Digital Commons Network^™

Antisocial Behavior From Adolescence To Early Adulthood: Heritability, Stability, And Correlates Using A Longitudinal Twin Sample, Ashley Dibble

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the heritability, stability, and outcomes of antisocial behavior from adolescence into adulthood in a longitudinal twin sample. Specifically, the genetic and environmental influences on conduct disorder, adult antisocial behavior, and alcohol dependence were examined. The influence of genes and environment on the relationship between these disorders was also examined. The study utilized a subset of FinnTwin12, a population-based twin study that consists of five consecutive birth cohorts. The subsample consisted of 1035 twin pairs (N = 2070) and of that 2070, 1854 completed the intensive interview at age 14. At age 22, …

Does Time Matter? An Examination Of Sentence Length, Time Served And Probation Outcomes, Michael P. Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations

There remains some uncertainty as to whether or not probation supervision can influence the behaviour of offenders as intended and thereby protect the public. Within the growing body of probation literature is support for a number of theoretically relevant variables and probation outcomes (Morgan, 1993; Gendreau, Little & Goggin, 1996). Some of the probation studies include a measure of time (Sims & Jones, 1997; Green & Winik, 2010), although it has never been exclusively studied in probation research. In the studies that do include a time measure, sentence length is the most frequently used and is often related to failure …

Perceptions Of Legal Policy And Sex Offender Treatment, Kirsten Sierra Engel

Theses and Dissertations

Sex offender policy, treatment, and public perception are greatly intertwined in the numerous policies in place regarding sex offenders. These policies tend to reflect the underlying perceptions and myths about sex offenders than the reality of sexual offenses and treatment. These perceptions have also had a role in shaping psychological treatment of sex offenders through enacted policies and public support, or dissent, for community treatment centers, half-way houses, or residency restriction laws. With the sizeable potential impact of the public's perceptions of these issues, examination of their perceptions of sex offenders, sex offender policies, and sex offender treatment, and whether …

Policing Alcohol And Related Crimes On Campus, Andrea Nicole Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that college students drink alcohol frequently and heavily. This can compromise their health and well-being. Student drinking is also tied to crime. While prior work explores the nature and extent of crimes involving alcohol on campus, to date no study has examined how police handle these incidents or crime generally. This study fills that gap in the literature. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected by observing and interviewing campus officers at a large Southeastern university as they navigated through encounters with citizens. Findings include the following. Officers handle a variety of crimes, and do not have a single-faceted …

Assessing The Impact Of The Court Response To Domestic Violence In Two Neighboring Counties, Gillian Mira Pinchevsky

Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1970s, there has been a proliferation of research on domestic violence (DV). The majority of research, however, has focused on the correlates of DV and far fewer studies have examined the criminal justice system's approach to addressing DV. This is particularly concerning given that historically, the criminal justice system was rooted in English Common Law and tolerant of marital discipline to maintain household stability. Through the efforts of women's rights advocates, policy makers began devising innovative strategies for responding to DV, including provisions for mandatory arrests, no-drop policies, and the establishment of specialized DV courts. Although there has …

An Assessment Of Injury Presentation To Determine Elder Abuse Prevalence In South Carolina, Brittani L. Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

As the number of individuals age 60 years of age and older continues to rise in the United States, the care and safety of this population will be a growing issue. There are many contributing factors and reasons why elder abuse occurs. Elder abuse is an emerging issue; however there is limited research and understanding in the area. There are barriers to the detection and prevention of the issue. Emergency department staff is essential to the identification and detection of possible abuse, and it is important that these providers understand the risk factors and physical manifestations of abuse and neglect …

Child Sexual Abuse In The Media: Is Institutional Failure To Blame?, Jane Long Weatherred

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a longitudinal content analysis study of child sexual abuse (CSA) in the United States national news media from 2002 through 2012. It finds that the U.S. national news media have shifted their focus from individual level causes to societal level causes for CSA. This shift has implications for changes in institutional policies and child protection laws throughout the country.

Non-Offending Mothers Of Sexually Abused Children: How They Decide Whom To Believe, Lynn Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

Professionals continue to study and refine their understanding of the complex dynamics of child sexual abuse and the role of the non-offending mothers. Of particular clinical and research interest is the response of the mother once she learns that her child disclosed being sexually abused and named the mother's intimate partner as the perpetrator. This qualitative study (n=20) uses in-depth interviews and constructivist grounded theory methods. The focus is how women decide about believing their children's disclosures of sexual abuse, both in terms of what happened to the children and who perpetrated the abuse. The study addresses various factors that …

An Examination Of Significant Factors Distinguishing Successful, On-Time High School Graduation Rates Among Black Males At A Large South Carolina High School, Sherry Mitchell Eppelsheimer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine what students see as significant factors that impact their successful high school on-time graduation rates, particularly among Black males in a large South Carolina high school with respect to No Child Left Behind requirements. Through a comparative case study, qualitative research methods were used to identify significant factors, supports and/or barriers to Black male success and achievement of on-time graduation. Through individual interviews and observations of a subgroup of 7 Black males between the ages of 17 to 19, commonalities emerged that led to high school graduation. A comparison using a grounded …

Gender And Programming: A Comparison Of Program Availability And Participation In U.S. Prisons For Men And Women, Courtney A. Crittenden

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines the state of prison programming across the U.S. and whether availability of and participation in prison programs varies by gender and other key factors such as the interaction effects of race and gender, self-identified needs, and facility-level characteristics. Using Morash, Rucker, and Haarr's (1994) study, the last major study comparing prison programming for men and women in U.S. prisons, as a guide, I explore the current state of prison programming using national-level survey data. The results indicate that gender does indeed matter for both prison programming availability and participation with women having more programs available to …

Development And Figures Of Merit Of Microextraction And Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography For Forensic Characterization Of Dye Profiles On Trace Acrylic, Nylon, Polyester, And Cotton Textile Fibers, Scott James Hoy

Theses and Dissertations

Methodology for the microextraction of basic dyes on acrylic, acid dyes on nylon, disperse dyes on polyester, and reactive dyes, direct dyes, and indigo on cotton textile fibers is reported. Although these processes are destructive to the fiber evidence, the ability to analyze dye extracts from sub-millimeter fiber lengths of single fibers, coupled with detection limits in the hundred picogram range by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with both diode array detection (DAD) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) makes routine forensic characterization feasible.

Microextraction, followed by UPLC, can often distinguish similar fibers containing different, but similar, dyes with the combination of …

Women's Use Of Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination Of Attachment, Coping, And Gender Ideology, Theresa Elizabeth Magelky

Theses and Dissertations

Until recently, much of the research on intimate partner violence has focused primarily on male aggressors. However, research has increasingly indicated that women use violence against male intimate partners at higher rates than previously suspected. Significant controversy exists with regard to the context, motivation, and types of violence used by women. The current study explored the degree to which female aggressors' attachment styles are associated with and predictive of their use of intimate partner violence against men. In addition, coping processes and feminine ideology were studied, particularly in combination with attachment style, to determine their relationship with use of partner …

Sex Offenders' Perceptions Of North Dakota's Sex Offender Policies, Mariah Dawn Laver Juanto

Theses and Dissertations

Registered sex offenders in North Dakota were interviewed regarding their experiences with being on the registry. Results from the coded transcripts indicate that offenders felt the registry made finding housing and employment more difficult. Additionally, participants reported feeling the registry negatively impacted their ability to be involved in community organizations and impacted how they interacted with others, including forming supportive relationships. Participants also completed surveys, assessing general psychological symptoms, general stress levels, and demographic information, including registration requirement information. No significant relationships between sex offenders' registry requirements and psychological symptoms were found. Conclusions and implications for future research are discussed.

Process Evaluation Of The Basic Training Program At A State Corrections Academy In The Southeast, Wendy Dawn Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide law enforcement and corrections administrators with current information about the components of basic training that can affect the retention of newly employed trainees during basic training. Attracting qualified applicants for law-enforcement jobs is a challenging task, and the preemployment screening and hiring processes are very expensive for agencies already plagued with reduced budgets. By the time a trainee actually makes it to basic training, a great deal of time and money has already been invested by the agency, and the trainee becomes an investment. When more than 20% of trainees exit a basic …

Creation And Testing Of A Semi-Automated Digital Triage Process Model, Gary Dewayne Cantrell

Theses and Dissertations

Digital forensics examiners have a growing problem caused by their own success. The need for digital forensics is increasing and so are the devices that need examining. Not only are the number of devices growing, but so is the amount of information those devices can hold. One result of this problem is a growing backlog that could soon overwhelm digital forensics labs across the country. One way to combat this growing problem is to use digital triage to find the most pertinent information first. Unfortunately, although several digital forensics models have been created, very few digital triage models have been …

An Assessment Of Campus Police Departments Across Mississippi's Public Community And Junior Colleges, Brad D. Boggs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to provide an assessment of campus police departments throughout the 15 public community and junior colleges in Mississippi. This research could provide Mississippi community and junior college administrators the opportunity to observe and appraise the overall safety of their respective campuses in comparison to safety practices of the other campus police departments in the state. This study will lay the foundation for further research of campus police departments and can assist administrators and boards of trustees of Mississippi’s public community and junior colleges with annual and long-range planning efforts. This study included campus police/security …

The Economic Burden Of Opioid Poisoning In The United States And Determinants Of Increased Costs In Opioid Poisoning, Timothy Inocencio

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Opioid poisoning has been rapidly increasing in the past decade, and has been driven in large part due to increases in opioid prescribing. This has been accompanied by intervention efforts aimed at preventing and reversing opioid poisoning through naloxone prescription programs. Current literature have not quantified the economic burden of opioid poisoning. Understanding this information can help inform these efforts and bring light to this growing problem. In addition understanding various determinants of increased costs can help to identify the types of populations more likely to have greater costs. Main Objectives: The objectives are 1) to quantify the economic …

Factors Affecting Relationship Quality In African-American/Caucasian Bi-Racial Couples, Joriann Lynn Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the direct actor/partner effects of self-esteem, coming to terms, and relationship quality and the indirect effects of self-esteem on relationship quality when mediated by coming to terms. The sample included 160 interracial couples of which 69.4% were made up of an African-American male and a Caucasian female, while 30.6 were made up of an African-American female and a Caucasian male. These couples completed the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE), a survey questionnaire. This study used three variables from the RELATE: self-esteem, coming to terms, and relationship quality. Results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that self-esteem had a negative effect …

Successful Emergent Literacy Head Start Teachers Of Urban African American Boys Living In Poverty, John Michael Holland

Theses and Dissertations

This integrated methods study used a sequential explanatory design to explore the culturally relevant teaching beliefs of successful emergent literacy Head Start teachers of urban African American boys living in poverty. The study utilized emergent literacy gain scores as a measure of success, a survey of culturally relevant teaching beliefs to describe variation in beliefs within the sample, and two rounds of interviews to explore the context of teacher agency with urban African American boys living in poverty. The four teachers interviewed expressed culturally relevant beliefs integral to their teaching practices. These beliefs were conveyed through descriptions of relationships with …

The Multiple Perspectives Of The Lived Experience Of Civil Detainment, Linda Love

Theses and Dissertations

Civil detainment can be confusing, frustrating, and scary especially if the criteria for civil detainment are being applied inconsistently. A constructivist inquiry, using qualitative techniques as the primary information gathering method, was conducted to gain a better understanding about the experience of civil detainment. Twenty-five stakeholders participated in this research effort. Questions regarding the meaning of civil detainment were explored in five stakeholder groups; individuals with mental illness, families, mental health professionals, first responders and judicial professionals. Civil detainment is described as a “necessary evil” however, mandated treatment is also described as a means to restore dignity. Implications are included …

Stakeholder Views On Children’S Mental Health Services, Adriana Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Identification of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) has been an important development; however recently, some shortcomings of the approach have been highlighted. These complexities have led to a surge in transportability research in mental health services science with goals of identifying needed strategies to encourage the adoption of innovations. The mental health system ecological (MHSE) model is an approach necessary to assist with closing this gap effectively as it integrates mental health contexts: client-level, provider-level, intervention-specific, service delivery, organizational, and service system characteristics. The aim of this study is to use the MHSE model to examine perspectives of mental health stakeholders on …

Impact Of The Eof Academic Coaching Program On Selected First Year Eof Students, Calvin Cheung

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of the EOF Academic Coaching Program on selected first year EOF students. Participants were chosen through purposive sampling which comprised of six first year EOF students who participated in the Academic Coaching Program during the Fall 2011 semester at Rowan University which is located in Glassboro, New Jersey. Interviews were conducted to learn more about the students' background and experiences prior to attending college, experience during their first semester of college, and future goals and aspirations after college. Findings revealed that the Academic Coaching Program contributed towards first year EOF …

Using Student Response System (Srs) To Reduce Off-Task Behavior Of Students With Behavior Problems, Mary Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of clickers on decreasing off-task behavior of students with behavior problems in Language and math classes. A total of five students and one special education teacher in a self-contained classroom participated in the study. A single-subject research design with ABAB phases was used. An online program called "Class Dojo" was used to record study behavior with a chart immediately to show their on-task and off-task behavior. During the baseline, student behavior was recorded in both Language and math classes for 5 days. During the intervention phase, each participating student …

The Effects Of Prison Program Participation On Recidivism Of Ex-Offenders In Mississippi, Chad Lamar Stocks

Theses and Dissertations

Correctional education research strongly suggests that an increase in inmates’ education will reduce recidivism rates. This study utilized logistic regression techniques to investigate the effects of prison education program participation on recidivism and employment rates. Using this method made it possible to conclude that inmates who participated in prison intervention/educational programs were significantly less likely to recidivate. The purpose of this study was to identify to what extent the Mississippi Department of Corrections’ (MDOC’s) intervention/educational programs reduce recidivism. The pre-existing data used were historical information collected as part of a longitudinal study on Mississippi inmates since 2000. The data were …

Writing Across The Curriculum: A Study Of Possibilities For Ualr, Mia Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to determine the feasibility of implementing writing across the curriculum (WAC) at UALR. For the purposes of this study, WAC will be defined as a methodology of instruction for undergraduate students attending a college or university that emphasizes writing in any discipline or major offered at that university. In other words, writing assignments and activities occur in classes that typically do not focus on writing like English and writing courses typically do. By utilizing a survey of best practices at four other universities, as well as a survey of attitudes of UALR faculty, this paper will provide …

The Police/Civilian Communication Dynamic: How To Not Create More Problems Than You Were Called To Handle, Sean M. Berryman

Theses and Dissertations

This project examines how police officers communicate with civilians they come into contact with on a routine basis. First is examined how young recruits are taught to take charge by using voice commands and command presence. The fact that this type of personal action overtakes one's character during this training is also discussed, as well as the fact that officers have a hard time "turning off" this command presence type of personality. The second section of the project is written directly to the officers on the street in an effort to teach them how to communicate effectively without talking to …

The Impact Of Sincerity Of Terrorists On Committing Terrorist Activities In Turkey, Ahmet Turer

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the impact of sincerity of terrorists on committing terrorist activities in Turkey. The researcher is a Chief of Police in Turkey and has worked in the Anti-terror Department for a considerable part of his professional career. His professional experience has shown that the more sincere a terrorist is the more violent or heedless the terrorist activity is. Thus this research academically and statistically examines this observation and finds that sincerity affects level of violence. Attachment and adherence to the terrorist organization turn even the characteristically non-violent people into blood seeking terrorists.

Courtroom Discourse As Verbal Performance: Describing The Unique Sociolinguistic Situation Of The American Trial Courtroom, Seth William Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Individual events within courtroom discourse, such as lawyer-witness interactions have been studied extensively, particularly within a framework of powerful vs. powerless language (Adelsward, 1987; Archer, 2006; Bogoch, 2000; Eades, 2010; Fuller, 1993; Gnisci & Bakeman, 2007; Hobbs, 2007; Keating, 2009; Penman, 1990; Philips, 1984; Roberts, 1990). However, this thesis will show that courtroom discourse is sufficiently unique to warrant a distinct framework. It will also explore the explanatory power of a Courtroom Discourse Verbal Performance framework influenced by Verbal Art as Performance (Bauman, 1977). In particular this work will create a framework (Courtroom Discourse Verbal Performance) that explains the sociolinguistic …

To Use Or Not To Use: The Role Of Affect And Cognition In Changing Attitudes Toward Using Condoms Among African American Women, Kristina Hood

Theses and Dissertations

The current project involved three studies designed to examine which characteristics of persuasive communications change condom use attitudes. Study 1 investigated the effect of message type (affective versus cognitive) and source (male versus female) on attitude change among a sample of African American women attending college. In Study 1 (N = 146), the affective message and female source produced the most positive change in condom use attitudes. Study 2 examined whether message type and source were associated with favorable condom attitudes in a community sample and whether these findings differed from a college sample. Twenty-seven women participated in group discussions …

Clarifying The Relationship Between Bullying And Fear Of Victimization: The Contribution Of Collective Efficacy, Karen R. Spence

Theses and Dissertations

The rate of fear of victimization has declined in recent years but remains a prevalent problem among adolescents. Fear has been explained in past literature by three main theories: victimization theory, social integration theory, and social disorganization theory. However, the prediction of fear of victimization can be done more concisely by the contribution of collective efficacy, a concept that combines a community's feelings of social cohesion with a willingness to intervene for the common good. Using data collected from Philadelphia middle schools in 1993-1994, this study tested the direct and interacting effects of bullying and collective efficacy on fear of …