Digital Commons Network^™

Rape And Sexual Assault On The High Seas: A Case Of Murky Jurisdiction, Linny Kit Tong Ng

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

Rape and sexual assault on the high seas present a complex, dual-faceted challenge encompassing both legal and socio-cultural dimensions. The high seas are marked by jurisdictional ambiguity. International law assigns jurisdiction to the flag State of the vessel. However, many vessels are registered to States lacking adequate legal frameworks or the capacity to address such crimes effectively. While international law does allow for intervention by other States under certain principles of jurisdiction, the lack of legal clarity and political will often results in hesitation from non-flag States, except for the United States. This hesitance leaves victims without recourse. This Article …

Conservation Education And The Cultivation Of Environmental Responsibility: Case Studies From Sri Lanka, Jody Miller, Pasindu Dilshan Abegunawardhana

International Journal on Responsibility

Conservation education encompasses effective pedagogical practices that enhance knowledge of the environment and foster responsible environmental actions. In addition to building an informed citizenry, conservation education is shaped by theoretical stances about the components necessary to cultivate environmental responsibility among participants and their communities. Highlighting three of our own conservation education projects in Sri Lanka as case studies, we draw from research and debates about environmental responsibility to illustrate the incorporation of environmental engagement and responsibility into these efforts, and the difficulties that arise in doing so. Sri Lanka is one of eight global biodiversity hotspots prioritized for conservation intervention. …

Prosecutorial Discretion In Arizona Municipalities And The Need For Greater Transparency, Brittany Kimball

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Racial Profiling In Traffic Enforcement: A Qualitative Exploration Of Police Chiefs' Perspectives On Traffic Stop Data Analysis, Peter J. Didomenica

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial profiling of people of color by police departments as part of traffic enforcement practices is a pervasive practice in the United States. The practice is a form of systemic racism, the conceptual framework for this study, that has resulted in people and communities of color suffering its deleterious effects. Although statistical analysis of traffic stop data is most effective in uncovering racial profiling in traffic enforcement, most police departments fail to conduct such analysis, and for those departments that do so, there is no uniform judicially accepted method. The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons most …

Examining Inmate Labor In Emergency Management: Contributions, Challenges, And Ethical Considerations, Boris Eugene Valiance

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incarcerated individuals remain inconsistently engaged in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, creating both an operational gap and an ethical challenge regarding labor equity, safety, voluntariness, and human dignity. Guided by RBT and EMT, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how incarcerated individuals are utilized in emergency management and to examine stakeholder perceptions of the operational, ethical, and policy implications of inmate labor programs. The research questions examined current utilization patterns, stakeholder-perceived benefits and drawbacks, and ethical concerns influencing participation decisions. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with purposefully sampled emergency management professionals, policymakers, and correctional …

2026-07-07 Professor Removed Following Public Criticism Of Administration, Dylan Berman

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

From Classroom To Cell: Examining Protective Factors Against The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Ronald Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Truancy and chronic absenteeism among adjudicated youth are significant concerns for educators, school administrators, policymakers, and juvenile justice stakeholders because persistent school disengagement may contribute to pathways associated with the school-to-prison pipeline. Grounded in Hirschi’s social bond theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between parental involvement, extracurricular activities, and teacher–student social bonds and truancy/chronic absenteeism among adjudicated youth. Secondary data were obtained from the Pathways to Desistance study, which included 1,070 adjudicated youth ages 14–17 from Maricopa County, Arizona, and Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the relationships among …

Stopping Child Pornography And Csam Online: Act Local, Unite Global, Hon. Anne-Christine Massullo, Frederick W. Mostert, Lea Leisure

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Childhood Development Podcast Assignment, Masha Komolova

Open Educational Resources

The assignment asks students to analyze how a particular aspect of their childhood has shaped them into a person they are today. Students will use literature review, interview with a caregiver, and their own reflection to analyze their childhood development and its effects on them. The assignment will be in the form of a podcast.

Juvenile Probation Officers’ And Therapists’ Perceptions Of Challenges In Rehabilitating Juvenile Sex Offenders And Reducing Recidivism In The Northern Region Of Texas, Raven L. Miles-Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile probation officers (JPOs) and therapists play a critical role in supervising and rehabilitating juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) while balancing community safety and continuity of care. However, limited community-based services, variations in professional training, and challenges related to family engagement may create barriers to successful rehabilitation and recidivism reduction. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore how JPOs and therapists describe the obstacles they encounter when ensuring continuity of care for JSOs in the northern region of Texas. The study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological model to examine systemic and relational influences on supervision practices. Data …

Juvenile Justice Professionals’ Perceptions Of Prevention Programs In West Central Florida, Terry Rachelle Harmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Recommendations For Conducting Ethical Network Research, Francisca Ortiz Ruiz, Paola Tubaro, José Luis Molina, Jennifer Watling Neal, Raffaele Vacca, Jana Diesner, Jimi Adams, Michelle Birkett, Jenny Godley, Juniper Lovato, Michael Schönhuth, Laura Teves, Michael Zimmer

Faculty Publications

Ethical considerations in social network studies are grounded in the general principles of human subjects’ research, including avoidance of harm, promotion of justice, equitable distribution of burdens and benefits, respect for human dignity, and protection of confidentiality. To help navigate these challenges, this article presents recommendations for conducting ethical network research, developed by a multi-disciplinary and multi-national working group. The article is divided in three main sections where there are certain recommendations identified for each one of them: data collections, use, and availability. Discovering how others addressed and solved problems can be a way for all of us to improve …

Comprehensive Study On Explainable Artificial Intelligence For Enhanced Decision-Making, Eman Taher, Wessam H. El-Behaidy, Doaa S. Elzanfaly

Computer Science

Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are often criticized for their black-box nature, particularly in high-stakes domains such as finance, healthcare, and business decision-making, where transparency, accountability, and trust are essential. As machine learning advances with more complex architectures, including deep neural networks and ensemble models, the need for explainability becomes increasingly critical. This study focuses on Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) as a key approach to enhance interpretability in classification, regression, and clustering tasks that serve as the foundation of data-driven analytical systems. XAI methods such as SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations), LIME (Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations), and Integrated Gradients provide a means …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Styles Among African American Female Law Enforcement Supervisors, Hudson Cutno, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Organizational Demands, Worker Adaptation, And The Relational Ripple Effect In Child Welfare Case Planning, Mackenzie Alexia Leach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Mandatory Arrest Laws: Breaking The Cycle Of Violence In Colorado And Nebraska, Ryann Lavata Livingstone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Telling On Themselves: A Qualitative Study On The Linguistic Markers Of Deception In High-Stakes Speech, James Butcher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deception detection in forensic and legal settings has historically relied on behavioral and nonverbal cues. Extensive research has demonstrated that these indicators are unreliable and prone to bias. This reliance has a significant impact on investigations, legal outcomes, and public trust. Although linguistic research has identified individual markers of deceptive speech, limited attention has been given to how multiple linguistic cues interact in real-world, high-stakes contexts. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how pronoun shifts, avoidance language, and equivocation cluster together during high-stakes deceptive speech. Truth-default theory (TDT) served as the theoretical foundation, and critical discourse analysis …

Caelestis Ars Poetica, Ryan Prusak

Floodwall Magazine

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The “Police Response To Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Operations” Online Training Program, Anthony Galante, Leila Halawi

Publications

This study evaluates the impact of the “Police Response to Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Operations” online training program of officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD). By measuring the effectiveness of the training through pretest and posttest assessments and considering variables such as educational background, length of service, and rank, this research underscores the training’s potential to enhance UAS response capabilities. Employing a self-selection sampling method, the study engaged 82 voluntary participants from the DBPD, revealing significant improvement across all groups in UAS knowledge and confidence levels. Despite limitations, these findings offer compelling evidence of the training’s efficacy and advocate …

Considering What Counting: Measuring Lives Saved And Other Things That Don’T Happen, Joel Best, Keith R. Johnson

Numeracy

While most statistics are assumed to count elements in the empirical world, it is also possible to calculate the numbers of things that don't or won't happen. Estimates of "lives saved" represent an important application. This column explores insights numeracy skill offers to such discussions.

The Impact Of International Organizations On The Development And Enforcement Of International Humanitarian Law, Mubeen Majid Jaber

Imam Ja'afar Al-Sadiq University Journal of Legal Studies

The struggle for survival and human dignity continues in Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine amid ongoing armed conflicts, while international organizations seek to uphold International Humanitarian Law (IHL). In many instances, the enforcement of humanitarian law falls short of established standards. Organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Criminal Court (ICC) play vital roles in promoting and implementing humanitarian principles and protecting human rights. However, their effectiveness often depends on political cooperation and the existence of conditions conducive to peace. This study examines selected case studies to evaluate how political …

Unwilling Consent Or Ravishment? Sexual Violence In Late Seventeenth-Century London, Susan Hernandez

Florida Atlantic Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

What Leadership And Operational Strategies Should Twin Cities Black-Led Charter Schools Have To Promote School Improvement, Enhance Student Achievement, And Ensure Sustained Organizational Success?, Donald W-R. Allen, Ii

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Allen, D. (2026). What Leadership and Operational Strategies should Twin Cities Black-led Charter Schools have to Promote School Improvement, Enhance Student Achievement, and Ensure Sustained Organizational Success?  

This dissertation examined my story along with the leadership and operational strategies employed by Twin Cities Black-led charter schools to support school improvement, enhance student achievement, and sustain long-term organizational success. Black-led charter schools emerged as community-centered educational alternatives designed to provide culturally responsive learning environments for Black students and families while addressing persistent educational inequities. Despite their important role within Minnesota's educational landscape, limited empirical research has examined the organizational conditions that …

Robert B. Ahdieh, Robert B. Ahdieh

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Jenny E. Carroll, Jenny E. Carroll

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Joan Stringfellow, Joan Stringfellow

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Sara Zampierin, Sara Zampierin

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Essays In Whistleblowing, Crime, And Experimental Economics, Danielle Nickeisha Purcell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three essays on how institutional strength, enforcement practices, and cognitive load affect behavior. The first essay presents a laboratory experiment that varies the extent to which an individual in a position of authority can interfere with the outcome of whistleblowing, holding all other monetary incentives fixed. Strengthening institutions raises whistleblowing rates, lowers theft, and reduces the rate of bribe offers, while leaving authorities’ acceptance of bribes unchanged when they face no punishment for accepting them. The second essay studies the end of stop and frisk in Chicago following the 2015 ACLU-CPD settlement agreement, which cut annual investigatory …

Privacy, Paternalism, And Standing In Health Professions Regulation, Anthony Sangiuliano

Dalhousie Law Journal

When investigating whether a doctor has behaved unethically while treating a patient, professional regulatory colleges may search patients’ confidential medical records without patients’ consent. I argue that this practice is not paternalistic, nor does it usurp patients’ standing to decide for themselves whether to sacrifice their privacy to hold the doctor to account for professional wrongdoing. College investigations that non-consensually invade patient privacy do not express disrespect for patients’ agency because they aim to mitigate harm to the broader public. Unlike criminal prosecutions of doctors which uphold moral values pervading the public at large, college investigations enforce ethical standards within …

Gold & Blue, Summer 2026, St. Mary's University - San Antonio, Texas

Gold & Blue

This is the Summer 2026 edition of Gold & Blue, which is St. Mary’s University's official alumni magazine.