criterions established via the implementation of the infamous War on Drugs has resulted in the mass incarceration of millions of nonviolent offenders in the United States, and crafted a national penal population that is distinctly the largest in the world. Blatantly disproportional and misrepresented in racial and socioeconomic configuration, America’s correctional and criminal justice system has become overcrowded with individuals who overwhelmingly hail from at-risk urban communities of color. As a result, low-income urban communities across the country have been devastated by the continuous destruction and misconfiguring of fragile families that occurs when an individual, especially one …

Deterrence, Tough On Crime, And Links To The Prison Population Rate, Brennan Kirkpatrick

Celebration of Scholarship 2012-2017

This paper examines the relationship between different social factors, Tough on Crime Legislation and prison population rates in order to determine what factors affect prison population rates. The analysis of prison population rate at the state level found that all forms of tough on crime legislation in the purview of this study with the exception of Three Strikes You’re Out laws increased the prison population rate. In addition this analysis used private prison population rate as a new measure of Tough on Crime legislation, finding increased private population rate relates to an increase in prison population rate. Social conditions within …

The Economic Legacies Of Lingering Colonialism: A Case Study In Identity And Multiculturalism In Northern Morocco And The Spanish Enclaves, Jeremy Vale

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Founded in ancient times, the twin Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla combined comprise just 11.8 square miles and have fewer than 200,000 inhabitants. Despite their rather insignificant sizes, they are important because they serve as the only land borders between the European Union and the African continent, generating a host of complicated questions. This research explores the role of smuggling as a form of micro-economy and identity. Through interviews of Moroccans with ties to smuggling as well as interviews with residents of Ceuta, this case study begins to examine the role smuggling plays in the debates about the sovereignty …

Freedom And Unity: Examining The Individualized, Community-Based Process Of Restorative Justice In Vermont And What It Can Teach Other States, Through A Trainer's Lens, Megan Grove

Capstone Collection

How can communities and law enforcement embrace a cultural shift to address conflict in a way that restores relationships and makes amends instead of one that punishes and criminalizes certain behaviors and individuals? How can we create spaces where those who commit harm, those who are impacted by harm, and other affected parties can come together with equal voice, have their needs met, and communicate in healthy ways? This Course-Linked Capstone in Training, situated in Brattleboro, Vermont, looks at the power of restorative justice and restorative processes to heal relationships and empower communities to care for one another and address …

Working Together: Examining The Effects Of Parental And Community Involvement In Schools On School Delinquency, Erica Nicole Bower

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

How do we confront the problem of school delinquency? This study examined the impact of parental and community involvement in schools on school delinquency by employing a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the 2008 School Survey on Crime and Safety. Bivariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that parental involvement in schools is significantly associated with and predictive of decreased school delinquency, while community involvement in schools is significantly associated with and predictive of increased school delinquency. Findings suggest that based on school administrator perceptions, stimulating parent involvement in schools and cultivating certain types of community involvement in schools may reduce delinquency …

Understanding The Decline In Child Victimization: A National-And-State-Level Analysis Of Child Abuse And Neglect Trends, Maribeth L. Rezey

Dissertations

Figures from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) suggest that national rates of child maltreatment declined during the last decade of the 20^th century and into the 21^st century. These data, which are derived from official state child protective service agency record systems, have frequently been used to measure changes in child abuse and neglect in the U.S. and in individual U.S. states. However, because the NCANDS has yet to be assessed for methodological issues surrounding the validity of the data to measure temporal change, it is unknown if the decline revealed in the NCANDS …

Analysis Of Worcester's Youth Employment Sector, Laurie Ross Phd, Ramon Borges-Mendez Phd, Alex Rothfelder

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Overall, the employment rate for Worcester youth has improved since 2000; yet mirroring the nation, Worcester continues to have a smaller share of youth 16-24 employed. This situation is intensified for youth of color and young people facing barriers such as homelessness, exiting foster care, juvenile justice involvement, and limited English proficiency. Mass, Inc. estimates that in Worcester there are 3400 disconnected youth—756 are between 16-19 and 2644 are between 20-24. From the youth employment program inventory, we learned that the city’s programs offer many opportunities for “first job” experiences; has some exemplary programs that integrate youth development and workforce …

Perceptions Of Justice And Motivations For Becoming A Police Officer: Differences Across Recruits And Law Enforcement Officers, Erika J. Waterman-Smith

Master of Science in Criminal Justice Theses & (Pre-2016) Policy Research Projects

This study examined the motivations for choosing law enforcement as a career and perceptions of different prevalent criminal justice issues among police recruits and police officers. Additionally, the motivations and perceptions were compared across recruits and officers to see if they changed over time. The purpose of this study was to see if the police subculture and socialization had an impact on their motivations and perceptions. A survey method was administered on a sample of both recruits and officers from several Southeastern police departments. Bivariate analyses indicated that there were several significant differences across recruits and police officers in their …

Police Integrity Lost Podcast Episode 32: More Police Shootings In The United States: Business As Usual, Philip M. Stinson

Philip M Stinson

This episode of the Police Integrity Lost podcast revisits the issue of police shootings in the United States.