Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons^™

'But George Floyd Wasn't A Saint': A Critical Discourse Analysis Pre And Post George Floyd, Raya Berkley-Jacobs

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

May 25, 2020, George Floyd died at the hands of former police officer Derek Chauvin after he placed his knee on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. His death sparked outrage, protests, and calls for accountability, justice, and reform. This study addresses the impact of George Floyd’s death as a focusing event that created a policy window under which federal legislation was introduced as a response to his death. Drawing on Punctuated Equilibrium Theory and Social Construction Theory, the study utilizes a critical discourse analysis to test how the death of George Floyd impacted the amount and …

Confession Contamination And Dna Exonerations, 1989-2025, Brandon L. Garrett

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Fear Across The Map: A Cross-Municipal Analysis Of Fear Of Crime In Canada, Muhammad Ali

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examines the predictors of fear of crime (FOC) across three Canadian municipalities: Hamilton, Ontario; Brantford, Ontario; and North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Data from 1,956 survey responses were analyzed to understand how certain factors shape FOC across different municipal contexts in Canada. This study uses descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, correlation matrices, and Ordinary Least Squares regression models to examine whether FOC, and the predictors of FOC, operate consistently across municipalities. The findings indicate that the predictors of FOC are relatively reliable across municipal contexts. However, the influence of the predictors of FOC can vary across municipalities. Importantly, the level of …

Horrible, Fantastic, Traumatic: Victim-Survivors’ Experiences Of Police Interviews In Sexual Offence Cases And Suggestions Moving Forward, Gemma Hamilton, Giselle Woodley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study explored adult victim-survivors’ experiences of reporting sexual violence to police in Australia, focusing on their suggestions for supporting future victim-survivors. By drawing on feminist standpoint theory, qualitative interviews with 26 victim-survivors indicated a range of experiences, yet strikingly similar concerns and suggestions for improvement. Using reflexive thematic analysis, key themes included the importance of interview room settings; the interviewer's interpersonal care; the presence of support people; and further investigative support when victims felt like investigators. The study offers both short-term and longer-term suggestions for supporting victim-survivors in sexual offence investigations, with a focus on minimising secondary victimisation.

The First Systematic Review Of Treatment Characteristics And Recidivism Outcomes For Indigenous People Who Have Sexually Offended, James L. Finney, Natalie Gately, Suzanne Rock, Braden Hill

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

It is of great importance that research investigates the impact of sexual offender treatment programmes given the damage caused by sexual offences to victims and society more broadly. However, psycho-criminological literature has focused on reporting post-treatment recidivism outcomes for people who have sexually offended homogeneously and has not investigated the unique experiences of Indigenous people. Therefore, we systematically collated and critically appraised studies reporting recidivism outcomes for Indigenous people who have received treatment for sexual offences. Fourteen studies were identified utilising a sample of 5,635 individuals (30.7% Indigenous or First Nations). Recidivism was lower for Indigenous and First Nations people …

Dropouts And Refusers: Clinicians’ Insights And Initiatives Into Reducing Treatment Attrition Amongst Young People Who Sexually Offend, James L. Finney, Natalie Gately, Suzanne Rock, Jocelyn Jones

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sexual offending by young people causes significant harm to victims, families and communities. Treatment engagement and completion are therefore important for reducing future harm; however, young people who drop out of, or refuse to engage in, treatment present a unique challenge for clinicians and justice systems. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory, this study explored clinicians’ perspectives on the barriers to treatment engagement and completion for young people who have sexually offended in the Australian context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians who provided or facilitated treatment for young people who had sexually offended (N = 22). Two major …

Commission Pathways For Sexual Offences Against Children: A Novel Methodological Approach Exposing Distinct Pathways As A Function Of Offending History, Kelly Jackson, Raphaële Arlettaz, Alfred Allan, Joseph Clare, Frank Morgan, Hilde Tubex

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Using neural network analysis, we examined how specific dispositional and situational factors influence pathways for the commission of sexual offending against children. Use of non-linear multifactorial models is still developing in psychological and criminological research, making this a unique contribution to these fields.

Method: We used prior offence status as the outcome variable in a multi-stage analytical strategy that included chi-squared analysis, sequential binary regression and neural network modelling. Subjects came from a database containing pre-collected psychological and criminological information on Western Australian men who had sexually offended. An initial sample of offenders convicted of sexual offences against children …