Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Safest Suburbs In The Mountain West, 2023, Ivan Sun, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet presents data from the Smart Asset report, “America’s Safest Suburbs – 2023 Study,” which examines the 370 safest suburbs in the United States and the 35 most affordable safest suburbs. This fact sheet focuses on data for the nine safest suburbs and most affordable safe suburbs in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah ranking among the top 100 safest suburbs in the United States.

Embodied Integration: How Expressive Arts Therapy Supports Self-Regulation In Adults With Complex Ptsd (A Literature Review), Alexandra Orgera

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder presents a unique challenge in healing due to the absence of a foundation of safety and self-regulation that results from repeated exposure to traumatic stress. This narrative literature review explores the current research on establishing this foundation as a crucial first step in complex PTSD treatment and examines how engaging in expressive arts therapy can foster self-regulation and create new, positive experiences for these clients. Drawing on clinical experience and neurobiological research, the author proposes a model conceptualizing self-regulation as an embodied, holistic process that results from left and right brain integration at multiple levels of …

Client Perpetrated Violence And Safety Culture In Child Welfare: A Systematic Literature Review, Amber Castro

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Interpersonal client and workplace violence pose significant challenges in contemporary society, particularly within health care and social service sectors. Social workers, dedicated to supporting vulnerable populations, face heightened risks of client perpetrated violence (CPV) due to the nature of their work. Despite being a global issue, CPV remains underreported and often normalized within social work practice, specifically in child welfare. This paper explores the prevalence and impacts of CPV on child welfare social workers, aiming to identify key risk factors and promote a culture of safety within child welfare agencies. Utilizing a systematic literature review encompassing quantitative and qualitative data, …

Ennobling Each Other Through Collaborative Inquiry: Exploring Music As A Provocation For Leadership Development, Ihan Ip

Dissertations

Amid the challenges in a global village, leadership education needs to surpass traditional methods, nurturing creativity, flexibility, and adaptability. This study is a collaborative action inquiry that considers music as an arts-based method in service of leadership development. The study unfolded over five cycles, in which 14 coinquirers collaborated in a process of exploration. The study illuminates the strong potential of music as a provocation for leadership development and reveals crucial realizations in the area of facilitation in collective processes.

This dissertation tells the story of the inquiry with the voices of its coinquirers and offers insights on facilitation through …

Fostering Cultural Humility In Addressing Sexual Violence And Sex Trafficking Among Youth, Stephanie Olson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Discover the power of cultural humility in promoting safe spaces for youth to disclose experiences of sexual violence and sex trafficking. Explore the impact of educators' perspectives on disclosure rates and understand how diverse cultural backgrounds influence coping mechanisms. Gain practical insights and strategies to foster cultural humility, create a supportive environment, and enhance safety measures, thus ensuring the well-being of at-risk youth.

Up In The Air: A Human Factors Approach To Enhancing Evtol Passenger Experience, Brandon D. Dreslin, Michael C. Falanga, Juksana Mai Ngam, Alex Chaparro, Barbara S. Chaparro

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Although electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles are an emerging mode of transportation, current research indicates that the general public may be unwilling to ride in them due to unfamiliarity and uncertainty about their trust in the technology. This research aimed to better understand potential passenger concerns as well as the factors related to eVTOL design and ride journey that contribute to people’s willingness to ride in them. Understanding these human factors considerations are crucial for addressing issues surrounding the end-to-end passenger experience. Passenger safety, comfort, and acceptance were identified as important areas that influence users’ experience. These areas …

The Sky Is Falling… Or Is It?, Sarah Nilsson, Mike Canada

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

There are two sides to the issue of societal acceptance of advanced/urban air mobility when it comes to mental health. One is that of the pilots’ mental health, and a topic for another day. The other is that of society’s mental health, the topic of this paper. More specifically, this research seeks to uncover what causes society the most angst when it comes to these operations. Literature review shows that stress increases with noise levels of aircraft flying overhead, as well as vehicle safety. Furthermore, for passengers, the stress caused by fear of flying may be compounded when a pilot …

The Epidemic Of Gun Violence And The Role Of Health Care Professionals, Daniel Meyer, Kurt Granhke

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Policy Brief: Evaluation Of The Safety Of Pedestrian Crossing Treatments In Small And Rural Communities, Parsa Pezeshknejad, Dana Rowangould, James Sullivan

University of Vermont Transportation Research Center

TRC Policy Brief: Rural areas often lack adequate pedestrian infrastructure, resulting in elevated safety risks for pedestrians. The combination of higher speed limits and reduced driver awareness amplifies the potential for pedestrian collisions when crossing the roadway.

This study addresses uncertainty about the effectiveness of rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) and LED-embedded signs (LESs) as potential safety interventions. RRFBs and LESs are both pedestrian crossing treatments that allow pedestrians to activate lights to alert drivers of their intent to cross. RRFBs include horizontal LED lights mounted to the sign pole, while LESs include LEDs embedded in the edge of the …

Assessing Past Airworthiness Directives And How Safety Management Systems May Benefit Aviation Product Design And Manufacturing, Damon Lercel Ph.D., Manoj Patankar Ph.D., Richard Steckel Ph.D.

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) continues to promulgate Safety Management Systems (SMS) across aviation organizations when it recently issued SMS requirements for EASA certificated Part 145 maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organizations and Part 21 Design & Manufacturing (D&M) organizations. Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has no such rule in place for these U.S.-based organizations, which may challenge those doing business in countries where EASA policies apply. Given that a majority of the United States’ D&M and MRO population is made up of smaller organizations, it is likely a U.S. SMS regulation will require justification of the …

The Impacts Of Identity On Perceptions Of Safety On A Predominately White Campus, Rebecca Delrosso

Honors Theses

This quantitative study examines the relationship between students’ marginalized identities of race, gender, and sexuality and their perceptions of safety at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Survey data collected from undergraduates at a small liberal arts university reveal associations between minority identities and feelings of discomfort, insecurity, discrimination, and vulnerability on campus. The findings highlight the need for PWIs to prioritize secure and inclusive environments through policies, practices, and support systems.

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Built Environment As A Key Mechanism Of Safety And Social Cohesion For Youth In High-Violence Communities, Lolita Moss, Kimberly Wu, Amber Tucker, Reanna Durbin-Matrone, Gabriella D. Roude, Samantha Francois, Lisa Richardson, Katherine P. Theall

Psychology

The characteristics of a neighborhood’s built environment may influence health-promoting behaviors, interactions between neighbors, and perceptions of safety. Although some research has reported on how youth in high-violence communities navigate danger, less work has investigated how these youth perceive the built environment, their desires for these spaces, and how these desires relate to their conceptions of safety and perceptions of other residents. To fill this gap, this study used focus group data from 51 youth ages 13–24 living in New Orleans, Louisiana. Four themes were developed using reflexive thematic analysis: community violence is distressing and disruptive, youth use and want …

A Phenomenological Approach Of Foster Parent Factors That Predict Placement Disruption Of Children In Foster Care, Latoya Ebony Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover foster parent factors contributing to foster care disruptions. Disruptions of foster care children are detrimental to the safety and well-being of the children. There are implications of foster care disruptions producing short- and long-term negative outcomes for children and families. Research indicates the emotional trauma effects of placement instability negatively impact the child’s relationships, ability to form attachments, educational outcomes, and mental and developmental stability. Foster parent factors have been identified that predict the likelihood of the parents disrupting the child’s placement and strategies for increasing placement stability in various studies. …

Homeless Barriers: A Phenomenological Study Of Service Providers In Thurston County, Washington State, Michael Meredith

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study aims to describe the perceptions of homeless service providers in Thurston County, Washington State, and describe barriers to the homeless seeking assistance. This study interviewed ten Thurston County service providers about their perception of the barriers preventing the unsheltered homeless from using available services. Identifying barriers and developing strategies to reduce or remove them is expected to reduce or eliminate homelessness.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study describes the homeless service providers' perceptions of the homeless and the barriers to the homeless seeking assistance. The researcher conducted interviews with a sample of ten service providers to …

Misconduct On Public Transit: An Exploratory Analysis Using The Comments Formerly Known As Tweets, Egbe Etu Etu, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Imokhai Tenebe, Jordan Larot, Dang Minh Nhu Nguyen

Mineta Transportation Institute

This project developed a simple methodology for using Twitter data to explore public perceptions about misconduct on public transit in California. The methodology allows future researchers to analyze tweets to answer questions such as: How frequent are tweets related to assault, abuse, or other misconduct on public transit? What concerns arise most frequently? What are the types of behaviors discussed? We collected and analyzed data from Twitter posts in California about various types of public transit misconduct from January 2020 to March 2023 to identify the nature and frequency of reported misconduct. Our findings reveal that harassment, uncivil behavior, and …

The Future Of International Law Freedom Of Journalism: A Transitional Justice Framework, Edward L. Carter

Faculty Publications

The overwhelming majority of digital and physical attacks on journalists are done with impunity. This results in lower-quality journalism, less scrutiny of government, and less healthy societies and democracies. The international human rights law concept of transitional justice could bolster collective will and inform legal mechanisms to combat such impunity. Judges and investigators in several recent cases of attacks on journalists have invoked transitional justice concepts, including truth-telling, criminal investigations and prosecutions, reparations, and institutional reforms to guarantee non-recurrence. These mechanisms should be fully implemented to protect journalism at local, national, and international levels.

Traffic-Related Pedestrian Deaths In The Mountain West, 2022, Miguel Soriano Ralston, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Transportation & Infrastructure

This fact sheet examines data from Smarth Growth America’s report, “Dangerous By Design, 2022,” which reports on traffic deaths throughout the United States. This fact sheet highlights pedestrian deaths as well as deaths among specific groups based on age, race, ethnicity, and media household income between 2016 and 2020 in the Mountain West: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. This fact sheet builds upon a 2020 fact sheet, titled “Traffic-Related Pedestrian Deaths in the Sun Belt Region,” which examined Smart Growth America’s assessment of pedestrian safety for the years 2008 to 2017.

The Perils Of Non-State Actors In Pakistan: Assessing The Risks Of Nuclear Safety And Security, Iftikhar Ali, Muhammad Sadiq

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Pakistan is facing security problems on multiple fronts, including economic default, social fragmentation, poor civil–military relations, political polarization, and environmental degradation. However, the biggest security threat comes from non-state actors (NSAs) and terrorism. Using empirical evidence, this research paper evaluates the risk of nuclear terrorism by NSAs in Pakistan. It adopts an interpretive approach to examine international concerns regarding nuclear security in Pakistan. The study focuses on the potential for technology and weapon-usable materials to fall into the hands of violent NSAs. It concludes that, despite ongoing security challenges, Pakistan has taken steps to strengthen its legislative and institutional measures …

Economic Evaluation Of Route Choice Characteristics For Company Truck Drivers And Owner-Operator Truck Drivers In Southern California Freeways, Joseph J. Kim, Jose Alejandro Arroyo Turcios

Mineta Transportation Institute

To contribute to the understanding of freeway capacity and financing options, this study evaluates the demand for truck-only toll lanes on Southern California freeways. The study implemented surveys to both company truck drivers and owner-operator truck drivers to estimate the value they place on time, reliability, and safety measures. The research team met face-to-face with both types of truck drivers near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to understand the drivers’ perspectives regarding truck-only toll lanes on Southern California freeways. A data set containing 45 surveys out of 62 survey responses were used for statistical analysis. The results …

How Art Therapy Can Help Survivors Of Trauma Access An Embodied Sense Of Safety: A Literature Review ศิลปะบำบัดสามารถช่วยให้ผู้รอดชีวิตจากการบาดเจ็บทางจิตใจได้เข้าถึง ความรู้สึกปลอดภัยภายในตัวตนได้อย่างไร: การทบทวนวรรณกรรม, Catherine L. Ripley

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Traumatic stress can disrupt systemic rhythms in the brain and body that enable a person to feel safe in the world. Therefore, the initial phase of trauma treatment must focus on establishing an embodied sense of safety. This literature review examined cross-disciplinary data to assess whether art therapy can help trauma survivors access an embodied sense of safety, and if so, what therapeutic mechanisms contribute to its effectiveness. The data indicated that trauma-informed art therapy can support an embodied sense of safety through activating key therapeutic factors that downregulate instinctual defense mechanisms which can occur as a result of traumatic …

Building Credibility, Trust, And Safety On Video-Sharing Platforms, Shuo Niu, Zhicong Lu, Amy X. Zhang, Jie Cai, Carla F. Griggio, Hendrick Heuer

Computer Science

Video-sharing platforms (VSPs) such as YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch attract millions of users and have become influential information sources, especially among the young generation. Video creators and live streamers make videos to engage viewers and form online communities. VSP celebrities obtain monetary benefits through monetization programs and affiliated markets. However, there is a growing concern that user-generated videos are becoming a vehicle for spreading misinformation and controversial content. Creators may make inappropriate content for attention and financial benefits. Some other creators also face harassment and attack. This workshop seeks to bring together a group of HCI scholars to brainstorm technical …

Dna Evidence: The Forensic Tool That Provides Both Accuracy And A Violation Of Privacy, Garrett Malove

Student Writing

DNA Forensics, the use of DNA by law enforcement in investigations, has been the most effective tool for solving crimes in human history. Through the over 90% accuracy it provides, it has caught repeat offenders, solved cold cases sooner, and exonerated innocent individuals. However, throughout the 2010s, especially after the Maryland v. King decision in 2013 which mandated the collection of DNA from individuals arrested for felonies, privacy concerns have been raised not just for the arrestees themselves, but for the current free access law enforcement has to DNA databases. Those who support the status quo, being the idea that …

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Operator Workload And Situation Awareness Utilizing First Person View Techniques, Ross Lucas Stephenson Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) sector within the aviation industry is experiencing unprecedented growth. However, the regulatory guidance for the safe integration of sUAS into the National Airspace System (NAS) has not kept pace with this technological growth within the market. Current regulatory limitations of line-of-sight operations may have an impact on the establishment of an equivalent level of safety for sUAS operations as maintained by manned aircraft. The focal point of the discussion of line-of-sight operations has been the ability of the sUAS pilot to see and avoid all obstacles and other aircraft in a safe and timely …

Adherence To Covid-19 Safety Guidelines As A Function Of Depression And Anxiety, Derek Berger

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The entire world has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in a multitude of ways. This project aimed to identify if those experiencing depression and anxiety are more likely or less likely to follow mandated guidelines and safety procedures for COVID-19 than those who are undiagnosed. For the purposes of this project, guidelines and safety procedures were defined as receiving the COVID-19 vaccines, wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and avoiding social gatherings. Data were gathered through the construction and administration of a nationwide survey, and then depression and anxiety were correlated with each safety procedure separately. It was found …

Faith-Based Leaders’ Perception On The Need For Active Assailant Contingency Planning, Tanzania Merriweather

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence is identifiable as a common threat to public and community safety. Violent incidents have had an extensive history within society and are especially concerning when orchestrated against religious institutions. There is existing research concerning massive violent incidents in sanctuaries and churches; however, there is limited research on the perceptions of religious leaders on the need for safety planning to prepare for and combat these incidents. This phenomenological study was completed to explore the perceptions of eight faith-based leaders on the need for safety contingency planning for sanctuaries and churches. The research questions posed for this study were designed to …

Faith-Based Leaders’ Perception On The Need For Active Assailant Contingency Planning, Tanzania Merriweather

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence is identifiable as a common threat to public and community safety. Violent incidents have had an extensive history within society and are especially concerning when orchestrated against religious institutions. There is existing research concerning massive violent incidents in sanctuaries and churches; however, there is limited research on the perceptions of religious leaders on the need for safety planning to prepare for and combat these incidents. This phenomenological study was completed to explore the perceptions of eight faith-based leaders on the need for safety contingency planning for sanctuaries and churches. The research questions posed for this study were designed to …

Evaluating The Effects Of Safety Management Systems (Sms) On Safety Culture Factors In Collegiate Aviation Operations: A Structural Equation Modeling (Sem) Approach, Robert A. Foster, Daniel Kwasi Adjekum

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Implementing Safety Management Systems (SMS) is currently voluntary for collegiate aviation operations in the U.S. Some extant studies have advocated using Safety Management Systems (SMS) as a proactive tool to continuously improve collegiate aviation safety culture. Using a structural equation modeling/path analysis (SEM/PA) approach, the effect of SMS on factors of safety culture in multiple collegiate aviation programs in the U.S. was evaluated using a hypothesized model that measures the relationships between scales of SMS, safety motivation (mediator), and safety culture factors (safety compliance, safety reporting, and safety participation). Demographic differences in safety culture were also evaluated. Findings suggest significant …

Exploring Supervisory Experiences After The Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana In Colorado, Charles Daniel Mason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractColorado became the first state to decriminalize recreational marijuana in 2014. This new public policy resulted in unproven regulatory changes in any population in the United States. The purpose of the study was to discover the core perspective and experiences of 12 supervisors who experienced this phenomenon in their professional occupations, through the lens of accountability. The risk perceptions of supervisors’ due to policy shifts regarding recreational marijuana in Colorado were analyzed using the Delve system and hand coding. Findings indicated employees’ use of marijuana had a direct impact on productivity, which decreased significantly over time. Employees displayed signs of …

The Right Sign For The Right Time: A Look At The Effectiveness Of Different Types Of Signage, Samantha Emily Feldstein

Senior Projects Fall 2023

Warning signs are present in the day to day lives of most individuals. While there has been past research into what makes a warning sign more or less effective, there is still no clear answer as to what the most effective warning sign looks like. This study looks at specifically the words being used on a sign and the sign's color to determine which has a larger impact on the hazard perception of the sign. An online study was conducted in which participants were shown different signs and asked to rate how hazardous of a situation they thought each sign …

Examining The Relationship Of Race On Students’ Perceptions Of Safety And Concealed Campus Carry On A University Campus, Whitney H. Mascaro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Previous literature suggests that students who feel unsafe in their academic settings experience harmful academic, social, and psychological ramifications. With an alarming increase in school shootings, violence, and media coverage, the political discourse surrounding gun violence and strategies to ensure safety on college campuses has become increasingly polarized. States like Texas, Georgia, and Colorado have passed bills allowing students to carry concealed handguns on university campuses. At the time of this study, the state legislature in West Virginia passed a similar bill known as the Campus Self-Defense Act (Senate Bill 246, 2021). College students who identify as Black, Indigenous, People …