Can Violent Political Rhetoric Influence Bias Homicide Rates? Analyzing The Trump Effect,
2022
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Can Violent Political Rhetoric Influence Bias Homicide Rates? Analyzing The Trump Effect, Tyler Joseph Patrick Ford
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
The founding document of the United States declares that all men are created equal. However, history has shown that this is not the case. Citizens in this country have been discriminated against since its inception based on their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, and many other factors. The first Federal Legislation passed to prevent discrimination against citizens in the United States did not come until 1968, which “made it a crime to use, or threaten to use, force to willfully interfere with any person because of race, color, religion, or national origin” (United States, Department of Justice). It …
Impacts Of Post-Incarceration Programming For Women's Lives And Local Communities,
2022
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Impacts Of Post-Incarceration Programming For Women's Lives And Local Communities, Megan Greenslade
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
Previous research on reentry programming has focused mostly on male inmates and less attention is given to female inmates. In Arkansas, where female reentry rates have recently increased, research is needed to add to the conversation surrounding effective programming for previously justice-involved women, its impact on their lives and behaviors, and how this can influence the likelihood of recidivism. This qualitative study also aims to discover whether reentry programming can have a positive impact on the local community. Residents and staff at a local Northwest Arkansas transitional housing facility for previously justice-involved women were interviewed to analyze the effects of …
Looking At Latino Communities: Legal Cynicism, Acculturation, And Their Willingness To Cooperate With Police,
2022
The University of Texas at El Paso
Looking At Latino Communities: Legal Cynicism, Acculturation, And Their Willingness To Cooperate With Police, Shayla Salais
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Numerous studies have examined how acculturation affects Latino neighborhoods and how legal cynicism affects Latino neighborhoods. Acculturation has been linked with low crime levels, meanwhile legal cynicism is attributed to high crime levels. This study aims to address this contradiction in the literature. Based on 1059 surveys, 46 neighborhood clusters were used to examine how legal cynicism and acculturation to Mexico impact a neighborhoods willingness to cooperate with police. A multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression found that acculturation to Mexico results in higher levels of legal cynicism and less willingness to cooperate with police. The OLS regression also found …
Fact Or Fiction?: (Mis)Representations Of Crime, Race, And Gender In Popular True Crime Podcasts,
2022
Butler University
Fact Or Fiction?: (Mis)Representations Of Crime, Race, And Gender In Popular True Crime Podcasts, Lauren E. Frederick
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection
Storytelling has long been used to socialize future generations. As a form of storytelling, podcasting has rapidly expanded through the true crime genre. Existing literature on such podcasts is limited by its focus on listeners and conceptual definition of “true crime.” This study applied content analysis to 10 randomly selected true crime podcast episodes from 2012-2021, which were inductively coded and analyzed using critical race theory and feminist theory. Findings indicate podcasters applied stereotypical tropes of race and gender to perpetrators and victims, which do not always reflect demographics in crime statistics. Specifically, women were at times victimized as well …
#Notallmen And #Metoo: Investigating Perceptions Of Masculine Victimhood And Constructions Of Masculinity In The #Metoo Era,
2022
Butler University
#Notallmen And #Metoo: Investigating Perceptions Of Masculine Victimhood And Constructions Of Masculinity In The #Metoo Era, Caitlin Segraves
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection
Twitter users all over the world use the hashtag, #MeToo, to show support, solidarity, and to share their own stories of sexual harassment and/or violence. #MeToo, a movement created by Tarana Burke and promoted by Alyssa Milano’s use of the hashtag reignited a global conversation about the prominence of sexual violence in women’s lives, a topic of discussion in prior feminist movements, as well. #MeToo has brought about a renewed interest in addressing sexual violence and rape culture in the U.S. and abroad. In response to growing reports of sexual violence, men’s rights activists have voiced an increased concern for …
Adolescent Maltreatment, Substance Use, And Self-Efficacy : A Test Of General Strain Theory Among A Sample Of Clinical Youth,
2022
University at Albany, State University of New York
Adolescent Maltreatment, Substance Use, And Self-Efficacy : A Test Of General Strain Theory Among A Sample Of Clinical Youth, Sonya Worthington
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The relationship between adolescent maltreatment and delinquency has been of growing interest to social control, social learning, strain, and family-oriented theorist since the 1980’s. While ‘social control’, ‘social learning’, and ‘traditional strain’ theories dominated early delinquency research literature surrounding the association, the past few decades have experienced a shift from these sociological theories to those more social-psychological in nature, lending much support, credibility, and acceptance of Agnew’s General Strain Theory (GST). GST offers a theoretical framework for understanding micro-level and macro level factors that influence the likelihood of delinquency. In short, GST contends some individuals engage in criminal and deviant …
An Iterative Theory Of The Legislative Process : A Case Study Of The New York State Commission On Prosecutorial Conduct,
2022
University at Albany, State University of New York
An Iterative Theory Of The Legislative Process : A Case Study Of The New York State Commission On Prosecutorial Conduct, Kimberly M. Bernstein
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Prosecutors wield the power of the criminal justice system (Medwed, 2014) and the ability to deprive a person of their constitutional rights (Imbler v. Pachtman, 1976). With such power, it is unsurprising that a leading cause of miscarriages of justice is prosecutorial misconduct (e.g., Joy, 2006; Ridolfi & Possley, 2010). New York State became the first state in the country to respond to this issue with a specialized Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct (CPC). The goal of the CPC is to serve as an official mechanism for holding District Attorneys and Assistant District Attorneys accountable by challenging convictions and handing down …
The Dark Figure Of Wrongful Convictions : How Intake Decisions Impact Exonerations,
2022
University at Albany, State University of New York
The Dark Figure Of Wrongful Convictions : How Intake Decisions Impact Exonerations, Jennifer Weintraub
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Innocence organizations contributed to 45% of exonerations in the year 2020, and account for nearly 25% of all U.S. exonerations. Yet little is known about these organizations, including a review of their intake criteria and procedures, how they select their intake criteria and procedures, or how those choices influence the landscape of known wrongful convictions. The contents of these intake decisions as well as how they are chosen have implications for what is currently known about wrongful convictions nation-wide. In this study, 19 innocence organizations represented by 24 innocence organization staff and leaders completed qualitative interviews to address this gap …
Addressing The Scale Issues In Spatial-Temporal Analysis Of Crime : An Integrative Framework And Empirical Findings,
2022
University at Albany, State University of New York
Addressing The Scale Issues In Spatial-Temporal Analysis Of Crime : An Integrative Framework And Empirical Findings, Mohammed Abdulrazak Alazawi
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Based on a critical review of existing literature in the spatial-temporal analysis of crime, three challenges have been identified: spatial-temporal scaling, theorizing spatial patterns for different types of crime, and the micro interaction between space and time. The spatial-temporal scaling issue is related to choosing the appropriate geographic unit of analysis. The theoretical issue concerns the lack of an integrative approach that can integrate the benefits of each theoretical perspective and identify broader processes to explain the resulting spatial patterns for different types of crime. Also, examining and explaining the variation of the micro space-time interactions for different types of …
Has There Been Another “Ferguson Effect”?,
2022
Bemidji State University
Has There Been Another “Ferguson Effect”?, Megan Majewski
Political Science Theses and Capstones
On May 25th, 2020, America stood still as they watched the video of Officer Derek Chauvin press his knee onto the neck of George Floyd leading to his death. Protests, riots, and calls to defund the police all ensued in the following months. I focus on how Floyd’s death changed attitudes towards law enforcement and may have contributed to an increase in crime, similar to the idea of a Ferguson effect, perhaps there was a Floyd effect in 2021. I focused this research on 69 cities, using crime data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association. I then measured …
Factors Influencing The Credibility And Believability Of Victims Of Sexual Assault,
2022
Bemidji State University
Factors Influencing The Credibility And Believability Of Victims Of Sexual Assault, Stephanie Carlson
Political Science Theses and Capstones
The purpose of this research is to answer the question of which factors that influence the believability of a woman who comes forward to disclose a sexual assault are the most impactful. My methodology consisted of conducting interviews with attorneys who have participated in both the defense and prosecution of criminal sexual conduct cases to evaluate whether the trends revealed in the literature on a macro scale apply to the micro-scale in northern Minnesota. Findings showed that the majority of patterns revealed in the literature did in fact influence the credibility of victims of sexual assault in Beltrami County, Minnesota …
Trauma On Top Of Trauma: How Child Welfare Failures Affect Trafficked Children,
2022
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Trauma On Top Of Trauma: How Child Welfare Failures Affect Trafficked Children, Christie J.W. Ra
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a phenomenon that greatly impacts the victimization of children. The sexual victimization of children is harmful to children and prior research has found various risk factors related to exploitation. The main risk factors observed in the current paper include prior sexual abuse and/or assault, adverse childhood experiences, foster care failures, race/ethnicity, and running away. The current study used secondary data that collected data from non-foster and foster-involved exploited children to observe how foster care involvement and race/ethnicity affect victimization within the juvenile justice system. Findings confirmed that race/ethnicity and foster care involvement greatly …
What Happens In Vegas: The Influence Of Las Vegas On High-Risk Attitudes And Behaviors,
2022
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
What Happens In Vegas: The Influence Of Las Vegas On High-Risk Attitudes And Behaviors, Marissa Tiemann
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The probability of victimization is affected by various factors, such as child abuse, a history of victimization, sexual assault, substance abuse, and risky behaviors. Previous research has attributed differences in victimization risk to differences in lifestyle. Overtly sexual cultures like Las Vegas, Nevada, could impact the adoption of risky behaviors (e.g., binge drinking, casual sex, and substance abuse) that could increase victimization risks. This study seeks to understand the impact of the city of Las Vegas on adopting high risk sexual attitudes and behaviors by examining the length of time an individual has spent in Las Vegas. This study used …
Hate In The Heartland: Examining Hate Groups In Nebraska’S Past And Present,
2022
UNO
Hate In The Heartland: Examining Hate Groups In Nebraska’S Past And Present, Grant Van Robays
Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects
Hate groups that malign entire classes of people based on race, religion, sexuality, gender, or other characteristic appear in every U.S. state. Nebraska is home to nine such groups, one of the highest figures in the country on a per capita basis. While notoriously secretive, previous research and watchdog reporting has pulled back the curtain on hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan and various neo-Nazi organizations, positing theories on how and why groups form. Minimal research has described in depth hate groups in a single state, let alone a quaint state like Nebraska. This case study of hate …
Law Enforcement Policy And Personnel Responses To Terrorism: Do Prior Attacks Predict Current Preparedness?,
2022
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Law Enforcement Policy And Personnel Responses To Terrorism: Do Prior Attacks Predict Current Preparedness?, Bryce Kirk
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Terrorism has been on the mind of the American people and politicians alike since the 9/11 attacks over two decades ago. In the years since, there has been a massive shift in law enforcement priorities from community-oriented policing (COP) to homeland security-oriented policing. This was especially evident in the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001, which was established to aid law enforcement entities with terrorism preparedness. While prior literature has addressed a variety of factors that have contributed to terrorism preparedness, very little research has …
Unequal Treatment: An Exploration Of Immigrant-Related Factors And Likelihood Of Discrimination In The United States,
2022
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Unequal Treatment: An Exploration Of Immigrant-Related Factors And Likelihood Of Discrimination In The United States, Sophia Woods
Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses
Despite the rapid and considerable growth of the Latino population in the United States, the continual xenophobic rhetoric surrounding Latino immigration along with the nativist public policies set in place have led to higher rates of discrimination. Latino immigrant discrimination has shown to have consequences on mental health, social isolation, physical health, and trust of law enforcement. Using data from the Pew Research Center, I explored the specific factors associated with Latino immigrants that increase the likelihood of experiencing discrimination in the United States. In line with much of the prior literature, age, ethnic identity, English proficiency, Mexican origin, fear …
Voluntary Contacts With Police: Do Differences In Perceptions Of Police Still Exist?,
2022
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Voluntary Contacts With Police: Do Differences In Perceptions Of Police Still Exist?, Regan Harper
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Publicized police misconduct and brutality over the past decade have contributed to increased tensions between the police and community. Exposure to these encounters can result in negative perceptions of police and have serious policy implications for funding of police departments. Although prior research has focused on previous contacts with police, little is known about how voluntary contacts with police can shape an individual’s perceptions. Given the recent death of George Floyd and movement to “defund the police,” the current study aims to determine whether there are demographic differences in perceptions of police among those who have experienced prior voluntary contacts …
Researcher-Participant Privilege: Confidentiality And Qualitative Criminology,
2022
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Researcher-Participant Privilege: Confidentiality And Qualitative Criminology, Eric Michael
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Research institutions have the responsibility to comply with laws that govern the oversight of all research including research with human subjects. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) review research protocols and approve research based on the rights and safety of research subjects. When conducting qualitative criminological research, researchers must weigh ethical considerations around their methods. These methodological considerations are coupled with guiding ethical principles that are fundamental to human subject research. One major consideration regards breaking confidentiality which can bring about great risk to participants. The following thesis focuses on the ethics of researcher-participant privilege and issues that qualitative researchers have in …
Rape, Consent, And The U.S. Military,
2022
Old Dominion University
Rape, Consent, And The U.S. Military, Siris Fernandez
Institute for the Humanities Theses
The military’s sexual assault prevention and response program is unable to effectively eliminate or even minimize occurrences of sexual assault in the service. This program focuses primarily on the elimination of sexual assault through yearly mandatory education on the current policies and procedures that occur when a victim comes forward. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program is reactionary and unequipped to tackle a culture that continues to promote a climate in which sexual assault and harassment exist without fear of retaliation. This thesis explores these issues and provides suggestions for changes in future revisions of the SAPR program. …
The American Racial Divide In Fear Of The Police,
2022
University at Albany, State University of New York
The American Racial Divide In Fear Of The Police, Justin T. Pickett, Amanda Graham, Francis T. Cullen
Criminal Justice & Criminology: Faculty Publications
The mission of policing is “to protect and serve,” but recent events suggest that many Americans, and especially Black Americans, do not feel protected from the police. Understanding police-related fear is important because it may impact civilians’ health, daily lives, and policy attitudes. To examine the prevalence, sources, and consequences of both personal and altruistic fear of the police, we surveyed a nationwide sample (N = 1,150), which included comparable numbers of Black (N = 517) and White (N = 492) respondents. Most White respondents felt safe, but most Black respondents lived in fear of the police killing them and …
