Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most frequently committed offenses in the United States and approximately one-third of DUI offenders are recidivists. Researchers have evaluated multiple DUI prevention approaches, most of which have been rooted in deterrence theory. Recently, the criminal justice system has moved away from deterrence-based approaches and begun employing various forms of rehabilitation to reduce DUI recidivism. This shift in the criminal justice system has lead researchers to begin exploring the effects of rehabilitation on DUI offenders, including an examination of offender compliance with rehabilitation programs. Although each of these areas has been investigated separately, existing studies have not incorporated deterrence-related measures, rehabilitation compliance, and offender recidivism into a single model. Utilizing a statewide sample of Kentucky DUI offenders, the primary goal of this dissertation was to examine whether rehabilitation compliance mediates the relationship between deterrence-related variables (conviction celerity and punishment severity) and DUI offender recidivism. Second, because existing studies have produced inconclusive or mixed results regarding deterrence among DUI offenders, analyses were conducted to examine the potential moderating effects of age, gender, substance use problem severity, and location on the relationship between deterrence-related variables and DUI recidivism. Overall, the hypothesized mediation models were unsupported. There was no direct correlation between the deterrence-related variables and DUI recidivism. In addition, while there was some evidence of moderation, the hypothesized moderation models were also largely unsupported. Despite these results, compliance was significantly related to DUI recidivism in all four models, and there was evidence of relationships between both compliance and DUI recidivism with age, gender, problem severity, and location. Findings highlight the importance of compliance and social and environmental variables in predicting DUI recidivism, suggesting that these variables may be more accurate predictors of DUI recidivism than deterrence-based variables. Results demonstrate a need for the criminal justice system to place more emphasis on offenders’ treatment needs, treatment accessibility, and retention of DUI offenders in rehabilitation programs in order to decrease DUI recidivism.

This thesis begins with an introduction and methodology that presents two major research questions: “Can restorative justice exist within a zero-tolerance framework,” and, “What are the challenges that stand in the way of implementing restorative justice ideologies fully at Glenside High School?” The author provides an autobiographical statement to give context to his positionality within this research. A comprehensive literature review highlights a brief history of restorative justice, a description of the harmful effects of punitive discipline, and results from different communities that have implemented restorative justice. The three major respondents are introduced in order to provide context to their positionality within this research. The author presents his research findings based on qualitative field notes from site visits to a public, Southern California high school in addition to responses from interviews with teachers and a restorative justice expert. The author concludes by arguing for the implementation of restorative justice in a widespread manner in individual schools, in addition to comprehensive teacher training in pre-professional programs for prospective teachers and the need to shift from “teach to the test” ideologies to holistic student development pedagogies.

The conditions that have prevailed in the United States in the last twenty-five years, compel thoughtful citizens to give careful attention to the disrespect for law that is so marked a characteristic of the period. Crime and disorder are spread theoughout the length and breadth of the land. This produces problems which should be studies and solved for the good of society. The reaction which accompanies this evil will eventually cause social demoralization. While attempting to treat this particular evil, social workers have been largely content to deal with surface conditions. Attention has been focused upon the symptom rather than the cause. Hardened criminals are not made in a day. They are the result of contacts and environment, plus hereditary forces, which have influenced them through years of time. Therefore, a study should be made of delinquent youth for the purpose of understanding the criminal. For years the criminal acts of delinquent individuals have been catalogued and graded according to the respective felonies and misdemeanors committed. Little has been done however, relative to understanding the cause of delinquency. This statement is not made for the purpose of discounting any good work which has been accomplished; but the accomplishments have been almost negligible in comparison with those in other fields of research. It is the desire of the writer to set forth in an accurate manner the elements of juvenile criminality, more commonly called delinquency. The terms, criminality and delinquency, will be used interchangeably to designate and infraction against, or a nonconformity to, law and order.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to reveal the typical life style of a representative sample of fifty male opiate addicts participating in the Oregon Methadone Treatment Program. An important goal of the research was to assess the reliability of information gathered from patients compared to data obtained from an equal number of informants. A highly structured questionnaire was designed to elicit specific responses in order to calculate the degree of concordance between patients and informants to identical items. The findings depicted the modal life style of the subjects as more socially conventional, more responsible, and less antisocial. Although only 20% of the patients occasionally used heroin, it was common for them to rely on alcohol or marijuana. The results showed a pattern of high agreement between patients and informants in the information they provided suggesting that the data were reliable. It is judged that the self- report of methadone patients should be given considerable credence when information is gathered in a context of trust and confidentiality. The investigators conclude that the Oregon Methadone Treatment Program deserves the full support of the community as one with significant dividends to the patients and to the state.

The rather novel phenomenon of cybergrooming, or the solicitation of minors for sex via the Internet, has yet to be fully explored. This is a problem because such predatory behavior can lead to psychological and/or physical abuse of minors. The present study seeks to fill this knowledge by performing a qualitative, grounded theory analysis of naturally-occurring cybergrooming discourse. Data were drawn from the website of the online watchdog group, Perverted Justice. The first 20 lines of talk transmitted by the adults in these chat conversations were sampled from 100 transcripts published by Perverted Justice.Multi-step coding, facilitated by the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti, revealed 11 themes of social action that discursively emerged in at least 25% of said transcripts: (1) conversational openings; (2) initial solicitation of age, sex and/or location; (3) specific questions regarding 'child's' life; (4) follow-up topicalization of 'child's' location; (5) seeking visual images of 'child;' (6) complimenting 'child's' appearance; (7) soliciting topic for discussion; (8) explicitly sexual statements; (9) soliciting 'child's' age preference for sex/romance; (10) arranging further contact; and (11) disclosing personal activities. These themes are then explored in their own context, in relation to each other, and as elements of the broad behavioral framework of cybergrooming.

An amplified emphasis on global competency and a projected demographic shift toward an increasingly diverse population necessitates that businesses and organizations prepare adequately to remain competitive and effective. Training to enhance employees' multicultural competence is often used by organizations to address these impending changes; however, there is little research documenting the degree to which these trainings are effective. Using archival training evaluation data, the purpose of this study was to examine participant estimations of the effectiveness of one such training and also to determine if participant demographic variables including gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and employee classification (faculty or staff) held any predictive value in relation to training ratings. The results indicated that overall most participants found the training effective. Staff, female, or non-White participants were significantly more likely to rate the training favorably. These results suggest that diversity training may be a viable method of addressing changing organizational demographics and provides some insight as to how training group demographics could be used during the training planning and implementation process to individualize the curriculum.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between juvenile delinquency and involvement with various school activities. In order to do so data from the Monitoring the Future survey of high school seniors in 2008 were used. Univariate measures included descriptive statistics of the variables, while bivariate analysis determined if a relationship exists between the dependent and independent variables. Results of the analysis suggested mixed support for the relationship between adolescent delinquency and involvement in school activities.

How society views the use of the death penalty as a means of punishment greatly affects the decisions of lawmakers, politicians who use it as a platform for election, and the criminals who commit the crime of murder. This study used 40 different vignettes involving real-life murder scenarios in order for participants to form a more precise opinion of what the correct punishment for the crime should be. Given a choice between the death penalty, life without the possibility of parole, a prison term of their choosing, or other, participants were asked to assign a sanction for each vignette. Respondents were asked to answer demographic questions about themselves in order for these variables to be regressed to examine how their status relates to their opinion of the death penalty as a punishment for murder. Statistical analysis showed income level, political affiliation, and religious affiliation to be significant variables. Analysis of the vignettes themselves revealed substantial variation in individual's willingness to apply the death penalty across various types of murder.

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attack resulted in a myriad of new policies designed to enhance aviation security. These policies ostensibly considered the origins of the exact threat facing the United States. Missing, however, were the inputs from rank and file pilots of the airlines that policy makers were attempting to protect. This exploratory study distributed a 50-question survey designed to measure pilot perceptions of security risk and threats. Univariate descriptives were used to examine the extent to which sample data approximated the population of interest. Factor and reliability analysis were used to document the multidimensionality of the constructs and assess the appropriateness of the linear combination of variables used to construct the scales. Finally, correlation analysis was used to better understand which areas of airline security might be targeted by policymakers to enhance existing structures and practices. Results revealed statistically significant differences in the perceptions of pilot security concerns and the focus of current U.S. aviation security policy.

The purpose of this study was to examine prescription drug abuse among the adolescent population and analyze factors that may contribute to or influence adolescent drug abuse. This study examined 3 waves of a secondary data set from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) entitled the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The data from these surveys are nationally representative and include data on several types of drug use and mental health conditions. Results from the current study indicate that there were significant relationships among age, gender, race, previous alcohol use, school enrollment, general health, mental health treatment, and the use of prescription drugs in the adolescent populations. Future research should be conducted to investigate the severity of the impact adolescent prescription drug abuse will have on society and to investigate possible solutions to this problem.