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Full-Text Articles in Law

The Strength Of Social Bonds In Preventing At Risk Youth From Engaging In Delinquent And Law Violating Behavior, Christopher A. Falcone Jul 2015

The Strength Of Social Bonds In Preventing At Risk Youth From Engaging In Delinquent And Law Violating Behavior, Christopher A. Falcone

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to assess whether social bonds (i.e., attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief) are associated with a decrease in delinquent and law violating behavior among at-risk youth in various geographical locations. According to Travis Hirschi's (1969) social bonding theory, delinquent acts occur when an individual's bond to society is weak or broken. Hirschi stated that humans by nature are deviant, and that the value individuals place on their relationships prevent them from engaging in such behavior. Using data from the 2000 ICPSR Evaluation of the Children at Risk Program in Austin, Texas; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Memphis, Tennessee; …


Tokin Up In The 5280: Insight Into How Denver Police Officers Make Sense Of, And Define, Interpret, And React To The Legalization Of Marijuana, Kara K. Hoofnagle Jul 2015

Tokin Up In The 5280: Insight Into How Denver Police Officers Make Sense Of, And Define, Interpret, And React To The Legalization Of Marijuana, Kara K. Hoofnagle

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Laws surrounding the possession, use, and distribution of marijuana have undergone many changes for over a century. Political pressures and social prejudices have most often been the cause of these changes, rather than scientific research or rational thinking. As a result, the law has sometimes lagged behind social practice as in the current case in much of the U.S., including Colorado. In such an environment, it often falls on a police officer's definition, interpretation, and reaction to the laws to determine the extent to which certain laws and sanctions are enforced. Drawing on the work of Weick (1976), this dissertation …