Digital Commons Network^™

Situational Determinants Of Severity In Bias-Motivated Violence, Sophia Glick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although overall violent crime rates continue to decline, bias-motivated violence, including bias murder, is rising in the United States (United States Department of Justice, 2024). Criminologists have examined how situational factors—such as location, weapon use, and bystander presence—increase the likelihood of violence escalating to murder. However, it remains unclear whether these same factors similarly affect the severity of bias-motivated violence. These gaps are notable given that prior research suggests bias-motivated violence differs situationally from other forms of violence. Guided by the situational crime prevention (SCP) perspective, the current study investigates how situated attributes of factors reflecting the vulnerability and symbolic …

Religion, Crime, And The Mediating Effects Of Social Control And Self-Control, Parker Bowman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Past research on the relationship between religion and crime has found the two variables have a significant negative correlation. Currently, there are two main mechanisms used to explain this relationship: social control and self-control. Social control theorists argue that participation in religious organizations decreases criminal behaviors by increasing social bonds. Self-control theorists argue that religious norms and values decrease criminal behavior by increasing an individual's self-control. While both mechanisms have been well supported by research, there remains the question of which is the stronger mediator of the religion-crime relationship. This study seeks to answer this question by comparing the effects …

Factors Contributing To The Effectiveness Of Reentry Programs For Formerly Incarcerated Adults, William Lopez Jr, Falina Rose Gonzales

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Reentry into society following incarceration represents a critical transition that significantly influences long-term stability and recidivism outcomes. Formerly incarcerated adults frequently encounter structural barriers related to housing, employment, behavioral health access, and social reintegration, highlighting the need for effective reentry programming. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine factors that contribute to the effectiveness of community-based reentry programs for formerly incarcerated adults and to understand how participants and service providers perceive successful reintegration outcomes. Guided by ecological systems theory and empowerment theory, this study employs a qualitative phenomenological design using semi-structured interviews with approximately 15 formerly incarcerated adults …

Trauma-Informed Approaches In Correctional Settings, Mahlet T. Habtemeskel

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Trauma‑informed care (TIC) has become an important framework for understanding and responding to the needs of incarcerated individuals, who experience disproportionately high rates of childhood adversity, interpersonal violence, and systemic trauma. Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) early victimization shapes individual behavior patterns, justice system involvement, and emotional regulation (Ratcliff et al., 2025; Marotta, 2022). Traditional correctional models rooted in punishment, control, and surveillance often repeat the dynamics of past trauma, exacerbating emotional dysregulation, behavioral challenges, and recidivism (Desai, 2019; Slovinsky, 2023). This thesis examines the theoretical foundations, implementation strategies, and outcomes of trauma‑informed approaches in correctional settings …

Narcissism And Eyewitness Identification, Haley M. Hearn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

According to the Innocence Project, 69% of individuals exonerated by DNA evidence were initially found guilty due to an eyewitness misidentification (Innocence Project, n.d.-a). A way that investigators attempt to prevent misidentification is by assessing how confident eyewitnesses are in their identifications. There is a large body of research suggesting that these confidence estimates can, in many instances, operate as reliable barometers of accuracy. However, what if an eyewitness is overconfident? Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by overconfidence. If a narcissistic eyewitness reports confidence in their identification of a suspect, should this report be trusted? Two studies were conducted …

Religious Extremism & Courtroom Cooperation: Examining Variability In Terrorism And Religiosity, Amanda P. Hux

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

While prior studies have investigated the impact of religion on terrorism, our study specifically aims to inform the literature of religious affiliation's effect on a defendant's propensity to plead guilty. Our study uses data from the American Terrorism Studies (ATS) database from the University of Arkansas’s Terrorism Research Center. The study focuses on twelve variables in relation to pleading guilty, gender, categories of terrorism, race, and ethnicity. Crosstabulation and Binary Logistic Regression were used to analyze the subset “Offender” within the ATS. Three hypotheses were reviewed, finding that religious affiliation has a positive correlation with a defendant’s propensity to plead …

How Social Media Provides Access For Human Traffickers To Victimize Children: A Literature Review With Combative Measures., Ashton Lamb

Honors Theses

This literature review focuses on how human sex traffickers utilize social media to groom children. Social media is utilized by a great number of people around the world, including many children. While social media is intended to be fun and interactive, it does provide new access for dangerous people to reach victims. There is a very real, growing issue online that is not widely known to the public. This hidden danger is known as human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined as the involvement of any force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some labor or commercial sex act (Department of Homeland …

The Impact Of Prior Abusive Dating Experiences And Gender On Romance Scam Victimization And Monetary Loss, Trevor Rowe

Department of Psychology

Online romance scams are a rapidly expanding cybercrime that affects millions of people each year, financially and emotionally. This study examines an underexplored question: Will individuals with a greater number of abusive partners be more vulnerable to romance scam victimizations and lose more money? Adult dating app users (N = 518) completed an online survey. After controlling for being approached for relationships, those with a greater number of past abusive partners were more likely to be victims and lost more money. In addition, men reported a higher frequency of romance scam victimizations and more money loss.

Zero Tolerance Policies In Schools & Subsequent Outcomes, Annalise Loucks

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Zero tolerance policies refer to policies and practices that disproportionately push marginalized students out of classrooms and into the criminal justice system. These patterns contribute to long-term negative outcomes, including higher dropout rates, increased incarceration, and reduced economic and social opportunities.

Empirical Benchmarks For Interpreting Effect Sizes In Violent Crime Interventions, Kohta James Matsukawa Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Criminal justice researchers apply Cohen’s (1988) benchmarks to classify effect sizes as small, medium, or large, despite these standards never being meant for broad, decontextualized use (Cohen, 1988; Gies et al., 2024; Goulet-Pelletier & Cousineau, 2018; Lakens, 2013; Milner et al., 2023). Repeatedly doing so may weaken statistical validity, distort findings, and impede effective policymaking. This study introduces the first effect size benchmarks specifically designed for violent crime interventions.

Using a quasi-meta-analysis framework, 1,605 effect sizes from 104 violent crime intervention studies from the CrimeSolutions clearinghouse were converted to Cohen’s d. Three new discrete benchmarking methods were created using a …

Res Historica, Volume 5, Alpha Rho Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta, Lindsay Rae Smith Privette Phd

Res Historica

The 2026 journal of historical research by Anderson University students, Res Historica.

The editorial team for this edition of Res Historica was Dr. Lindsay Rae Smith Privette, Julia Ackerman, Callyn Wright, Logan Davis, and John Hinton. Cover art by Mary Beth Lee.

Determining Factors Leading To Sobriety In Native American Graduates Of A Joint-Jurisdictional Court Program, Ryan Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of driving under the influence (DUI) is a continuous problem in rural communities, especial those in Indian Country. Alcohol use and abuse has long been a health concern for these communities contributing to higher mortality rates and increased incarceration rates for American Indian / Alaskan Native (AIAN) populations. Wellness courts, using the problem-solving court model, have been successful in helping DUI offenders achieve sobriety and wellness. While the model has been successful, there remains a lack of qualitative research into why participants find success in these programs; especially marginalized populations such as AIAN. This phenomenological qualitative study was …

Contributing Factors To The Rise In Juvenile Gun-Related Homicides: Investigating Criminal Behavior In Southern Georgia, Tracey Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gun-related juvenile homicides continue to be a critical public health and social issue, disproportionally affecting African American males aged 17. Prior research identified poverty, neighborhood violence, individual and familial risks, gang affiliation, and inadequate education as contributors to the increase in juvenile gun-related homicides. In this study, the relationship between gun-related juvenile homicides and poverty, violent crimes, and gang affiliation were examined from 2019 to 2023 in 66 counties within South Georgia. Guided by sociological positivism, a quantitative non-experimental design was used using secondary data sources that included juvenile homicide totals, demographic characteristics, poverty levels, violent crime rates, and gang …

Identity Restoration Theory: Reclaiming Cultural Identity As A Pathway To Reintegration, Sigifredo Castell Britton

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This article introduces Identity Restoration Theory (IRT), a new theoretical framework that explains what formerly incarcerated individuals need to reconnect with disrupted cultural identities as a pathway to reintegration. Grounded in qualitative fieldwork with Raizal ex-offenders and community leaders on San Andrés Island, Colombia, IRT is designed to conceptualize reintegration, not as institutional resettlement, but as a culturally rooted process of re-embedding identity within community and place. The framework delineates five interdependent constructs—cultural memory, place reconnection, narrative repair, communal belonging, and agency activation—that emerged inductively from participant narratives. Anchored in the postcolonial context of an Afro-Caribbean island society, IRT provides …

Underreporting Of Campus Crimes: A Study On Students' Preference For Peer Reporting Over Official Channels, Vanessa White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Underreporting of campus crime remains a persistent challenge in higher education, with many students choosing to disclose incidents to peers rather than formal institutional channels. This qualitative phenomenological study was an exploration of the social and psychological factors influencing college students’ preference for peer-based disclosure over official reporting mechanisms, with particular attention to peer influence, social norms, and institutional trust. Guided by bystander intervention theory and victim precipitation theory, data were collected through an anonymous, open-ended online survey completed by 13 individuals who had attended traditional, in-person colleges or universities within the past 5 years. Thematic analysis was used to …

Review Of Interrupting Violence: One Man’S Journal To Heal The Streets And Redeem Himself, Chris Hausmann

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Online Recruitment For Interview Participants Impacted By The Criminal Legal System, Sarah Lageson, Carolina R. Caliman, Elsa Chen, Ericka Adams

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"As technology has altered communication, qualitative criminologists have turned to digital spaces for a cost-effective approach to recruit participants who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. This paper analyzes the limits and benefits of online recruitment, detailing our experience recruiting 93 interviewees online for a qualitative study of criminal record expungement. We compare three approaches: social media advertisements, Amazon’s crowdsourced MTurk platform, and the opt-in survey platform Prolific, and analyze the financial and labor costs associated with each. We detail our experience individually screening 685 interested participants to obtain 86 qualitative interviews suitable for analysis. Our experience shows …

Fragmented Responses: Variability In Law Enforcement And Prosecutorial Approaches To Sexual Assault Cases, Veronica Gonzalez

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Sexual assault (SA) remains a pervasive issue in the United States, marked by low reporting rates, inconsistent investigations, and limited convictions. In response, researchers and practitioners have promoted a range of best practices aimed at improving law enforcement and prosecutorial responses. This qualitative study draws on interviews with 13 law enforcement agencies and 12 prosecutors' offices to explore how recommended practices—such as victim advocacy, specialized units, interagency collaboration, and case reviews—are interpreted and operationalized in the field. Findings reveal substantial variability, shaped not only by resource availability but also by leadership priorities, organizational culture, and the ambiguity of guidance documents. …

To Protect And To Serve? A Phenomenological Exploration Of Interactions Between Black Transgender Women And Law Enforcement In The Midwest, Anthony Banks, Kelli E. Canada, Erin L. Robinson, Mansoo Yu, Lynn Mie Itagaki

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Current research indicates transgender women of color are experiencing what is being referred to as an “epidemic of violence.” Law enforcement personnel are in a unique position to mitigate this violence among transgender women of color, however past research shows that law enforcement may in some instances perpetuate already existing violence with this population instead of preventing and intervening in these situations. This study aimed to add to the limited research by using an intersectional theoretical framework to better understand these interactions. Research questions were answered using a phenomenological research design. Data from 36 semi-structured interviews with Black transgender women …

"This Is Not A Scam!": Assessment Of An Awareness Raising Program Tackling Older Adults' Scam Victimization In A Multi-Method Study, Katalin Parti, Pamela Teaster, Susanna Rinehart, Charles Dye

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Interactive theatre has long been used to educate and empower communities and prevent crime across all age groups. Although older populations are disproportionately victimized through fraudulent online schemes, effective educational interventions, like interactive theatre, have not been utilized to increase crime awareness. This paper describes an explorational research project, analyzing the results of a theatre-based fraud awareness program aimed towards educating victims and their communities about scams targeting older people. The study employs a mixed-method research design to examine program impact. In applying multifaceted tools of data collection, such as survey, participant observation, and follow-up interviews, the research team identified …

Aging On Parole: A Thematic Analysis Of The Parole Officer’S Perspective, Angela Murolo

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"A growing proportion of people leaving prison are over 50 years old and will live at least temporarily under the supervision of a parole officer. While recidivism rates are lower for older people, there are physical, mental, and societal challenges that accompany advancing age that make successful reentry and reintegration a challenging experience compared to their younger counterparts. This presents novel challenges for parole officers who are tasked with supervising and counseling elderly people on parole. Surveys containing closed and open-ended questions were administered to N=25 parole officers to understand the differences in working with, counseling, and supervising older and …

Vigilante Justice: A Study On The Causes, Christina Tackett

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Christina Tackett on March 13, 2026.

Public Perception Of Risk In Missing Persons Investigations, Harry Lockett, Stefana Juncu

International Journal of Missing Persons

The current study investigated public perceptions of risk in missing person cases. A total of 271 participants were sequentially presented with five fictional vignettes describing missing individuals. Each case included a baseline description of the disappearance being "out of character" and four of these cases were paired with an additional risk factor: substance abuse, depression, dementia, or repeat missing status. The gender of the missing person was also manipulated between participants. Participants rated each case using both the standard categorical scale (Low/Medium/High) and an Extended Scale ranging from 1 to 7 and were also invited to respond to exploratory items …

‘‘If It Bleeds, Does It Lead?’: Lived Experiences Of Media Engagement For Families Of Missing Persons., Sarah Wayland Professor, Loren O'Keeffe, Syadani Riyad Fatema, Amy-Louise Byrne Dr, Elizabeth Paton

International Journal of Missing Persons

The media plays an important role in a missing persons case. Media is a powerful tool in raising public awareness and support, traversing police investigation, family liaison, and the business of media. This article reports on a focus group of seven people with a long-term missing family member, and two focus group facilitators, one of whom was also the family member of a missing person (n=9). The aim of the study was to better understand how people, who have lived experience of a family member missing, participate in media opportunities, to understand impact. Thematic analysis generated five major themes 1) …

Factors That Contribute To Lone-Wolf Terrorist Attacks In The United States, Kevin Klatte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the United States, current strategies aimed to prevent terrorism focus on terrorist organizations and international terrorism. The predominant literature on lone-wolf terrorism has focused mainly on quantitative data, and the qualitative studies that have been conducted do not uncover all factors that led to the individual committing the attack. Lone-wolf terrorism, while less frequent than international terrorism, has a significantly higher number of victims per attack and is extremely difficult to predict and prevent. The existing qualitative literature has heavily focused on the mental state, emotional status, and cognitive ability of the offender. This study explored why an individual …

Social Capital And The Spread Of Information On Twitter Related To Change In The Criminal Legal System, Sebastian Hoyos-Torres

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Criminal legal reformers and abolitionists have differing visions for change within the criminal legal system, where reformers seek to modify and abolitionists aim to dismantle it altogether (Davis 2005; Foucault 1977; Kaba 2020). Advocates used print media to disseminate information related to their proposed changes to broader audiences. While print media remains a valuable tool to reach wide audiences, the advent of social media introduced new mechanisms to interact with broad audiences at very low cost while leaving traces of digital data which could be analyzed to better understand the social factors which impact whether information is spread. Throughout this …

Assessing Abuse And Neglect In U.S. Nursing Homes: A Comparative Analysis Across Pre-, During, And Post-Pandemic Periods, Katherine Gane

Theses and Dissertations

Nursing homes are among the most closely regulated providers in the U.S. healthcare system, with both federal and state agencies working together to monitor care and help protect residents. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, introduced unprecedented challenges for facilities and survey agencies alike, disrupting normal operations, limiting in-person visits, and temporarily shifting regulatory priorities. The purpose of this study was to examine how these pandemic-related disruptions were reflected in the severity and reporting patterns of substantiated abuse and neglect deficiencies in U.S. nursing homes. Using publicly available data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this study analyzed 39,607 …

Teaching Students How To Access The World: Information Fluency Modules In World Criminal Justice Systems Courses, Grace Allbaugh, Chad M. Kahl, Dawn Beichner

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This presentation discusses a long-term collaboration between Milner Library and the Department of Criminal Justices Sciences to bring information fluency training to students in CJS 369: World Criminal Justice Systems. Learn how it has changed from pen and paper, responded to COVID, and where it's at now.

“I Have Already Lost My Kids”: Mothering Experiences Of Women In Jail, Bothwell Piason, Dawn Beichner-Thomas

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

Although women represent a small proportion of the incarcerated population globally, their rate of incarceration in the United States has increased dramatically over the past four decades, outpacing that of men. As carceral trends return to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, jail populations continue to rise, with most incarcerated women being mothers of young children. Yet, research on motherhood behind bars has largely focused on prisons rather than jails. This study explores the mothering experiences of women incarcerated in two U.S. Midwestern jails, including both pretrial detainees and sentenced individuals. Using qualitative data from in-depth interviews with jailed mothers, the analysis examines …

Police Supervisor Selection Process And The Need For Uniformity In Practices To Improve Police Leadership In The Usa, Catrina M. Rhatigan

Theses and Dissertations

Effective police leadership is crucial to sustaining the culture shift in law enforcement. Leaders need to lead, and how the executive staff assess their leadership capabilities will determine whether they are up to the task. Police executives need to determine first what their motives are: to fill open supervisory spots? Promote the best leaders? This study and the results highlight the need to focus on the latter, identify the leadership qualities that best fit your department's needs, and work from there. A lack of oversight and inconsistent standards for police supervisors leads to poor policing and inadequate responses to significant …