Criminology Commons^™

Examination Of The Differences And Similarities In The Classification Of Multiple Homicide Perpetrators, Lucy M. Papp

Theses and Dissertations

The applied dissertation compares the lifestyle and behavioral characteristics of mass, serial, and spree murderers. Historically, studies have focused on serial murder according to the perpetrator's typology or indicators at the crime scene. The current topics of research lack a comparison of these classifications. While the classification and described typologies are essential for academic and investigative purposes, understanding the impactful lifestyle factors of these perpetrators may also serve as an essential factor in predictive analysis, victimology, and the motive behind their heinous crimes.

The researcher collected data on the classifications for each type of multiple homicide perpetrator: mass, serial, and …

An Assessment Of Sentencing Disparities By Race In The State Of Arkansas, Viola Schaeffer

Theses and Dissertations

Past research has found that there are often disparities in sentencing outcomes due to extralegal factors such as race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, education level, and geographic location. The most prominent and widely studied of these factors, however, is race. Specifically, studies have shown that minority offenders (e.g., African Americans) were more likely to receive a lengthier sentence than their White peers. The purpose of this thesis is thus to examine if there is racial bias in sentences levied to violent offenders in Arkansas. This is be done by analyzing sentencing data from the Arkansas Office of the Courts between …

Economic Governance And Violence: A Cross-National Analysis, Steven Mccain

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how economic governance influences routine activities is crucial within the field of criminology to better understand how grounds for violence emerge. Literature of cross-national studies concerning the effects of economic governance has recently developed to study its relationship with violence, specifically homicide. However, there is a deficit of frameworks related to criminological theory in this literature. Using a routine activity framework, the current dissertation seeks understand how different degrees of economic governance in general and, more specifically, the five areas of economic governance – size of government, legal system and property rights, sound money, freedom to international trade, and …

Intimate Partner Violence, Socioeconomic Status, And The Media, Christianna Victoria Page

Theses and Dissertations

News media’s communication of social issues can create societal pushes for policy change. This is true regarding femicide and violence against women. How news media communicate demographics such as socioeconomic status (SES) of intimate partner femicide (IPF) victims in a digital space is underexplored. This study is a thematic analysis analyzing how digital news articles communicate the SES of IPF victims. The sample for this study was taken from a population of digital news articles about IPF sources from ten major U.S.-based online news sites and analyzed 50 digital articles for news media’s communication of SES of victims. Results from …

Experiences Of Youth In Confinement: Pathways Of Racial-Ethnic Disparities In Juvenile Corrections, Kimbla Newsom

Theses and Dissertations

Of the vast body of research focusing on the racial and ethnic disparities (RED) phenomenon in the juvenile justice system, much of the attention has been at critical points of system contact such as arrest and disposition, while overlooking what happens within critical stages such as confinement facilities. This dissertation investigates the ways in which youth experiences in juvenile confinement facilities differ across racial and ethnic groups. Findings reveal that race and ethnicity is a significant predictor of a youth experiencing more control-oriented interventions, longer lengths of stay in confinement, and fewer connections to reentry services. The dissertation concludes with …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Police Decertification, Lacey Roughton

Theses and Dissertations

The decertification of police officers is an important mechanism for law enforcement accountability for those who engage in misconduct, however, we have limited knowledge on the processes and outcomes of this form of police accountability. By using a convergent mixed methods design, the purpose of this study was to understand the process in which police decertification occurs and factors that influence decertification decisions in a Southern state. The data for this study included decertification case evidence packets, observational data from decertification hearings, and in-depth qualitative interviews with commissioners involved in police officer decertification case decisions. The findings from this study …

Not A Monolith: Influence Of Race And Religiosity On Muslim Perceptions Of Police, Arsala Aneeq Khan

Theses and Dissertations

Muslim perceptions of police are not often understood. In order to better understand these attitudes, this dissertation approached Muslim respondents with two main factors in mind: racial identity and religiosity, both identities that often set Muslims apart from other Americans. This dissertation asked respondents four questions about police respect, police importance, police use of force and police defunding. The data for this dissertation was collected by Yaqeen Institute of Islamic Research in summer 2020. In order to compute these questions, a series of structural equation models were run. Findings included Muslim respondents who were aware of discrimination in mosques and …

Reporting Factors Of Sexual Assault On College Campuses, Kia Mills

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault occurs when a sexual act is attempted against an individual’s will. A large concern regarding sexual assault on college campuses is the lack of reporting. The purpose of the current study is to focus on the different reporting factors of college campus sexual assault and to identify the factors that impact students’ disclosure of sexual assault incidents. The need for research on this topic is to provide more information to colleges and universities and their students on the many factors that are still persistent in preventing students from reporting campus sexual assault experiences. Additionally, the current study is …

Safety Behind The Computer Screen: Gauging Public Perceptions About Teacher Student Sexual Abuse, Kilby E. Raptopoulos

Theses and Dissertations

Female sex offenders are often portrayed in the media more leniently than male sex offenders, which could influence the way the public perceives these offenders. Further, the media is not always accurate in how they portray sex crimes either which can translate to misconceptions among the public specifically regarding sex offenders. The purpose of this research was to explore media coverage of teacher student sexual abuse in relation to the public’s reaction to these news stories. The current study utilized news stories to analyze reader comments on a news website to understand 1) how teacher sex offenders are portrayed, 2) …

A Structural Examination Of Organizational Justice, Self-Legitimacy, Employee Engagement, And Civic Engagement In Police, Mary Isis Wuestewald

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the concept of police self-legitimacy has spurred research interest. Several studies have demonstrated beneficial outcomes associated with officers who are confident in their own authority. The current dissertation builds on this emerging area of study by examining the influence of organizational justice on police self-legitimacy, as well as self-legitimacy’s impact on employee engagement and civic engagement in police officers. Survey data were gathered from a sample of 1,391 officers from variously sized agencies across seven regions of the United States. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that organizational justice is a key component …

Raising The Cyber Guard: Analyzing The Cost And Use Of The National Guard In Local Municipal And State Cyber Defense, Hunter Lacroix

Theses and Dissertations

Cybersecurity is a national priority for the Homeland Security enterprise. Yet, despite a prioritization at the federal level, municipal and state governments have struggled to incorporate the National Guard in cyber incident response. Cyber incidents strain municipalities and states, which have spent significant resources to mitigate cyber threats. The glaring gap in the National Guard’s role in municipal and state cyber incident response warrants two key questions as to why the National Guard isn’t more readily used. “Is it cost prohibitive to use National Guard assets when compared to private entities?” Or “is there an underlying sociological disconnect regarding the …

Underrepresentation Of Black Participants In Drug Court: Reasons Reported For Non-Admission In Six Jurisdictions, Kathryn J. Genthon

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the beneficial impacts of drug court participation, access to these programs may not be equitable across racial groups. The reasons behind racial disparities in access to these programs are not well-documented in the current literature. This study investigates disparities in access to drug court and the possible reasons they occur. Chi-square tests are used to assess for disparities in admissions between Black and White individuals referred to drug court. Additional statistical analyses addressed the association of sex and age with admission to provide a broader picture of the impact of a variety of demographic characteristics on admission to drug …

Evaluating Higher Education In Prison Effectiveness By Modality Through Student Success And Retention Rates In California Community Colleges, Peter Michael Fulks

Theses and Dissertations

There is a strident body of empirical research evidence that Higher Education in Prison (HEP) has a direct impact on reducing recidivism. Additionally for participants, it also increases the economic mobility and employability post-release. However, the ability to conduct randomly controlled trials with a distal measurement of recidivism is hindered due to the inconsistent industry definitions of recidivism. Considering the implementation of credit bearing college programs from California Community Colleges since Senate Bill 1391 in 2014, the study conducts statistical analysis through independent and paired t tests to determine which modality of delivery, face-to-face (F2F) or correspondence (COR), to provide …

Haitian Immigrants Lived Experiences With Police In South Florida, Christie Laroche

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a qualitative phenomenological exploration of the interactions between Haitian immigrants residing in South Florida and law enforcement. Despite existing research on the experiences of Blacks with the police, there is a noticeable gap concerning the unique encounters of Haitian immigrants, who bring distinct cultural, historical, and linguistic backgrounds to their interactions with law enforcement. Given the increasing population of Haitian immigrants in the United States, this study sought to comprehensively examine their encounters, treatment, and experiences with the police, including aspects such as demeanor, contact handling, and the resultant impact on their perceptions. Through in-depth interviews with …

White Savior Projects: An Examination Of The Antitrafficking Social Movement, Jennifer A. Cheek

Theses and Dissertations

For this dissertation, I conduct an ethnography of three antitrafficking programs; interview 38 activists and survivors of trafficking; and analyze organizational texts, websites, and social media. I examine the history of the antitrafficking movement. Among the three organizations, activists provide housing; food, clothing, and hygiene items; medical services; mental health services and counseling; mentorship; education for survivors; a 24-hour hotline; outreach; case management and referrals; training for law enforcement; a drop-in center; and education and awareness events. I examine activists’ diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing of sex trafficking, and other framing tactics, such as frame alignment, frame diffusion, frame resonance, …

The Impact Of Appearance On Transgender Victimization, Tabrina M. Bratton

Theses and Dissertations

Trans people experience disproportionate rates of victimization compared to cisgender people. This disparity persists despite the finding that many of the same predictors of cisgender victimization have been identified for transgender victimization (e.g., age, race, income, employment, sex work participation, homelessness), which suggest transgender-specific factors may be at play. Some scholars have proposed that transgender victimization is due to their non-conforming appearance. The purpose of this dissertation was to expand our understanding of anti-trans violence by concentrating on the relationship between appearance and sexual and recent physical victimization. This dissertation builds upon the existing transgender victimization literature by focusing on …

Intimate Partner Femicide: An Exploratory Study In The Rio Grande Valley, Zoraya Berlanga Aguilar

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the cases of Intimate Partner Femicide Victims from the Rio Grande Valley. By developing a cohesive understanding and assistance towards fostering knowledge and promoting social justice. Given the close proximity to the border, and hearing of femicide cases from both the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico marked my interest as Intimate Partner Violence is an ongoing Public Health Issue. Intimate Partner Violence is the leading cause of Intimate Partner Femicide. First specific project to contribute to limited research on intimate partner femicide in the Rio Grande Valley. A non-probability purposive sample of …

#Mmiw: Framing The Online Presence Of The Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women Social Movement, Natalie Michelle Snow

Theses and Dissertations

Indigenous women experience violence at a disproportionate rate compared to non- Indigenous women. The disproportionate violence has created a crisis commonly referred to as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. Over the last 15 years, activists, organizations, and families have responded to the lack of political motivation to address the violence by raising awareness on social media. While people communicate via multiple social networks, Twitter is the leading forum for information about the movement and accompanying events such as vigils, walks, and memorials. For this reason, this dissertation explored the Twitter presence of the MMIW social movement. Analysis …

The Effects Of Victimization And Trauma On Well-Being, Physical Health Nutritional Habits, And Resting Heart Rate (Rhr) Based On Gender And Sexual Orientation, Mary Hannah Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

There is a well-established and growing body of research dedicated to understanding the influence of past victimization on physical health outcomes. Consequently, knowledge on identifying how past victimization types influence each domain of physical health and if these outcomes differ by gender and sexual orientation remains largely absent within literature. Therefore, the purpose of the following study is to expound upon victimization literature by examining the physical health outcomes associated with different victimization types and to examine how these factors differ by both gender and sexual orientation with regard to victimization type (personal, property, and stalking). Guided by both life-course …

Effective Organizational Structure And Leadership Theory For Homeland Security Organizations, Lowell Dimoff

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Homeland (DHS) was borne of the fires of 9/11 and assigned the mission to protect America from terrorism, and what has subsequently grown into a broad range of threats. As evidenced by reports produced by governmental watchdog agencies and academic literature, DHS has been widely criticized for its response to a number of emergencies, and the morale of its workforce remains at or near the bottom of all federal government agencies. Using existing literature and theory as a baseline, this dissertation will examine organizational structure and leadership theory as applied to homeland security organizations through a comparative …

Female Delinquency And Pathways To Crime, Pamela Lynn Smykal

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation investigated gendered relationships and their potential influence on women’s criminal motivation. Historically, researchers attempted to understand criminal behavior using a male-oriented perspective which has dominated criminological literature. Criminologists have neglected to consider the role of gender as a significant predictor or pathway toward criminal behavior of either males or females. Within the last two decades, female criminality has become a spotlight for recognition and attention separate from male criminality. Traditional research on crime has been limited in understanding the pathways for female criminality and motivations for offending as individual predictors of male crime. Analyzing the role of …

Police Use Of Social Media Technologies, Akpomudiare Darlynton Adegor

Theses and Dissertations

This study used a qualitative research design to analyze how the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) utilizes social media technologies to promote its community policing philosophy. I conducted a content analysis on 586 tweets by LRPD and 992 public responses posted between May 2020 and May 2021. From my analysis, I found that LRPD social media platforms support both community policing and problem-solving. LRPD uses social media for interactions, connections, and partnerships with community members. The second notable finding was that the public is responsive and receptive to LRPD’s use of social media to connect with them. However, LRPD’s level …

Fascination With Murder: Exploring The Internal Structure Of The True Crime Community, Eric Gaither

Theses and Dissertations

The admiration of killers is a trait found in numerous murderers, who claimed they felt inspired to murder from previous attacks. The True Crime Community is an online community with a deep fascination and possible obsession with criminal behavior. Community members include those who display admiration for killers and those who commit copycat crimes. Unfortunately, information regarding this community is limited and often conflicting as academic studies are scarce. This thesis explores the True Crime Community culture with a content analysis of authority figures' posts from a True Crime Community forum to understand the norms of discussions and behaviors. Although …

Blue Lives Matter: Public Perception In Texas, Nohely Karyme Lozano

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Blue Lives Matter, a pro-policing movement, was established across the United States. The movement sheds light on the attacks and killings of police officers while on the line of duty. Also, it raises awareness of the dangers and risks law enforcement agents face while on duty and off duty. Throughout the years, the movement has gained many supporters across the nation. However, it has been controversial, and many considered it as a countermovement to Black Lives Matter. To bridge the gap in the literature, the researcher investigated the perception of Texans towards the movement. Moreover, the research …

Intimate Partner Violence In The Rio Grande Valley: The Role Of Culture, Tania Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

Mexican culture along the border towns of the Rio Grande dominates views towards women and men experiencing violence in intimate relationships. However, there is a paucity of empirical studies relating to intimate partner violence in the Rio Grande Valley. This study addresses the dynamics of abusive relationship in a Hispanic community that can be influenced by cultural concepts such as familism and marianismo. The author utilized a mixed methods approach for this study that included a sample of (n = 513) surveys and (n = 13) interviews that were analyzed separately. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess …

A Qualitative Examination Of Female Sex Offender Grooming Of Child Victims, Mollee Katherin Steely Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Sex offenders often engage in manipulative and coercive behavior to begin, conceal, and continue to sexually abuse children over time. They utilize grooming behaviors to gain the trust and compliance of their victims. Grooming is the process by which an offender prepares a victim, significant adult and peers, and the environment for the eventual abuse. Most of what is understood regarding grooming behavior derives from exclusively male samples, which is problematic because male and female sex offenders vary widely in their offending patterns, motivations, and behaviors. For the present study, I examined the nature of sexual grooming among a sample …

How Are Police Lineups Represented In Popular Crime Shows In The U.S.A? An Examination Of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Luis Fernando Chavarria

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to explore police lineups as portrayed in crime-related TV shows in the U.S.A, such as Law & Order: SUV. The data used is from 25 episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The methodology used for this study is grounded theory and content analysis. results of the study by themes which are: DNA evidence, police lineups, and lineups used in court. From these themes codes were further highlighted and noted. Based on the episodes for the show and real-life lineup procedure practices, there were inconsistencies about clothing, physical characteristics of suspects, incorrect lineup …

An Examination Of Drug Court Clients’ Risky Behavior And Perceptions Following An Hiv Education Program, Latunja Sockwell

Theses and Dissertations

Drug courts were intended to allow non-violent drug offenders an alternative to imprisonment. Drug court programs have a focus on health as well as drug use, and HIV education is a required component of drug courts. Through a partnership with the AR Department of Health (ADH) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, ADH was able to provide an HIV intervention conducted by certified trainers and counselors. Research is limited on HIV education, delivery, and outcomes in drug court settings. The purpose of this study is to examine whether using an outside entity to deliver HIV education should prove …

Brown Moral Panic: Racism In The Trump Era, Carlos Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to examine the language used by news media to report Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric against Mexican immigrants, from the beginning of his presidential campaign to the El Paso Massacre on August 3rd, 2019. The study focuses on the latest moral panic in the United States against Mexican immigrants (2015 to 2019) using qualitative methods. The research examines how Trump’s racist anti-immigration rhetoric is depicted in news media categorized as neutral. The study focuses on the Associated Press (Neutral Center), New York Times (Neutral Left) and Reuters (Neutral Right).

What Do They Know? Police Experiences With Hate Crime In Arkansas, Randi Marie Latiolais

Theses and Dissertations

Hate crimes are likely underreported due to victim’s understanding and reluctance to reporting hate crimes. Few studies have looked at how police attitudes and experiences can affect the way officers report incidents, especially for hate crimes. This Thesis explored police definitions and perceptions of hate crime to ascertain the degree to which these experiences might affect police responses to hate crime (e.g., reporting, investigation, protective actions for victims) and their interactions with victims. A thematic content analysis identified patterns in the definitions and experiences police officers from Pulaski County (AR) have regarding hate crimes. A snowball sampling technique resulted in …