Digital Commons Network^™

Human Trafficking Prevention Methods In Nebraska, Allison E. Munderloh

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Human Trafficking has been a concern in Nebraska for a long period of time, but there is a lack of publicly available information regarding the prevention methods being employed and their effectiveness. This study aimed to identify the human trafficking prevention methods in use in Nebraska and their effectiveness based on the opinions of human trafficking professionals in the state. The human trafficking professionals were interviewed, and the information gathered was organized into seven different themes. The themes that arose from the information gathered included educational efforts, victim intervention and resources, addressing demand, labor trafficking, measuring success, resources and funding, …

Community Voices, Climate Action Choices: Working Towards A Resilient Monterey County, Lesley A. Solano Alonso

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Vulnerable communities in Monterey County face disproportionate environmental and health impacts due to climate change, yet many residents remain unaware of the tools and resources available to support local action. This capstone project was implemented in partnership with Ecology Action (EA) and the Resilient Central Coast (RCC) campaign to increase awareness and engagement with the RCC platform. Serving diverse communities across Monterey County, the project included bilingual outreach efforts, community tabling, educational presentations, and a climate action survey. Over 650 residents were engaged directly, resulting in 99 new household sign-ups on the RCC website, a major milestone for the agency. …

The Role Of Mental And Physical Health On Fear Of Crime, Macky Ann Hurst

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fear of crime is a significant social issue that affects quality of life, often leading to behavioral changes and increased anxiety. While prior research has explored the link between fear of crime and health, notable gaps remain – particularly regarding how distinct dimensions of health influence fear of crime. This study addresses these gaps by examining the effects of perceived health and depressive symptoms on fear of crime. Data were drawn from the Arkansas Crime, Public Safety, and Health Survey (ACPSHS), an online, opt-in survey of approximately 2,300 non- institutionalized adults in Arkansas. Ordinary least squares regression models were used …

Guns, Policing, And Crime: How The Internet And Social Media Shape Public Opinions, Sophie Buckley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I aimed to understand whether and how use of the internet and social media shapes attitudes on gun control, policing, and general crime. I use elements of cultivation theory to explain how exposure to media content insights moral panics and influences public beliefs on issues like guns and policing. Data were drawn from the 2023 Pew Research Center National Public Opinion Reference Survey (N=4,713), an annual survey of United States adults to produce benchmark estimates for various topics. I hypothesized that data from the survey will show frequent social media and internet usage influences attitudes towards crime, policing, and guns. …

The State Of Latino-Serving Community-Based Organizations In Massachusetts, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Phillip Granberry, Rachel Paz, Luna Páez Abaunsa, Valentina Valderrama Pérez

Gastón Institute Publications

Massachusetts has a diverse Latino population with large numbers of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Mexicans. Nearly a third (32%) of the Latino population is foreign-born. Of this foreign-born population, 61% are not U.S. citizens. Nearly 210,000 Latino children are enrolled in K-12 schools. Of the Latino population over age five who speak Spanish in the home, 33% have limited English proficiency. Among the adult population, 28% have less than a high school education, and 60% are in the labor force.3 The varied needs of this population require a strong ecosystem of local organizations that provide services to support …

The Success Of The Clinton, Bush, And Trump Administrations In Securitizing Mexican And Central American Immigration Through Border Policies, Madeline Lynch

The Compass

U.S. political discourse has framed immigration from Mexico and Central America as a security threat, driven by political, economic, and racial motivations. American presidential administrations are able to further racialize and criminalize immigrants coming from the Global South through rhetoric in legislation and executive orders that frame migration as a national security issue. Administrations focus on this narrative to indicate that the security threat is harmful to the interests of Americans. Although few migrants do present security threats to the US, the rhetoric used by various presidential administrations generalize these populations as a political tactic to further control and militarize …

Vigilante Justice Violence In Ghana: Does A Visible Police Force Reduce Support For Instant Justice?, John Ampomah

Theses

Vigilante justice remains a persistent issue in Ghana, with a significant portion of Ghanaians subscribing to it to address their grievances. While existing research has examined the social and cultural drivers of vigilante justice in Ghana, the role of visible police presence (i.e., police station and police patrol) on vigilante justice has received limited attention. This study seeks to add to the literature by exploring the relationship between visible police presence and support for vigilante justice by drawing on Black’s (1983) Self-Help Theory. First, I argue that a visible police force directly reduces public support for vigilante justice and indirectly …

The Impact Of Race On Sentencing Outcomes In The United States, Tijana Krivokapic

Honors Theses

The United States, with just 5% of the world’s population, houses nearly a quarter of the world’s prisoners. Moreover, the racial composition of the United States prison population is 56.8% White, 38.0% Black, 2.9% Native American, and 1.5% Asian (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2023). This highlights the disproportionate presence of minority offenders in the prison system, prompting concerns about racial disparities in sentencing. While research on sentencing is robust, much of the research relies on outdated data sources. This study adopts a contemporary approach by utilizing current data to examine whether the race of an offender affects two essential sentencing …

Hindsight Is 20/20: Epilepsy Is Not One-Size-Fits-All, Raika Kim

Northwestern University Law Review

For many, epilepsy is one of the first conditions that come to mind when thinking of a disability, and for good reason: over 50 million people in the world live with epilepsy. Yet misunderstandings about epilepsy have perpetuated social stigma surrounding the disability for centuries. Ableist beliefs led to the passage of laws in the 1900s condoning—and in some cases, requiring—sterilization of individuals with epilepsy and restriction of their right to marry. Even today, state driving laws, justified as promoting public safety, categorically prevent anyone diagnosed with epilepsy from driving unless they are seizure free for an arbitrary, nonuniform period …

An Investigative Analysis Into The Correlation Between Police Department Budgets And Violent Crime Rates., Julie Schwartz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Criminal justice reform and calls to defund the police have become more prevalent since the unrest that occurred in 2020. Research to date has looked at criminal justice reform, crime causation, and discussions surrounding defunding the police. Previous research has looked at police funding conceptually but not from a quantitative lens. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to provide an investigative analysis into police department funding and the effect of the funding on violent crime rates using strain theory as its foundation. The research question addressed the relationship between police department budgets, specifically the criminal investigations unit, and …

The Impact Of Human Trafficking, Jenna Diprima, Eboni Patterson, Gabriela Meza

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Human trafficking is a crime that has been documented since the 1500s and continues to be a significant issue, reaching unprecedented levels today. Human trafficking is an act in which an individual coerces/compels another and forces them to provide services for financial gain. Victims often come from connections with people they trust. In 2023, it was monitored that 348 people in the US were victims of human trafficking, 316 of 348 victims were children. Worldwide, however, this number is much higher standing at 49.6 million with Guatemala taking up a significant chunk as it has been estimated that 24.9 million …

Violent Infrastructure: Natural And Unnatural Barriers To Climate Migration, Walden Hicks

Global Tides

This paper attempts to compare and contrast the impact of immigration policy on climate migrants in three Global North countries, Italy, the United States, and New Zealand. Climate migration will continue to be one of the most significant international concerns as global temperatures increase and previously habitable areas of the globe become uninhabitable. Climate migrants are forced to migrate for a variety of reasons due to climate change, including sea level rise, famine, rising temperatures, drought, and natural disaster. Global North countries must begin to transform their immigration systems towards climate justice and acceptance for climate migrants or communities will …

Emergency Operations Plan To Sufficiently Support Prison Disaster Preparedness, Nyhrie Love Chapman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency management in correctional facilities is a critical aspect of institutional safety and security. Natural disasters and public health crises have exposed significant gaps in preparedness, leaving incarcerated individuals and staff vulnerable during emergencies. This qualitative study was conducted to examine prison staff members’ perspectives on the effectiveness of emergency operations plans (EOPs) in responding to natural and human-made disasters. Guided by social vulnerability theory and policy implementation and effectiveness theory, this study employed a phenomenological approach to explore staff experiences. Through 12 in-depth interviews, participants described challenges related to resource limitations, training deficiencies, and breakdowns in communication between agencies. …

Stars, Stripes, And Pills: The Stock Narratives That Blind, Michelle Wilde Anderson

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Patricia A. Tomson Center For Violence Prevention Spring 2025 Newsletter, University Of Northern Iowa. Patricia A. Tomson Center For Violence Prevention.

Patricia A. Tomson Center for Violence Prevention Newsletter

Contents:

--- Central College Train the Trainers
--- Spring 2025 MVP Train the Trainers
--- MVP Student Leadership Summit
--- Dan Marburger MVP Advocacy Award Ceremony
--- Iowa High School Athletic Association's Conference Connections
--- Oelwein Hearts Diversity Night
--- UNI College of Education's 2025 Social and Emotional Learning Conference
--- Iowa Healthiest State Initiative Conference
--- SAAM Panel Event
--- Tomson Scholars

Holding Ground In The Cerulean Tide: Minority Party Legislators' Strategies For Advancing Climate Policies In Landslide States, Sukjae Lee

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation addresses a key puzzle: Why do states sometimes adopt nationally polarized policies, such as climate change legislation, even when doing so does not align with strict partisan interests? The analysis focuses on “landslide states,” where a single party overwhelmingly dominates, and the minority party cannot realistically expect to gain a majority. In these environments, reduced partisan conflict allows minority party legislators to break from traditional partisan paths. As a result, I argue that electoral motivations drive them to signal moderation by advancing liberal policy agendas or incorporating provisions that minimize backlash from their core constituents in landslide states. …

Los Muxes De Juchitán: Resistance, Identity, And Expressions Of Gender In The Zapotec Culture, Leah Mack

Audre Lorde Prize

This work is a cultural analysis of the Indigenous Zapotec third-gender community in Juchitán, México called the muxes. It examines the historical context that explains how the muxes have survived the process of Spanish colonization: a history of resistance and pride in their Indigenous identities. This essay also explains the European norms of the gender binary and how the norms in Juchitán are different and unique. Then, it analyzes a few cultural spaces that are important to the Zapotec Indigenous identity and the gender identity of the muxes, such as the market and the festive celebrations known as Las Velas. …

How Seeing Rural America As A Commons Can (Re)Build Mutual Respect Across The Rural-Urban Divide, Lisa R. Pruitt

West Virginia Law Review

This Essay, written for a symposium that honors and amplifies Ann Eisenberg’s 2024 book, Reviving Rural America: Toward Policies for Resilience, contemplates benefits that could flow from taking seriously Eisenberg’s conceptualization of rural America as a commons. In particular, I argue that the mutual respect and collaboration necessary for a successful commons could help heal the rural-urban rift, which has widened dramatically in the last few decades. Recent studies suggest that rural residents have what scholars call a rural consciousnesses, which means that living in a rural place is a key aspect of their identity. One feature of this identity …

Understanding Undergraduate Aspirations For Law Enforcement Careers And Motivation In The Classroom, Gabriella N. Burt

Honors Thesis

This study investigates the factors shaping undergraduate student interest in law enforcement careers. By surveying students from various Midwestern universities, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between social influences, gender, and curricular exposure in shaping law enforcement career aspirations. Specifically, it examines how motivations for pursuing a public service career, external influences, and background characteristics shape career interest overall. The study also examines how these factors shape career interest between men and women and overall motivation to engage with specific law enforcement course topics. Findings inform policy and curriculum design.

Surviving Swarthmore: Safe Spaces For Student Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Olivia Han , '25

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Ethical Ai Use And Classroom Integration Training Modules, Daniel Boudon

Open Educational Resources

This project focuses on developing comprehensive training modules to equip students and faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to ethically and effectively use AI tools in academic settings. The training consists of interconnected modules that cover a wide range of topics, including the ethical use of AI, evaluating AI-generated content, integrating AI tools into curriculum design, and creating AI-enhanced classroom activities. Additional modules emphasize fostering digital literacy, staying updated with AI advancements, and collaborating on best practices for AI in education.

Designed for flexibility, the modules cater to diverse academic disciplines, making them suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, …

Investing In Maryland Safety: Engaging Public Resources And Community Partnerships To Prevent Crime And Violence, Jeffrey A. Butts, Rebecca Balletto, Patricia A. Cobar

Publications and Research

The Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice conducted a review of two innovative initiatives developed by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services: The Thrive Academy (TTA) and the Safer Stronger Together (SST) intervention strategy. The study involved document analysis, online resource review, and interviews with agency staff and leadership. These efforts aimed to understand the design, implementation, and alignment of TTA and SST within Maryland’s broader public safety and crime prevention strategy. Key themes included program effectiveness, operational progress, and community-level impact, providing valuable insights into the Department’s evolving approach to juvenile justice and public …

Religious Bodies Crime Control Strategies In Lagos Slums, Nigeria, Lateef Adeyemo

The Journal of Social Encounters

In Lagos' slum areas, where crime and social instability are rampant, religious bodies are uniquely positioned to influence positive change. This study adopted a qualitative, cross-sectional approach, guided by social disorganisation and stakeholder theories, to examine their impact. Purposive sampling was used to select 61 participants for in-depth interviews and key informant interviews. Findings indicate that religious bodies primarily engage youth through sermons and occasional events but lack structured crime control mechanisms. Key challenges include community resistance, limited police collaboration, resource constraints, and threats from violent youth. Furthermore, doctrinal concerns and fear of backlash hinder interfaith collaboration, with some …

Desistance, Emancipation, Empathy, And Pedagogy: The Incarcerated Teaching Artist’S Approach To Poetry, Ghostwrite Mike

Journal of Prison Education Research

The Art of Recovery and Therapy (ART) leisure time activity group at Valley State Prison (VSP) in Chowchilla, California, is a resident-led arts and humanities-based self-help forum that has been available to carceral state residents for more than a decade and is administered in collaboration with full-time, non-custody, civil servant facility staff (CDCR site, n.d.). ART is among the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) longest running and most autonomous creator habitats founded and facilitated entirely by resident practitioners. ART wields a codified state regulatory authority to function and fundraise (Cal. Code Regs. § 3233-3237, 3240) as well as …

Is There A Relationship Between Drug Addiction And Incarceration?, Lindsey M. Lopez

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The connection between drug addiction and incarceration has been widely debated. Many individuals who struggle with substance abuse will end up in the criminal justice system, mainly due to drug-related crimes or offenses committed under the influence like DUI’s. This study examines whether incarceration is effective in solving substance abuse issues or if alternative approaches such as rehabilitation, offer better results. The analysis explores the balance between punishment and treatment programs to determine what the most effective strategy is in reducing recidivism and addressing why drug addiction is high in the justice system.

Community-Oriented Policing In A Majority-Black Neighborhood: In Search Of A Local Solution To A National Problem, Nasaskyia R. Hicks, Shanada Mcfadden, Natallia Sianko

Transforming Communities

Few issues loom larger today than how the United States can rehabilitate its criminal justice system. Although justified and undoubtedly timely, the national focus often shifts attention away from local, interpersonal, and community processes that shape how criminal justice is administered and experienced differently in communities across the country. Our goal is to contribute to the national conversation on community-oriented policing and social innovation to improve police-community relations and increase public trust in majority-Black neighborhoods. This article offers a call to action for the scientific and policy communities to reflect on effective practices that bring the voices of local stakeholders …

Perceptions Toward Wrongful Convictions And Needed Reforms In The Criminal Justice System: Does Working Experience In Law Enforcement Matter?, Natalia Ermasova, Aubrey Adams, Lisa Jackson

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"This study proposes to investigate how public views on the wrongful conviction issue are connected with the perceived need for criminal justice reform and whether the professional experience in law enforcement influences these perceptions. This study employs a qualitative research design, deriving its conclusions from the comparative analysis of the survey responses concerning the issue of wrongful convictions and the criminal justice system collected from 45 law enforcement professionals and 35 individuals without such experience. The comparative results reveal that for the respondents without working experience in law enforcement, racial/ethnical bias was one of the most substantial issues of wrongful …

On The Frontline: How Public Library Workers Experience Florida’S Increasing Social Inequality, Jordan P. Rogers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As public libraries tend to reflect the needs and interests of their communities, this qualitative study explores how growing local physical and sociodemographic changes affect public libraries in metropolitan areas and the experiences of staff. Interviews with nine library workers from four densely populated counties in the U.S. state of Florida gave insight into the hypervisibility of inequality within and between public libraries, as well as the effects of this inequality on the libraries and their staff. The local changes that participants reported included population growth, constant development, gentrification, rising rents, and increased homelessness and affluence. Staff had diverse experiences …

Mainstreaming Parafamily, Elizabeth F. Emens

Faculty Scholarship

In Parafamily, Chen and Mulligan have managed to cover vast terrain, to catalogue important developments in law, to canvass insights from generations of thinkers, and to propose an ambitious yet pragmatic approach to the laws that govern human relationships, directly and indirectly. They do all this in a relatively short article composed of unusually readable prose. Quite a feat.

The focus of the piece is Chen and Mulligan’s contribution to the field of legal scholarship dedicated to relationships that go beyond the traditional nuclear family. As their title reveals, the authors contribute a new term and concept to this …

Deputization And Privileged White Violence, Ekow N. Yankah

Articles

A number of high-profile and racially charged killings, such as Trayvon Martin’s, Kenneth Herring’s, Ahmaud Arbery’s, and Jordan Neely’s, have been at the hands of civilians declaring themselves the law. These deaths stemmed from a phenomenon best described as “deputization.” Deputization describes a latent legal power that has empowered White people throughout American history to claim authority to enforce the law, as they see it, upon racial minorities generally and Black people in particular. This power turned the ancient common law duty to police all felons in England into a specific American common law duty to police Blacks. From the …