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Assessing Institutional Response To Sexual Violence On College Campuses: The Relationship Between Organizational Characteristics Of Colleges And Adherence To National Guidelines, Lisa Macri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a cross sectional exploratory study assessing adherence to the federal campus sexual violence Clery Act and Title IX guidelines among a national sample of (n=94) institutions of higher education (IHE) to determine if there are any relationships between organizational characteristics and CSV policy adherence using a three-part index of compliance: (1). Levels of IHE compliance to federal policies; (2). Levels of IHE provision of CSV prevention services and programs; and (3). Levels of IHE provision of CSV interim and supportive measures. Resource Dependency Theory (Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978) informed the study's primary hypothesis that an IHE's reliance …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Homeless Chronicity, And Age At Onset Of Homelessness, Joseph T. Tucciarone Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood adversity is associated with numerous negative outcomes across multiple domains, including mental and physical health, interrelationships, and social functioning. Notably, research suggests that childhood adversity has a dose-response relationship with these outcomes; that is, greater numbers of adverse experiences in childhood are associated with worse outcomes. These outcomes overlap with many risk factors of homelessness. This study sought to address two questions: 1) Does a dose-response relationship exist between childhood adversity and chronic homelessness? 2) Does childhood adversity negatively predict the age at which homelessness first occurs? Adults experiencing homeless who are accessing homeless services in the Tri-Cities area …

The Power Of Prosecutors, Jeffrey Bellin

Faculty Publications

One of the predominant themes in the criminal justice literature is that prosecutors dominate the justice system. Over seventy-five years ago, Attorney General Robert Jackson famously proclaimed that the “prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America.” In one of the most cited law review articles of all time, Bill Stuntz added that prosecutors—not legislators, judges, or police—“are the criminal justice system’s real lawmakers.” And an unchallenged modern consensus holds that prosecutors “rule the criminal justice system.”

This Article applies a critical lens to longstanding claims of prosecutorial preeminence. It reveals a curious …

From Swaddling To Swastikas: A Life-Course Investigation Of White Supremacist Extremism, Steven Windisch

Student Work

To date, most terrorism research concerned with the long-term development of extremist behavior focuses on patterns of terrorist attacks, long-term responses to extremist violence or organizational longevity of extremist groups. The current study addresses this void in the existing literature by relying on life-history interviews with 91 North American-based former white supremacists to examine the developmental conditions associated with extremist onset. My attention is primarily focused on individual-level experiences; particularly how childhood risk factors (e.g., abuse, mental illness) and racist family socialization strategies generate emotional and cognitive susceptibilities toward extremist recruitment. This type of investigation contributes to terrorism research by …

Changing Family Courts To Help Heal And Build Resilient Families, Carrie E. Garrow

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Soring In Tennessee Walking Horses, Hannah Medford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of soring in the Tennessee Walking Horse industry. Although a limited amount of research has focused on the practice, this is the first known study to utilize a criminological lens to better understand the perceptions and motivations of its use. The study relies upon data collected from Tennessee Walking Horse trainers, event attendees, and Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs), which are analyzed via a mixed-methods approach. Agnew’s (1998) theory on the causes of animal abuse serves as the theoretical framework for this analysis. Results provide a moderate amount of support for …

May 2019 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Concealed Campus Carry: Perspectives From Administrators, Faculty And Firearms Instructors On Generating Campus Policy, Diana Villarreal Barfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School shootings have become prominent throughout the Unites States. This is an issue not only in primary schools but also in postsecondary educational institutions. The states of Utah and Colorado passed laws allowing students to carry guns on publicly funded college and university campuses. In 2015, the Texas legislature also proposed a similar campus carry law, which was not passed in 2015. In 2016, when the Texas 84th Legislature made a second attempt, the law was passed. With the passage of this law by the Texas state legislature, a 21-year-old was now allowed to carry a concealed handgun on campus. …

Evaluating The Impact Of Training Employees To Identify Victims Of Human Trafficking, Emily Roman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a global epidemic that steals the freedoms away from those who have been oppressed by it. Providing victims with resources begins with identifying them. Unfortunately, identifying victims is not an easy task. Trafficked victims are controlled and protected by their traffickers, and recipients may not even realize that they are victims of human trafficking. Also, the vague nature of trafficking makes it difficult for service providers, such as those in law enforcement, healthcare, and social services, to identify victims readily. Furthermore, research efforts imply a general lack of training provided for employees to know how to identify …

Risky Business: A Comparative Analysis Of Risk Instruments Of Sports Security Arenas, Antonia Peterson

Honors Theses

Risk assessments in the sports security domain are generally accepted as objective reports with a small margin of subjective information included. The researcher interviewed 10 risk professionals in the sports security industry to evaluate and compare the handling of objective information such as statistical data and historical reports to expert judgment. Interviews were examined using a grounded theory methodology with the Atlas T.I. software program to create overarching themes and a theory of the roles of objective and subjective information within security discourse. Findings pointed to a heavy reliance on expert opinion in comparison to data reports. A moderate amount …

Risk-Taking, Thinking Styles, And Criminality: A Fuzzy-Trace Theory Perspective, Adrienne Machann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Preferred modes of thinking, otherwise known as biases, have been well documented in adult reasoning and decision-making (Evans, 2003; Gilovich, Griffin, & Kahneman, 2002; Reyna & Brainerd, 2011; Tversky & Kahneman, 1986). Researchers have explained these biases by proposing that the basis for them is a system of thought that relies mostly on intuition and “gut feelings” rather than logical analysis of the situation (Reyna & Brainerd, 2011; Tversky & Kahneman, 1986). According to standard dual-process theories, intuition is described as a thought process so quick, it is automatic and, at times unconscious; conversely, analytical thinking is slow and steady, …

Police Use Of Force And Officer Injury: A Closer Examination Of The Impact Of Taser Deployment And Contextual Factors, Jason Kuzik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Using secondary data from the Henderson Police Department (NV), a study was conducted to explore the contextual relationships of officers, subjects and situational characteristics related to use of force encounters. A series of research questions examine the combinations of contextual factors (i.e., officer demographics, subject demographics, and event-specific characteristics) that are associated with different types of police use of force (e.g., Taser, non-Taser), officer injuries and subject injuries. Univariate analysis, Bivariate analysis and Conjunctive Analysis of Case Configurations examine the data and identify contextual profiles associated with police use of force. The analysis shows that there is variation in the …

Female Genital Mutilation In The United States: Estimating The Number Of Girls At Risk, Phyllis Chesler

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Female genital mutilation (FGM) destroys the capacity of women to experience sexual pleasure. It causes serious medical complications such as bleeding, painful urination, cysts, dangerous and recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, the growth of scar tissue that make marital intercourse a nightmare and that turns childbirth into an experience of danger and torture. Due to immigration, FGM now poses a potential health crisis in the West, both in Europe and in the United States. To estimate how many girls who live in the West are at risk, one can measure the prevalence of FGM in the non-Western countries where …

The Criminalization Of Cyberbullying Among Children And Youth, Liat Franco, Khalid Ghanayim

Santa Clara Journal of International Law

The Criminalization of Cyberbullying Among Children and Youth

Police And Higher Education: A Necessity Or Just A Desire?, Jared Marshall

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

A key issue related to the criminal justice system is if a college education makes a significant impact on an officer’s decision making, perception of their job, and desirability by police departments. Little research has been done on police departments in Massachusetts, so interviews were conducted with three high-ranking police officers in Massachusetts. They were selected using a convenience sample and the results were compared to the results of scholarly journal articles. Only some of the interviews and articles show that police officers with a college degree use force less often, they were inconsistent regarding a college educated officer’s job …

Beyond “Respectability”: An Examination Of The Discourse Of Respect As Legitimacy As A Frame To Deny Truth And Immediacy To Silent Anti-Racist Protest, Tyler S. Smith

Senior Theses - Anthropology

This thesis aims to illustrate the ways Black/Brown bodies are still widely and prolifically framed as sublegal and less legitimate, by examining the rhetorical racialized violence committed against persons of color who are considered to be the most respected and accepted by mainstream society; the respectables, Black/Brown academics and professional athletes. Simply put, my thesis is about using the way we respond to social movements as a lens to understanding the ways “colorblind” policies have failed in bridging our racial divide and have instead relocated the same problems under new terms. I will argue here that this does nothing more …

The Implementation Fidelity Of The Family Finding Intervention Through The Lens Of Permanency Specialists, Liat L. Shklarski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Family Finding intervention is a six-stage intervention that aims to improve the well-being of youth lingering in foster care by searching for and engaging adults who can provide them with permanent relational connections (Campbell, 2010). Preliminary research on fidelity to the Family Finding intervention indicated gaps in its implementation (Malm, Vandivere, Allen, Williams, & McKlindon, 2014; Vandivere & Malam, 2015). This study sought to explore how implementation fidelity occurs in real-world settings and the factors that promote implementation fidelity for the intervention.

An explanatory sequential mixed methods inquiry was employed to examine permanency specialists’ perceptions of the implementation of …

Exploring Narratives Of Adolescent-To-Parent Abuse, Sofia Oviedo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Adolescent-to-parent abuse (APA) is an often hidden form of family abuse that evidences a breakdown in the parent-child relationship with damaging effects on the physical and emotional well-being of parents and youth. This study aimed to examine the experiences of parents affected by APA, the effects on the parent-child relationship, and on parent identity. It also explored how APA influenced the relationship dynamics during conflicts, how parents managed these conflicts, and how parents viewed their power within these interactions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents who resided in two major cities in the US (Seattle, WA and New York …

How Black Lives Matter Has Influenced And Interacted With Global Social Movements, Arelle A. Binning

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a chapter-based and member-led organization created out of grief by three queer black women. This thesis examines the international impact of BLM. I conducted telephone interviews with activists and advocacy organizations who have organized activist networks and/or won struggles against institutional racism outside of the United States. These activists are located in Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, India, Spain, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Paris. I conclude that BLM has inspired the creation and supported the continued development of organizations advocating for national and transnational social and racial justice on a global scale. BLM in spite …

Sweeping Exposures: Lead Poisonings And Black Working Poor Populations In The United States, Shirley Reid

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The focus of my thesis is to explore some of the realities that the impoverished urban black poor populations face in America today. The goal of my thesis is to illustrate how poverty is reproduced within impoverished neighborhoods through the idea and mechanism of lead exposure, by recognizing how specific exposure to the element lead and its by-products is both a symbol and a material cause of black urban poor illness and disability. There is no mistake that people living in the U.S. are aware of the social injustices against black populations in the form of racial injustice. However, …

"A War Within A War": Policing Gender And Race In New York City During World War Ii, Emily Brooks

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

During World War II, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and Police Commissioner Lewis Valentine launched aggressive policing campaigns in New York City against crimes of “vice” or “immorality” that they believed threatened the order of the wartime city. The municipal leaders argued that racialized and gendered threats posed by prostitutes, juvenile delinquents, gamblers, and disorderly persons weakened the nation’s ability to mobilize healthy troops and to compete in a postwar world. While the war disrupted racial and gender hierarchies in the increasingly interracial city, Valentine and La Guardia connected America’s global security to policing at home. This dissertation follows patrolmen, policewomen, …

The Moving On Program And Supportive Housing Residents With Histories Of Homelessness, Kimberly Livingstone

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Supportive housing is the main strategy assisting formerly homeless people to live in the least restrictive settings and as independently as possible. There has been a greater focus on efforts towards homelessness prevention and remedies to minimize the experience of homelessness, which have been further fueled by the demand for supportive housing and a drive for cost effectiveness. Meanwhile, there have been attempts to ensure that those living in supportive housing are only those who continue to need comprehensive long-term support to live independently in the community. To accomplish this, and in line with the Recovery Movement, programs assist people …

Captives Of A New Alcatraz: The New York City Department Of Correction From 1954 To 1990, Jarrod Shanahan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the New York City Department of Correction (DOC) from 1954 to 1990—a period that began with an audacious program, led by progressive penologist and DOC Commissioner Anna M. Kross, to replace “custodial” prisoner warehousing with a rehabilitative model directed by civilian experts. As part of this plan the political legitimacy, executive strength, and most importantly, the institutional capacity of DOC were expanded, while the department’s plant facilities were increasingly concentrated on Rikers Island. The previously remote penal island was connected by bridge to mainland Queens amid plans for dazzling new jails and a university-affiliated research institute, to …

Everyday Violence: Catcalling And Lgbtq-Directed Aggression In The Public Sphere, Simone A. Kolysh

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

My dissertation aims to expose how women and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people are barred from full participation in the public sphere and public life because of catcalling and LGBTQ-directed aggression on the streets of New York City. The harmful, cumulative, and long-lasting effects of these interactions make it difficult for marginalized people to belong and benefit from a supposedly inclusive and democratic society. Focusing on the public sphere of New York City, this dissertation is a qualitative study of catcalling and LGBTQ-directed aggression. I analyze interviews with catcallers and sixty-seven recipients of everyday violence as well …

Officers’ And Community Members’ Evaluations Of Police–Civilian Interactions, Mawia Khogali

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Research suggests that civilian characteristics such as race, gender, and age may influence use of force decisions by police. The purpose of the current research is to determine whether these civilian characteristics influence officers’ and community members’ evaluations of police-civilian encounters along dimensions of resistance, disrespect, and the appropriate use of force. It also examines whether perceptions of resistance and disrespect mediate the relationship between civilian characteristics and police use of force. Four-hundred thirty police officers and 571 community members participated in this study. Overall, this study provides the beginning of a much-needed line of research investigating the role of …

“How To Lose The Hounds”: Tracing The Relevance Of Marronage For Contemporary Anti-Police Struggles, Celeste Winston

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation analyzes the interconnected practices of flight from slavery and flight from policing. Focusing on Black communities within Montgomery County, Maryland, I provide evidence for how local legacies of enslavement and flight from slavery have empowered later generations of residents, including people still living there today, to practice safety and security on their own terms, beyond policing. I draw on archival and ethnographic research in seven Black communities in Montgomery County to document historical and ongoing local Black life practices and organizing against and outside of policing. I center these communities’ past and present placemaking and collective strategies of …

Different Strokes For Different But Reasonable Folks: Comparison Of Legally Relevant Observers’ Perceptions Of Custody, Fabiana Alceste

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Fifth Amendment guarantees the right against compelled self-incrimination. In Miranda v. Arizona (1966), the U.S. Supreme Court extended this right to police interrogations. In that landmark ruling, the Court required police to inform suspects in custody of their rights to silence and counsel during custodial interrogations. Custody is determined by evaluating the objective circumstances of the questioning and asking whether a reasonable person would have felt free to leave. Previous research on attributions of freedom shows that people perceive situations with regard to freedom differently depending on their perspective—for example, a person in a stressful situation may not feel …

Refusing White Privacy, Olivia Dunbar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In “Refusing White Privacy” I look at theories in White Data and Surveillance Studies around what data is, how it is made to exist, and for whom, in order to intervene in the conceptualization of data as an inevitable residue of human life and relationship. Through this intervention, I show that the alleged crises of privacy ushered in by allegedly non-racial smart technologies (a preoccupation in WDSS) is underwritten by racializing technologies from the Antebellum era to the present.

The Role Of Women In Terrorism, Zeynep Bayar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The main purpose of this paper is to understand what motivate women to join terrorist groups and why these organizations prefer to work with female terrorists. Although each woman has different reasons to involve in terrorist groups, this research demonstrates 'religious, political and personal' reasons as the major motivating factors. This study also focuses on the question of why women are the targets of terror recruiters. In order to answer these, the research analysis examines 'psychological, gender, and media' factors as major recruitment reasons of terrorist organizations. This study also analyzes the similarities and differences between female terrorists' profiles of …

Raman And Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy For Forensic Analysis: Case Studies On The Identification Of Illicit Substances And Artist Pigments, Abed Haddad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Raman spectroscopy is an effective tool for detecting trace amounts of material by fingerprint-like vibrational spectra. At times, the weak intensity of Raman scattering can make it difficult to distinguish trace materials. This shortcoming is addressed by surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which produces strong signal enhancements when target compounds are near metal nanoparticles. For the first part of this thesis, the identification of fentanyl and carfentanil, main culprits in the opioid epidemic, was done using normal Raman and the SERS spectroscopy. As an aid in the assignment of the spectral lines, a computational model was built using Density Functional Theory …