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The United States has unusually high rates of violence among developed nations, including the victimization of and perpetration by youth. Using Institutional Anomie Theory (IAT) as the theoretical framework, this study analyzes the relationships between social institutions and crime and the interactive relationships among the institutions in a sample of Virginia localities. Multivariate analyses are conducted to produce additive and multiplicative models, and simple slope analyses are conducted to clarify interaction/moderation effects. Findings yield mixed support for IAT. Localities with higher levels of monthly welfare per recipient (a measure of polity) have lower juvenile violent crime arrest rates, and welfare moderates the relationship between income inequality and juvenile violent crime arrests. Controlling for all variables, no support was found for the direct effects of any other institution on juvenile violent crime arrests. Policy recommendations include maintenance of welfare programs and improvement of work participation supplementary programs.

No description available.

This research is focused on evaluation of National Strategy Against Narcotics (NSAN) enacted in 2012 in Kosovo. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of NSAN through visualizing data and gaining deeper insight from experiences of antidrug experts. Convergent parallel mixed methods were used to answer the main research questions. The central research questions examined the impact of strategy implementation in juvenile drug arrest reduction, and its effectiveness on Kosovo criminal justice system. Markwood's comprehensive theory of substance abuse prevention (CTSAP) was used to assess and explore the NSAN. Deidentified juvenile arrest rates taken from Kosovo official police records, were visualized though a scatterplot to show the impact of arrest rates from 2009 to 2015. On qualitative part, 11 antidrug officers who handled juvenile drug arrest cases were in-depth interviewed. Visualized data showed that NSAN did not decrease juvenile drug arrest rates after its implementation, as the juvenile drug arrest rates increased after its implementation. However, participants in this study perceived NSAN as positive, with positive impact in increasing cooperation between other agencies, thus resulting in more arrests. Interview answers received from participants of the study confirmed Markwood's CTSAP. Overall, mixed results came out of this study, and further research is needed with wider scope of data analysis to fully evaluate the effects of this strategy. NSAN itself did not have desired impact in reducing juvenile drug arrests in Kosovo, but analysis of this strategy brought attention of increasing juvenile drug issues in Kosovo.

African American men between the ages of 18-35 years are increasingly likely to die during arrests by police under the purview of procedural practices. Using procedural justice and critical race theory as the foundation, the purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate the statistical relationship between procedural justice, consent to police authority, and certain demographic characteristics including socioeconomic status and age in a large Metropolitan area in the southern United States. Survey data utilizing the Procedural Justice Inventory and Willingness to Submit to Police Authority Survey were collected from African American adult males (n = 69) and analyzed using least-squares regression. Regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between procedural justice and consent to police authority (p < .05). In addition, socioeconomic status and age did not affect the relationship between procedural justice and consent to police authority (p < .05). Implementation of recommendations for training may provide police practitioners with the basis to develop training programs to affect behavioral outcomes of police. Following these recommendations may change the systemic relationship between the community and police. The findings of this study may also serve African American males by allowing them to take an introspective look at how they may react in certain statutory situations and taking positive actions as opposed to being reactive; thereby, possibly mitigating deaths during police interaction. The implications for positive social change afford community practitioners an opportunity to develop community programs that support individuals and communities to change systemic practices that foster procedural injustice.

This study explores perceptions of women’s freedom of movement since the 27 May 2015 Constitutional Court ruling CCZ 15/15, outlawing arbitrary arrests of women after dusk on grounds of loitering with intent to solicit for prostitution, focusing on Zimbabwe’s Avenues community. It traces issues surrounding women’s mobility under patriarchy since colonialism which through the 1960 Vagrancy Act marked the inception of its legal regulation premising stereotypic arrests by state agents. Guided by Pragmatic and Feminist philosophy the researcher adopts a Mixed Method Strategy to gather new knowledge on the complex issue. Employing Radical Feminist Theory under Feminism it critiques government efforts and their efficacy towards ensuring gender equality in mobility. The study argues that while useful legal mechanisms and laws have been adopted to enable women’s right to mobility, ideological and physical challenges continue to hamper this realisation. Empowering the Gender Commission with binding powers, ensuring sufficient security in public areas and educating women about their rights are some recommendations proffered to address challenges faced by women in the exercise of their right to movement. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

American policy makers primarily embrace a deterrent-based policing agenda to curb illicit drug trafficking and use that relies on the principles of the economic price elasticity of demand (Boynum & Reuter, 2005). This counter-drug platform includes three fundamental programs: arresting offenders, seizing illicit drugs, and eradicating horticultural sources of illicit drugs (U.S. DEA, 2015). One of the main goals of these programs is to deter illegal trafficking and use by increasing the price of illicit substances so they are no longer attractive to consumers. The United States has weathered various drug use epidemics during its history, and currently it is facing a heroin and opioid epidemic (Dean, 2017). The present multi-dimensional study is guided by three broad goals: to assess the dynamics of illicit drug pricing and the economic price elasticity of demand perspective; to evaluate whether drug trafficking organizations respond to theoretically deterrence based counter-drug law enforcement efforts; and to assess why law enforcement activities are (or are not) effective in controlling illegal drug markets. To accomplish these three broad goals, four separate yet linked focal points comprised of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods evaluations of official data are examined. The findings in the study call into question the current American counter-drug law enforcement agenda being used to address the ongoing heroin epidemic. Furthermore, the results shine light on various shortcomings in overall U.S. counter-drug policy. Finally, the study calls for a new approach to address illicit drug trafficking and use in the U.S.

La présente thèse de doctorat prend pour objet d’étude la question des disparus de la fin de la guerre d’Algérie, en l’occurrence, à partir du cessez-le-feu du 19 mars jusqu’à la fin de l’année 1962. Ne pouvant restreindre notre investigation à cette seule période, nous avons élargi notre étude aux conséquences des disparitions. Cette démarche, qui a le mérite de suivre l’événement tragique de son apparition à sa prise en compte par les autorités et la société, avec son retentissement jusqu’à aujourd’hui se déroule en trois parties. La première partie « chercher les disparus » (chapitres 1 à 3), revient sur les recherches, par les autorités compétentes, de la personne physique ou de sa dépouille disparue d’une part, et présente d’autre part la relégation du fait de « chercher les disparus » en un objet de recherche scientifique. Les abus de langage liés à la polysémie du mot « disparu », la surenchère statistique et les usages politiques et mémoriels sont également mis en lumière afin de comprendre les raisons de cet angoissant mystère. La deuxième partie présente les modes opératoires adoptés, tels que les enlèvements et les arrestations arbitraires, afin de « faire disparaître » (chapitres 4 à 6). Les différents auteurs, cibles et mobiles de ces exactions sont ainsi examinés. Enfin, la troisième partie « vivre la disparition » (chapitres 7 à 9) revient essentiellement sur les répercussions économiques et psychologiques pour les familles et les proches confrontés, entre autres, à des problèmes pécuniaires, au poids des rumeurs et au deuil impossible lequel est lié à l’incertitude du sort des « ni morts, ni vivants ». / This doctoral thesis aims to study the issue of the people who went missing at the end of the Algerian War, namely from the cease-fire of 19 march until the end of 1962. As we were not able to restrict our investigation to this period alone, we expanded our study to the consequences of the disappearances. This approach, which follows the tragic event from its outset to its recognition by the authorities and society, including its impact to date, is in three parts. The first part, « searching for the disappeared » (chapters 1-3), revisits the search by the relevant authorities for the missing individual or their remains, and the relegation of the « search for the disappeared » to an object of scientific research. The misuse of language linked to the multiple meanings of the word « disappeared », statistical escalation and the political and memorial uses of the issue are also highlighted in order to understand the reasons behind this agonizing mystery. The second part presents the procedures used, such as abductions and arbitrary arrests, to « make people disappear » (chapters 4-6). The different perpetrators, targets and motives of these abuses are also examined. Finally, the third part « living with disappearance » (chapters 7-9) focuses largely on the economical and psychological repercussions for families and loved ones, which includes financial problems, rumors and the impossibility of mourning due to the uncertainty of the fate of « those who are neither dead nor alive ».

The systematic variation in arrests of former wartime leaders (including political/military leaders and those with commanding positions from both sides of conflict among other high-level wartime actors) in post-conflict countries have rarely been recognized and studied. Building on past literature that interlinks transitional justice with domestic politics, this study argues that the variation in arrests of former wartime leaders can be explained by elections and electoral manipulation theory. Amid the costs and opportunities associated with elections in general, I argue that incumbents also opt for arrests of former wartime leaders as an electoral manipulation strategy to eliminate political opponents and consolidate power in the guise of justice and, at the same time, minimize the costs associated with electoral manipulation tools. Hence, I hypothesize the arrest of former wartime leaders likely to be during the election period (the pre-election period, election day, and immediate post-election period). All else equal, the statistical test does not support the hypothesis while the complementary evidence from post-conflict Nepal and Sri Lanka suggest that presence (or absence) of justice in post-conflict countries is largely shaped by domestic politics. Similarly, few arrests in Sri Lanka and Nepal offer mild support to the theoretical expectations while few other arrests in Sri Lanka suggest that some arrests during the hypothesized election period are coincidental. This further questions the explanatory power of the suggested theory and findings.

L'arrêt cardiaque est un problème majeur de santé publique. Il se caractérise par une perte subite des fonctions cardiaques, de la respiration et de l’état de conscience et est habituellement causé par une perturbation électrique au niveau du coeur. Les arrêts cardiaques hors hôpital (ACHH) concernent plus de 85% des arrêts cardiaques. Les taux de survie, tout en restant bas, varient largement à travers le monde, de 2 à 20%. Dans la population générale, l'incidence de la mort subite par arrêt cardiaque serait estimée à 4-5 millions de cas par an. La pollution de l'air est un problème environnemental majeur pour la santé. En 2013, elle était le quatrième facteur de risque de mortalité globale et était estimée être à l'origine de 5,5 millions de décès par an à travers le monde. Dans la littérature, l'exposition à court terme à la pollution de l'air, notamment en ce qui concerne les particules en suspension, est retrouvée en association avec la morbidité et la mortalité cardiovasculaire. Plusieurs études trouvent une association positive entre les particules fines notées PM2,5 (de diamètre aérodynamique inférieur à 2,5 μm) et les arrêts cardiaques hors hôpital (ACHH) bien que l'association soit non significative dans d'autres études. En ce qui concerne les particules en suspension notées PM10 (de diamètre aérodynamique inférieur à 10 μm), le dioxyde d'azote (NO2), l'ozone (O3) et le dioxyde de soufre (SO2), l'évaluation du risque d'ACHH conduit à des résultats discordants. Les mécanismes impliqués dans la relation entre la pollution de l'air et les ACHH ne sont pas clairement connus. Ils pourraient mettre en jeu des perturbations électriques et des réactions inflammatoires. Le but de notre travail est d'étudier l'effet de l'exposition à ces différents polluants à des échelles de temps horaire et journalière sur la survenue d'ACHH dans la région Nord-Pas de Calais, France. De plus, nous nous sommes intéressés plus spécifiquement aux ACHH survenant en période scolaire avec des analyses en sous-groupes notamment par sexe, âge, cause de l'arrêt, statut diabétique, afin de pouvoir révéler des sous-groupes potentiellement plus vulnérables. L'étude a collecté les ACHH qui sont survenus dans la région Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, en 2015. Une étude de cas-croisé stratifiée sur le temps couplée à une régression logistique conditionnelle a été principalement utilisée pour évaluer l'association entre les ACHH et les polluants de l'air (PM2,5, PM10, NO2, O3, SO2) mesurés dans l'heure de l'arrêt jusqu'à 5 jours avant l'arrêt. 1039 cas ont été inclus dans l'étude. La plupart des associations positives significatives ont été observées pour les expositions aux PM2,5 et PM10 et pour les ACHH en période scolaire. Pour la plus petite p-value, le plus grand OR était : pour l'ensemble des ACHH et dans le sous-groupe des hommes, pour la moyenne cumulée sur 12 heures avant l'arrêt des PM10 (OR=1,33, p<0,001 et OR=1,34, p=0,001 respectivement) ; dans le sous-groupe des âges de 50 à 75 ans, pour la moyenne le jour de l'arrêt des PM2,5 (OR=1,27, p<0,001) ; dans le sous-groupe des arrêts de cause cardiaque, pour la moyenne quatre jours avant l'arrêt des PM2,5 (OR=1,26, p<0,001) ; dans le sous-groupe des cas avec diabète, pour la moyenne cumulée sur quatre heures avant l'arrêt des PM2,5 (OR=1,55, p=0,002). Les résultats montrent des associations significatives entre les particules en suspension et les ACHH en période scolaire, avec des sous-groupes de susceptibilité (hommes, âge de 50 à 75 ans, ACHH de cause cardiaque, et les diabétiques). L'exploration de sous-groupes de vulnérabilité est d'autant plus importante dans les études épidémiologiques des polluants de l'air du fait des risques peu élevés à l'échelle de la population habituellement observés. L'ensemble de ces informations pourraient encourager les autorités publiques à émettre des politiques de recommandations spécifiques ciblées pour les sous-groupes de susceptibilité. / Cardiac arrest is an important public issue. It refers to the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness and usually results from an electrical disturbance in the heart. More than 85% of cardiac arrests are out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). Overall survival rates remain low in most countries but vary widely across the world (range: 2–20%). In the general population, sudden cardiac death rates range from 4 to 5 million cases per year. Outdoor air pollution is a major environmental health problem. In 2013, it ranked as the fourth risk factor for global mortality and was estimated to cause 5,5 million deaths worldwide per year. Short-term exposure to air pollution especially with regard to fine particulate matter is increasingly associated in the literature with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. A positive association can be found between fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter under 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and OHCA in several studies, though the association remains insignificant in others. With respect to PM smaller than 10 microns (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), the evaluation of risk of OHCA brings out inconsistent results. The way ambient air pollution and OHCA are related is still unclear. It might involve electrical disturbances and inflammatory reactions. The aim of our study is to investigate the effect of exposure to air pollution, on an hourly and daily scale, on the incidence of OHCA in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. Additional objectives were to investigate, among OHCA occurring during non-holiday periods, susceptible subgroups by sex, age, cause of the OHCA, diabetes status. The study included OHCA that occurred in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, France, in 2015. A time-stratified casecrossover study design coupled with a conditional logistic regression was primarily used to evaluate the association between OHCA and air pollutants (PM2,5, PM10, NO2, O3, SO2) measured within the hour of the arrest up to 5 days before. In all, 1039 cases were included. Most of the significant positive associations were found for PM2,5 and PM10 exposures and for OHCA during non-holiday periods. For the smallest p-value, the largest OR was : for all OHCA and within the subgroup of men, for the cumulative average twelve hours before the arrest of PM10 (OR=1,33, p<0,001 and OR=1,34, p=0,001 respectively) ; within the subgroup of age 50 to 75 years old, for the average on the day of the arrest of PM2,5 (OR=1,27, p<0,001) ; within the subgroup of arrests of cardiac cause, for the average four days before the arrest of PM2,5 (OR=1,26, p<0,001) ; within the subgroup of cases with diabetes, for the cumulative average four hours before the arrest of PM2,5 (OR=1,55, p=0,002).The findings show significant links between short-term exposure to particulate matter and OHCA during non-holiday periods, with susceptible subgroups (men, age 50 to 75 years old, OHCA of cardiac cause, and diabetics). Investigation of susceptible subgroups becomes especially important in epidemiological studies of air pollutants because of the small population-wide relative risks that are usually observed. The results of this study could encourage public authorities to implement specific policy recommendations aimed at vulnerable subgroups.