Transforming Criminal Justice Leadership With A Servant-Oriented Trauma-Informed Approach,
2025
Concordia University St. Paul
Transforming Criminal Justice Leadership With A Servant-Oriented Trauma-Informed Approach, Janina Cich
Forensic Scholars Today
This paper explores the transformative potential of a criminal justice leadership model by integrating principles of servant leadership, emotional intelligence, and trauma-informed care, focusing on rebuilding community trust, improving officer well-being, and fostering equitable, empathetic public service. This transformative module emphasizes humility, accountability, and emotional awareness to address the deep-rooted effects of trauma on both criminal justice personnel and the communities they serve. Through proactive strategies, such as open communication, cultural competence training, and mental health support, future leaders can cultivate resilient, community-focused agencies prioritizing healing, justice, and human dignity.
How The Code Of The Street Contributes To Incarceration Among Black Women,
2025
Walden University
How The Code Of The Street Contributes To Incarceration Among Black Women, Jennifer Smith
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Rising incarceration rates of Black women in the United States highlight the urgent need to examine factors contributing to this trend. This study investigates how Elijah Anderson’s Code of the Street influences behaviors that lead to incarceration among Black women in low-resource neighborhoods. Via the social disorganization theory, the research explored how economic instability, weakened social institutions, and community disorder contribute to adopting the street code and how adherence to the code contributes to participants’ incarceration. This qualitative study employed thematic analysis of interviews with 11 formerly incarcerated Black women, focusing on their perceptions regarding how the street code shaped …
The Role Of Geographic Area On Juvenile Delinquency: Evidence From The 2023 National Survey On Drug Use And Health,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
The Role Of Geographic Area On Juvenile Delinquency: Evidence From The 2023 National Survey On Drug Use And Health, Sara G. Remy
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
This study explores the relationship between geographic area and juvenile delinquency, with particular attention to how this relationship varies across the following settings: large metropolitan areas, small metropolitan areas, and rural areas. Using nationally representative data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the analysis focuses on youth under the age of 18 and incorporates additional social factors such as parental involvement, gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity. Results from my negative binomial regression models demonstrate that geographic area did not play significant role in delinquency overall. Income showed notable variation by geographic setting: in rural areas, …
The Rise Of Fitspiration: An Examination Of Social Media Influence, Body Image Concerns, And Online Harassment,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
The Rise Of Fitspiration: An Examination Of Social Media Influence, Body Image Concerns, And Online Harassment, Mary Owen
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
The fitspiration movement on social media has raised concerns about potential body image satisfaction issues and body standard internalization. The potential negative effects of body image dissatisfaction include disordered eating, excessive exercise, anxiety, depression, and a risk to online harassment victimization. This dissatisfaction from fitspiration is reinforced by pressures from family and friends. Relying on data from 347 respondents, the present study explores the potential relationship between fitspiration content consumption, body image dissatisfaction, social pressures, and experiences of online harassment. Bivariate correlations and regression analysis were employed to examine the connections between the variables. Results indicated that there was a …
Prosecuting The Material Support Of Terrorism In The Post-9/11 Era,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Prosecuting The Material Support Of Terrorism In The Post-9/11 Era, Kathryn C. Hammonds
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
Before the attacks of September 11th, material support of terrorism using the 18 U.S.C § 2339B statute was hardly investigated and prosecuted. In the years following 9/11, however, the government began to charge and prosecute material support offenders at an increasing rate. Structural-contextual theory is used to explain this phenomenon by analyzing how the government utilized tightened coupling to expand what they looked for and charged under 18 U.S.C § 2339B. The current study furthers past literature by analyzing 2339B offender demographics, case outcomes, counts outcomes, conviction rates, and the length of sentences. The findings solve discrepancies in past literature …
“Cry Harder!”: How Parents Traffic Their Children Through Forced Child Begging And Child Labor,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
“Cry Harder!”: How Parents Traffic Their Children Through Forced Child Begging And Child Labor, Abigail K. Bellocchio
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
This thesis examines the complex intersection of socioeconomic and cultural factors influencing forced child begging, a form of human trafficking, across different global regions. Through comprehensive literature analysis and examination of data from the Global K-anonymized Dataset from Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (2021), this research reveals a critical gap in human trafficking discourse: the absence of a unified definition and understanding of forced child begging. Despite affecting millions of children worldwide, forced child begging remains fragmented in academic literature, scattered across disciplines including child welfare, anthropology, and media studies rather than being centrally addressed in anti-trafficking frameworks. The research identifies that …
Examining The Motivational Circumstances Of Bias-Motivated Violence And The Likelihood Of Fatal Outcomes,
2025
University of Arkansas
Examining The Motivational Circumstances Of Bias-Motivated Violence And The Likelihood Of Fatal Outcomes, Kathleen R. Sucher
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
Bias-motivated violence has emerged as an increasingly urgent social problem in the United States, with recent years witnessing significant rises in hate crimes against multiple marginalized groups. Although prior research has recognized that bias crimes are not motivated by a single factor, gaps remain in understanding how motivational circumstances relate to fatal outcomes and how situational factors differ between types of bias attacks. Using descriptive and bivariate analyses of cases from the Bias Homicide Database (2015-2022), this study examines the relationship between motivation, fatal outcomes, and incident characteristics in bias-motivated murders and attempted murders. Findings show that while predatory motivations …
How Gender Inequality Drives The Human Trafficking Industry,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
How Gender Inequality Drives The Human Trafficking Industry, Jessie D. Sanders
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
There are currently more than 40 million people subjected to human trafficking worldwide. People living under forced servitude and sexual exploitation, people in forced marriages, and child soldiers are victims of human trafficking. Research has shown that 71% of these victims are women and girls, making human trafficking a disproportionately gendered issue. However, does gender impact trafficking as a whole? The crux of this study uses a literature review, a comprehensive summary, and a critical analysis of existing works on a specific topic to understand how gender inequality relates to human trafficking. This study will also include a correlation test …
Domestic Violence Among African American Women,
2025
California State University, San Bernardino
Domestic Violence Among African American Women, Tamika Palmer
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
This study explored how well social service providers understood barriers and racial differences in domestic violence among African American women. This study raised the need to examine further social service providers' knowledge of cultural competency and systemic challenges. This study consisted of a qualitative study that gathered seven social service provider's perspective through an interview guide. Thematic analysis data gathered during interviews was used in this study to identify the adverse effects within this population. The findings of this research study contribute to social work practice by providing insight into racial challenges within the support systems that may affect African …
Echoes Of Radicalization: The Political Right And The Internet Through The Lens Of Moral Panic,
2025
Butler University
Echoes Of Radicalization: The Political Right And The Internet Through The Lens Of Moral Panic, Gabrielle Renee Mathus
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection
In the past decade, the prevalence of social media has become a part of everyday life. Alongside this, these issues have gained a unique venue for discussing identity-based political issues that were not previously given mainstream attention and, ultimately, contribute to panic among portions of the American public. In this study, I conducted a digital ethnographic content analysis to explore how Reddit and X act as venues for discussions of transgender issues, immigration, and racial discrimination and how these issues have manifested in mainstream discourse. Using Stanley Cohen’s moral panic theory and grounded theory practices, I found that these spaces …
Career Aspirations And Gender Norms: How Socialization Influences Women’S Professional Choices,
2025
Butler University
Career Aspirations And Gender Norms: How Socialization Influences Women’S Professional Choices, Emily Rose Hunt
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection
While legal frameworks grant women equal rights and opportunities to participate in any occupation, gender inequality continues in part due to the persistent gender segregation within the workforce. Gender socialization places women into roles that limit their occupational opportunities, so this study explores women’s understanding of their career options based upon the potential constraints that come from their identity as a woman. This study uses a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews conducted with students at Butler University to gather information on women’s personal perspectives on how their gender impacted their perceived career options. A sample of nine undergraduate women were …
The Identity Of “I’M Sorry”: Perceptions Of Apologies In False Confessions And The Influence Of Suspect Gender,
2025
Butler University
The Identity Of “I’M Sorry”: Perceptions Of Apologies In False Confessions And The Influence Of Suspect Gender, Frances Anna Storgion
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection
Apologies serve as a mediator between victims and wrongdoers to promote forgiveness and enhance moral perceptions, while ostensibly reinforcing the guilt of the offender. These effects are further tempered by the gender of the apologizer. Paradoxically, content analyses show that apologies are not uncommon in false confessions and may reinforce false judgements of guilt. The current experiment aimed to elucidate the role that suspect gender and gender stereotypes of apologies play in shaping observer perceptions of coercion and guilt within confession contexts. This experiment conformed to a 2 (suspect gender: woman vs. man) x 3 (gender expectations of the apology: …
Cognitive And Social Vulnerabilities: Adolescents’ Pragmatic Inferences Of Leniency In Response To Minimization,
2025
Butler University
Cognitive And Social Vulnerabilities: Adolescents’ Pragmatic Inferences Of Leniency In Response To Minimization, Madelyn P. Stine
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection
The current study expands upon Luke and Alceste’s (2020) experiments to explore the effects of minimization via pragmatic implication on adolescents compared to adults in the context of police interrogations. Adolescent and adult participants read a police report and were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions (control, minimization, direct promise, and honesty) to gauge how differing perceived implications of leniency in interrogation tactics impact one’s perceptions of suspect outcomes. Drawing on empirical research on the social and cognitive vulnerabilities of minors (e.g., Bettens & Normile, 2023; Kassin & McNall, 1991; Kostelnik et al., 2006), I hypothesized that adolescents …
Deep-Fake Revenge Porn: The Intersection Of Artificial Intelligence And Revenge Porn For A Modern Attack On Women,
2025
California State University, Monterey Bay
Deep-Fake Revenge Porn: The Intersection Of Artificial Intelligence And Revenge Porn For A Modern Attack On Women, Eva C. Hunt
Capstone Projects and Master's Theses
This study aims to provide a legal analysis grounded in gender legal theory to critique current legislation enacted in the United States. It focuses on the societal and gendered impacts of revenge porn, particularly examining how victimization differs across genders. The legal analysis explores state-by-state legislation addressing revenge porn, assessing the severity of criminal penalties and the timeline of enactment. For current contextual reasons, the study evaluates how emerging Deepfake artificial intelligence technologies intersect with and complicate existing revenge porn laws. Finally, it analyzes the extent to which each state has incorporated Deepfake AI considerations into its legal framework.
Examining The Combination Of Race-By-Age Segregation On Violence In Little Rock, Arkansas,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Examining The Combination Of Race-By-Age Segregation On Violence In Little Rock, Arkansas, Karissa Kruse
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The Present study addresses the issue of residential segregation. Specifically, how the physical isolation of populations segregated based on both age and race affects violent crime. The sample includes all 155 Census block groups, which represent neighborhoods, in the city of Little Rock Arkansas. Data is accessed from the U.S. Census and the Little Rock Police Department. The current study asks: does the segregation of juveniles by age and race affect the distribution of crime? The theoretical frameworks guiding this research are social disorganization theory, structural-cultural theories of crime, the racialization of space perspective, and routine activities theory. The key …
"Bad Things Happen In Philadelphia": Managing Stigma And Threats In The Wake Of False Criminal Accusations,
2025
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
"Bad Things Happen In Philadelphia": Managing Stigma And Threats In The Wake Of False Criminal Accusations, Steven Windisch
Sociology and Criminology Faculty Publications and Presentations
In the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. election, the boundary between activism and extremism blurred, with election officials reporting violent threats and false accusations of election fraud. From a symbolic interactionist perspective, these attacks provide a unique lens for examining the consequences of being falsely labeled a criminal. This study utilizes data from in-depth interviews with 15 election officials to explore the nature of informal false accusations, participants' subjective interpretations of these labels, and their behavioral and emotional strategies for managing their "spoiled identity." The findings highlight the criminalizing and dehumanizing effects of these accusations, with officials enduring verbal abuse, …
University Campus Members' Perceptions And Willingness To Accept Plea Deals,
2025
Boise State University
University Campus Members' Perceptions And Willingness To Accept Plea Deals, Magalli Morado Landaverde
Boise State University Theses and Dissertations
Previous research on plea bargaining has primarily focused on public opinion about this practice and the disparities among individuals who have accepted a plea deal. This body of research usually addressed only legal or extralegal factors associated with the prevalence of plea bargaining. Few studies have explored the impact of both factors on an individual’s attitude toward plea bargaining and willingness to accept a plea deal. The current study sought to address this gap in the literature by exploring situational and dispositional factors and other relevant measures, such as court procedural justice, to examine their influence on a person’s attitude …
Examining The Perceptions Of Restorative Practices In A Non-Profit Organization: A Comparative Analysis Of Staff And Youth Attitudes,
2025
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Examining The Perceptions Of Restorative Practices In A Non-Profit Organization: A Comparative Analysis Of Staff And Youth Attitudes, Autumn N. Alicea, Anne Hobbs Dr
Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects
This study examines the attitudes toward restorative justice (RJ) among staff and youth at a non-profit residential organization. Using the Restorative Justice Attitude Scale, data was collected from 14 staff members and 14 youth participants (N=28). Results indicated that staff members reported significantly higher mean scores (M = 84.50, SD = 8.38) on the Total Restorative Justice Attitude Scale than youth participants (M = 67.93, SD = 15.81). ANOVA results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups on attitudes toward restorative justice, F (1, 26) = 12.007, p = .002. Effect size analysis (η² = .316) indicates that approximately …
Human Trafficking Prevention Methods In Nebraska,
2025
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Human Trafficking Prevention Methods In Nebraska, Allison E. Munderloh
Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects
Human Trafficking has been a concern in Nebraska for a long period of time, but there is a lack of publicly available information regarding the prevention methods being employed and their effectiveness. This study aimed to identify the human trafficking prevention methods in use in Nebraska and their effectiveness based on the opinions of human trafficking professionals in the state. The human trafficking professionals were interviewed, and the information gathered was organized into seven different themes. The themes that arose from the information gathered included educational efforts, victim intervention and resources, addressing demand, labor trafficking, measuring success, resources and funding, …
Saving Lives: Changing Perceptions Of Naloxone Distribution For Opioid Overdoses,
2025
University of Texas at El Paso
Saving Lives: Changing Perceptions Of Naloxone Distribution For Opioid Overdoses, Ryan Turner
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
This study investigated the impact and community perceptions of Narcan® (naloxone) distribution in El Paso County, Texas, as a harm reduction strategy amid the ongoing opioid epidemic. Drawing from a mixed-methods approach, the research surveyed 368 participants comprised of opioid users, family members, first responders, and community members who engaged in Narcan® training facilitated by two nonprofit organizations. The study explored four main questions: perceptions of Narcan® among different community stakeholders, patterns of Narcan® administration, whether the availability of Narcan encouraged drug use, and its effectiveness in reducing overdose deaths. Findings revealed widespread support for Narcan® distribution, although some community …
