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Juvenile Justice And The Criminalization Of Mentally Ill Individuals, Michael Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile justice systems in the United States are using incarceration as a solution to the problem of youths with mental health disorders who commit violent crimes. Juvenile justice systems across the United States have a revolving door effect that arrests, adjudicates, and incarcerates youth offenders but fail to address the factors that contribute to recidivism. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to identify which treatment procedures were most appropriate for juvenile offenders who committed violent offenses in an effort to reduce recidivism for this offender population. For this study, an ecological psychology theory was used as a lens …

Canadian Policymaker Experiences On Reducing Syndemic Stigma For Hiv And Substance Use Disorder, Nickolas James Cherwinski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People living with HIV (PLWH) and substance use disorder (SUD) experience highly stigmatized lives fraught by influences such as criminal law and stigmatizing public policies. Despite free access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and mental health services for all Canadian citizens, suboptimal adherence to ART and administratively cumbersome mental health interventions still exist. Many researchers have found the health services for both HIV and SUD to be dynamic, costly, and difficult to maintain; as such, the purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge gap related to the policy implications of syndemic stigma experienced by PLWH and SUD in Canada. …

Internet Use, Perceived Social Support, And Obesity Among African American Young Adults, Cynthia Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are disproportionately affected by obesity. Public health practitioners have an incomplete understanding of the social-environmental risk factors and how they affect obesity. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to explore whether internet use and perceived social support predicted obesity among African American young adults. The social cognitive theory guided this study. Secondary data were analyzed from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. The sample consisted of 6,765 African American young adults age 18 to 34 and represented the U.S. population using weighted estimates. A Bonferroni correction was performed to reduce Type I error due to …

Predictors Of Recidivism For Offenders With Substance Use Disorders, Yvonne Cheeks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractRecidivism is a substantial problem in the United States due to the number of paroles/probationers reoffending. The U.S. prison system has become the new asylum and a revolving door for individuals, which is even more true for those with substance use disorders (SUDs). Once these individuals leave prison, they are likely to end up reoffending at some point in the future due to substance use/abuse (i.e., committing crimes to support substance use, selling substances, etc.). Scholarly literature lacked studies examining the predictors of recidivism for offenders with SUD in North Carolina. . The purpose of this quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional study …

Transnational Threats To Maritime Systems And Seaport Security, Eric L. Hampton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An assessment of a 16-year period since the 9/11 attacks indicated that more than 14,000 security breaches in which security measures at seaports were circumvented due to vulnerabilities occurred and more than 24,000 suspicious activity reports were made. The susceptibility of United States’ seaports to groups engaged in criminal activities, including drug trafficking, cargo theft, and smuggling of contraband and people undermines security practices and renders the nation vulnerable to acts of terrorism. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore seaport security measures to identify and understand internal and external factors that may impact protection practices at U.S. …

Traumatic Experiences, Gang Involvement, And Psychopathic Traits Among Juvenile Offenders, Tamika Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychopathy is associated with serious criminal behavior, behavioral control issues, and recidivism among juvenile offenders. The identification of risk factors associated with psychopathic behavior is critical for treatment and intervention planning. Childhood trauma and delinquent peer associations are important psychosocial risk factors to consider for juvenile offenders. Research on the relationships between affective psychopathic traits and risk factors is extensive. There is a significant lack of literature concerning antisocial psychopathic traits. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between psychosocial risk factors and Psychopathy Checklist -Youth Version antisocial traits. The integrated psychosocial model of criminal social identity …

Leadership Influence On Dispatcher Access Of Trauma Recovery Resources, Ariel R. Place

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency dispatchers experience duty-related trauma exposure that can lead to reduced work engagement, compromised employee health, and increased organizational costs. Leadership is crucial in providing guidance and support to first responders following traumatic events. This study’s purpose was to understand how one public service organization’s (PSO) leaders influence emergency dispatchers’ access to trauma-recovery resources. The Baldrige Excellence Framework provided the framework for this qualitative case study. Semi-structured interviews with the public service organization partner site (PSOPS) leaders were conducted and archival data and documents were reviewed and analyzed to gain a clearer picture of PSOPS leaders’ personal perspectives of and …

Social Influences On Citizens' Attitudes Toward The Police In A Public Assistance Role, Raymond Griego

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Much research is based on the experience of participants in crime-related situations where they have contact with police. It is significant, however, that researchers have documented that 70 to 80% of calls requesting police service are not related to criminal activity. Despite this little is known about how police interaction with citizens in noncriminal and nonemergency situations impacts public perception of law enforcement. The aim of this phenomenological study was to explore the thoughts and perceptions of individuals who experienced a noncriminal police-citizen interaction as a result of receiving nonemergency assistance from the police. The conceptual framework for this study …

Evidence-Based Programming During Post-Conviction Supervision And Recidivism Outcomes, Vanessa Leia Starr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism plagues the criminal justice system, specifically, in the field of community corrections; therefore, it is a societal concern. The goal of community supervision is the successful reintegration of offenders and the reduction of recidivism. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the efficacy of evidence-based programming in a district in the northeastern United States to examine recidivism among federal offenders to fill a gap in the literature on real-life applicability. The risk-needs-responsivity model was the theoretical framework for this study, based on contemporary associations with evidence-based practices within judicial and correctional agencies. The statistical information for …

Delinquent Behavior And Recidivism Among Juveniles In The Southeastern United States, Anthony Bernard Essix Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, juvenile delinquent behavior has continued to rise despite attempts by the legal system and policymakers. Much of the research contributing to the understanding of juvenile delinquency and recidivism has been focused on risk factors believed to push an individual to show signs of delinquency. Limited research has been conducted to explain how policies affect juvenile behaviors. The current study examined risk factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency to determine if a factor may have been overlooked in prior juvenile studies. Based on anomie and strain theory, a qualitative method of general inquiry was used to gain …

Corruption In Togo's Land Registration And Its Impact On Real Estate Development, Gbati Kakaye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract:Researchers have asserted that following malaria and AIDS, land-related conflict, exacerbated by rampant real estate corruption, is the third-largest problem and leading cause of death in Togo. The current study provided a means of gaining better understanding of the impact of corruption on real estate development in Togo by addressing the following research questions: How is corruption manifested in Togo’s land registration process and how has corruption in land registration process impacted real estate development? Theoretically, the study was underpinned by the cultural and neo-institutional economics framework. Data were collected through individual interviews and a focus group discussion with 15 …

Strategies To Control Costs At U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants, Gregory J. Lindamood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Commercial nuclear power plants in the United States are not cost competitive because of high operating and maintenance costs and historically low natural gas prices, resulting in the potential for premature plant closure of up to 25% of the operating power plants by 2025. Premature plant closure could impact the consumer through higher electricity rates, increased air pollution, and electric grid instability from increased renewable usage. Grounded in the behavioral decision theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore successful strategies nuclear leaders used to control costs and ensure competitiveness. Data were collected through semistructured interviews …

Job-Related Stress And Burnout On Turnover Intention Of Nurses In Dallas, Texas, During Covid-19, George Ochieng

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn a country with a large aging population such as the United States, nursing is a crucial profession that is also a high-stress and high-turnover occupation, leading to a shortage of nurses and increased healthcare costs. The year 2017 saw a 10-year high in nurse turnover. The general management problem is that current efforts to decrease the turnover of nurses remain ineffective. The specific problem studied was the high turnover of nurses in Dallas, Texas, linked to work-related stress and burnout. This quantitative nonexperimental regression and moderation research study aimed to study factors that predict or reduce turnover intention. This …

The Relationship Between Programming After Critical Incidents, Shootings, And Resilience In Police, Michelle Lise Vincent

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine whether there was a relationship between resilience, posttraumatic growth, and reintegration programming after a critical incident and/or line of duty shooting through the cognitive, self-efficacy and resiliency theoretical lenses. The research aimed to determine if police officers, who participated in reintegration programming, specifically in this study, Edmonton Police’s Reintegration After Critical Incident programming, produced higher scores in resilience as measured on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and posttraumatic growth, as measured on the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory scale (PTGI), with Canadian police officers compared to police officers who do not participate in …

Experiences And Perceptions Of School Principals Regarding School Safety Programs And Bullying, Denise Lowe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany researchers have documented the continued problem with safety in U.S. schools, which may be related to bullying. Though the most effective way to address bullying in schools is schoolwide programs, limited information is available relating to principals’ views on safety programs in U.S. suburban high schools. Accordingly, this study included two research questions and eight interview questions to address the problem relating to safety programs and interventions with 12 principals in Catholic suburban high schools in Kansas and Missouri. Six distinctive themes emerged from the data based on participant answers to interview questions: effective safety intervention programs, mental health …

Exploring Citizen Security In The Nigeria Federated State: Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency In Perspective, Adesoji Olaitan Ogunsanya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe research problem of this study was centered on the state of insecurity in Lagos State and the intervention of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency. Evidence from previous studies supported the use of community policing, police reform, training of security personnel, and collaboration amongst security agencies as measures to address issues of insecurity in Lagos State. The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine the impact of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Agency on the security challenges of the state and generate additional discourse. Institutional theory was used as the theoretical foundation for this research with a purposive sampling …

Social Media Marketing Strategies For Increasing Customer Engagement, Joe Nwachukwu Umunna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some business leaders are not using social media to improve customer engagement resulting in a potential loss of profit. Ineffective social media marketing strategies can negatively impact customer engagement. Grounded in the networking, representation, engagement theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore social media marketing strategies business leaders use to increase customer engagement. The participants comprised of six business leaders located in the northeast region of the United States who effectively used social media marketing strategies to increase customer engagement. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: marketing …

Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe goal with this action research project was to understand how community-based social workers (CBSWs) could address female offenders’ and their children’s needs while striving to reintegrate them into the community of Central Los Angeles County, California. Postrelease female offenders with children suffer from a variety of issues related to housing, employment, and personal childhood trauma. The trauma exacerbates the risk of revictimization and recidivism. CBSWs play a pivotal role in helping female offenders overcome barriers to successful reentry and reunify with their children. This study incorporated Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory which provided a systems lens to this project. The …

Indigenous Women: Violence, Vulnerability And Cultural Protective Factors, Christina M. Agloinga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The disproportionate rates of violent crimes, historical oppression, and cultural assimilation disrupted the traditional practices and belief system within Alaskan Native communities, thus changing the influence of protective factors that support balance and equality for women. Identifying protective factors provided by cultural practices that support resiliency provides an increased understanding of how cultural strengths can combat distorted stereotypes within the criminal justice system. This study included characteristics of a phenomenological, narrative, and ethnographic study. The social constructionist framework and the social construction of target populations theory was used to explore how traditional cultural practices can influence the current gender identity, …

Exploring Probation Clients’ Perception Of The Officer-Client Relationship, Robert Lee Ausby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community supervision, commonly referred to as probation, is an alternative to jail and prison sentences which allow offenders to serve court-imposed sanctions in the community. The present study stemmed from Klockars’s theory of probation supervision which contains two concepts, (a) the organizational structure of probation, which has been studied repeatedly, and (b) the exchange strategy between the officer and client. The second concept has not been adequately explored. Previous literature has explored the perception that probation officers have of their clients. However, no study has explored the perception that clients have of their probation officers. The purpose of this study …

Church Leaders' Perceptions Of Their Roles In Mentoring Young Black Males' Development, Johnny Anthony Beckwith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractBlack Baptist church leaders are potential male role models for their communities, however there is no straightforward guide on how to optimally support the adolescent, Black male population with life skills development. The research question that guided this generic qualitative study addressed the perceptions of male, Black, Baptist church leaders regarding their role as a support for the development of life skills for the adolescent, Black male. Thirteen, Black, male, Baptist Church leaders from the southeast United States participated in semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. Their responses were analyzed thematically, resulting in the identification of four emergent themes: (a) conceptualizing …

Trauma Barriers To Substance Abuse Treatment Engagement Among Formerly Incarcerated Males, Eleonora Vlasta Juliana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored treatment engagement among formerly incarcerated adult males in a community-based substance abuse treatment program who experienced barriers related to sexual and violent trauma histories. Fully engaging in treatment requires a readiness to become and remain sober, and for those who suffer from trauma, such readiness may be absent, and continued substance use may be their way to cope with pain. This study explored a gap in the literature concerning how sexual and violent trauma might play a role as barriers to engaging in substance abuse treatment among formerly incarcerated males. Understanding how such traumas impact treatment engagement …

Emergency Managers’ Perceptions Of Active Threat Preparedness In Higher Education, Shannon Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The shooting on Virginia Tech’s campus that left 32 dead in 2007 and other incidents since then resulted in active threat preparations at institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States. Little is known about how emergency managers understand campus preparedness and what enhanced learning in the implementation, training, and effectiveness of policies. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how campus emergency managers perceived the effectiveness of the design and implementation of their standard operating procedures to protect against an active threat and what the emergency managers perceived enhanced their learning in the design and …

The Lived Experiences Of Elderly Jury Members In Determining Verdicts, Debra Dix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractVery little research has been done on elderly jurors who were age 55 or older when they served on juries. The research that exists suggests that older jurors are more likely to vote to convict than younger jurors, although the reasons for the higher conviction rates have not been studied in depth. This study explored the lived experiences of elderly jury members in determining verdicts while in the performance of jury duty and the defendant characteristics that influenced their verdict decisions. Story model theory and director’s cut theory were used to attempt to explain how elderly jurors arrived at verdict …

Emergency Managers' Perspectives On Social Media Use For Situational Awareness During Disasters, Teresa Anne Scott Hoggard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency managers are responsible for protecting lives, property, and the environment. Decisions are made based on the availability of information provided to emergency managers from the disaster site. Communication between first responders and emergency managers is crucial for obtaining situational awareness for decision-making purposes during disasters. The purpose of this qualitative explanatory case study was to understand the perspectives of emergency managers regarding the use of social media in obtaining situational awareness and providing disaster-specific information necessary for emergency managers to make informed decisions during disasters. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Endsley’s situational awareness model and …

A Study Of Public Awareness About The Threat Of Earthquakes, Mike Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Noticeably absent from the existing literature was a correlation study which would have gauged individual awareness for earthquakes. The literature search provided one quantifiable narrative that correlated college education with awareness about earthquakes; the study found that college graduates scored higher points on the awareness test for earthquakes than their counterparts who had no college education. The research question for this study examined the possible correlations between personal characteristics and awareness about earthquakes. A survey was developed and used to find hypothesized correlations between public awareness and a number of variables such as age, gender, education, income, and professional leadership. …

Young Adults’ Community Trust And Participation In A Community Service Center In Indonesia, Adhytiawarman Gautama Putra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the field of national security, Indonesia has community service centers known as the community police communication forum, or FKPM, an informal institution formed by community members to assist the police in implementing community policing (CP). FKPM can be found in various regions of Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to obtain the opinions of young adult members about FKPM regarding their trust and participation in FKPM activities. Fifteen active FKPM members participated in telephone interviews. The results showed that the young adults in this study believed in FKPM but lacked information about FKPM programs and activities in their …

The Varieties Of Counterspeech And Censorship On Social Media, Dawn C. Nunziato

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The year 2020 was without a doubt a remarkable and unprecedented one, on many accounts and for many reasons. Among other reasons, it was a year in which the major social media platforms extensively experimented with the adoption of a variety of new tools and practices to address grave problems resulting from harmful speech on their platforms — notably, the vast amounts of misinformation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and with the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath. By and large — consistent with First Amendment values of combatting bad speech with good speech — the platforms sought to respond …

The Resilience Of Substantive Rights And The False Hope Of Procedural Rights: The Case Of The Second Amendment And The Seventh Amendment, Renée Lettow Lerner

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

At first glance, there seem to be strong affinities between the Second Amendment and the Seventh Amendment. Both the right to keep and bear arms and the right to civil jury trial potentially empower ordinary citizens. Both could check elites.

But there are crucial differences between these rights. I focus on two of them here. The first is relatively straightforward; it concerns individual accountability—or the lack thereof—and the ability to understand responsibilities. Gun owners and users generally have individual responsibility for their actions, and the ability to understand their responsibilities. In contrast, by design civil jurors lack individual responsibility. And …

The Disciplinary Arm Of The State: Foucault On Police Overreach, Militarization, And Mass Surveillance, Elizabeth Arterberry

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.