Digital Commons Network^™

Minor Role Iv: Violent Crime More Of An Adult Problem Today, Jeffrey A. Butts, Gina Moreno

Publications and Research

Using national and New York City arrest data, the John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center presents a report that shows juvenile arrests for violent crimes have significantly decreased since the 1990s, while adult crime rates have fallen at a slower pace. Despite these trends, some continue to blame youth for crime spikes, often disregarding research that supports the effectiveness of juvenile justice reforms. The findings suggest that, rather than contributing to crime, these reforms align with adolescent development science and have not led to an increase in violent offenses.

Centring Marginalisation In The Development Of Digital Courts: Reflections From Argentina, India, Kenya, And Malaysia, Siddharth Peter De Souza, Varsha Aithala, Francisco Mignaquy, Mercy Muendo, Anisha Nadkarni

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper presents a multi-jurisdictional analysis of digitalisation of justice and the perceived role of courts as public institutions upholding the rule of law and ensuring access to justice to all. Using selected examples from Argentina, India, Kenya and Malaysia, it examines the impact of digitalisation efforts of these countries on their citizens, marginalised populations, the State and private sector. We propose to design an approach to digital justice that centres people on the margins of digital transformation of courts. This includes three elements – first, engagement with people centered perspectives; second, focus on disadvantage and addressing socio-technical factors; and …

For Richer Or For Poorer: The Security Environment Index To Measure Effects Of Security Assistance, Lam Huynh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops and validates the Security Environment Index (SEI), a multidimensional, empirically grounded framework to assess the political and military effects of U.S. security assistance—specifically Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET)—on partner nations. Drawing from the need for more robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks in the security assistance space, this study addresses a longstanding gap in how policymakers measure the outcomes of military aid. The SEI consolidates publicly available indicators into a cohesive structure capable of capturing both internal and external changes in the recipient nation’s security environment.

This research employed an explanatory …

Applying Contextual Behavioral Science To Address Addictions In Monsters, Chase Hollander

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The dominant essentialist paradigm in addiction treatment often conceptualizes addiction as a curse or plague which seizes the individual afflicted by it. Such views are reinforced by neurobiological interventions like Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). While MAT can reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, its long-term efficacy is mixed, and its emphasis on abstinence as a primary outcome limits its scope. Addiction is a multifaceted phenomenon shaped by physiological, psychological, social, and systemic factors—including stigma, moral judgment, and structural oppression. Essentialist approaches frequently pathologize individuals and obscure these broader influences. In contrast, contextual behavioral sciences and therapies aligned with functional contextualism such as …

Crime Prevention Professionals’ Perspectives On Using Cpted To Mitigate Targeted Violence On K-12 School Campuses, Bridgit C. Didier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Targeted violence in K-12 schools across the United States is a serious concern. These incidents not only endanger students and staff, but also cause lasting trauma and erode trust in schools. While existing measures may deter some violence, questions remain regarding their overall effectiveness. This study involved exploring perspectives of crime prevention experts on using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) strategies to mitigate violence in K-12 schools. Although CPTED is recognized as effective in terms of reducing crime, research on its use in schools, especially from the perspective of crime prevention professionals, is limited. This generic qualitative study involved …

An Examination Of Student Adherence And Intervention Complexity Within A Class-Wide Cover-Copy-Compare Intervention, Kaytlin Ann Nelson

Dissertations - ALL

Cover-Copy-Compare is a self-management intervention strategy developed to improve students’ academic performance, particularly in spelling. In academic intervention research, it is often assumed that students are completing the intervention as intended, yet this is seldom examined during intervention implementation or subsequent data analysis. The purpose of the present study was to extend the empirical literature on students’ intervention adherence by examining Cover-Copy-Compare permanent products to assess whether the complexity of the intervention (i.e., targeting six versus nine spelling words) contributed to a student’s ability to adhere to core intervention components. For the purposes of the present study, data from one …

Black Mothers' Adhd Experiences, Attitudes, And Support-Seeking Decisions, Catherine L. Montgomery

Dissertations - ALL

Background: ADHD, particularly when left untreated, is associated with significant impairment in several domains. Black youth may still be under-diagnosed with ADHD, resulting in symptoms going untreated. Black mothers may determine non-professional delivered supports to be more appropriate and acceptable than medication for their children with ADHD. As they tend to be the primary healthcare decision makers, it is important to develop a greater understanding of Black mothers’ ADHD support-seeking decision making for their youth. Method: The present study used semi-structured interviews guided by Kleinman’s Explanatory Models of Illness to discuss Black mothers’ decision making for their youth with ADHD. …

Risks Of Data Science Project Failure: Articulation, Legitimization, And Power Struggles, Sucheta Lahiri

Dissertations - ALL

This research explores the risk of failure in cloud-based data science systems within third-party service contexts. Specifically, it examines how the risk of project failure is socially constructed over time as the technology is incrementally shaped and negotiated. The study is grounded in participant observation conducted with data science practitioners at a professional services organization in India that partners with one of the world’s leading cloud providers. The research foregrounds the business model of professional services firms as a distinct sociotechnical setting for developing cloud-based data science systems, one in which practitioners who are not directly engaged in technical implementation …

Effects Of Fasd On An Individual’S Life Trajectory, Peyton M. Enders

Master of Arts in Human Services

The consumption of alcohol has been in society for thousands of years. However, the discovery of the impacts of alcohol consumption while pregnant is something that is continuously being learned about. Controversy on the effects of alcohol while pregnant and the level of consumption throughout the last century alone has caused individuals to misunderstand the level of danger that it has on a child. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a multi-layer disorder that causes not only physical deformities but also a change in mental health and cognitive levels of an individual. Throughout any stage of pregnancy a consumption of alcohol …

To Protect And Survive: Acknowledging Adverse Childhood Experiences In Law Enforcement, Melanie Appleman

Master of Arts in Human Services

This literature review explores the influence Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have on choosing a helping profession as well as their effect on law enforcement personnel and their ability to cope with occupational trauma. Law enforcement officers are routinely exposed to high-stress, high-risk environments which can exacerbate underlying trauma stemming from early life experiences. Officers with a history of ACEs may be more vulnerable to emotional dysregulation, hyper-vigilance, burnout, and substance abuse which can influence their decision making, relationships, and professional conduct potentially resulting in negative outcomes. Key themes include the identification of risk factors, the development of screening tools, …

Ineffective Parenting, Alexis Rian

Master of Arts in Human Services

Ineffective parenting can lead to long-term, severe, and lasting consequences for children. Children depend heavily on their primary caregivers for safety and to have their basic needs met. However, not all parents demonstrate positive parenting styles, whether due to a lack of knowledge, limited capacity, or simply a lack of interest. Parenting styles fall into four categories: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. The type of parenting style a caregiver adopts can significantly influence the attachment style a child has with them. Four attachment styles that children have are insecure avoidant attachment, secure attachment, insecure resistant attachment, and disorganized attachment. Children …

Underlying Causes Linking Foster Care And The Criminal Justice System, Marcia D. Wheeler

Master of Arts in Human Services

This research expands on the ongoing statewide crisis within the foster care system that needs to be properly addressed to benefit future and current foster youth. Research has found a connection between foster care and prison, often referred as the “foster-care-to-prison-pipeline.” This study aimed to explore the impact of trauma experienced by current and former foster youth through a life course lens looking at crucial areas of development using a mixed methodology supported by theoretical theories that explored the connection between foster care and the criminal justice system. The results showed that current and former foster youth face many adversities …

Not In My Neighborhood! The Harsh Realities Of Sex Offender Registration Laws, Kyle B. Rossow

Master of Arts in Human Services

Sex offender registration laws were created in response to public fear and high-profile tragedies, with the primary goal of enhancing public safety through stringent monitoring of sexual offenders. This paper explores the historical development of these laws, including high-profile cases that later influenced legislative acts, such as the tragic incidents of Jacob Wetterling, Megan Kanka, and Adam Walsh. This paper also explores how media portrayals and public opinion factor into these legislative decisions. While the laws aim to protect the public, they often result in collateral consequences for individuals who have to register. Sex offenders are often held back by …

State Government Policies And Opioid Overdoses And Deaths, William Jerome Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, opioid deaths posed a significant public health crisis with profound social and economic implications. The opioid crisis continued despite the implementation of state-level prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP), naloxone access laws (NALs), and Medicaid expansion programs. Existing research demonstrated opioid deaths and nonfatal overdose patterns highlight the need for targeted harm reduction strategies, but there remained a lack of quantitative studies that addressed the effectiveness of opioid harm reduction policies. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative research was to evaluate the relationship between state-level PDMPs, NALs, Medicaid expansion programs, and the COVID-19 global pandemic period (2020-2023), …

Perceptions Of Racial Inequality And Attitudes Toward The Criminal Justice System: Results From The 2022 General Social Survey, Elizabeth A. Hien

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Archival Articulations Of Belonging: Resistance, Reimagination, And Resilience In School And In Incarceration, Caroline Hastings

Dissertations

Belonging is a universal desire, providing purpose and comfort, that supports our ability to survive and triumph through difficulty. A lack of belonging can impact one’s likelihood of becoming incarcerated. In turn, incarceration stigmatizes individuals and disrupts connections with family, friends, and community members. This study of individual’s experiences of belonging analyzed reflective written accounts created during incarceration. This phenomenological qualitative examination of belonging for formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, disproportionately people of color and individuals with disabilities, sought to deepen our understanding of belonging as a force in their lives. In the United States, high rates of incarceration impact …

From Student To Colleague: Honoring The Legacy Of Dr. Philip Zimbardo, Allison Evans

Heroism Science

In this article, I reflect on the profound professional, educational, and personal influence of Dr. Philip Zimbardo, tracing his journey from the Stanford Prison Experiment to his transformative work on heroism. Through personal narrative, student testimony, and colleague reflections, I illustrate Zimbardo’s evolution from studying the psychology of evil to fostering the psychology of everyday heroism via the Heroic Imagination Project (HIP). I recount moments of mentorship, public engagement, and collaborative program development, highlighting Zimbardo’s ability to connect across academic hierarchies and cultural boundaries. Vivid accounts from students and HIP leaders underscore his talent for empowering others, reframing heroism as …

Beyond The Bottle: The Lifelong Consequences Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disroder, Victoria M. Van Curen Ms.

Master of Arts in Human Services

With increasing numbers of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, the focus is on FASD and the impact it has on mothers’, their unborn child, and the consequences that will lead to long-lasting effects. Once women find out that they are expecting, they stop drinking alcohol, but there is still statistic that shows about 8% of women reported that they continue to consume alcohol during their pregnancy. The paper will also include multiple real-life examples of studies that have been conducted on individuals with FASD. With studies focusing on individuals with FASD, it will also include different populations with FASD, and the …

Unmasking The Shadows: A Comprehensive Exploration Of Serial Killers, Erica D. Lewis

Master of Arts in Human Services

Using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative literature review and qualitative case study analysis, this capstone investigates the developmental pathways of serial killers. The study investigates a variety of biological, psychological, and sociological elements—such as genetic predispositions, neurological disorders, childhood traumas, and environmental stressors—interact to shape serial killers. The study offers a multidisciplinary perspective, grounded in criminological models such as routine activity and labeling theories, sociological frameworks such as social disorganization and strain theory, and psychological theories such as psychopathy and attachment theory. Theoretical findings are contextualized through case studies of notorious serial killers like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and …

“I Feel Like A Lot Of Times Women Are The Ones Who Are Problem-Solving For All The People That They Know”: The Gendered Impacts Of The Pandemic On Women In Alaska, Marya Rozanova-Smith, Andrey N. Petrov

Faculty Publications

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic recovery in urban communities in the Arctic have been substantial, but their gendered aspects remain largely unknown. The goal of this study was to enhance the understanding of the gender-based impact on women in the urban areas of Alaska by exploring strengths and constraints to resilience in the social and economic domains of gender equality during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on grounded theory methodology, this study is based on 29 in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The study methodology utilized a conceptual framework that integrated deficit-based and strength-based analytical perspectives. …

Brief Of Amici Curiae Contract Law Scholars Mark Gergen, Gregory Klass, And Daniel Markovits In Support Of Plaintiffs-Appellants And Reversal, Vera Institute Of Justice V. Department Of Justice, No. 25-5248 (D.C. Cir. Aug. 19, 2025), Mark Gergen, Gregory Klass, Daniel Markovits

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In Vera Institute of Justice v. Department of Justice, as in a raft of other cases involving constitutional, statutory, and regulatory challenges to the rapid mass cancellation of federal grants or grant programs, the government has deployed jurisdictional arguments in an effort to restrict the judiciary’s ability to review the legality of executive actions. Specifically, the government has attempted to confine jurisdiction over the plaintiffs’ claims to the Federal Court of Claims, which is powerless to remedy the alleged violations. The arguments by which the government would deny judicial review of the plaintiffs’ claims conflate two distinct considerations: first, …

The Perceived Impact Of Officer-Involved Domestic Violence On Law Enforcement Administrators, Victoria Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The frequency of officer-involved domestic violence (OIDV) is a serious problem in the law enforcement profession. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to determine what measures and specific domestic violence policies are working well and what is working poorly in Florida. This study is critical because it can aid upcoming law enforcement administrators (LEAs) and current LEAs in improving the policies and measures they use in their agency to combat OIDV among their officers and recruits. Jacques’s organizational culture theory (OCT) provided a framework for this study. I used purposeful snowball sampling methods to recruit participants for this study. Six law …

The Shorthorn: April 28, 1977

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 29, 1977

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 13, 1977

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 12, 1977

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 1, 1977

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: March 29, 1977

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: March 24, 1977

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: March 25, 1977

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1970s

No abstract provided.