Digital Commons Network^™

Constraints Interfering With The Goals Of Child Maltreatment Programs In Northwestern Wyoming, Barbara Andersen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child abuse and neglect occurs in the United States and Wyoming. There are numerous variables that influence caregivers to abuse, and if unresolved, these variables can contribute to future events of child maltreatment. This study focused on the programs assigned to achieve reunification and the constraints observed by the program providers that interfere in resolving the variables that cause child maltreatment. The research questions were: What specific factors or constraints impede the successful achievement of program goals? In what ways do the identified constraints hinder the effectiveness of the programs? What strategies could be implemented to overcome constraints and improve …

Sweet Lies: Influence Of Food Marketing On Childrens’ Health And The Need For Reform, Mollie M. Warrington

Honors Theses

Markedly, there is heavy marketing of unhealthy food to children. This has become a significant public health concern because of escalating rates of child obesity, which have long-term consequences for physical health and severe mental health repercussions, such as body image concerns and low self-esteem. This thesis explores how food marketing strategies, historically rooted in television ads and evolving through digital platforms, are linked to children's dietary choices and broader public health implications. It analyzes various manipulative tactics, such as digital advertising, influencer endorsement, and gamification, showing how companies take advantage of the cognitive vulnerabilities of children to propagate unhealthy …

Toward A More Effective Dod Contribution To Strategic Competition In The Western Hemisphere, R. Evan Ellis

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2025 R. Evan Ellis

Innovative new thinking on the security dimension of the challenges posed by the PRC’s engagement in Latin America and the DoD’s role in the whole-of-government US response is needed. This monograph highlights risks from PRC influence networks, digital architectures, and dual-use commercial facilities in the region, particularly at ports and in the space sector; shows how PRC economic engagement and other support sustains illiberal regimes, indirectly contributing to the risks these regimes pose by hosting criminal and terrorist groups and other US adversaries, such as Russia and Iran; and illustrates how commercial, people-to-people, and security engagements …

Asean's Scs Divergence: An Analysis Of Historical, Economic, And Strategic Factors, Carl E. Dick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a significant gap in the scholarly literature on the Association of Southeast Asia Nations’s (ASEAN's) internal divisions and policy inconsistencies in responding to China's expansion in the South China Sea that considers national interests, economic dependencies, and security concerns. There is no cohesive regional strategy. This study examined the ASEAN’s responses to Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, focusing on the Second Thomas Shoal. It addressed the research question: how have historical, economic, and strategic factors influenced ASEAN's collective and individual member state responses to China's actions. Territorial peace theory and constructivist perspectives were used to analyze …

Study To Understand The Effects Of Biofouling And Corrosion On Underwater Munitions: Implications For Risk Management And Resource Allocation, Center For International Stabilization And Recovery, Fenix Insight

Global CWD Repository

The project's primary objective is to understand the impacts of the underwater environment on munitions as a means to identify the residual risk these munitions pose, so people undertaking detection and clearance efforts can reliably assess operational risk and make informed decisions.

National Efforts In Climate Change Adaptation In Agriculture: Assessing Policies And Practices In Egypt’S Nile Delta, Youssef Raafat

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change significantly threatens global security and environmental stability, impacting various sectors, especially the agricultural sector (IPCC, 2021). Climate change has already diminished Egypt’s agricultural productivity by 15 percent (Nassr et al., 2021). In response, the Egyptian government has intensified its efforts to increase agricultural practices adaptation, such as Egypt's 2050 Climate Strategy, the National Water Resources Plan (NWRP 2017-2037), and the NWFE program (NCCS, 2022; NWRP, 2017; NWFE, 2022). Nevertheless, the national policies and efforts remain underexplored in the literature, and their evaluations are not accessible to the public (Grindle, 2017). This research aims to assess the extent to …

Sustaining Critical Support Services For Relative Caregivers Through The Covid-19 Pandemic And Beyond, Shelly Willis Mrs, Lori Latimer, Rolanda Pyle

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This practice brief outlines model practice strategies for building and sustaining critical support services for kinship caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. While the long-term impacts of COVID-19 were still unfolding, research increasingly showed the profound effect the pandemic had on family well-being worldwide. Already managing the trauma that necessitated the placement of most children, kinship families faced additional challenges, including the fear and uncertainty surrounding health risks and the complete upheaval of community resources as schools, state offices, and social service agencies limited or closed their operations. This led to unprecedented levels of economic, housing, transportation, and food …

Generations United & The Brookdale Foundation Group: An Overview Of Progress In Support Of Grandfamilies Over The Last Decade, Ana Beltran, Jaia Lent, Melinda Perez-Porter

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Strategic partnerships and collaborations enable organizations that serve grandfamilies to address service gaps and facilitate the development or enhancement of services tailored to support their needs. These collaborative partnerships empower organizations to provide comprehensive support to caregivers and children and also play a crucial role in enabling organizations to create, expand, and maintain supportive services. By fostering strong relationships with a diverse range of partners, organizations can ensure that grandparents and other relative caregiver families receive information, assistance, and support. The authors, representing a national organization and a private foundation, have collaborated for more than 25 years to support grandfamilies. …

A Narrative Policy Review Of Asthma Education Programs In North Carolina Schools, Rosemary Moody

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Asthma remains one of the most common chronic conditions affecting school-aged children, posing significant challenges to their academic performance and overall well-being. However, the literature indicates that there continues to be barriers to successful implementation of asthma education policies in the public schools, particularly in the elementary levels. Using Maxwell’s interactive design for qualitative research, this study investigated how educators and stakeholders perceived the impact of state legislation on asthma education criteria and outcomes for student in grades K-5, as well as their recommendations for policy. Guided by Jones and McBeth’s narrative policy framework, semi structured interview data were collected …

Chief Executive Officers, Accountability And Hidden Violations, Alan Saquella

Publications

Corporate governance demands transparency, ethical leadership and accountability from Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). However, numerous cases suggest that CEOs often wield significant influence over what is reported to their boards of directors, particularly when it comes to internal misconduct, regulatory violations, and criminal activity. This lack of transparency raises serious concerns about ethical and legal obligations, as well as the effectiveness of board oversight.

Promoting Equity: Embracing Food Justice In The Transformation Of The Food Systems For Bipoc Communities, Frank Yeboah Adusei

Journal of Extension

The food justice movement addresses systemic food inequities impacting BIPOC communities, rooted in civil rights and environmental justice movements. It advocates for fair access to culturally relevant food, combating food deserts, and promoting food sovereignty. Recognizing intersectionality, it emphasizes collaboration to dismantle systemic barriers. This study aims to understand BIPOC communities' challenges and effective strategies, stressing the importance of collaborative efforts for lasting systemic change. Extension professionals face challenges but can contribute through equity-focused strategies, community engagement, and partnerships, advancing food justice and fostering inclusive food systems.

Building Resilience To Public Safety Power Shutoffs Through Public Education, Vikram Koundinya, Cristina Chiarella, Susan Kocher, Faith Kearns, Sabrina Drill

Journal of Extension

Public Safety Power Shutoff events are being implemented in California to reduce wildfire impacts. We surveyed California residents to identify their information needs and understand the potential role of University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in power shutoff management. A majority of respondents need information on alternative power sources and community power systems. Most respondents indicated family, friends, and neighbors as the important group to manage power shutoff. UCCE was least used and preferred source for power shutoff information. Our findings reveal a need for Cooperative Extension to play an important role in power shutoff management and educating the public.

Lived Experiences Of Police Use Of Force In Western Utah, Kenny Augustin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of force by police officers toward African Americans has been a tense subject in the United States Although statutory law grants the police officers the right to use force, the level and the type of force used by police officers can be seen as problematic. In this study, the lived experiences of African Americans and police officers’ use of force were explored. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore whether the lived experiences of African Americans differ from police officers concerning the use of force in Utah and how fear, trust, and confidence influenced behaviors. A …

A Document Analysis Of School Shooting On College Campuses, Kevin Lavelle Childs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite media outcry and societal outcry, gun violence on college campuses in the United States continues to be an unresolved problem. Prior to on-campus shootings, college campuses were safe locations that were conducive to learning. Sadly, this is no longer the case. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the key characteristics of mass shootings on college campuses so that officials would be provided with information that would enable them to create safer campuses. Using a rational choice theory as the conceptual framework, which focused on the perpetrator’s behavior, a document analysis was conducted to identify and understand …

Skill Development Approach For Poverty Alleviation In India, Sameer Chandra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

India’s Poverty Profile revealed that over 65% of the poor reside in rural areas. This study examined the effectiveness of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) skill development program in alleviating poverty in Uttar Pradesh, India. Guided by Sen’s capability approach, a quantitative cross-sectional design employing logistic regression analyzed the relationships of candidate qualifications and trade categories, predicting the likelihood of successful job placement. The study analyzed 4,789 randomly selected cases from 14 high-poverty districts in DDU-GKY’s database. The job placement rate within cases was 28.2%, with 71.8% not placed. Candidate qualification significantly predicted the likelihood of job …

Examining The Flavor Descriptors Of E-Cigarettes, Heated Tobacco Products, And Nicotine Pouches In The Philippines: Regulatory Challenges And Opportunities, Samantha J. Ackary, Patrik James D.L. Cabrera, Alen Josef A. Santiago, Gianna Gayle H. Amul

Ateneo School of Government Publications

In the Philippines, the regulation of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and nicotine pouches under Republic Act 11900 or the Vape Law is crucial as their use continues to rise. As e-cigarettes are rapidly gaining popularity due to their social appeal, perceived novelty, ever-changing flavors, and sensations that are attractive to consumers, HTPs and nicotine pouches are continuously developing as well. This study aims to characterize e-cigarette, HTP, and nicotine pouch flavor descriptors in the Philippines and to assess the regulatory implications of existing policies regulating these products. We adapted the Tobacco Pack Surveillance System (TPackSS) data collection protocol developed …

Public Policy And Trust In Artificial Intelligence Decision Making, Avril A. Bunbury-Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technology is largely unregulated at present, which raises a safety issue for the automated decision-making process of multiagent systems (MAS) using AI applications. This study was conducted to explore whether a policy-making rule for decisions can protect the public from the social implications of biases, challenges, risks, and uncertainty while exposing a trust gap. Computers can dominate life, and this research was conducted to explore how to trust the decision-making process of MAS, mainly when there are no guardrails or regulations to manage the system. As a result, the generic qualitative inquiry was used to explore how concerned computer users …

An Investigation Of Homicide And Aggravated Assault Rates In Relation To Police Attrition, Terence Sweeney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Between January 2021 and December 2022, a surge in retirements and resignations among U.S. police departments coincided with a notable rise in violent crime in urban areas. This correlational study used a retrospective approach to test the theory that a correlation existed between the unprecedented attrition of sworn officers following the 2020 social unrest and the contemporaneous sudden spike in violent crime rates in major cities during that same period. In addition, this study aimed to explore whether the four cities reacted similarly and simultaneously during the 24 months under study. The population under study was the attrition rates of …

Restoring School Librarians: Challenges And Strategies, Debrah E. Kachel

Learning Hub

The article examines efforts to restore school librarian positions across eleven urban U.S. school districts, despite significant financial and administrative obstacles. It documents strategies used by district library leaders to advocate for staffing, funding, and policy changes, emphasizing equity in access to certified school librarians. Through structured interviews and analysis, the report highlights key barriers, advocacy methods, and funding mechanisms that have influenced school library staffing. The study's findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on educational equity and policy reform in K-12 library services.

Perspectives Of Juvenile Violence Prevention Programs, Tamlar D. Walton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increase in violent behavior among individuals aged 12 to 19 prompted a nonprofit organization to consider adopting a more proactive approach to reduce such violence in the community while also expanding the range of services offered to address this concern. The organization leaders recognized the necessity of improving their knowledge in this area, prompting them to enlist the services of a research consultant who utilized a generic qualitative research method to explore juvenile violence prevention programs. This professional administrative study examined the experiences and perspectives of public servants who engaged with juvenile offenders, focusing on the influence of their …

Bridging The Gap: Analyzing Volunteerism Barriers To The International Humanitarian Ngos In Egypt, Heba Fouad

Theses and Dissertations

In Egypt, volunteerism, within international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), functions in distinctive characteristics influenced by, among other things, cultural, educational, and economic factors. NGOs face challenges and obstacles in attracting motivated volunteers, engaging and training volunteers, as well as managing the staff-volunteers relationship, and implementing adequate human resources (HR) policies and strategies. In this context, this thesis seeks to bridge the knowledge gap of volunteerism challenges in Egypt, delving deep into understanding the barriers existing within the international humanitarian NGOs that directly and indirectly influence its volunteer engagement levels. The thesis also aims to understand the successful implementation of policies …

Gender Inequality And Productivity Impact In Egypt, Hammad Elsaid Omar

The Undergraduate Research Journal

This study examines the relationship between gender inequality in Egypt's workforce and productivity across various sectors. Utilizing a comparative research design, the analysis employs quantitative data from sources such as the World Bank and the International Labor Organization. Key indicators of gender inequality—including the gender pay gap, the percentage of women in managerial positions, and female labor force participation rates—are correlated with productivity metrics like GDP per capita and productivity per employee (Figure 3). Findings reveal a strong negative correlation between the gender pay gap and productivity, with sectors exhibiting smaller pay disparities achieving higher productivity levels. Regression analysis indicates …

Behavioral Science-Based “Nudges” Could Increase Physical Activity Among Adolescents With Adhd, Hannah Patnaik, Andrew S. London, Kevin M. Antshel

Population Health Research Brief Series

Children and adolescents with ADHD are more likely to exhibit difficulties in school, have higher rates of injuries and accidents and more family conflicts, and are at higher risk of depression and anxiety. Given the prevalence of ADHD and associated difficulties, there is a substantial need for effective ADHD treatment and symptom management. This brief summarizes findings from a recently completed pilot study testing the efficacy of behavioral interventions aimed at encouraging daily physical activity (i.e., steps measured with an activity tracker) among adolescents with ADHD in the Syracuse, NY area between March 2023 and June 2024. Results show that …

Insider Risks And The Evolving Role Of Executive Protection Professionals In Cybersecurity, Alan Saquella

Publications

Insider risks have long been a critical concern in corporate security, traditionally encompassing threats from employees, contractors, or third-party vendors with access to sensitive information. However, as digital transformation accelerates, the convergence of physical and cyber threats has created new vulnerabilities. Executive protection (EP) professionals, historically tasked with safeguarding high-profile individuals from physical threats, now find themselves on the frontlines of combating cyber-criminal attacks. Expanding their skill sets to include cybersecurity awareness is no longer optional—it is a necessity.

This article explores insider risks, the growing need for executive protection professionals to adapt, and practical ways they can enhance their …

Emergent Groups And The Informal Digital Emergent Response To Hurricane Florence In The United States, Andrew S. Pyle, Hillary Smith, Ryan P. Fuller

Publications

Our study presents a thematic analysis of 1,582 posts from five digital emergent Facebook groups during Hurricane Florence, affecting North and South Carolina in the United States in 2018. We pose four research questions related to the formation and functioning of digital emergent groups during a disaster. Specifically, we examined how groups contributed to response efforts; messages developed across stages of the disaster; grassroots groups’ organized disaster response; and how proximity affected group functioning. Participants contributed to disaster response by sharing and seeking information and aid. Groups coordinated logistics; offered affirmation; and provided commentary and humor. Group members supported the …

Understanding The Prevalence Of Mental Health And Behavioral Distress In Transit Assaults And Presenting Targeted Response And Mitigation Methods To Reduce Victimization Trends, Kathleen Moore, Emilie Ellenberg, Melissa Carlson, Jodi Godfrey, Lisa Staes

Mineta Transportation Institute

This research project was performed to better understand the prevalence of mental health and behavioral distress in transit assaults and present corresponding targeted response and mitigation methods to reduce victimization trends. It includes a literature review, a data presentation and overview of reported public transit assault-related events, an examination of the contributing factors to those events, and documentation of 10 transit agency case studies. The literature review discusses some of the misconceptions of mental illness and associated stigmas and discrimination that can occur in response to these misconceptions. It discusses various approaches and strategies that transit agencies have used to …

Up-Island Council On Aging: Planning For The Future, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Up-Island Council on Aging (UICOA). The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury residents age 50 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (UICOA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of older residents of Up-island.

Aging In Uxbridge: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin E. Coyle, Katherine Burnes, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Uxbridge. The goals of this project were to investigate the interests, preferences, and opinions of Uxbridge’s residents aged 55 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) and Senior Center objective to identify and serve the needs of all Uxbridge citizens 55 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Uxbridge, the …

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP), administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston), remains a critical resource for addressing housing instability and homelessness across the Commonwealth. By offering free mediation services to tenants and landlords/property managers at every stage of a housing dispute, the program plays a pivotal role in fostering housing stability.

Established in FY2021 as part of the Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI) to mitigate housing crises during the COVID-19 pandemic and coordinated through the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), the HMP has continued …

The Social Cost Of Ponzi Schemes On Secondary Victims In Nigeria, Ojeifoh Okosun

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Ponzi schemes, fraudulent investment operations that pay returns to earlier investors using funds from new investors, have become a growing concern in Nigeria, particularly since the 2016 economic recession. The proliferation of these schemes has caused billions of dollars in financial losses, plunging millions into economic hardship. While research has extensively documented the effects on primary victims—those who directly invest and lose money—the impact on secondary victims, including family members, dependents, and close associates, remains largely unexamined. This study seeks to bridge that gap by investigating the financial, social, and psychological consequences of Ponzi schemes on secondary victims in Nigeria, …