Natasha Haunsperger EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Human trafficking is not only a criminal justice issue; foremost, it is an issue of human rights violations, and gender and economic disparities and inequities. Assessing the scope and prevalence of foreign-born human trafficking in the United States is highly challenging partially due to the hidden and multifaceted nature of human…
CHDS Theses: Executive Summaries
The Standardization of Specialization: Regional Task Force SWAT Team Response to Critical Incidents
Jonathan George EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The ever-changing world of critical incident response involving deadly threats continues to challenge law enforcement resources around the country. This is especially true when incidents involve attacks by suspects resulting in multiple major injuries and fatalities. The ability of law enforcement to respond quickly and effectively is often related to a…
Mapping the Manosphere: A Social Network Analysis of the Manosphere on Reddit.
Kelly Fitzgerald EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Ten years ago, the word incel was a term known primarily within niche online gaming and nerd communities. Today, the term has become better known for its association with young men who express rage at being unable to have sex and high-profile mass murders that target women.[1] Involuntary celibates, better known…
A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action: How Can Law Enforcement Enhance the Recruitment of Women?
Michelle Newman EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A 1972 congressional amendment to Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act made gender discrimination illegal, which helped to expand opportunities for women in the U.S. workforce, including policing.[1] Most policewomen up to that point served in support roles and social services positions, but this amendment helped open more assignments…
Avoiding the Cassandra Complex: Improving Warnings and Notifications for People with Functional and Access Needs
Sean Miller EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Emergency management and public safety practitioners cannot foretell the future, but they are often the first to know about impending hazards that require a public response to ensure safety. Thus, they possess information about present or future hazards that the public does not likely have, yet information must be communicated rapidly…
Subversive Influence: Vulnerabilities to the U.S. and Its Elections from Russian Interference Campaigns
Daniel MCMasters EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For roughly a century, the United States and its allies have endured coordinated efforts by the Soviet, and then Russian government to interfere in the West’s domestic affairs. The frequency, intensity, tactics, and targets of these clandestine attacks have varied over the years, but the Kremlin’s main goals of information manipulation,…
Sleeping Beauty’s Secret: Identity Transformation in Women Who Become Suicide Terrorists
Judith Lynn EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “In order to understand the factors that drive women to take up terrorism, it is imperative that we understand the role played by women and the subsequent transformations witnessed therein.”[1] Women have been active participants in terrorism throughout modern history; yet, the significant, existing body of literature dedicated to dissecting and…
What We’ve Got Here Is a Failure to Tourniquet: Increasing the Efficacy of Hemorrhage-Control Training
William Werner EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This thesis examines how hemorrhage-control training at the community level can improve the survivability of shootings. The thesis examined historical tourniquet use and similar immediate responder training programs to develop an understanding of relevant issues and opportunities. The research explores appropriate ways to tailor hemorrhage-control training to the needs of communities…
Assimilation Through the Ballot: How Voting Facilitates Integration into American Life
Nicholas Knowlton EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The United States continues to be a popular destination for immigration.[1] One remarkable feature of the U.S. immigration system is the manner in which the country has historically succeeded in facilitating immigrants’ integration into the social fabric of American society.[2] The United States has generally taken a laissez-faire approach to integration.[3]…
Peer Support in Law Enforcement
Cathy Scherer EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Peer support programs allow law enforcement officers to speak to their peers about stresses on and about the job in a structured setting and provide a level of safety and guidance to officers who experience traumatic incidents or who may struggle with cumulative stress. Peer support programs act as the bridge…