Criminology Commons^™

Spatial Patterns Of Motor Vehicle Theft In Beltrami County Minnesota, Alexander Yocum

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Identifying Terrorist Affiliations Through Social Network Analysis Using Data Mining Techniques, Govand A. Ali

Information Technology Master Theses

In a technologically enabled world, local ideologically inspired warfare becomes global all too quickly, specifically terrorist groups like Al Quaeda and ISIS (Daesh) have successfully used modern computing technology and social networking environments to broadcast their message, recruit new members, and plot attacks. This is especially true for such platforms as Twitter and encrypted mobile apps like Telegram or the clandestine Alrawi. As early detection of such activity is crucial to attack prevention data mining techniques have become increasingly important in the fight against the spread of global terrorist activity. This study employs data mining tools to mine Twitter for …

Annotated Bibliography: Cruelty To Animals And Violence To Humans (2014-2015), Erich Yahner

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

No abstract provided.

Disrupt, Deny, Dismantle: A Special Operations Forces (Sof) Model For Combatting New Terrorism, Will Gunzelman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Terrorism in the new millennium has morphed drastically since the 1970s. The terrorist organizations of today are a hybrid between the insurgent group models of the 1960s and modern terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda. This hybrid model has created what has become a transnational insurgency recruited, trained, and led by major terrorist networks such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Even smaller regional groups such as Boko Haram have surpassed merely conducting terrorist attacks. These smaller groups are also focused on controlling territory. Tan (2008) refers to this change as “New Terrorism”. To combat New …

“Why So Serious?” Threat, Authoritarianism, And Depictions Of Crime, Law, And Order In Batman Films, Brandon Bosch

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Drawing on research on authoritarianism, this study analyzes the relationship between levels of threat in society and representations of crime, law, and order in mass media, with a particular emphasis on the superhero genre. Although the superhero genre is viewed as an important site of mediated images of crime and law enforcement, cultural criminologists have been relatively quiet about this film genre. In addressing this omission, I analyze authoritarian themes (with an emphasis on crime, law, and order) in the Batman film franchise across different periods of threat. My qualitative content analysis finds that authoritarianism themes of fear and need …

The California S.T.E.P. Act: Prosecuting Fraternities As Criminal Street Gangs, Courtney Lee Spears

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis project examines the similarities in structure, initiation processes, af liations, and motivations for joining both criminal street gangs and fraternities. These similarities serve as the foundation for the central idea of the thesis: using California’s street gang legislation, mainly the S.T.E.P. Act, to more severely prosecute fraternities for their crimes. My application of the legislation is supported through both comprehensive gang data, as well as case studies of fraternity crimes, as comprehensive data for this group does not exist. My research has important implications, as recent legislation serves to protect fraternity offenders from facing punishment for their crimes, …

Governing The "Alien Threat": A Multilevel Analysis Of Punitiveness Toward Non-Citizen Federal Drug Offenders Across Time And Place, Melanie Marie Holland

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Though frequently disadvantaged across a plethora of various institutions throughout history, noncitizens have become increasingly targeted with recent political rhetoric refocusing on immigration as a threat to homeland security. The latent effects of this renewed political platform has been a heightened awareness of the “immigration threat” that has infiltrated the criminal justice system.

Previous research has found that citizenship status is related to sentencing outcomes despite the identification of this variable as extralegal by the USSC, though research remains largely divided on the extent and manifestation of this disparity. Furthermore, only a very few of these studies have examined potential …

An Evaluation Of The Federal Legal Services Program: Evidence From Crime Rates And Property Values, Jamein P. Cunningham

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper uses the city level roll-out of legal service grants to evaluate their effects on crime. Using Uniform Crime Reports from 1960 to 1985, the results show that there is a short run increase of 7 percent in crimes reported and also a 13 percent increase in crimes cleared by arrest. Results show an increase in the staffing of police officers in cities that received legal services. These cities are also associated with having higher median property values 10 years later. This supports the narrative that legal services changed police behavior through litigation or threats of litigation.

Confidence Through Consultation: Lessons From Northern Ireland's Dpp/Pcsp Model, Kyle F. Kennedy

Capstone Collection

This project presents a case study of Northern Ireland’s District Policing Partnership (DPP)/Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) model. The case study relies on analysis of statues, government reports, public perception surveys, and governing documents, as well as relevant literature and scholarship. Through analysis of its structure, function, and efficacy of the model, key features of the model will be identified. These key features fit into the three conceptually distinct, but functionally inseparable, threads: buy-in, influence, and composition. The ways in which these three threads interact and impact the legitimacy of the model will be explored, as well as how …

La Visibilización: El Desarrollo Del Femicidio Como Un Problema Social En Argentina Según El Estado Y Las Organizaciones Civiles, Maggie Wetzel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Femicide is the ultimate display of gendered violence in which a man kills a woman for being a woman. Femicide is made possible by the patriarchal system that ascribes power and control to men, systematically positioning women as a vulnerable population. Every year, more than two hundred women die of femicide in Argentina, resulting in the death of a woman approximately every thirty hours. Femicide has only been recognized by the international community within the last forty years, making it a newly-recognized phenomenon, although it has existed for centuries. This investigation seeks to further our knowledge of femicide and its …

The Consent Search Warning Argument: Procedural Justice And What A Warning Might Do For Police Legitimacy, Alec Kraus

Honors Theses

In 1966, the Supreme Court delivered the landmark Miranda v. Arizona decision that created the Miranda warning, which reminds citizens of their rights to remain silent and have an attorney present during custodial interrogations. However, through Schneckloth v. Bustamonte in 1973, the Court decided not to create a mandatory warning that reminds citizens of their right to refuse a consent search. Through these cases and the others discussed, the Court has often argued over whether or not these types of warnings impair police work, whether the contexts surrounding these instances amount to coercion, and whether or not a warning is …

Childhood Factors And Incarceration For African American Men: How Early Life Community Experience Influences Adult Outcomes, Abigail Cobb

Research in the Capitol

There is a dearth of research that analyzes childhood influence on adult incarceration, and an associated lack of emphasis on the relationship between childhood poverty, lack of educational attainment, and family structure on criminality among African American men – a population wherein individuals are both incarcerated and generally socioeconomically disadvantaged at disproportionately higher rates. Consistent with the recent demand for criminal justice reform, the need for systematic research pertaining to tendencies in criminality has become apparent. Resulting from secondhand statistical data analysis on aggregate state factors such as childhood poverty rate, rate of single-parenthood, and high school drop out rate, …

Cyberbullying, General Strain Theory, And The Moderating Effect Of Anonymity In College Students, Matheson T. Sanchez

Master of Science in Criminal Justice Theses & (Pre-2016) Policy Research Projects

Cyberbullying is an intricate and ever-evolving form of bullying. Little is known about how cyberbullying is perpetrated at the collegiate level. Applying a General Strain Theory framework, the current study aims to assess the role of six university-related strain elements as possible predictors for cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and frequency of the two. Survey questionnaires were administered to 15 undergraduate classes at a southeastern university (N = 406). Additionally, the moderating role of internet anonymity on these relationships is addressed. Being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship and being placed on probation are identified as significant predictors of cybervictimization and …

Collateral Impact Of Maternal Incarceration: Burdens Placed On Child Caregivers, Daniel Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Although parental incarceration is both a maternal and paternal issue, it is particularly detrimental to the family when the mother is incarcerated. The number of children with a mother in prison has more than doubled since 1991 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008). Although there are more children of incarcerated fathers than mothers, it is particularly important to note that sixty-four percent of mothers were the primary caregivers to their children at their time of arrest (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008; Mumola, 2000). The incarceration of a mother is often more detrimental than that of the father as it typically results in displacement …

The Role Of Official Misconduct In Wrongful Convictions, Mia Gilliam

Theses and Dissertations

As the number of wrongful convictions and exonerations of individuals imprisoned for crimes they did not commit has increased dramatically, the study of wrongful conviction has become increasingly important. The majority of past research has focused on the various causes of wrongful convictions. However, very little attention is given in detail to the specific nature of each of these causes. This thesis examined the most current, inclusive database of exonerations in the United States that exists, the National Registry of Exonerations. Qualitative and Quantitative data was examined and refined, and statistical analyses were run including descriptives, frequencies, and correlations in …

The Role Of The Institution On The Adoption Of Law Enforcement Technology, Cassandra Dodge

Theses and Dissertations

While law enforcement agencies perceive that technology increases their ability to complete their mission in the most efficient manner possible, this may not be the case in reality. Considering the potential expenses, potential danger, and lack of proven efficiency, it is surprising that these technologies are continuing to be adopted. Observing law enforcement agencies through the lens of institutional theory provides an explanation for the discrepancy between what would be expected and what has actually occurred. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the use of five technologies (records management systems, broadband networking with vehicle computers, long range …

Terrorism Preparedness: A Law Enforcement Perspective, Cayla Comens

Theses and Dissertations

Since September 11, 2001, the environments in which law enforcement agencies operate have been changing. Contingency theory hypothesizes that an organization adapts to their environment through organizational structure and contingencies in order to accomplish a state of fit or higher performance. Utilizing the contingency theory framework, the study looked to answer two research questions: (1) Do municipal and county police agencies believe they have the necessary resources and training to prevent and or respond to the next terrorist attack? (2) How does agency size, structure, funding, and perceived risk influence terrorism preparedness? A sample of 902 county and municipal law …

Token Female Police Officers Or Police Exemplars: An Evaluation Of The Theory Of Tokenism, Cameron Michael Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Despite gains in the percentage of female police officers over past decades, female police officers are vastly underrepresented in modern policing. Female police officers face barriers to integration into policing and the surrounding culture that male police officers do not face, including unbalanced physical testing, double standards for success, and others. One explanation for the different experiences of female police officers compared to male police officers is the token status of women in policing. Instead of taking the token status of female police officers for granted, this study explored the utility of the theory of tokenism (Kanter, 1977) in explaining …

Formal Controls, Neighborhood Disadvantage, And Violent Crime In U.S. Cities: Examining (Un)Intended Consequences, Allison Martin, Emily M. Wright, Benjamin Steiner

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose This study examines the intended and unintended effects of formal social controls on violent crime within and across U.S. cities. Methods Using data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study, we assess whether greater police arrest activity and jail incarceration risk are associated with lower violent crime rates across cities. We also investigate whether greater use of these formal social controls exacerbates the relationship between extreme neighborhood disadvantage and violent crime. Results Results from multilevel analyses show that some formal controls (jail incarceration risk) reduce violent crime across cities, but other formal controls (police arrest activity) amplify the relationship between …

Examining Behaviors Using Respondents’ Cell Phones And A Burst Design: Drinking And Activities Across The First Year Of College Among Transitioning Freshmen, Amy L. Anderson, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Tim Barnum, Rita J. Augustyn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

The study of developmental and life-course changes of an individual necessitates longitudinal data. Traditional panel designs, however, that tend to collect data annually or less often may not reflect change experienced by individuals especially in periods of transition. The first year of college likely is one such period in which change takes place at a rapid pace.

Methods

We followed approximately 100 residential college students across their freshman year. In an attempt to capture the changes taking place in friendships, activities, and alcohol use, we used a traditional panel design in which we administered structured surveys at the beginning, …

Victim Ambiguity: Bystander Intervention And Sexual Assault In The College Drinking Scene, Brandie Pugh, Holly Ningard, Thomas Vander Ven, Leah C. Butler

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Alcohol-related sexual assault is the most common form of sexual victimization on college campuses. Bystander intervention has been suggested as effective in preventing sexual assault, but its usefulness in sexual assaults that involve alcohol in particular has not yet been examined. The current study draws from intensive interviews with 30 undergraduates at a large Midwestern university to understand how students’ perceptions about sexual victimization and alcohol use affect their bystander behavior. Findings suggest that in alcohol-involved situations, the ambiguity of whether the woman is at risk and her perceived worthiness are significant barriers to intervention. Policy implications are discussed.

Neuroprediction And Criminal Law, Fritz Allhoff

Spring Convocation

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Hotspot: Exploring The Impact Of Land Use And Transportation Networks On The Spatial Crime Distribution, Kathryn Wuschke, Martin A. Andresen, Allison Campbell

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Slides from a presentation delivered to the Western Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Vancouver, February 2016. Investigates the impact of land use and transportation networks on crime, and how the spatial distribution of crime is impacted by the built environment.

Development, Security And Displacement: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Rocinha And Other Key Favelas In Rio De Janeiro, Marcos D. Burgos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study highlights the complex and generally overlooked relationship between development, urban space, and security, and does so through a multiyear ethnographic study of Rocinha, Brazil’s largest favela (slum/squatter community).

Since 2007 unprecedented resources have been devoted towards improving Rio de Janeiro’s favelas (slums), mainly in the form of large-scale favela upgrading and security programs. Coinciding with the historic improvement schemes in Rio, and in large part responsible for them, Brazil’s economy experienced one of its most sustain period of growth during the first decade of the twentieth century. For the first time, strong economic growth and a historic decrease …

Emerging Justice Technologies And The Need For Evaluation, Jason Tashea

Publications and Research

This report from John Jay College’s Research and Evaluation Center examines the role of emerging technologies in criminal justice reform, emphasizing the need for thorough evaluation to assess effectiveness and avoid unintended consequences. It suggests that technology should support, not replace, human judgment in justice processes.

Examining Gender Specific Treatment Programs In Women's Prisons, Marieta Ilieva-Petkova

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The female offender population has been the fastest growing segment of the correctional population. Historically, victimization and trauma are highly correlated with substance abuse and dependency that are known to have a significant impact on females' pathway toward criminal lifestyle, incarceration, relapse, and recidivism. Due to feminists' research, today we know that females offenders' pathways toward substance abuse, criminal behavior, and recidivism differ from those of males. As a result, a discussion about the development and implementation of gender-specific substance abuse treatment programs has been initiated. The purpose of this study is to discover if research recommendations proposed, have been …

Seeking And Sharing: Why The Pulmonary Fibrosis Community Engages The Web 2.0 Environment, Karen Albright, Tarik Walker, Susan Baird, Linda Eres, Tara Farnsworth, Kaitlin Fier, Dolly Kervitsky, Marjorie Korn, David J. Lederer, Mark Mccormick, John F. Steiner, Thomas Vierzba, Frederick S. Wamboldt, Jeffrey J. Swigris

Sociology and Criminology: Faculty Scholarship

Background

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a rare, progressive disease that affects patients and their loved ones on many levels. We sought to better understand the needs and interests of PF patients and their loved ones (collectively “reader-participants”) by systematically analyzing their engagement with the World Wide Web (the current version referred to as Web 2.0).

Methods

Data were collected from three PF-focused, interactive websites hosted by physician-investigators with expertise in PF. All data generated by reader-participants for approximately 10 months were downloaded and then analyzed using qualitative content analysis methods.

Results

PF experts posted 38 blog entries and reader-participants posted …

Empirical Assessment Of Cyber Harassment Victimization Via Cyber-Routine Activities Theory, Sinchul Back

Master’s Theses and Projects

Over the decades, the advance of the social networking sites and computer-mediated communication tools has facilitated cybercriminals to expand their scope of criminal activities from the physical world to the virtual realm. Cybercriminals can easily leverage the Internet to operate sexual crime such as cyber-harassment. This study aims to empirically assess cyber-harassment victimization in South Korea via Cyber-Routine Activities Theory (2008). Cyber-Routine Activities Theory includes five major tenets: 1) digital capable guardianship, 2) motivated offender online, 3) suitable target online, 4) online risky behavior, and 5) online vocational and leisure activities. Data were derived from the 2013 Korean Institute of …

Ransomware Against Police: Diagnosis Of Risk Factors Via Application Of Cyber-Routine Activities Theory, Kyung-Shick Choi, T. M. Scott, Daniel P. Leclair

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Technologically advanced hackers are able to commit a crime and leave undiscovered by the authorities. Recent increases in cyber-attacks utilizing technology known as ransomware are leaving police departments and other institutions in the serious situation of having to pay ransom to cybercriminals. The present study employs a Cyber-Routine Theoretical approach in explaining why ransomware victimization has become a viral phenomenon. Data were derived from the recent reported cases of ransomware attacks towards police departments in the U.S. and analyzed in order to build a victim profile. This study shows that online lifestyle and cybersecurity are the salient factors that contribute …

The Lived Experience Of The Adolescent Sex Offender: A Phenomenological Case Study, Beth Gerhard-Burnham, Lee A. Underwood, Kathryn Speck, Cyrus R. Williams Iii, Carrie Merino, Yolanda Crump

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Treatment for adolescents with sexually maladaptive behaviors is a continuing intervention that is changing and developing as greater understanding about this population of adolescents is obtained. The majority of treatment programs for adolescent sexually maladaptive behavior contain programming components that include cognitive distortions/thinking errors. Interviews including a conceptual mapping exercise were conducted with four adolescents adjudicated to a secure care program for sexual behaviors. All four boys completed an interview and a conceptual map of their perceived experiences as an adolescent with sexual maladaptive behaviors. All interviews were audio recorded. Analysis of the interviews and conceptual mappings yielded five themes …