Criminology Commons^™

Closing Remarks: Eyes Wide Shut, Sex Trafficking Of Women And Girls In The Black Community, Stephany Powell

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Determining Factors Leading To Sobriety In Native American Graduates Of A Joint-Jurisdictional Court Program, Ryan Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of driving under the influence (DUI) is a continuous problem in rural communities, especial those in Indian Country. Alcohol use and abuse has long been a health concern for these communities contributing to higher mortality rates and increased incarceration rates for American Indian / Alaskan Native (AIAN) populations. Wellness courts, using the problem-solving court model, have been successful in helping DUI offenders achieve sobriety and wellness. While the model has been successful, there remains a lack of qualitative research into why participants find success in these programs; especially marginalized populations such as AIAN. This phenomenological qualitative study was …

Contributing Factors To The Rise In Juvenile Gun-Related Homicides: Investigating Criminal Behavior In Southern Georgia, Tracey Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gun-related juvenile homicides continue to be a critical public health and social issue, disproportionally affecting African American males aged 17. Prior research identified poverty, neighborhood violence, individual and familial risks, gang affiliation, and inadequate education as contributors to the increase in juvenile gun-related homicides. In this study, the relationship between gun-related juvenile homicides and poverty, violent crimes, and gang affiliation were examined from 2019 to 2023 in 66 counties within South Georgia. Guided by sociological positivism, a quantitative non-experimental design was used using secondary data sources that included juvenile homicide totals, demographic characteristics, poverty levels, violent crime rates, and gang …

Identity Restoration Theory: Reclaiming Cultural Identity As A Pathway To Reintegration, Sigifredo Castell Britton

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This article introduces Identity Restoration Theory (IRT), a new theoretical framework that explains what formerly incarcerated individuals need to reconnect with disrupted cultural identities as a pathway to reintegration. Grounded in qualitative fieldwork with Raizal ex-offenders and community leaders on San Andrés Island, Colombia, IRT is designed to conceptualize reintegration, not as institutional resettlement, but as a culturally rooted process of re-embedding identity within community and place. The framework delineates five interdependent constructs—cultural memory, place reconnection, narrative repair, communal belonging, and agency activation—that emerged inductively from participant narratives. Anchored in the postcolonial context of an Afro-Caribbean island society, IRT provides …

Personality Traits In Criminals, Ravinesh Prasad Jr

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

It's a poster that shows research done to show personality traits that are in criminals. The studies show how criminals differ from civilians. It also goes into the flaws of the studies and how they could be done better. The information is present on the poster, but I also add more context and answer questions people have. The point is to just share interesting studies and what they found. This study shows that correlation doesn't equal causation.

Underreporting Of Campus Crimes: A Study On Students' Preference For Peer Reporting Over Official Channels, Vanessa White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Underreporting of campus crime remains a persistent challenge in higher education, with many students choosing to disclose incidents to peers rather than formal institutional channels. This qualitative phenomenological study was an exploration of the social and psychological factors influencing college students’ preference for peer-based disclosure over official reporting mechanisms, with particular attention to peer influence, social norms, and institutional trust. Guided by bystander intervention theory and victim precipitation theory, data were collected through an anonymous, open-ended online survey completed by 13 individuals who had attended traditional, in-person colleges or universities within the past 5 years. Thematic analysis was used to …

Review Of Interrupting Violence: One Man’S Journal To Heal The Streets And Redeem Himself, Chris Hausmann

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Online Recruitment For Interview Participants Impacted By The Criminal Legal System, Sarah Lageson, Carolina R. Caliman, Elsa Chen, Ericka Adams

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"As technology has altered communication, qualitative criminologists have turned to digital spaces for a cost-effective approach to recruit participants who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. This paper analyzes the limits and benefits of online recruitment, detailing our experience recruiting 93 interviewees online for a qualitative study of criminal record expungement. We compare three approaches: social media advertisements, Amazon’s crowdsourced MTurk platform, and the opt-in survey platform Prolific, and analyze the financial and labor costs associated with each. We detail our experience individually screening 685 interested participants to obtain 86 qualitative interviews suitable for analysis. Our experience shows …

Fragmented Responses: Variability In Law Enforcement And Prosecutorial Approaches To Sexual Assault Cases, Veronica Gonzalez

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Sexual assault (SA) remains a pervasive issue in the United States, marked by low reporting rates, inconsistent investigations, and limited convictions. In response, researchers and practitioners have promoted a range of best practices aimed at improving law enforcement and prosecutorial responses. This qualitative study draws on interviews with 13 law enforcement agencies and 12 prosecutors' offices to explore how recommended practices—such as victim advocacy, specialized units, interagency collaboration, and case reviews—are interpreted and operationalized in the field. Findings reveal substantial variability, shaped not only by resource availability but also by leadership priorities, organizational culture, and the ambiguity of guidance documents. …

To Protect And To Serve? A Phenomenological Exploration Of Interactions Between Black Transgender Women And Law Enforcement In The Midwest, Anthony Banks, Kelli E. Canada, Erin L. Robinson, Mansoo Yu, Lynn Mie Itagaki

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Current research indicates transgender women of color are experiencing what is being referred to as an “epidemic of violence.” Law enforcement personnel are in a unique position to mitigate this violence among transgender women of color, however past research shows that law enforcement may in some instances perpetuate already existing violence with this population instead of preventing and intervening in these situations. This study aimed to add to the limited research by using an intersectional theoretical framework to better understand these interactions. Research questions were answered using a phenomenological research design. Data from 36 semi-structured interviews with Black transgender women …

"This Is Not A Scam!": Assessment Of An Awareness Raising Program Tackling Older Adults' Scam Victimization In A Multi-Method Study, Katalin Parti, Pamela Teaster, Susanna Rinehart, Charles Dye

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Interactive theatre has long been used to educate and empower communities and prevent crime across all age groups. Although older populations are disproportionately victimized through fraudulent online schemes, effective educational interventions, like interactive theatre, have not been utilized to increase crime awareness. This paper describes an explorational research project, analyzing the results of a theatre-based fraud awareness program aimed towards educating victims and their communities about scams targeting older people. The study employs a mixed-method research design to examine program impact. In applying multifaceted tools of data collection, such as survey, participant observation, and follow-up interviews, the research team identified …

Aging On Parole: A Thematic Analysis Of The Parole Officer’S Perspective, Angela Murolo

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"A growing proportion of people leaving prison are over 50 years old and will live at least temporarily under the supervision of a parole officer. While recidivism rates are lower for older people, there are physical, mental, and societal challenges that accompany advancing age that make successful reentry and reintegration a challenging experience compared to their younger counterparts. This presents novel challenges for parole officers who are tasked with supervising and counseling elderly people on parole. Surveys containing closed and open-ended questions were administered to N=25 parole officers to understand the differences in working with, counseling, and supervising older and …

Vigilante Justice: A Study On The Causes, Christina Tackett

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Christina Tackett on March 13, 2026.

Public Perception Of Risk In Missing Persons Investigations, Harry Lockett, Stefana Juncu

International Journal of Missing Persons

The current study investigated public perceptions of risk in missing person cases. A total of 271 participants were sequentially presented with five fictional vignettes describing missing individuals. Each case included a baseline description of the disappearance being "out of character" and four of these cases were paired with an additional risk factor: substance abuse, depression, dementia, or repeat missing status. The gender of the missing person was also manipulated between participants. Participants rated each case using both the standard categorical scale (Low/Medium/High) and an Extended Scale ranging from 1 to 7 and were also invited to respond to exploratory items …

‘‘If It Bleeds, Does It Lead?’: Lived Experiences Of Media Engagement For Families Of Missing Persons., Sarah Wayland Professor, Loren O'Keeffe, Syadani Riyad Fatema, Amy-Louise Byrne Dr, Elizabeth Paton

International Journal of Missing Persons

The media plays an important role in a missing persons case. Media is a powerful tool in raising public awareness and support, traversing police investigation, family liaison, and the business of media. This article reports on a focus group of seven people with a long-term missing family member, and two focus group facilitators, one of whom was also the family member of a missing person (n=9). The aim of the study was to better understand how people, who have lived experience of a family member missing, participate in media opportunities, to understand impact. Thematic analysis generated five major themes 1) …

Factors That Contribute To Lone-Wolf Terrorist Attacks In The United States, Kevin Klatte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the United States, current strategies aimed to prevent terrorism focus on terrorist organizations and international terrorism. The predominant literature on lone-wolf terrorism has focused mainly on quantitative data, and the qualitative studies that have been conducted do not uncover all factors that led to the individual committing the attack. Lone-wolf terrorism, while less frequent than international terrorism, has a significantly higher number of victims per attack and is extremely difficult to predict and prevent. The existing qualitative literature has heavily focused on the mental state, emotional status, and cognitive ability of the offender. This study explored why an individual …

Social Capital And The Spread Of Information On Twitter Related To Change In The Criminal Legal System, Sebastian Hoyos-Torres

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Criminal legal reformers and abolitionists have differing visions for change within the criminal legal system, where reformers seek to modify and abolitionists aim to dismantle it altogether (Davis 2005; Foucault 1977; Kaba 2020). Advocates used print media to disseminate information related to their proposed changes to broader audiences. While print media remains a valuable tool to reach wide audiences, the advent of social media introduced new mechanisms to interact with broad audiences at very low cost while leaving traces of digital data which could be analyzed to better understand the social factors which impact whether information is spread. Throughout this …

Reimagining Safety And Justice: Experiences Of And Resistance To Police Sexual Violence In New York City, Priscilla Bustamante

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the era following both Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, police sexual violence (PSV) currently constitutes the second most commonly reported police complaint after excessive force. Police across the U.S. are caught for some form of sexual misconduct once every five days, with on-duty officers found to commit sexual assaults at more than double the rate of the general population. The gendered and racialized perpetration of sexual violence extends far beyond policing; however, it has been intensified within the masculine, militarized carceral structures designed to legally control and punish.

Accordingly, this dissertation utilizes an interdisciplinary, multi-method approach to offer what …

Assessing Abuse And Neglect In U.S. Nursing Homes: A Comparative Analysis Across Pre-, During, And Post-Pandemic Periods, Katherine Gane

Theses and Dissertations

Nursing homes are among the most closely regulated providers in the U.S. healthcare system, with both federal and state agencies working together to monitor care and help protect residents. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, introduced unprecedented challenges for facilities and survey agencies alike, disrupting normal operations, limiting in-person visits, and temporarily shifting regulatory priorities. The purpose of this study was to examine how these pandemic-related disruptions were reflected in the severity and reporting patterns of substantiated abuse and neglect deficiencies in U.S. nursing homes. Using publicly available data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this study analyzed 39,607 …

Teaching Students How To Access The World: Information Fluency Modules In World Criminal Justice Systems Courses, Grace Allbaugh, Chad M. Kahl, Dawn Beichner

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This presentation discusses a long-term collaboration between Milner Library and the Department of Criminal Justices Sciences to bring information fluency training to students in CJS 369: World Criminal Justice Systems. Learn how it has changed from pen and paper, responded to COVID, and where it's at now.