Search Results

open access

Exploring the Relationship between Mental Health and Substance Use, Stable Housing, and Completion of the RISE Court Program

Description: This thesis analyzes participants of the RISE Court program, a specialized court in Tarrant County, Texas, focusing on women involved in prostitution. The study investigates the intricate relationship between mental health, stable housing, substance abuse, and successful completion of the court program. Through a comprehensive analysis of participant data, the findings reveal insights into the intersection of mental health and the outcomes of participants in the RISE Court program. Contrary to … more
Date: December 2023
Creator: Smith, Paisley Elizabeth
open access

Mother Dearest: Understanding Attachment Styles of Juvenile Offenders across Crime Types

Description: This exploratory study investigated the relationship between attachment style and offense types of juvenile offenders to determine whether there were commonalities among the cohort and their attachment style. Much of the peer-reviewed literature focuses on adult sex offenders and attachment style but neglects the juvenile population. The present study utilized secondary data from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) which included adjudicated juveniles with Positive Achievement Change T… more
Date: July 2023
Creator: White, Lindsey Nicole
open access

Understanding the Time to Recidivism Relationship Based on Offense Severity for Determinate Sentenced Juveniles

Description: The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between a juvenile's serious or violent offenses and the time to recidivism among the determinate-sentenced offenders. Concentrating on this group of juvenile offenders is beneficial because they are considered to be the most serious group of offenders among juveniles. Since these serious offenders will become a part of their community again, it is important to understand or determine if there is a discernable pattern to inform interven… more
Date: May 2022
Creator: Brinkley, Francheska L
open access

Recidivism among Blended-Sentenced Juvenile Offenders: Analyzing the Effects of Maltreatment Severity

Description: Each year over half a million children are victims of childhood maltreatment. While a plethora of interdisciplinary research has evaluated the detrimental outcomes of these experiences, few studies have analyzed the effects contextual components of child abuse and neglect can have on the life-course of maltreated youth. Juvenile delinquency has been identified as a prominent outcome of maltreatment, however, a lesser portion of the empirical literature has focused on outcomes among more serious… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Valdez Gomez, Perla I.

Tending to the Bonds that Tie: Juvenile Incarceration and Caregiver Visitation

Description: Extant research suggests that some of the potential harms to social bonds during the incarceration experience may be mitigated by visitation. In particular, previous studies have found visitation from family and friends to be significantly related to decreased recidivism rates among adult prisoners. Little is known about the impact of visitation on recidivism among juvenile populations, which this study sought to address. Utilizing data from the Pathways to Desistance study, a series of negati… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Pierce, Kelly
open access

The Buffering Effects of Religiosity on Adolescent Alcohol Abuse Coping following Victimization

Description: This research comprised a secondary study using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health restricted data set to examine the buffering effects of religiosity on adolescent alcohol coping following victimization within the context of Agnew's general stain theory. Its purpose was to determine if religiosity buffered the effects of alcohol abuse coping following victimization for native-born and foreign-born non-Hispanic adolescents, and was designed as a follow-up research study to sim… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Bryant, Mark R
open access

The Crutch of Ritual: Social Control in the Modern American Capital Punishment System

Description: Contemporary American capital punishment contains many processual elements, such as the prisoner's last meal and the cleansing of his body immediately before death, that serve no concrete, practical purpose but share a nature with ritual practices. In this project, I utilize a hermeneutic phenomenological lens to identify and list these ritual elements. I also use concepts drawn from the structural functionalist tradition to both analyze the specific purposes the elements serve within individua… more
Date: August 2019
Creator: Pellegrino, Alexandra Clarke
open access

The Victim-Offender Overlap in Intimate Partner Violence: Considering the Role of Self-Control

Description: While a growing body of literature in the field of criminal justice documents the relationship between victimization and offending, only recently has this knowledge been applied to the study of intimate partner violence (IPV). Accordingly, questions remain with regard to the theoretical origins of mutual violence between intimates. In an effort to fill this void in the literature, the current study examines the etiology of moderate forms of mutual IPV, specifically assessing self-control theory… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Spivey, Emily
open access

The Sexual Victimization of Black College Women

Description: Sexual victimization is a pervasive mental and physical health issue with overarching implications for university campuses and victim service providers alike. While a large expanse of research exists on sexual violence and the factors associated with victimization, less is known about the potentially unique experiences faced by Black college women in particular. Utilizing data collected by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study examines the prevalence of colle… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Wilson, Hannah Caroline
open access

Fundamental Demographics of Digital Piracy Offenders

Description: Digital piracy is an emerging cybercrime subtype with overarching implications for administrators and researchers alike. Within this body of knowledge, it is unclear what individual-level factors are linked to digital piracy. Using a college-based sample, while focusing on gender, race, and age, this study identifies fundamental individual-level variables associated with digital piracy commission. After conducting multiple independent samples t-tests and a multivariate logistic regression, resu… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Guerra, Chris
open access

Terrorism, Media and Public Perception: Influence of Media on Public Perception on Terrorism Related Matters

Description: The purpose of this study is to measure and examine whether terrorism continues to be highly feared and over-predicted, whether exposure to mass or news media influences perceptions of terrorism, whether mass media remains a significant source of information on terrorism related matters and whether people are prepared to act in the event of a terrorist attack. The respondents in this research consisted of a sample of 135 students aged 18 and over, at a participating mid-size university in a sou… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Ivanova, Andrea
open access

Student Perceptions of the University of North Texas Campus Police

Description: Numerous studies have been conducted to determine predictors of perceptions and attitudes toward police. Less effort has been spent on determining university and college students' perceptions of campus police departments. The purpose of this thesis was to fill this gap in the literature with an added emphasis on exploring potential differences in perceptions between students involved in Greek Life organizations and students not involved in Greek Life organizations. Prior literature found that G… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Stidd, Megan D
open access

Not So Elementary: An Examination of Trends in a Century of Sherlock Holmes Adaptations

Description: This study examines changes over time in 40 different Sherlock Holmes films and 39 television series and movies spanning from 1900 to 2017. Quantitative observations were mixed with a qualitative examination. Perceptions of law enforcement became more positive over time, the types of crime did not vary, and representation of race and gender improved over time with incrementally positive changes in the representation of queer, mentally ill, and physically handicapped individuals. The exact natur… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Camp, Nathan
open access

Ex-Offender Reentry: An Analysis of Current Policies and Programs

Description: Recidivism rates among ex-offender populations have consistently remained high. With over 600,000 ex-offenders being released from prison each year, reducing the rate of recidivism among the ex-offender class has become a highly debated issue. Ensuring ex-offenders successfully reintegrate into the community post-incarceration may help to reduce recidivism rates. Through a qualitative thematic analysis, this study examined various policies and program that may impact recidivism rates among ex-o… more
Date: December 2017
Creator: Laird, Kaleigh B.
open access

Untangled: The Effects Family Structure Has on Juvenile Delinquency

Description: Juvenile delinquency is an issue in today's society for various reasons. This issue can result due to different motives, but family dynamics is one of the most vital factors. The current study extends prior research done in regards to the family factors that affect juvenile delinquency and what policies and programs are available to eliminate these factors. The seven family dynamics that are studied are socioeconomic status, divorce, cohabiting, family transitions, parental incarceration, paren… more
Date: December 2017
Creator: Murray, Taylor Danielle
open access

Recidivism among Determinately Sentenced Juvenile Homicide Offenders in Texas

Description: Juvenile homicide offenders pose a significant risk to society considering the severity of the crime, yet this population of delinquents receives little attention in terms of recidivism research. This study examined the recidivism outcomes of a group of 256 determinately sentenced homicide offenders in Texas. Each of these juveniles had be confined to and subsequently release from the Texas Youth Commission, and were followed for three years following release. The aim of this research study was… more
Date: May 2017
Creator: Vaughn, Sydney J.
open access

The Influence of Population on Wrongful Convictions

Description: With criminal cases continuing to be exonerated across the United States, research must be done on the subject to advance current practices to reduce its occurrence in the future. This study combines county population data with the National Registry of Exonerations to analyze the contributing factors to wrongful convictions and the possible effect of population on their frequency. The objective of this study was to identify specific policy changes based on the five contributing factors to wrong… more
Date: December 2016
Creator: Whittington, Kari
open access

Racial Disparity in Traffic Stops: An Analysis of Racial Profiling Data in Texas

Description: The primary goal of this study was to analyze existing racial profiling data collected and reported by law enforcement agencies in Texas. The internet-based data used was obtained through TCOLE, as it is the state mandated repository in which all law enforcement agencies must submit their annual racial profiling reports to. In analyzing a collection requirement of these reports, this study sought to determine how frequently law enforcement officers know the race or ethnicity of drivers prior to… more
Date: August 2016
Creator: Winkler, Jordan M.
open access

Online Pornography and Its Effects on the Behavior of College Students

Description: The primary goal of this study was to investigate the habits of college students who use pornography. The study was designed to collect data on the use of online pornography by college students. Through the use of an online survey, the study collected general demographic data and data on the frequency with which students used online pornography. The study also collected data on the general attitudes of college students towards online pornography. Participants consisted of students enrolled at t… more
Date: May 2016
Creator: Hassell, Michelle S.
open access

Let the Punishment Fit the Crime: an Overview of the Historical Approach to Probation in the State of Texas

Description: Adult probation evolved in the United States as a result of the suspended sentence concept. As a result of a lack of follow through when an individual obtained a suspended sentence, there was no “checks and balances” to monitor whether an individual completed the guidelines set forth. As time progressed, it became apparent a more cohesive and monitored system was needed. Thus, an energetic and motivated individual, John Augustus, started the concept of probation by taking it upon himself to ass… more
Date: May 2015
Creator: Reichstein, Sheldon Philip
open access

The Academic Steroid: Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants at a North Texas University

Description: The goal of this study was to determine the extent, motivations, and justifications of nonmedical prescription stimulant use among the population at a large public university in the North Texas region. Participants consisted of 526 undergraduate students enrolled at the studied university during the spring and summer 2014 semesters. The findings of the study suggest that the nonmedical use by students was higher than the findings in much of the current literature, but was within the parameters … more
Date: December 2014
Creator: Pennington, Cody W.
open access

Evaluation of Program Effectiveness: a Look at the Bedford Police Department’s Strategy Towards Repeat Victimization in Domestic Violence and Mental Health

Description: The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a program being run by the Bedford Police Department’s Repeat Victimization Unit on domestic violence and mental health and mental retardation. The study sought to determine whether the program was effective in reducing instances of repeat victimization in domestic violence and MHMR victims. Additionally the program investigated whether or not the program was effective at reducing victimization severity, and which demographic c… more
Date: August 2014
Creator: Huskey, Michael G.
open access

Island Empire: the Influence of the Maceo Family in Galveston

Description: From the 1920s until the 1950s, brothers, Sam and Rosario Maceo, ran an influential crime family in Galveston, Texas. The brothers’ success was largely due to Galveston’s transient population, the turbulent history of the island, and the resulting economic decline experienced at the turn of the 20th century. Their success began during Prohibition, when they opened their first club. The establishment offered bootlegged liquor, fine dining, and first class entertainment. After Prohibition, th… more
Date: August 2014
Creator: Boatman, T. Nicole
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