Digital Commons Network^™

A Qualitative Study: Sex Offenders’ Perceptions Of The State’S Sex Offender Registry, Ann Marie Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

Sex offender registries (SOR) were created because of gruesome crimes committed against minors and the vulnerable, and they serve as a punishment. Empirically, SORs have become more functional over the years, so providing accurate information should be fundamental. It is the topic of discussion in many conversations, specifically during holidays and events involving minors, and it is used for background searches and ongoing investigations. Consequently, society expects the information displayed to be precise. Inaccurate information can potentially be harmful, especially to sex offenders. Nevertheless, when SOR is mentioned, rightfully so, society, including law enforcement, immediately exhibits sympathetic emotions for the …

In Their Own Words: The Unique Perceptions Of Minority Encounters With Law Enforcement, Summer Louis

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the perceptions of people of color who have experienced interactions with law enforcement during adulthood. Utilizing a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 individuals of color. The findings illuminated various perceptions significantly influenced by personal experiences and community context. The most prominent themes identified by the majority of participants include: (1) frequency of police encounters; (2) personal experiences with law enforcement; (3) negative experiences; (4) racial profiling; (5) police misconduct or mistreatment; (6) police use of force and excessive force; (7) contributing factors to these experiences; (8) perceptions of law enforcement …

Exploring The Differences In Military Attitudes Toward Rape Myths And Their Relationship To Demographic Factors, Essence Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Military sexual assault crimes, including rape, attempted sexual assault, unwanted sexual contact, and sexual harassment, have continued to increase over the last few decades. The issue has become problematic enough for the Department of Defense to allocate a significant amount of money for sexual assault resources. Specifically, the Department of Defense gives millions of dollars each year for the prevention and training of sexual assault, yet the issue continues to persist. There is a lack of understanding of the posture of service members' attitudes toward sexual assault and if certain demographics differ in their attitudes toward rape myths. While sexual …

Parent Participation In Student Academics And Behaviors At An Urban Early Learning Center Utilizing The Two-Generation Approach To Education, Angela E. Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in the study was students living in low-income areas, below the poverty level, were vulnerable to experiencing less academic and behavioral success in school. The purpose was to understand how the experiences of parents engaged in a twogeneration approach impacted the success of students living in poverty. The early education and care of young children, especially those of low socioeconomic status, was essential for child development. Children who attended these programs were more likely to develop the necessary skills to become lifelong learners. When children attended early childhood education programs, it helped prepare them cognitively and socially prior …

Examining The Intersection Of Policing And Mental Health: Analyzing Baker Act Admissions In Davie, Florida, Matthew Goodnow

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the Police Department of the City of Davie, Florida. It analyzed the rate of involuntary admissions under the Florida Mental Health Act, commonly known as the Baker Act, focusing on factors such as officer experience, training, demographics, and other variables. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, the research provides insights into Baker Act admissions to inform policies and interventions to improve mental health services and relieve strain on law enforcement resources.

Key findings indicate that Crisis Intervention Team training significantly increases the likelihood of officers performing Baker Acts. In contrast, more experienced officers tend to perform fewer …

Strategies Teachers Use To Encourage Student Reading Motivation And Engagement In The High School Setting: A Generic Qualitative Study, Shelia Tate

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide an understanding of the practices and strategies used by Title 1 high school teachers to promote student reading motivation and engagement. Engaging students in the curriculum and motivating them to read is essential to a successful classroom experience. As districts move to a more prescribed curriculum with provided scope and sequence, teachers look for ways to engage their students and provide relevant resources to meet their students' needs creatively.

The researcher interviewed teachers to explore their beliefs, strategies, and practices for fostering student reading motivation and classroom engagement in high school. The guiding …

Female Offenders: Exploring Risk Factors For Adulthood Violence, Lauren N. Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

The number of females under correctional supervision has been increasing in the last four decades. For adult women, these offenses are generally drug offenses; however, there have also been increases in the number of women committing violent crimes. Unfortunately, violent females are an understudied population, which limits the data available to inform programs and policies that could address the problem. This study explored potential factors related to violent behavior among adult females by analyzing public-use data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016. More specifically, violent and nonviolent state and federal female inmates were assessed regarding …

Exploring The Role Of The Teacher In Motivating Students To Learn Mathematics At Alternative High Schools, Anne-Marie Johanne Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to provide an in-depth understanding of the teacher’s role in motivating students to learn mathematics at alternative high schools because motivation impacts academic achievement in mathematics. Students in South Florida must pass an end-of-course exam in algebra as a requirement to receive a high school diploma. Therefore, it is essential that students are motivated to learn the mathematics concepts that are necessary to pass the end-of-course exam. This research study was guided by the following research questions:

1. How and in what ways do mathematics teachers adjust and integrate instructional strategies to support …

The Effects Of Jurisdictional Variances On Rates Of Rape Offenses: How Differing Jurisdictional Definitions Contribute To America’S Rape Culture, David Lopez-Herrera

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between jurisdictional definitions of rape and rape offense rates across various states in the U.S., with the goal of proposing a standardized federal definition to enhance consistency in data collection and improve the efficacy of legal responses. Despite extensive research on rape, no prior studies have explored the impact of jurisdictional definition variances on state rape offense rates. This seminal study aimed to fill this gap by analyzing the correlation between state-specific rape definitions and reported rape offenses, utilizing a theoretical breakdown of definitions into eight components and a rubric for evaluation.

The analysis revealed …

A Systematic Review Of Preferred Practices To Reintegrate Male Opiate Addicts Into Family Relations While In An Evidence-Based Recovery Program, Arkaya Williams-Abbott

Theses and Dissertations

Active addiction strains family relationships. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review to determine preferred practices to help reintegrate male opiate addicts into family relations while in an evidence-based recovery program. Twenty-three articles of various methodologies were reviewed. Findings indicated three themes: stigma and men with opioid disorder, how men seek help, and family relationships and role in substance abuse treatment. Findings showed evidence-based programming should ensure training for treatment providers on men’s socialization and how it affects their approach to treatment and lack of willingness to seek help. Effective communication and de-stigmatized language is another …

A Longitudinal Study Of Nonword Repetition In Bilingual Typically-Developing Children And Bilingual Children With Developmental Language Disorder, Melissa Kluglein

Open Access Master's Theses

This study aims to investigate nonword repetition (NWR) performance longitudinally in Spanish-English bilingual children with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Two hundred and thirty -- typically- developing (TD) children and 41 children with DLD participated in NWR tasks in both English and Spanish. These children entered the study and were followed for 2 to 4 years between kindergarten to fifth grade. Language ability status, age, age of first exposure to English, percent of current language use, semantics, and morphosyntax measures were collected. The results indicated that, when comparing rates of change (slopes) between TD and DLD groups, there was …

Music-For-The-State: Hegemony, Culture Production, And Creative Labor In Us Army Music, Michael S. Grenier

Open Access Master's Theses

Analyzing the historical development and ideological underpinnings of the regulatory and doctrinal texts that make up the US Army’s Body of Knowledge, this paper offers a critical theory interpretation of Army lore as a mediating device for the Army State Apparatus. The lore enshrined in the Body of Knowledge reinforces the needs of the State by setting the conditions and expectations for Army Musicians. Examining how Army Musicians are hailed by the lore as always-already Army Musicians as such, the paper builds up to an analysis of Army Music as a labor system of culture production, ultimately positioning the Army …

The Interaction Of Early Life Experiences, Physical Health, And Socio-Economic Status On Neurocognitive Function In Youth, Janis Gaudreau

Open Access Master's Theses

Previous research demonstrates that cognitive and brain function and development during childhood are associated with greater physical activity (PA) levels, fitness, income, less adverse early life experiences (ELE), healthier body mass index (BMI), body composition of lean and fat mass, and fewer experiences of mental health disorders.

We used the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network open-access dataset to evaluate neurocognitive outcomes in children. We predicted that children with combined greater SES and positive physical health outcomes, alongside fewer adverse ELE, will exhibit greater cognitive function and resting state electroencephalography (EEG) outcomes, and fitness and PA will positively protect neurocognitive …

Examining The Narratives, Misinformation, And Delay Tactics In Newspaper Coverage Of Offshore Wind Development In Relation To Whale Strandings On The East Coast Of The United States, Rafeed Hussain

Open Access Master's Theses

The United States set a goal to develop 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030 as an ocean-based method to decarbonize the energy grid to combat climate change (The White House, 2021). The problem is that certain opposition groups are adopting delay and misinformation strategies to dissuade offshore wind development (Dunlap & Brulle, 2020; Supran & Oreskes, 2021; Climate and Development Lab, 2023; Slevin et al., 2023) by conflating actual environmental impacts (BOEM & NOAA Fisheries, 2024) with an unusual mortality event of North Atlantic Right Whales and humpback whales on the East Coast of the United States …

Comparative Analysis Of Smartwatch Data In Children With Adhd And Non-Adhd, Friederike Hicking

Open Access Master's Theses

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which often lead to significant challenges in academic and social settings. Diagnostic methods for ADHD rely on subjective assessments which are prone to bias. Researchers have explored technology-based objective assessment methods to help diagnose ADHD. In particular, this thesis investigates behavioral differences between children with ADHD and neurotypical children (6-11 years old) using smartwatch data collected from both hands during various classroom-like activities including drawing, math and English worksheets, and magnetic tiles puzzles. The primary objective is to identify distinct behavioral patterns to enhance …

Analysis Of The Imperial And Racial Relationship In Santo Tomas Interment Camp And Manila, Wwii, Seongbin Hyun

Open Access Master's Theses

This thesis examines the experiences of American and European civilians in Manila, Philippines following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The introduction addresses the inconsistencies and contradictions between internee documents and official records. Additionally, it highlights the disparities between American colonial governance and racial perspectives in the pre-war Philippines and the conditions of internees in the Santo Tomas Internment Camp. By analyzing the circumstances and relationships of internees before February 1944, the thesis explores issues such as racial beliefs, colonial hierarchy, and American exceptionalism. The goal of this thesis is not to dispute the suffering of Allied citizens in the STIC …

Queer Formations Of The Self In Woolf And Forster, Margaret M. Bancroft

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis examines queerness and the Bildungsroman in three novels by Virginia Woolf and E.M. Forster: Jacob’s Room (1922), Maurice (1971), and Orlando (1928).

Refining The Scope Of Genetic Influences On Alcohol Misuse Through Environmental Stratification And Gene-Environment Interaction, Jeanne E. Savage, Christiaan A. De Leeuw, Josefin Werme, Spit For Science Working Group, Danielle M. Dick, Danielle Posthuma, Sophie Van Der Sluis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Gene-environment interaction (G X E) is likely an important influence shaping individual differences in alcohol misuse (AM), yet it has not been extensively studied in molecular genetic research. In this study, we use a series of genome-wide gene-environment interaction (GWEIS) and in silico annotation methods with the aim of improving gene identification and biological understanding of AM.

Methods

We carried out GWEIS for four AM phenotypes in the large UK Biobank sample (N = 360,314), with trauma exposure and socioeconomic status (SES) as moderators of the genetic effects. Exploratory analyses compared stratified genome-wide association (GWAS) and GWEIS modeling approaches. …

Conditional Love: Perceived Parental Religiosity And Self-Esteem In Lesbian Women, Sarah Teske

Scripps Senior Theses

There is a variety of research linking religiosity and internalized homonegativity with negative mental health outcomes in queer populations. Minority stress theory can be used to better understand the mechanisms that perpetuate these relationships. However, little research in this area focuses on parental religiosity and lesbian women’s unique experiences. This study seeks to remedy the gap in the literature by investigating the relationship between perceived parental religiosity, internalized homonegativity and self-esteem in lesbian women. To do so, Christian lesbian women will complete an online survey on measures of each of these constructs. It is expected that perceived parental religiosity will …

Preventive Genetic Screening: Genetics And Ethics, Elena Vinton

Scripps Senior Theses

For completion of my dual thesis at Scripps College in Biology and Bioethics, I analyzed the feasibility of preventive genetic screening both ethically and genetically. Because each discipline approaches academic inquiry differently, I decided to ask two sequential questions: (1) How are variants analyzed in preventive genetic screening? (Biology) (2) Do patients who undergo preventive genetic screening have the ‘right not to know’ their genetic status – including medically actionable genetic information? (Bioethics). I have separated my ethical and biological inquiries into two sections. The first section is an ethical inquiry into the justification of the ‘right not to know’ …

Communicating Through Dance: Examining Dance & Behavioral Therapy To Treat Selective Mutism, Clara Spitz

Scripps Senior Theses

Very little research has been done to examine the efficacy of treatments for adolescents with selective mutism (SM). Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been distinguished as one of the optimal treatment styles for SM, a significant portion of research in this area has focused on children. Additionally, it often incorporates play therapy, which may not necessarily apply as effectively to older populations. Dance therapy has emerged as a promising and innovative treatment for various anxiety and communication issues. Although specific studies on its application to SM are limited, existing research suggests its potential effectiveness in addressing this condition as …

What's Up With White Women?: Anti-Feminist Resistance To Second-Wave Feminism And The Rise Of The Conservative Woman, Sadie N. Matz

Scripps Senior Theses

A staggering number of White women voted for Trump in 2016. Why did this demographic, whose racial and gender identity so closely resembled that of the Democratic candidate, deny themselves descriptive representation in the Oval Office? A closer look at the political history of feminism and anti-feminism reveals that these results should not have been surprising. The sexual liberation movement of the 1960s, the fight over the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, and the rise of neoliberalism in the 1980s cultivated an environment that made political conservatism attractive to White women of the 20^th century, priming White women …

Diversifying The Workforce: Women In Plumbing, Aviva Maxon

Scripps Senior Theses

Exploring the benefits and challenges of being women in plumbing through first person narratives.

Rainbow-Washing The Occupation: A Critical Examination Of Israeli Claims To Feminist And Gay-Friendly Modernity, Melia Oliver

Scripps Senior Theses

In this thesis, I employ a queer analytic to uncover how Israel weaponizes claims to feminist and gay-friendly modernity—referred to as pink- and purple washing, respectively—as forms of propaganda to justify their occupation of Palestine. Pink- and purplewasing narratives rely on racist and Orientalist conceptions of Palestinian “barbarism” which Israel reproduces in order to bolster their settler colonial project. I analyze pink- and purplewashing propaganda as symptoms of larger homo- and femonationalist formations which stem from and further reinforce settler colonialism. I address allegations of “weaponized rape” during and after the events of October 7th and argue that this form …

First Destination Survey 2024: For Degrees Awarded December 2023-August 2024, Hart Career Center, Illinois Wesleyan University

First Destination Survey

No abstract provided.

If Not Us, Then Who?, Tyrin Sykes '25, Eduardo Cisneros '25

HC Magazine

ISSUE 1 | 2024

IN THIS ISSUE:

3 Lina Farkas. Lina Farkas is a freshman Biochemistry major from Amherst, Wisconsin

4 Shyne Hart. Shyne Hart is a freshman Business Major from Springfield, IL

5 Prosper Luvunzu. Prosper is a freshman Studio Art Major and Pre-Engineering Track, born and raised in Rockford, IL

6 Jordan Colin. Jordan Colin is an Entrepreneurshlp major from New Orleans, LA

7 Kiera Henderson. Kiera Henderson is a sophomore Kinesiology and Allied Health major from the Quad Cities

8 Kalabi Kamau. Kalabi Kamauis a sophomore Business major with a minor in Finance, from Atlanta, GA

9 …

Duties Regarding Duties, Ronald J. Colombo

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Vitruvian Shareholder, Sergio Alberto Gramitto Ricci

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

The proportions of Leonardo's Vitruvian Man allow the human figure to fit a circle and a square, which in Renaissance iconography represent respectively the secular and divine dimensions. Good canons allow for a proportionate and simultaneous coexistence of the two natures of humankind. Human shareholders have two natures, too: one as investors and one as human beings. Similar to the Vitruvian Man, a shareholder with good proportions fits a metaphorical circle and a metaphorical square: the former represents the human dimension, and the latter represents the investor. I dub retail investors who proportionately balance their interests as human beings who …

Assessing The Completeness Of Patient-Reported Outcomes Reporting In Congestive Heart Failure Clinical Trials, Drayton Rorah, Jonathan Pollard, Corbin Walters, Will Roberts, Micah Hartwell, Christian Hemmerich, Matt Vassar

Student Publications

Objective: We aim to evaluate the quality of patient-reported outcomes included in randomized control trials for the treatment of congestive heart failure using the International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) checklist, a validated tool for critically appraising the quality of patient-reported outcomes.

Design: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 65 randomized control trials with patient-reported outcomes for drug intervention trials for treating congestive heart failure.

Setting: N/A.

Participants: N/A.

Main outcome measures: The primary outcome of this study was to evaluate the reporting completeness of patient-reported outcomes in congestive heart failure clinical trials with drug interventions according to …

Fleeting Fashions In The Assessment Of Medical Students, Mult Henk J.M. Van Berkel

Health Professions Education

No abstract provided.