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Articles 1 - 30 of 103

Full-Text Articles in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Detention Before Adjudication: Evaluating Its Role In Juvenile Justice Outcomes, Ella Morrow Apr 2026

Detention Before Adjudication: Evaluating Its Role In Juvenile Justice Outcomes, Ella Morrow

2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects

Pre-adjudication detention involves confining juveniles while they await a hearing, aimed at ensuring court appearance and upholding public safety. However, the use of pre-adjudication detention has expanded significantly, which has raised concerns regarding the impact on juvenile justice outcomes. This study reviews established peer-reviewed research and observational data from internships to evaluate how this type of detention influences legal outcomes and juvenile development. The research findings demonstrate that detention is associated with harsher dispositions, higher recidivism rates, and long-term consequences. For example, a 38% reduction in high school graduation rates is attributed to pre-adjudication detention. Research has also shown that …


Women’S Exposure To Incel Content, Perceived Safety, And Gender-Based Violence Risk In The United States, Deja Bledsoe Jan 2026

Women’S Exposure To Incel Content, Perceived Safety, And Gender-Based Violence Risk In The United States, Deja Bledsoe

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

The rapid proliferation of incel-related content across digital platforms has raised concerns about online misogyny and its potential impact on women’s perceived safety. However, less is known about how exposure to such content shapes women’s perceptions of risk and emotional responses in everyday digital environments. This study examines the relationship between exposure to incel-related content and women’s perceived risk of gender-based violence and safety-related anxiety. Guided by strain theory, social control theory, hegemonic masculinity, and intersectionality, the study employs an anonymous cross-sectional online survey of women aged 18 and older. Quantitative analyses were conducted to assess whether exposure to incel-related …


A Comparative Analysis Of Domestic Violence Legislation In India And The United States: Understanding Protection Of Women Against Violence Act 2005 And Violence Against Women Act 1994, Deon Rodrigues Dec 2025

A Comparative Analysis Of Domestic Violence Legislation In India And The United States: Understanding Protection Of Women Against Violence Act 2005 And Violence Against Women Act 1994, Deon Rodrigues

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Domestic violence continues to affect millions of individuals worldwide, yet legal systems respond to it in very different ways. This research compares how India’s Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005) and the United States’ Violence Against Women Act (1994; 2021) protect victims and hold offenders accountable. Using a comparative legal analysis, the study examines both laws’ language, enforcement mechanisms, and effectiveness through court cases, government reports, and statistical data. By identifying the strengths of the United States model such as mandatory arrest provisions and victim support systems, the study aims to propose practical reforms for India’s legal framework. …


U.S. Online Romance Scams: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Factors Associated With Victimization And Exploration Of Lived Experiences Of Victimization, Rebecca A. Cole Jan 2024

U.S. Online Romance Scams: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Factors Associated With Victimization And Exploration Of Lived Experiences Of Victimization, Rebecca A. Cole

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The objective of this dissertation is to understand develop an understanding of experiences of online romance scam1(ORS) victimization and to examine factors associated with ORS victimization. The dissertation samples ORS victims and uses purposive sampling strategies to recruit participants. The research used a mixed methods explanatory design approach. Inclusion criteria included ORS victims 18 and older who lived in the U.S., lost any amount of money in ORS scam, and met the scammer on any Internet platform. Three research manuscripts complete this dissertation. The first manuscript is a scoping review to understand the mental and physical health outcomes …


Boiling Behind Bars: Exploring The Hidden Toll Of Extreme Heat On Mental Health In Texas Prisons, Sandra K. Miller Jan 2024

Boiling Behind Bars: Exploring The Hidden Toll Of Extreme Heat On Mental Health In Texas Prisons, Sandra K. Miller

Social Work Theses - Archive

The State of Texas supports the largest prison system in the US and held 132,859 people in 100 units scattered across the state as of December 2023. Approximately 70% of Texas prison beds are not air conditioned, despite the state’s reputation for dangerously hot, humid summers. The State has officially recorded temperatures inside Texas prison facilities as high as 120 degrees with heat index values of over 150. Although there is a growing body of research on the negative physiological and psychological consequences of extreme heat among the general public, little is known about the physical and emotional toll of …


"A Show That Proves The Worst Monsters Are Real": Media And Social Media Impact On Criminal Trials And Post-Conviction Guilt As Perceived By Criminal Justice Students., Jennifer Leigh Patterson Aug 2023

"A Show That Proves The Worst Monsters Are Real": Media And Social Media Impact On Criminal Trials And Post-Conviction Guilt As Perceived By Criminal Justice Students., Jennifer Leigh Patterson

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

This study, using survey data collected in 2022, investigates how consuming true crime media, from media such as podcasts, influences fear and anxiety among criminal justice students. In addition, the relationship between viewing criminal trials in real time and forming opinions different from the sentencing juries is assessed. Results suggest that there is no significant relationship between the consumption of true crime media and fear or anxiety. Moreover, viewing criminal trials in real time does not have a signficant effect on the formation of opinons that differ from criminal juries. Limitations, implications, and directions for future research are discussed.


Seeing The Signs: An Analysis Of Early Onset Of Violence And Desistance Amongst Serious Juvenile Offenders, Tailar Brown May 2023

Seeing The Signs: An Analysis Of Early Onset Of Violence And Desistance Amongst Serious Juvenile Offenders, Tailar Brown

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

There has been increasing literature on juvenile delinquency and the factors that influence deviant behavior among adolescents. However, there has been little exploration of the effects of early displays of violent behavior on desistance for those identified as serious juvenile offenders (SJOs). In order to create effective intervention programs and lower recidivism rates among this population, it is essential to comprehend the effects of early instances of violent behavior on SJOs' desistance. Using longitudinal data from the Pathways to Desistance Study, this project explored the connection between early displays of violent behavior (i.e., fights at school, violence against siblings, planning …


Crime Across The Ages: An Examination Of Intergenerational Crime And Recidivism Among Serious Juvenile Offenders, A'Maiya Brown Dec 2022

Crime Across The Ages: An Examination Of Intergenerational Crime And Recidivism Among Serious Juvenile Offenders, A'Maiya Brown

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Although prior research has studied whether parents and their criminal histories impact a juvenile’s likelihood to commit crime, there has been little examination of whether the criminal histories of family members impact the likelihood of rearrest for juveniles who have already committed serious crimes. Using data from the Pathways to Desistance study (Pathways), this study examines the relationship between the criminal history of family members (i.e., mother, father, and other family members living within the home) and rearrest rates of participants. Results from negative binomial regressions reveal that the arrest records of the mother and father do have a significant …


Does Experiencing And Witnessing Violence Negatively Impact Delinquency Throughout The Life Course?, Treshure Dene Jones May 2022

Does Experiencing And Witnessing Violence Negatively Impact Delinquency Throughout The Life Course?, Treshure Dene Jones

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

At some point in an individual’s life, there will be some type of exposure to violence whether direct or indirect. Also described as victimization, this takes place when there is a change in three main assumptions: belief in personal invulnerability, the perception of the world as meaningful, and self-positivity (Janoff-Bulman and Frieze, 1983). There is no specific answer for the cause of delinquency, but many factors that work together (Shader, 2001). The risk factors for delinquency and victimization have been shown to be the same creating an overlap. This study focuses on whether witnessing or experiencing violence can result in …


An Examination Of Parental Temperament And Rearrest Among A Sample Of Serious Adolescent Offenders, Lina Maria Jackson Dec 2021

An Examination Of Parental Temperament And Rearrest Among A Sample Of Serious Adolescent Offenders, Lina Maria Jackson

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The relationship of child to parent, is one that has continuously been regarded as an impactful and important one. Parents are often held responsible for the character of their child as well as being responsible for their actions. Whether or not the parental relationship plays a part in an adolescent's re-arrest is what this paper aims to find, specifically looking at parental temperament. In order to lower the rate of rearrests it is important to unpack the factors that contribute to recidivism and where it may begin. This paper examines an adolescent’s rate of rearrest and analyzes if parental temperament …


Urban Homicide In Global South: A Study On Homicide Changes Of Capital Dhaka Of Bangladesh, Syed Mahfujul Haque Marjan Aug 2021

Urban Homicide In Global South: A Study On Homicide Changes Of Capital Dhaka Of Bangladesh, Syed Mahfujul Haque Marjan

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Homicides are part of life in Dhaka, the Capital of Bangladesh like megacities of the world. Different studies have shown that Dhaka has a higher trend of homicides. But the present study has found, Dhaka city has downward trends from 2017. The forecast analysis of the present study shows that a downward trend is expected until 2020. The study also found a correlation between poverty rate and homicide trends. Different studies showed that the gap between rich and poor is widening day by day in Bangladesh. The present study has found a correlation between these variables. The study also found …


Judicial Voting In U.S. District Courts Located In The Second And Fifth Circuits In First Amendment Retaliation Cases Involving Law Enforcement Officers, Selena Renee Aguirre Dec 2020

Judicial Voting In U.S. District Courts Located In The Second And Fifth Circuits In First Amendment Retaliation Cases Involving Law Enforcement Officers, Selena Renee Aguirre

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

This study examined the influence of party affiliation, as measured by the party of the appointing president; legal precedent; judicial circuit (Second or Fifth); race; gender; and prior prosecutorial experience on voting by U.S. District Court judges in First Amendment retaliation cases brought law enforcement officials against their employers. Applying binary logistic regression analyses to a data set comprised of 163 judicial votes with pro-plaintiff and pro-defendant voting serving as the dependent measure, the results indicated that only judges’ party affiliation had a significant effect on voting (Wald= 4.469, 1 df., p= .035) president. There was a .437 decrease in …


An Examination Of School Characteristics, Shooter Characteristics, And Incidental Characteristics Of School Mass Shootings, Amber Elizabeth O'Dell Dec 2020

An Examination Of School Characteristics, Shooter Characteristics, And Incidental Characteristics Of School Mass Shootings, Amber Elizabeth O'Dell

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

School Mass Shootings (SMS) continue to be an ongoing issue for k-12 schools, technical/vocational schools, and on college campuses in the United States. Recent studies have shown that these crimes are increasing in both frequency and lethality. However, SMS are still considered to be statistically rare events making them difficult to study quantitatively. Many extant studies use an exclusive definition of SMS where an incident must have four or more deaths to be categorized as this type of crime. The present study utilizes an inclusive definition of 2 or more deaths, where every four injuries count as a death in …


An Empirical Examination Of Courts Of Appeals Judges’ Voting In First Amendment Retaliation Cases Involving Police Officers, Mary Ann Boyd May 2020

An Empirical Examination Of Courts Of Appeals Judges’ Voting In First Amendment Retaliation Cases Involving Police Officers, Mary Ann Boyd

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The impact of judicial ideology on voting in First Amendment decisions has been the subject of many empirical investigations in U.S. Courts of Appeals and District Courts. However, little attention has been devoted to studying how ideology impacts voting in First Amendment retaliation claims brought by law enforcement officers against their departments. This study is designed to fill this gap in the literature. Judges must consider and balance the right of public employees to exercise individual self-expression and autonomy while also safeguarding the rights of public institutions that provide necessary services to the public (Tsesis, 2015). Often the lines can …


Forecasting Success: Using The Texas Risk Assessment System To Predict Early Discharge In A Large Sample Of High, Moderate, And Low Risk Offenders, Carley Rene Shelton May 2020

Forecasting Success: Using The Texas Risk Assessment System To Predict Early Discharge In A Large Sample Of High, Moderate, And Low Risk Offenders, Carley Rene Shelton

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Little is known regarding predictive factors that contribute to adults successfully completing felony probation—particularly those who are granted early release. The current study attempts to fill this gap by analyzing data from a large, urban, community supervision and corrections department to examine what predictive factors—as identified by the Texas Risk Assessment System (TRAS) impact successful early release from adult felony probation. Results from multivariate logistic regression models revealed that the TRAS domains of criminal history and education/employment were significant predictors of early dismissal from felony community supervision as was the total TRAS risk score. Additionally, being male and black significantly …


Absent Father Timing, Criminal Behavior, And Arrest Across The Life Course, Krysta N. Knox May 2020

Absent Father Timing, Criminal Behavior, And Arrest Across The Life Course, Krysta N. Knox

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Although prior research has examined the link between having an absent biological father and self-reported delinquency, few studies have assessed the influence of the timing of paternal absence (i.e., the child’s age when father leaves). Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), the present study examines the impact of the timing of biological father absence on delinquency and arrest across the life course. Results of negative binomial regression reveal that biological father absence before birth, early in childhood, (birth to age 5) and late adolescence (age 14 to 18) was significantly related to …


Exposure To Violence Leads Youths Convicted Of Serious Offenses To Subsequent Criminal Offending As Adults, Nicolette Perez Dec 2019

Exposure To Violence Leads Youths Convicted Of Serious Offenses To Subsequent Criminal Offending As Adults, Nicolette Perez

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

A growing health issue in the United States is violence, specifically violence against children and youths. Research finds that children and youth are steadily exposed to violence during their daily routines. Thus, exposure to community violence and domestic violence has been of primary interest to researchers. In addition, risk factors that incite these types of violence have been largely studied. As a result, to increased scholar attention, the effects of violence on children and youths is of vital importance. Although constant attention is brought to this public health concern, there is less known about the effects of exposure to violence …


Effect Of Juvenile Mental Illness And Adult Offending, Gabriela Hernandez-Garcia Aug 2019

Effect Of Juvenile Mental Illness And Adult Offending, Gabriela Hernandez-Garcia

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Individuals with mental illness interact with both the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. Over 50% of inmates in jail and prisons have been diagnosed with mental health problems (James & Glaze, 2006; Al-Rousan, et al. 2017; Wilson & Wood, 2014; Torrey, 1995), while offenders in the juvenile justice system appear to have considerably higher rates of mental illness than those who do not offend (Cashman & Thomas, 2017). The current study utilizes data obtained from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescents Health (Add Health). Adolescents from “selected schools, urbanity, school size and school type,” (Beaver, 2013, Daigle & Teasdale, …


Motivators Of Prostitution Desistance, Shawn Nicole Guy Dec 2018

Motivators Of Prostitution Desistance, Shawn Nicole Guy

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The intent of this thesis was to determine the factors that lead to desistance from street prostitution in the form of motivators and how to shape recommendations to courts, social services, and policy-makers based off of identified themes. Additionally, various theories are discussed, supporting the presence of identified motivators and themes, that could be used by interventionsists as guiding principles when working on strategies for prostitution desistance modifications. Without isolating and stratifying motivators and themes, prostitutes who desire to desist may not receive appropiate treatments and interventions and may continue to recidivate with prostitution-related criminal charges. Statements obtained through qualitative …


Mental Health Screening For Prisoners Upon Entrance To State Prisons, Illandra Denysschen May 2018

Mental Health Screening For Prisoners Upon Entrance To State Prisons, Illandra Denysschen

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The prison system has left a penal system that strives to rehabilitate an offender, for one that simply punishes. This is detrimental for prisoners with mental disorders, as their condition may worsen exponentially with incarceration. This research examines the mental health screening processes for prisoners upon entrance to state prisons across the United States, by identifying the screening process via state policies. State policies were identified by going onto the respective DOC websites for every state, and reading through the mental health/health policy in order to identify whether or not there were mental health screening processes in place. The resulting …


Does The Death Penalty Deter Homicides?, Lorenzo A. Mendoza Valles May 2018

Does The Death Penalty Deter Homicides?, Lorenzo A. Mendoza Valles

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

This study assessed the long debated question over the death penalty’s deterrent effects. The majority of the empirical research on this topic is dated and does not display the current status of capital punishment. The death penalty argument is divided between criminologists who suggest that capital punishment holds no deterrent effects and criminologists who suggest that it does. This examination revisits the argument with an analysis of state panel data and executions between the years of 2000 and 2014. The findings suggest that the application of the death penalty does not deter would be offenders from committing homicide.


Recidivism And Juvenile Justice Youth: A Study On Recidivism Rates For Youth Awaiting Adjudication, Whitney L. Hunt Dec 2017

Recidivism And Juvenile Justice Youth: A Study On Recidivism Rates For Youth Awaiting Adjudication, Whitney L. Hunt

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The United States incarcerates more youth than any other country in the world (Justice Policy Institute, 2009). Previous research has focused on recidivism rates of juvenile justice youth post-adjudication. However, a gap in literature exists concerning the relationship of recidivism rates for youth awaiting adjudication. This study seeks to determine what factors correlate with recidivism for youths in detention compared with youths who receive detention alternatives while awaiting adjudication in an urban area in the Southern United States. It is hypothesized that, based on previous research and theory, youth who receive detention while awaiting adjudication are more likely to recidivate …


“I Don’T Wanna Sound Paranoid But I’M Not Likely To Trust People”: Understanding Work And Life Stressors In A Sample Of Federal Law Enforcement Officials, Stephanie Sanford May 2017

“I Don’T Wanna Sound Paranoid But I’M Not Likely To Trust People”: Understanding Work And Life Stressors In A Sample Of Federal Law Enforcement Officials, Stephanie Sanford

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Federal law enforcement officials risk their lives every day to serve and protect the community from those who break the law. Among today’s society, the constant eye of the public and media can create stressors among federal officials. The participants in this study revealed what work-place events are perceived as stressors, which may potentially create an impact on their work and at home life, as well as coping mechanism they utilize to alleviate the identified stressors. Some of the impacts of work-place stress involved desensitization, unattachment, and psychological effects. Considering these effects, views from the public and the media can …


Is There A Difference In Law Enforcement Perception In The Ability To Identify The Primary Aggressor In A Family Violence Dispute By Gender, Race, And Rank?, Sheri Denise Brock Dec 2016

Is There A Difference In Law Enforcement Perception In The Ability To Identify The Primary Aggressor In A Family Violence Dispute By Gender, Race, And Rank?, Sheri Denise Brock

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

When law enforcement responds to a family violence incident, it is not always clear who the primary aggressor was at the incident and it typically ends up being a “he said, she said” incident. The purpose of this study is to understand factors associated with determining the primary aggressor when responding to family violence. The introduction is covered in chapter one and it describes the issues that law enforcement officers have when they respond to a family violence call and if law enforcement responses to the questions being analyzed vary based on gender, race, and rank. Chapter two offers a …


Human Trafficking In Dallas: An Assessment Of Local Law Enforcement Traning, Awareness, And Effectiveness In Recognizing Victims, Nazeeya Pervaiz Zubairie Dec 2016

Human Trafficking In Dallas: An Assessment Of Local Law Enforcement Traning, Awareness, And Effectiveness In Recognizing Victims, Nazeeya Pervaiz Zubairie

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study was to examine the training, awareness, and effectiveness of a local law enforcement agency in recognizing victims of human trafficking. The research questions of this study were: are local law enforcement officers able to recognize victims of human trafficking during their beat, and does time in service effect their ability to recognize victims. This research study was conducted as a blind study, and provided a sample of local law enforcement officers with a self-administered survey that evaluated their perceptions of recognizing human trafficking victims. The officers' effectiveness in recognizing the victims was evaluated by whether …


Law Enforcement Officers' Perceptions Of Workplace Stress, Karen St Valentine Aug 2016

Law Enforcement Officers' Perceptions Of Workplace Stress, Karen St Valentine

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Law enforcement officials have a grand responsibility placed upon them. In a general sense, that conscientious duty is explained as serving and protecting the community. However, these officers are exposed to a wide variety of stimuli that lead to desensitization or feeling absent or unattached, which can further lead to their view of the general public being altered. This occurs at an early point in their careers due to the nature of what they are subjected to, as well as the frequency and intensity of what they see. Therefore, this research explores the effects of strain and perceived stressors of …


A Review Of 'Body Farm' Research Facilities Across America With A Focus On Policy And The Impacts When Dealing With Decompositional Changes In Human Remains, Brittany M. Wolff Dec 2015

A Review Of 'Body Farm' Research Facilities Across America With A Focus On Policy And The Impacts When Dealing With Decompositional Changes In Human Remains, Brittany M. Wolff

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

In the current research study, the use of content analysis and secondary data analysis provided the exploratory research on the “body farm” research facilities across the United States. Open-ended survey questions were also utilized and sent to the six research facilities across the country. The use of open-ended survey questions in combination with a small sample size, resulted in only one institution participating in the survey and one facility actively declining to participate. To resolve this limitation, the use of secondary data and content analysis from facility publications and websites were utilized to complete some of the gaps resulting from …


Green Criminological Concerns & Philosophical Beliefs, Alexander Allen Anderson Dec 2015

Green Criminological Concerns & Philosophical Beliefs, Alexander Allen Anderson

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research project was to test the philosophical argument that people who maintained a dualistic mindset or sustained a belief in the existence of the soul would be less concerned with environmental crime. A survey was collected from a sample of 332 individuals at the University of Texas at Arlington in Arlington, Texas. The survey asked individuals to select on a likert scale how concerned they were with environmental harm. Preceding these, individuals were asked to answer either yes, no, or I don’t know on questions concerning their philosophical beliefs, looking for indicators of dualistic thinking and …


The Initiation Process And Factors Associated With Adolescent Female Gang Membership, Clara Saavedra Jan 2015

The Initiation Process And Factors Associated With Adolescent Female Gang Membership, Clara Saavedra

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

This study sought to address the numerous internal and external factors associated with gang membership among adolescent females as well as the various ways females are initiated into the gang subculture. Motivations and initiation rites were determined based on a series of audio-recorded focus group interviews conducted on 16 female gang members from the North Texas region. The purpose was to identify internal/external factors as well as initiation methods in order to develop programs to reduce or prevent female gang membership.


Fear In The World Of Social Media, Jamie E. Hildreth Jan 2015

Fear In The World Of Social Media, Jamie E. Hildreth

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Many researchers believe that perception of crime is formed by how crime is presented or framed by news media. News media has previously been society's only gateway to the rest of the world. "Violent crimes are prominent and presented as the norm in news media and commercial television programs, thus providing millions of people with a daily diet of rape, murder and drug abuse" (Greer, 2005). Emergence of social media may be removing many of the controls news media had in place with instantaneous, supposedly unbiased, unfiltered information. Social media may also be exacerbating the effects of news media by …