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Loneliness, Prosocial Relationships, And Recidivism In Long-Term Incarcerated Juveniles, Amy R. Jozan

Walden University Research Conference

Lengthy juvenile facility placement has resulted in deterioration of important prosocial supports and social isolation, increasing risk for recidivism. Lengthy juvenile incarceration impacts on loneliness, post-release prosocial relationships, and desistance implications have been investigated utilizing interpretative phenomenological analysis. Social maladaptation, institutionalization, stigmatization, identifying with prosocial support, antisocial peer dissociation, and loneliness were six overarching themes discovered. Recommendations for future research efforts and proactively addressing youth maladaptation with relatable prosocial supports will be discussed. Implications for practice may be used to promote positive social change towards improving public safety, mitigating recidivism, and avoiding negative transgenerational effects from mass incarceration.

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Social Media Marketing Adoption Strategies: An Exploratory Multiple Case Study Of Landscape Industry Small Businesses, Crystal Lupo, Jason R. Stroman

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Despite research contending that marketing is a pivotal factor in small business success, many small business owners continue to underutilize low-cost marketing options available to them. Of these options, social media marketing is a useful tool to maintain competitiveness in the larger marketplace. However, the adoption of social media best practices in small business remains deficient. The landscape industry is a large and growing field with small businesses making up a large and growing share of the industry. Yet some landscape industry small business owners lack strategies to adopt innovative social media marketing strategies to help ensure business viability. This …

Preventing School Shootings: The Interprofessional And Community Approach To Prevention, Heather C. Alonge, Constant P. Craig

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

This essay examined the issue of school shootings within the United States, to include a literature review and analysis of the current status of the issue on a national level. From the review and analysis, the essay provides the multidisciplines engaged in school safety issues with viable, workable, and quickly implementable solutions to address this serious national issue at the local school district and even school level of implementation. This analysis examined a multidiscipline and multiprofessional community approach using existing federal guidelines that address actionable intelligence (social media and human information/informants), school design and incorporation of safety and protective features, …

Perceived Obstacles For State-Facilitated Legal Recreational Cannabis, Robert A. Lino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. states that facilitate the use of legal recreational cannabis face the threat of federal prosecution because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to assess the perceived obstacles to the state-facilitated regulation and implementation of legal recreational cannabis. Collective action federalism theory provided the framework for the study. The data collection instrument was developed based on themes in the literature and was pilot tested to ensure accuracy. The final study included 22 participants who represented the cannabis industry in the United States. Descriptive coding and thematic analysis indicated that the federal …

Evaluating Integrated Treatment On Recidivism For Female Offenders In Criminal Justice System, Oyin T. Popoola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The burden of co-occurring disorders (CODs) among offenders in the criminal justice system (CJS) in the United States, particularly among the female population, is threatening the communities. About 80% of women in the CJS were diagnosed and treated for CODs, and 63% tend to be rearrested. The study examined the possible influence of CODs, integrated treatment of CODs, and gender, on recidivism while controlling for other demographic factors. The study was based on the conceptual framework of integrated dual disorder treatment (IDDT) and feminist criminology theory. Cross-sectional quantitative study design was applied on a secondary dataset from the 2017 Treatment …

Identifying The Policy Barriers For A Microgrid System In Ohio, Robert Pursley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The electric grid may be the most critical and vital component of the United States' infrastructure but is projected to fail more frequently in the future. One solution for improving grid resiliency is through renewable energy and microgrids. However, many cities lack public policies to bring these solutions to fruition. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceived and real challenges to the development of policies necessary for the implementation of a microgrid system for a small city in Ohio. Using a generic qualitative approach and the principles of participatory action research, data were obtained through interviews of …

Juvenile Probation Officer Stress In Rural Area Corrections Offices, John Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, approximately 62,400 juveniles in the United States were court-ordered to be on probation. Juvenile probation officers (JPOs), who monitor these juveniles, are responsible for intake assessments, predisposition reports, and working with juvenile delinquents and their families. Aspects of JPOs’ job duties, such as excess paperwork and lack of managerial support, can create stress. To address the relative lack of research on JPOs’ stress, particularly the limited research in rural settings, this qualitative case study examined JPOs’ stress in rural corrections offices in South Dakota. The study examines JPOs’ perceptions of causes of their stress and their responses to …

Utilization And Impact Of Peer-Support Programs On Police Officers’ Mental Health, Beth A. Milliard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officer suicides rates hit an all-time high in the province of Ontario, Canada, in 2018. Sadly, this statistic is somewhat unsurprising, as research has shown that police officers suffer from higher rates of mental health disorder diagnoses compared the general public. One key reason for the elevated levels of suicide and other mental health issues among police officers is the stigma associated with seeking help. In an attempt to address these serious issues, Ontario’s police services have begun to create internal peer-support programs as a way of supporting their members. The present research explores the experiences of police officers …

Understanding Students' Perceptions Of Campus Safety At A Florida University, Deborah Lynn Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere is a national problem with campus safety (CS) at universities and colleges in the United States. Research on this topic has primary focused on the perceptions of faculty, staff, and administrators about CS, while the research including the perceptions of students is largely absent. It is important to investigate students' perceptions of CS because an emotionally and physically safe campus is a basic need. The purpose of this qualitative intrinsic case study was to explore university students' perceptions of CS and how safety procedures were documented in a southeastern U.S. state. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory related to safety …

Understanding Stakeholder Interests In Rulemaking Through The Lens Of Private-Interest Institutionalism, Walter Lewis Koski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

State regulators have the task of promulgating regulations for multiple heavily regulated industries, but there is a dearth of research to help public policy makers better understand how rulemaking processes are perceived by stakeholders in those processes. Regulators who promulgated rules for the legalization of marijuana in Colorado used both required and discretionary methods of participation in rulemaking to involve stakeholders with multiple competing interests. This qualitative research study was based on a phenomenological approach and interview data from 10 stakeholders who participated in the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division's rulemaking processes between 2013 and 2016. The purpose of this study …

Organization Global Software Development Challenges Of Software Product Quality, Patrick Enabudoso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of global software development (GSD) processes in organizations have been confronting low software product quality. Managers of these processes have faced challenges that have been affecting customer satisfaction and that have resulted in negative social impacts on public safety, business financial performance, and global economic stability. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to discover a common understanding shared by managers in Canadian GSD organizations of how to meet software product quality goals and enhance customer satisfaction. The conceptual framework for the study was based on Deming's 14 principles of quality management. The purposeful sample included …

Stress And Wellness Among Municipal Law Enforcement Officers In Southeastern Virginia, Russell Morgan Granderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Municipal law enforcement officers contend with unique occupational stressors. They must overcome stress from their employing agency and the pressures that arise from performing their basic enforcement duties. This study was designed to examine how municipal law enforcement officers in southeastern Virginia perceived their agency's wellness policy and to determine what recommendations they had to improve the effectiveness of the current wellness policy. Lazarus and Folkman's theory of cognitive appraisal and coping served as the theoretical framework for the study. Qualitative inquiry was used to examine the perceptions of 15 purposively sampled law enforcement officer participants. The data were then …

Optimizing Body-Worn Camera Usage For Desired Outcomes And Solutions, Andre Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Body-worn camera (BWC) use in the application of the law enforcement function has become a novelty during the last few years in the United States. BWCs are being implemented in localities without adequate research about community perceptions. Moreover, very few studies have been conducted about the perceptions of community members in a particular area about these devices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand the perceptions and beliefs of community members from different backgrounds about BWCs. The research questions entailed learning about current perceptions regarding BWCs and how these devices impact trust, safety, and accountability. Social …

Narratives Of Black Male Law Enforcement Officers Racial Profiling Experiences, Dujuan Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem and purpose of this study was to examine the personal narratives of Black male law enforcement officers with racial profiling and police violence. It was believed that narratives would reveal the existence and negative effects of duality victims and possible offenders for the participants in this study. The theory of social behaviorism by Mead was used as a lens for theoretical foundation and conceptual framework. Mead asserted that racial profiling and police violence acts are forms of social behaviorism and assimilation into law enforcement for Black male officers. The research question for the study inquired about the …

There Are Always Two Sides To Policy: Police Use Of Deadly Force, Jana Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the policy-specific, perceptional, and conceptual knowledge that citizens have regarding policing policies and police-citizen deadly force encounters to gain a greater understanding of how media, social media, and community leaders impact this public knowledge. This study provided insight into the public’s policy-specific knowledge and perceptions about policing policies and police-citizen deadly force incidents filling the gap within the existing police use of force literature. Bittner’s theory on policing, constructionism of reality, and the exemplification theory were used in a unique conceptual framework to understand this phenomenon. Interviews were conducted with 19 members of the public. …

Perceptions Of Probation Officers Placing Juvenile Sex Offenders In Rural South Carolina, Anthony Rochell Nelson Sr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the western world, juveniles move through the criminal justice system by the hundreds of thousands. The probation services for many juveniles, however, are lacking due to the limited amount of psychological counseling, mental health facilities, and available mentors. Probation officers face accelerated challenges for juvenile sex offenders, particularly those residing in rural areas where resources are even more limited. Using the attribution theory, this qualitative case study explored the perceptions and decision-making challenges facing four juvenile intensive supervision officers in rural South Carolina when placing youthful offenders. Interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results showed that …

Why Do Mentors Stay? Exploring Mentor Experiences, Perceptions And Motivations Within Mentorship Programs, Ann Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth mentorship has captured the attention of policymakers as a method of addressing societal issues. A review of the literature highlighted challenges that mentorship programs face regarding mentor sustainability. The purpose of this study was to explore and differentiate the experiences, perceptions, and motivations among paid and volunteer mentors within formal youth mentorship programs. This phenomenological study informs public policymakers how funding should be allocated within the nonprofit sector in order to optimize mentor retention. Structural functionalism and Kingdon’s multiple streams approach composed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected utilizing 14 semistructured interview questions. An analysis of …

Psycho-Social Processes Of Desistance In Post-Release Reintegration Of African American Ex-Offenders, Ladawn Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Virginia’s incarceration statistics revealed a significant increase in recidivism 6-36 months post-release, the highest jail occupancy rate in the United States in 2014, and the seventh highest prison occupancy rate in 2016. African American males are the highest incarcerated population every year statewide. Virginia’s diversion initiative, implemented to address recidivism and overcrowding, had a high failure rate among enrollees in reported outcomes from 2010 to 2015, a lower number of African American enrollees compared to White enrollees, and inconsistent funding from 2007 to 2015. This phenomenological case study focused on the reintegration experiences of African American ex-offenders in Virginia through …

Examining The Effect Of Substance Use Training On Registered Nurses’ Competency And Self-Efficacy, Myrtle Harrison Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance abuse and addiction among nurses remains a problem and can have lasting and sometimes fatal effects on patients. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study is to examine the effect of substance use training on RNs’ post training competency about substance use impairment and level of self-efficacy to deal with impaired colleagues. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (SET) which originated from Bandura’s social cognitive theory provided the theoretical foundation. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 118 registered nurses using the Perceived Competency with Impaired Nurses survey, the Methods for Dealing with Nurse Impairment Questionnaire (MDNIQ) and a demographic questionnaire. …

Predictors Of Lone Wolf Terrorism, Gwendolyn Shands

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lone wolf terrorism is political violence perpetrated by individuals who act alone, who do not belong to an organized terrorist group or network, and whose tactics and methods are conceived and directed by the individual without any direct outside commitments or directions. The increase of domestic lone wolf terrorism continues to impact the safety and security of the United States, yet little is known about the potential predictors of this type of behavior. Using McCauley and Moskalenko’s framework of lone wolf terrorism as the foundation, the purpose of this nonparametric study was to examine the statistical association between certain elements …

Understanding Health Behavior In Caribbean Americans, Keva Alleyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a significant increase in the number of Caribbean immigrants to the United States with the population being over 4 million in 2014 and over 1 million of the immigrants residing in New York State. Among this population, there has been an increase in chronic diseases that has been linked to unhealthy eating behavior. Caribbean immigrants’ approach to their health behavior was examined in this qualitative, phenomenological study. With a focus on the different aspects of the acculturation theory as the theoretical foundation, 9 participants from across the United States were interviewed about their approach to health, cultural …

Stress And Coping Strategies Of Female 911 Emergency Telecommunicators, Briana Denise Kelley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Emergency number 9-1-1 is the most widely known and used telephone number in the United States and Canada, yet turnover, understaffing, and low retention of staff are national concerns in 9-1-1 emergency telecommunication centers. Emergency (9-1-1) telecommunicators are often the “first” first responder in the emergency cycle and are responsible for the collection and dissemination of emergency information to police, fire, and medical units. Resilience theory was utilized to see how some individuals adjust, adapt, and assimilate with presenting environmental stressors and/or conditions. This study of female emergency telecommunicators in a Southern Combined Emergency Dispatch Center explored the stressors …

Organizational Support For Critical Incident Wellness And Crime Scene Investigators’ Perceived Effectiveness, Leggie Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement agencies are frequently studied for officer wellness, yet research is limited in the influence of organizational support for the psychological wellness of crime scene investigators exposed to tragic scenes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the perceptions of job performance effectiveness of crime scene investigators based on organizational support through the provision of stress management resources. The theoretical framework of organizational support theory and management theory formed the basis of the investigation into the contributing elements of job performance. Data were collected through surveys from 92 crime scene investigators, of whom 77 were civilians and …

Influence Of Collectivistic And Individualistic Values On Probation Officers' Retention, Audrene Janell Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation officers are departing their employment before retirement at a high rate depending on the agency, location, and type of position, which impacts society. The cost associated with training a new officer could consume a large portion of an agency's yearly budget, leaving many inexperienced officers to supervise dangerous offenders and defendants. Thus, it is important to examine factors influencing retention such as whether individualistic and collectivist values predict a relationship between retention intent of probation officers. The purpose of this quantitative research study, guided by Hofstede's cultural theory, was to determine whether family embeddedness influences retention intent of probation …

Multidimensional Strategies To Mitigate Counterfeiting, Tan Vu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counterfeiting causes substantial negative impacts on intellectual property and opportunity costs to businesses worldwide. Anticounterfeiting department executives who lack multidimensional anticounterfeiting strategies to mitigate fakes may incur substantial financial loss and intellectual property theft. Grounded in the systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies that anticounterfeiting department managers use to mitigate counterfeiting. The participants comprised 4 anticounterfeiting representatives of a consumer products company in a metropolitan area of Georgia who successfully devised and implemented anticounterfeiting strategies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and the firm's online resources. Thematic analysis was used to …

African American Law Enforcers’ Perceptions About Crime In Minority Communities, Shantae Coppock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a problem with law enforcement and the African American community in the United States, and African American law enforcement employees perpetuate more tension in these communities. The aim of this qualitative study was to learn how African American law enforcement personnel perceived high-crime or poor urban communities and the bond shared among law enforcement agencies, as seen through African American supervisors’ viewpoints. Twelve African American law enforcement supervisors from a Philadelphia County law enforcement agency completed questionnaires. Bureaucratic representation and the racial threat or minority threat framework grounded the study. Participants were evaluated based on supervisory level or …

Key Inhibitors To Ex-Offenders Obtaining Permanent Housing, Jennifer Bernard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a problem with the availability of permanent housing for ex-offenders, which increases the number of homeless ex-offenders, increasing the potential for recidivism that leads to inflated federal, state, and local incarceration budgets and higher taxpayer burdens. However, not much is known regarding the barriers ex-offenders face when seeking permanent housing in Anchorage, Alaska. Narrowing this knowledge gap was the purpose of this study, which was guided by Schneider and Ingram's social construction framework theory. The research goal of this study was to examine how the perception of ex-offenders and the external environment affect the ex-offender's ability of obtaining …

Forensic Insight On Predatory Behavior: Fantasy And Relational Paraphilic Attachments In Stalker Processing, Elizabeth Ann Duemig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the push to criminalize stalking, many of the actions that would legally fall under these provisions do not materialize into stalking-based arrests or convictions as stalking frequently becomes a lesser included offense under charges that escalate into violence. Insight into offender pathways related to predatory pursuit could serve to inform individuals faced with the forensic challenges of legal decision-making. The dynamics of stalking behavior include elements of fantasy and attachment. The objective of this study was to examine patterns of violent sexual fantasies and relational paraphilic attachment (RPA) in an offender’s process of stalking preselected victims. The research question …

Treatment Plans For Diabetes Management During Hurricane Maria In Puerto Rico, Joel De La Cruz Oller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health outcomes of diabetic patients in Puerto Rico, before, during, and after Hurricane Maria, in 2017. The Department of Health in Puerto Rico provided the secondary data for the variables low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol, hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), mortality, and consumer price index (CPI). The inclusion criteria were participants for whom electronic data were available before, during, and after Hurricane Maria; the sample size was 450. The theoretical framework for this investigation was the health outcomes and impact assessment. The data were analyzed by univariate and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare …

An Examination Into Fusion Centers Impact On Information Sharing Post 9/11, Racquel Nicola Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the United States resulted in the introduction of the National Fusion Center Network. This effort seeks to empower National Security by effectively sharing information between various law enforcement organizations. Since the establishment of the Network, information that addresses the Networks' standard operating procedures and existing barriers to share information effectively has been lacking. This caused many criticisms as to whether the network is in fact effective in fulfilling its mandate to effectively share information between the various law enforcement agencies. Utilizing Bandura's cognitive theory of behavioral change, this phenomenological study identifies the strategies …