Law Commons^™

Victims Confront Offenders: An Exploratory Study Of Victim Satisfaction During Mediation, Krystal C. Walton

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if age, race, and gender were related to victim satisfaction during mediation while controlling for the type of offense. Satisfaction with the mediator's attitude, the session itself, the mediator, and the outcome were assessed to measure the victim's level of satisfaction with the various components of the mediation process. Data was collected from questionnaires mailed to crime victims' who had completed the mediation process through the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Norfolk, Virginia. This thesis looks at the relationship of age, race, and gender to victim satisfaction with mediation. Cross-tabulations were …

Victimless Crime: A Comparison Of Public Offense Ratings Of Misdemeanor Offenses And Virginia Sentencing Guidelines, Theresa M. Dutton

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the hypothesized gap between what state guidelines on criminal sanctioning recommend for misdemeanor offenses, and what the public perceives· as just punishment for these offenses. The research also addresses the issue of victimless crime. In this regard it was additionally hypothesized that there exists a significant difference in public opinion towards sentencing those crimes that specifically do not have a victim, with those that do.

The design of this study is based on one conducted by Peter Rossi and Richard Berk (Rossi and Berk 1997). For this study, a sample of students attending college …

Community Building In Ethically Restructured States: The Baltics, Dovile Budryte

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Drawing on democratic theory, this dissertation explores a thesis that the experience of ethnic restructuring significantly effects the ability of a democratizing state to successfully consolidate its emerging democracy. Ethnically restructured states, it is hypothesized, have an especially hard time creating inclusive democratic political communities, which is a necessary prerequisite for a consolidated democracy.

To test the thesis, the comparative case study method is applied to the ethnically restructured states of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The goal of the case studies is to examine the approaches that the Baltic states used to reduce polarization. The historical background to the case …

Identity, Conflict And Cooperation In International River Basins, Jack V. Kalpakian

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation tests the hypothesis that water disputes cause serious conflict within and between states. It uses a structured case study approach to see whether there is a link between the independent and dependent variables. It also considers the effect of other variables on serious conflict. Specifically it addresses the effects of national identity and the othering process on conflict. The three case studies are built around rivers in the drier parts of the world. This biases the dissertation towards affirming the established mainstream hypothesis which states that water disputes cause serious conflict. In all three cases, historical animosities and …

An Exploratory Study Of Domestic Violence Attitudes Among Virginia Magistrates, Elaine M. Phillips

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Currently, 43 states utilize magistrates in the criminal justice response to domestic violence. In Virginia, magistrates have the power to grant emergency protective orders and arrest warrants in domestic violence cases. In 1996, Virginia instituted a new mandatory arrest law. This study explores magistrates' attitudes toward the new law. It also examines their attitudes toward victims and offenders involved in domestic violence cases. The study utilizes data from Crossland's 1998 survey of Virginia magistrates (n=239). Hypotheses based on conflict theory and feminist theory lead to hypotheses that predict that magistrates' attitudes will vary depending on the race, educational level and …