Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / W. Richard Goe / This study examined three of the prominent theories of juvenile delinquency to determine principle juvenile firearm carrying behaviors. The theories investigated were Differential Association/Social Learning, Social Control, and Anomie/Strain. The data set used for this research was the “National Survey of Weapons-Related Experiences, Behaviors, and Concerns of High School Youth in the United States, 1996” from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan. This national-level survey of youth was conducted by Joseph F. Sheley and James D. Wright to assemble detailed behavioral and attitudinal data concerning weapons and violence, and was completed by 733 10th and 11th grade male high school students. Comparison logistic regression model analyses were utilized to examine the study’s hypotheses. Findings indicated that juvenile firearms carrying is most influenced by delinquent peers, delinquent friends, and gang membership within the theoretical framework of Differential Association/Social Learning. Social Control Theory has the least explanatory power, while the analysis of Anomie/Strain suggests that vicarious strains (those strains experienced by people close to the juvenile) have even more influence on juvenile firearms carrying than experienced strain. Theoretical integration is recommended for future research attempting to provide greater explanatory and predictive power for serious forms of delinquency like juvenile firearms carrying.

The world economy loses an estimated $3.5 trillion annually due to fraud. A weakened economy leads to additional hardships for individuals, families, and organizations. General strain theory (GST) posits that certain strains lead to negative emotional responses, and the result is delinquent behavior. The purpose of this research was to analyze the relationship between strain and occupational fraud through the theoretical framework of GST. The research questions addressed (a) occupational frauds as measured by strain levels of perpetrators, (b) the relationship between strain scores and the different occupational fraud types, and (c) the significance of the relationship between fraud motivation and each of the occupational fraud types. A quantitative, cross-sectional study using secondary data from the ACFE Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse database, was conducted to examine the relationship between strain, negative emotionality, and occupational fraud crimes. To examine this relationship, a sample of 2,910 cases were tested using nominal regression, logistic regression, and Pearson correlation. The results indicated that strain is significantly related to asset misappropriation and financial statement frauds. The results also showed that work-related motivation is significantly related to financial statement frauds. Scholars and practitioners should focus on agendas related to strain, work-related motivation, and financial statement frauds. Fewer fraud losses will positively impact society through increased employment opportunities, additional tax revenues for all levels of government, and increased cash flows for investors.

Accurate statistical characterization of nanomaterials is crucial for their use in emerging technologies. This work investigates how different structural characteristics of metal nanoparticles influence the line profiles of the corresponding powder diffraction pattern. The effects of crystallite size, shape, lattice dynamics, and surface strain are all systematically studied in terms of their impact on the line profiles. The studied patterns are simulated from atomistic models of nanoparticles via the Debye function. This approach allows for the existing theories of diffraction to be tested, and extended, in an effort to improve the characterization of small crystallites. It also begins to allow for the incorporation of atomistic simulations into the field of diffraction. Molecular dynamics simulations are shown to be effective in generating realistic structural models and dynamics of an atomic system, and are then used to study the observed features in the powder diffraction pattern. Furthermore, the characterization of a sample of shape controlled Pt nanoparticles is carried out through the use of a developed Debye function analysis routine in an effort to determine the predominant particle shape. The results of this modeling are shown to be in good agreement with complementary characterization methods, like transmission electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry.

This is a Nigerian study, which initially aimed to examine armed robbery culture and the youth subculture. With the employment of subcultural theory, the study became intellectually unviable in explaining the primary data. A replacement was made by seeking recourse to anomie-strain theory and control theory to explain the data. Presently, the main aim of this study is to examine the involvement of youths in armed robbery. Specifically, the study will look at armed robbery from the point of view of offenders and the factors responsible for their crime.Armed robbery is a type of robbery aided by weapon(s) to threaten, force and deprive a person or persons of the right to private, public or corporate belongings. Since the end of the Nigeria civil war (1967-1970), the offence has become a problem in the country, occurring almost on a daily basis in the urban areas more than the rural. Armed robbery can take place in residential homes, commercial places, motorways and any other place the offenders may deem necessary to operate. The current criminal climate has made it possible for armed robbers to engage in interstate criminal operations as well.Methodologically, the research is qualitative, involving semi-structured face-to-face oral interviews (open-ended) with 20 armed robbers in prison custody in Nigeria. There is also an unstructured interview with 4 members of the criminal justice system in Nigeria. The analytical framework employed is interpretive phenomenology, to capture the holistic worldview of the offender sample. Secondary data comes from both the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Prison Service records.Findings are presented under four systematic themes: family circumstances, economic motivations, life course engagement, and situational dynamics in carrying out a robbery. Data reveal the four most significant factors in the hierarchy of response (bad friends, money, poverty and corruption) that may account for the involvement of youths in armed robbery. Since the group of “bad friends” is the main catalyst responsible for the involvement of youths in armed robbery, the thesis concludes that this sample of respondents be regarded as a network of criminals who were strained by the unjust social structure in their native Nigeria. Besides, there is need for a Nigerian criminological theoretical framework that offers an in-depth explanation of crime in the Nigerian society.

Depressive and anxiety symptoms are common mental health problems globally. Antisocial behaviors can occur in early age and develop into delinquency. The aim of the study was to investigate longitudinally, with a six-month follow-up the association between mental health problems (i.e. depressive and anxiety symptoms) and delinquency among Italian early adolescents and if this association differs for boys and girls. A quantitative method was used with secondary data. The sample consisted of 155 Italian 12 years old adolescents. A longitudinal design with two occasions of measurement was used, which allows to follow individuals over time. The cross-sectional results showed that depressive symptoms were positively associated with delinquency in the total sample. However, no association was showed between anxiety symptoms and delinquency at the baseline. In addition, longitudinal results showed that medium/high delinquent behavior after six-month follow-up can partly be explained by depressive symptoms at baseline, but not by anxiety symptoms in the total sample. The longitudinal results also showed that increased levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms among boys increased the probability of having medium/high delinquent behavior, but not among girls. In conclusion, mental health problems can to some extent explain delinquency, especially among boys.

Denna studie undersöker bidragsbrottsligheten i Malmö och dess utveckling. Utifrån en kvantitativ ansats med tvärsnittsdesign syftar studien till att belysa utvecklingen av bidragsbrott samt hitta bidragande faktorer till utvecklingsförloppet. Bidragsbrott är relevant utifrån dess frekvens, konsekvenser för välfärdssystemet och kopplingen till den organiserade brottsligheten. På uppdrag av Malmös avdelning för ekonomiskt bistånd och boende har forskningsfrågorna besvaras med statistik från dem samt Brottsförebyggande rådet. Efter en deskriptiv univariat analys fann denna studie att bidragsbrottsutvecklingen i Malmö inte påvisar en stabil ökande eller minskande trend utan är fluktuerande. Med hjälp av Strainteorin och Situationella handlingsteorin förklarades denna ojämna utveckling utifrån ekonomiska faktorer, extern/intern kontroll samt motivation och frestelser. / This study investigates the social welfare crime development in Malmö. Using a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design this study aims to illustrate the development of social welfare crime and also find contributing factors to the development. Social welfare crime is relevant due to its frequency, consequences to the welfare system and connection to organized crime. At the request of Malmö City department of economic aid and housing, the research questions have been answered using data from the department and Brottsförebyggande rådet. After a descriptive univariate analysis, this study found that the social welfare crime development is neither showing a stable rising or decreasing trend but a fluctuation curve. The uneven development was explained using Strain theory and the Situational action theory and was able to identify contributing factors such as economic factors, internal/external control, motivation and temptations.

The purpose of this dissertation is to extend General Strain Theory (GST) to examine prosocial, asocial, and antisocial behavior in response to bullying. In GST, Agnew (1992; 2001; 2013) asserted that negative emotions can lead to criminal or aggressive coping but there are a number of factors that increase or decrease the propensity to respond aggressively (Agnew, 1992; Richman & Leary, 2009). In this dissertation, I examine whether and how rejection (operationalized as bullying victimization) is associated with aggressive responding as opposed to prosocial (e.g., befriending others) or asocial (e.g., avoiding people and social events) responding. This dissertation consists of three studies testing theoretical variables of bullying victimization as well as behavioral responses to four types of bullying: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. Study 1 of this dissertation examines risk and protective factors for types of bullying victimization. Study 2 applies GST to test the effect of social support, or the availability of alternative relationships (i.e., having others to count on or turn to for social support), on responses to four types of bullying. Study 3 tests the effect of power dynamics on responses to physical and relational bullying. In conducting this research, I hope to: 1) integrate interdisciplinary bodies of literature to examine risk and protective factors of bullying victimization and behavioral responses to bullying and 2) improve understanding of how these experiences are affected by the power dynamics involved in bullying. Overall, the results of this dissertation suggest that types of negative emotions and behavioral outcomes vary by type of bullying victimization. Cyber bullying was found to have more negative consequences than any other form of bullying. Across all four forms of bullying, social support was found to be associated with an increased likelihood of youth engaging in prosocial behavior. Implicit power, or the perception that one’s bully has a high social standing at school, significantly influenced responses based on the type of bullying. However, even when controlling for power dynamics, social support was still associated with increased prosocial behavior in response to bullying victimization. Theory and policy implications are discussed.

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Studiens syfte är att undersöka högstadielärares beskrivningar av unga i utsatta områden och det förebyggande arbete som bedrivs på skolor i utsatta områden med unga i riskzon som tenderar att hamna i kriminella nätverk. Studien är en kvalitativ ansats med hermeneutik som vetenskapsteoretisk ingång och det insamlade empiriska materialet utgår från semistrukturerade intervjuer med ett målstyrt urval. Studiens analys har gjorts i förhållande till tre teorier om stigmatisering, sociala band och strainteorin. Intervjuerna genomfördes med åtta yrkesverksamma på olika skolor i utsatta områden runtom i Sverige. Resultatet visar att de unga i utsatta områden påverkas av olika faktorer som medför en exkludering och har därför sämre förutsättningar på grund av sin bakgrund. Vidare framkommer det att relationsskapande och samverkan med föräldrar och andra aktörer är en avgörande faktor för att det förebyggande arbetet ska fungera och hålla unga i utsatta områden som är i riskzon borta från det kriminella.

Les outillages de mise en forme en acier martensitique de type AISI H11 sont des pièces critiques dont le comportement en service est étroitement lié à leurs structures internes et à leur évolution. Les conditions des sollicitations lors de la mise en oeuvre du procédé est souvent à l'origine de modifications microstructurales en surface, à savoir la morphologie des lattes de martensite, les orientations cristallographiques, l'état d'écrouissage interne ou encore le profil de surface. Ces aspects peuvent éventuellement altérer les performances mécaniques de l'acier AISI H11. Afin d'appréhender et d'optimiser le comportement mécanique de celui-ci, une approche multi-échelle est mise en oeuvre dans ce travail. Celle-ci s'articule autour d'une investigation expérimentale et d'un traitement numérique. L'étude expérimentale s'attache à reproduire, à l'échelle du laboratoire, des surfaces équivalentes à celles issues lors des procédés de mise en oeuvre des outillages. Des techniques de caractérisation spécifiques, à savoir le MEB, l'EBSD, la nanoindentation ou encore l'altimétrie permettent de mettre en évidence un gradient de la stéréologie du matériau en surface et sous-surface. Les hétérogénéités locales induites concernent la morphologie des lattes de martensite, les orientations cristallographiques, l'état d'écrouissage interne mais également le profil de surface. Des essais mécaniques in-situ associés à la technique de corrélation d'images numériques sont réalisés pour des chargements monotones quasi-statiques et cycliques de type traction-traction. Une investigation des champs mécaniques locaux en surface est ainsi effectuée, elle permet d'analyser les schémas de localisations des déformations non linéaires liés aux artéfacts stéréologiques. Le traitement numérique s'intéresse à une modélisation multi-échelle, et plus particulièrement à des calculs par la méthode des éléments finis sur des microstructures virtuelles générées par tesselations de Voronoï. Celles-ci sont effectuées de manière à reproduire les structures martensitiques et considèrent des relations d'orientations spécifiques (de type Kurdjumov-Sachs) à l'issue du traitement thermique entre les lattes de martensite et le grain austénitique parent. Les équations constitutives du modèle de plasticité cristalline (élasto-viscoplastique) de Méric-Cailletaud sont implantées dans le code de calcul par éléments finis Abaqus dans le cadre de l'hypothèse des petites perturbations (HPP) et de la théorie des transformations finies. La formulation du modèle dans le contexte de la théorie des transformations finies est effectuée dans le cadre d'une description spatiale où la notion de dérivée objective est considérée. Celle-ci consiste en celle d'Oldroyd ou de Truesdell de manière à ce qu'une telle formulation soit équivalente à une description lagrangienne. Le traitement numérique a permis de reproduire de manière qualitative les schémas de localisation en surface mise en évidence lors de l'investigation expérimentale. L'influence des divers paramètres stéréologiques, évoqués ci-dessus, sur les champs mécaniques locaux a été analysée. De par cette approche, il a été possible de mettre en évidence certains mécanismes élémentaires, notamment les effets d'interaction et de surface. Enfin, il a été constaté que la prise en compte des rotations des réseaux cristallins par la théorie des transformations finies permet de relâcher certaines zones de localisation des champs mécaniques autour d'artéfacts stéréologiques. / AISI H11 martensitic tool steels are critical mechanical components that behaviour during service is drastically linked to their internal structures and their possible evolution. Their manufacture processes are often at the origin of microstructural changes at the surface, namely the morphology of martensitic laths, the crystallographic orientations, the internal hardening state and the surface profile These aspects can potentially alter the mechanical performance of AISI H11 martensitic steel. In order to get better insight into and optimize its mechanical behaviour, a multi-scale approach involving an experimental investigation and a numerical treatment is taken in this work.The experimental investigation focuses to reproduce, at the laboratory scale, equivalent surfaces to those resulting from tool steels manufacture processes. Specific characterization techniques, namely SEM, EBSD, nanoindentation and altimetry enable to highlight a stereology gradient of the material in surface and sub-surface. The induced local heterogeneities consist in morphology of martensitic laths and crystallographic orientations, internal hardening state and surface profile. In-situ mechanical tests with digital image correlation technique (DIC) are carried out for monotonous quasi-static and tension-tension cyclic loads. An investigation of the local mechanical fields at the surface is thus performed and allows to analyze the localizations schemes of nonlinear strains which are related to stereological artifacts.The numerical treatment is focused on a multi-scale modelling, and more particularly on finite element calculations on virtual microstructures which are generated by Voronoi tesselations. The latters are carried out such that to reproduce martensitic structures and consider a specific orientation relationship between martensitic laths and parent austenitic grains (i.e. Kurdjumov-Sachs) after the heat treatment. The constitutive equations of the (elasto-viscoplastic) crystal plasticity of Méric-Cailletaud are implemented in the finite element code Abaqus in the context of the small strain assumption and the finite strain theory. The formulation of the model in the context of finite strain theory is is given a spatial description where the notion of objective derivative, namely the so called one of Oldroyd or Truesdell, is used in such a way that such formulation is equivalent to a Lagrangian description.The numerical treatment has allowed to qualitatively reproduce the localization patterns at the surface which have been highlighted in the experimental investigation. The influence of the different stereological parameters mentioned above on the local mechanical fields was analyzed. By this approach, it was possible to highlight some elementary mechanisms including interaction and surface effects. Finally, it was found that the inclusion of lattice rotations via the theory of finite strain allows to release certain areas of mechanical fields localization that are related to stereological artifacts.