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Naming And Blaming Automated Decision-Making Systems: Analysis Of Contesting Algorithmic Injustice, Esra Gules-Guctas

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation is centrally concerned with understanding how algorithmic harms evolve into legal claims in the context of automated public benefits determinations. Data collection consists of multiple source of data including semi-structured in-depth interviews, court opinions, expert witness reports, deposition transcripts, and investigative news reports. Analysis was conducted in parallel with data collection through iterative process of open coding.Results indicate that algorithmic errors are not merely technical glitches, they lead to cascading harms. In-depth analysis of algorithmic errors identified in legal cases reveals the type of errors that top-down formal audit mechanisms fail to capture. As statistical tools automated systems …

An Examination Of School Resource Officers' Self-Perception Of Role, Student Encounters And Duties, Alexandra Swanty

Master's Theses

As the rates of school shootings and school violence rise, the effectiveness of school resource officers (SROs) has come into question. As of now, there is no nationwide standard for the role and duties of school resource officers. Therefore, these differ from state to state and even school district to school district. One variable that had yet to be examined was the impact that location has on the roles of school resource officers. From this, three different school resource officer roles were identified: teaching-based role, community-based role, and law enforcement-based role. To determine the relationship between these variables, an online …

Youthful Offenders Sentencing Trends In Pennsylvania, Monika Nwajei

All Theses

The overwhelming majority of existing literature on the effects of age on judicial sentence decision-making focuses on juveniles (ages 18 and below) and older adults. This paper focuses on offenders between the ages of 18-29, who fall legally outside the definition of juvenile, yet do not have the full brain development or clinical maturity of an adult to provide knowledge of sentencing outcomes for different populations and a well-rounded review and critique of judicial sentence decision-making (Johnson, Blum, & Giedd, 2009). Using a series of logistic regression analyses on the Pennsylvania Commission Sentencing (PCS) data from 2001 to 2018, I …

Social Bonding In Social Isolation: Social And Religious Support For Substance Use Recovery During Covid-19, Lindsey Chapman

All Theses

The importance of social bonds in supporting those in substance use recovery is illustrious through applications of social bonding theory. However, the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on these essential relationships has not been widely studied. The initial survey instrument studying social support, religious support, and substance use patterns before, during, and after COVID-19 was met with methodological difficulty in reaching the target population through email. This instrument was adapted into a semi-structured interview guide and methodology evolved to include participation either in-person or over Zoom. Through 14 in-depth interviews with people in substance use recovery programs, themes of isolation, peer …

“Oh, That’S For Girls”: Barriers To Men’S Enrollment In College Sex Education Courses, Savannah Burke

All Theses

American teens have diverse experiences with sex education that may leave some inadequately prepared for navigating their sexuality as emerging adults. For those who seek higher education, college-level sex education classes could fill this void. Yet, there is a notable gender gap in enrollment in college-level sex education classes across the US, with men being reluctant to taking these courses. Thus, it is important to understand what barriers prevent men from taking these classes. This study explores the roles that masculine ideology plays in dissuading men from enrolling in college-level sex education courses. Interviews with 17 masculine-identified college students who …

Juvenile Justice System Involvement And The Transition To Early Adulthood: Does Direct Intervention Help Or Harm?, Cameron Miller Perrine

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines the effects of the juvenile justice system on youth as they transition to early adulthood. The present study adds to the literature by incorporating comparison groups of youths and by testing multiple explanations of recidivism: Labeling Theory and the Life Course perspective. In total, 267 adults were recruited via online survey and sorted into three groups: Externalizing Behavior and Juvenile Justice Involved, Externalizing Behavior and Not Juvenile Justice Involved, and Not Externalizing and Not Juvenile Justice Involved. In addition to demographics, participants completed measures of past externalizing behaviors, past juvenile justice involvement, social disadvantage, deviant peer …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2022-2023, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY2023. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

Mental Health And Parenting Among Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness With And Without Their Children, Rebecca Bergh

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Parent-child separation and custody loss are common among parenting young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH). These experiences may be traumatic for YAEH, a population already vulnerable to mental health disorders and high levels of trauma. Little is known about how YAEH who have their children with them compare to YAEH separated from their children in terms of mental health and risk and resilience factors. Further evidence is needed to better understand the parenting and mental health support needs among YAEH, particularly surrounding parent-child separation.

Aims: This study aimed to examine the characteristics of (1) parenting YAEH living with their children …

Exploring And Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Greeley’S Mental Health Co-Responder Program And “Squad 1”, Mikelle Angiuli

Master's Theses

Law enforcement officers are often the de facto emergency response for mental health crises despite having little to no mental health training. With nearly 20% of U.S. adults reporting experiencing a mental illness and recent police reform movements bringing attention to alternative policing practices and policies, there is arguably a need for comprehensive mental health treatment and emergency response in the U.S. (Mental Health America, n.d.). The cities of Greeley and Evans, Colorado have implemented a mental health co-responder program that involves individual mental health clinicians and a mental health ambulance, Squad 1, responding alongside police on mental health calls …

Restrictions And Criteria For Obtaining Funds After A Victimization: A Content Analysis Of Victim Compensation Statutes In The United States, Taylor Brake

Master's Theses

Of the lasting effects after a victimization, a common denominator is the cost of services needed to heal from the harm caused. Since 2002, all states and territories in the United States have fully developed victim compensation programs to provide aid to victims in combating the financial impacts after a crime. The Victims of Crime Act and the Office for Victims of Crime have created requirements and suggestions for states to follow within their compensation programs. Unfortunately, there is no federal authority enforcing these requirements or ensuring consistency in state statutes surrounding victim compensation. Although there are multiple rationales as …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2023 - 2024, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Youth And Young Adults’ Encounters With The Police, Shantol Davian Mcintosh

All Dissertations

Police officers rely on citizen cooperation to effectively perform their job duties. Studies have shown that many encounters between police and youth are influenced by extralegal factors, such as police perceptions of youths' attitudes and youth perceptions of police. In the last 10 years in the United States, too many youths have experienced excessive police force, resulting in serious physical injuries or death. The current study explored the perceptions of youth and young adults regarding their encounters with the police in the United States using largely unexplored datasets, which adds to its uniqueness from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) …

Perspectives On Data For Good: The Emergence Of Embodied Data Discourses, Kimberly M. Gardner

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In policy sciences, data have traditionally been a tool used by scientists and technocrats to guide state policy. Boundaries around what counts as data generally fall along traditional understandings that data are neutral, objective, and abstracted from individual bodies and experiences. Unfortunately, this understanding of data has a history of perpetuating harmful social hierarchies and, especially in the era of “big data”, mirroring our racial and gendered prejudices (Kitchin, 2014). More recently, however, data have been claimed as a tool by a different kind of actor operating in a unique environment. These new actors, such as some police officers and …

Understanding Connections Between Public Health Districts And Individuals Who Have Recently Been Released From Carceral Systems In Idaho, Ashley Harris

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Background

Gaining a better understanding of the relationship between public health and individuals recently released from the carceral system in Idaho is vital. According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2020 Idaho had the highest female incarceration rate of all US states at twice the national average (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2020). The incarceration rate of women and girls has increased nearly 834% in the last 40 years and rates in Idaho follow this trend (Steinberg, 2018). Compared to 62% of women in prisons nationally, 80% of women in local jails report having children under the age of …

The Psychopathology Circumplex+: A Novel Conceptualization Of Psychopathology And Associated Measure, Edward A. Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fearless Dominance (FD) and Impulsive Antisociality (IA) are two personality traits often used in the study of psychopathic personality. FD is characterized by a lack of empathy, resilience to stress, and social potency, while IA is marked by impulsivity, selfishness, and manipulativeness. The current trio of studies sought to expand the use of FD and IA to assess psychopathology more generally. Study 1 consisted of a meta-analysis of all the relationships between FD/IA and various forms of psychopathology. Results affirmed that FD and IA each correlate with a variety of different psychological disorders, each to varying degrees of magnitude, but …

Offender Reintegration In Nevada: A Longitudinal Study Focusing On Transitional Challenges, Reentry Capital, And Recidivism, Carolyn S. Willis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Offender reintegration (reentry) depends on offender motivation, public policies, community efforts, and resources provided through government and nonprofit sectors. As individuals are released from incarceration and reintegrate into the community, they are often dependent on resources provided by different service providers and the community. The role of the community is crucial as resources are oftentimes not accessible. Lack of employment and housing, mental health issues, substance abuse, and the inability to reestablish personal relationships diminish the prospects of successful reintegration and increase the chances of reincarceration. Reentry capital delivered through community-based programs addresses the transitional issues justice-impacted individuals encounter post-incarceration. …

Early Career Special Education Teacher Lived Experiences During Covid-19, Sydney Parks

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The stories and lived experiences of Early Career Special Education Teachers must be shared. This study provides more information on the beginning lived experiences of Special Education Teachers during COVID-19. The researcher conducted a qualitative narrative design to further investigate burnout and self-efficacy among Early Career Special Education Teachers. The researcher conducted an open-ended question interview that allowed participants to relive their experience teaching during COVID-19. The conclusion of this study is that Special Education Teachers love their job but seek more financial security, administrative support and guidance, recognition.

An Analysis Of Sex Trafficking Support Services In Mental Health Care For Survivors, Darian Marie Alexandria Auge

Graduate Research Papers

This study is an examination of the current mental health care services for sex trafficking survivors. Sex trafficking is a growing epidemic in the United States and the need for mental health care for survivors is growing. This study examines the mental health disorders and consequences survivors face due to prolonged trauma. This study also examines current shortterm and long-term interventions that are suggested in the literature for care for sex trafficking survivors. Additionally, this study explores any current mental health treatments and programs and looks at any current resources available to sex trafficking survivors. This study examines options for …

The Impact Of Gendered Racial And Bisexual Microaggressions On The Access To Decent Work For Black Bisexual Women: An Examination Of The Moderation And Mediation Effects Of Work Volition And Proactive Personality, Angela Chloe Lewis

Dissertations

This purpose of this research was to examine the impact on gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions on the ability to access decent work for Black bisexual women. The mediation effect of proactive personality on the relationship between gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions with decent work was explored in this study. The moderation effect of proactive personality on the relationship between gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions with decent work was explored in this study as well. Gendered racial microaggressions was measured using the Gendered Racial Microaggression Scale (GRMS; Lewis & Neville, 2015). Bisexual microaggressions was measured by the …

Effects Of A Self-Forgiveness Intervention On Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Michael Saltzman

Dissertations

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between shame, guilt, and problematic substance use (Gueta, 2013; Luoma et al., 2019; McGaffin et al., 2013; Rahim & Patton, 2015). Self-forgiveness has been associated with positive outcomes for individuals in recovery with substance use disorders (SUDs), though only one prior study has explored the effects of a selfforgiveness intervention for individuals in treatment (Scherer et al., 2011). This study examines the effects of a self-forgiveness intervention on state shame and guilt, state self-forgiveness, and drug avoidance self-efficacy, and it is the first intervention study to focus on self-forgiveness for individuals with SUDs receiving …

Animal Abuse And Psychopathy: Examining Psychopathic Personality Traits In Both Animal Abusers And Non-Abusers, Allison Renegar

Master's Theses

Despite the soaring popularity of household pets in America, very little thought is given about the rights of our domesticated animals to exist free from harm and abuse. Little research has been done concerning animal abuse as most studies measured animal abuse dichotomously, providing essentially no contextual information. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between psychopathy and animal abuse using the Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS; Boduszek et al., 2016) and the Boat Inventory on Animal-Related Experiences (Boat Inventory; Boat, 1994) while accounting for other factors including what types of animals are abused and the methods …

Understanding Threats To Public Officials, Peter Simi, Seamus Hughes

Reports, Projects, and Research

Threats against public officials are ticking up, a disturbing trend that NCITE researchers are charting in a 10-year examination of federally investigated threats. Since 2013, researchers have counted 501 such threats, most resulting in conviction. Threats were most commonly made against members of the criminal justice system, from law enforcement officers to judges. Elected officials and those who run or manage elections comprised the second most-targeted category. Educators and healthcare workers also received threats. The following graphics show further analysis. It is important to note that the figures capture only federally charged cases. There is a high bar for such …

Applying Normal Accident Theory To Ideological And Nation-State-Sponsored Cybercrimes, Thomas J. Holt, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center

Reports, Projects, and Research

This project aims to explore a new perspective on cyberattacks by applying normal accident theory, typically used to analyze complex system failures, to the realm of cybersecurity. The goal is to gain insights into the factors contributing to cyberattacks and identify potential strategies to prevent and mitigate them. Applying normal accident theory to cyberattacks reveals that while complete prevention is challenging, focusing on human and organizational aspects of cybersecurity can significantly reduce risks. Encouraging adherence to best practices and establishing cybersecurity audit and compliance entities are critical steps toward a more resilient cybersecurity landscape.

Building Community Through Creativity & Social Practice Arts, Saira Siddiqui

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Social practice art is an artistic genre aimed to positively affect communities by addressing social and political change. Social practice art is collaborative, participatory, and involves people and places to help address these changes. The focus of this master’s project is to engage in a deeper understanding of how creativity and change leadership plays a role in the process of a social practice artist, and their pursuit to use art, culture, and creativity to connect people to each other and their environments. The outcomes of the project include insights into how creativity can be used in action to manage a …

Perceived Teacher Confirmation And The Online Classroom: Capturing Student Descriptions Of Experiences With Faculty Online, Ashley Jones-Bodie, Lindsey Anderson, Jennifer Hall

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

This study explored and examined students’ perceptions of teacher confirmation, those behaviors that teachers engage in that make students feel confirmed as valuable, significant individuals, as experienced in online courses. With over 450 students’ written descriptions of experiences in online classes across three different universities, this study provides an important initial examination of teaching practices in the online context. While prior research has situated study of students’ perceptions of teacher confirmation in the traditional in-person course experience, the current project extends understanding of teacher confirmation into the online setting. The study provides detailed descriptions, in students’ own words, of specific …

The (Im)Mobility Of Being: The Anti-Black And Colonial Roots Of Contemporary Policing, Korey Tillman

Sociology ETDs

Popular debates over policing often revolve around spectacular forms of police violence that grab national media attention. In this study, I examine the everydayness of contemporary U.S. policing and the antiblack and colonial roots that sustains its many forms. Drawing on three years of ethnographic fieldwork with a grassroots abolitionist organization and homeless service provider, and 23 interviews with Black adults across the U.S., I show how mundane policing serves as sites of racialization where the category of human is contested. I offer stops as an analytic to observe how these mundane forms of policing occur in places such as …

Restorative Justice Implementation: Examining The Effects Of White Fragility And Race On Implementation Of Restorative Justice Practices In Schools, Heather M. Thompson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current zero-tolerance discipline policies are ineffective and contribute to disproportionality in school discipline. Restorative justice practices (RJP) are an equitable alternative approach to exclusionary practices. RJP has been used in schools prior to adequate research informing implementation, which has led to variability in implementation and outcomes. In particular, teacher willingness to participate in the implementation of RJP has been noted to be variable and limited among research studies. It is necessary to explore teacher attitudes to determine what underlies this lack of participation to inform the next steps for RJP implementation in schools. Specifically, since disparities in discipline are related …

How Systematically Increasing Estimator Variables Affects The Confidence-Accuracy Relationship, Amber M. Giacona

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have used signal-detection theory-based approach to show that when police use proper practices with eyewitnesses, highly confident witnesses will be highly accurate even when viewing conditions may be suboptimal (Wixted & Wells, 2017). This is referred to as the pristine conditions hypothesis. There have been multiple, and often contradictory, studies that have investigated the relationship between viewing conditions and memory degradation (Giacona et al., 2021; Grabman et al., 2019; Lockamyeir et al, 2020; Semmler et al., 2018). In the current study, I systematically manipulated five estimator variables (lighting, distance, retention interval, exposure duration, and race) as either suboptimal or …

Examining School Awareness And Support For Children Of Incarcerated Parents: Perceptions Of Educators And Caregivers, Wanda Labrador

Education Doctoral

This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the perceptions of educators and caregivers of children of incarcerated parents (CIP) regarding how CIP may best be supported and whether they receive the social-emotional support they need at school. Additionally, this study gives voice to a subject that affects many but is considered by few, and can benefit CIP, educators, and caregivers.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) framework is the theoretical structure for the study. SAMHSA’s framework includes the four Rs principles of the trauma-informed approach: realization, recognition, response, and resisting re-traumatization. The data were collected using one-to-one semi-structured interviews …

Hair And Drugs: The Impact Of Dry Shampoo And Gel On Cocaine-Contaminated Hair, Marialejandra Faure Betancourt

Student Theses

Hair is a biological sample used in forensic toxicology to identify and quantify drug exposure. However, when interpreting analytical results, hair can be challenging due to the presence of external contamination. Previous studies have shown that cosmetic treatments remove drugs within the hair shaft decreasing their concentration. Nevertheless, not enough information is available to explain this phenomenon. This study focused to determine whether cosmetic products such as dry shampoo and gel influence the concentration of externally deposited cocaine (COC) and benzoylecgonine (BE) in different hair types/colors. Hair samples from fifteen COC-free volunteers of various hair colors/types were collected and divided …