Every institution has crime that occurs on campus. How this crime affects the student experience has been rarely explored, especially in relation to student retention. Not having this information makes it difficult for administrators to understand what relationship on-campus crime could have with student retention. This examination aims to yield…

Despite significant cultural attention on the phenomenon of school shootings, one of the most predictive dimensions of these tragedies is under-analyzed: gender. Men commit 98% of mass shootings, but robust discussion and research on this relationship is lacking. This dissertation investigates the relationship between masculinity and gun violence…

While anyone can be a victim of sexual violence, college-aged females between the ages of 18 and 21 are more likely to be victimized than any other group. Sexual violence continues to be a barrier to education, and colleges/universities make it challenging for students to report on campus. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors,…

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the mindsets of preservice educators regarding mandatory training in pre-violence indicator patterns at XYZ University. Pre-violence indicator patterns are defined as behaviors symptomatic of violent or aggressive behavior. The theory guiding this study was…

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a severe global public health problem that affects both men and women all over the world, and college students are not exempt. (Thongpriwan et al., 2015). Although attitude is a major factor contributing to the prevalence of IPV (CDC, 2021a; Sanchez-Prada, 2020), there is a dearth of knowledge about HBCU…

According to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) national model, over 80% of school counselors' time should be spent providing direct and indirect student services, which represents a major shift in the roles and responsibilities of school counselors. Additionally, after the Santa Fe mass shootings, Texas school counselors are now…

The story of a mass shooting occurring on the place of school seems to be a common one in contemporary American cultural narrative. One of the more controversial solutions offered within this narrative is allowing citizens to protect themselves through the practice of conceal and carry. The practice of legally allowing individuals to conceal and…

This research study focuses on students' and faculty's awareness and preparedness during an active-shooter event. The study examines the perceptions and abilities of the students and faculty at a large southern university. The study surveys the participants current ability to use and their opinions of using the emergency alert notification system…

Scholars and policymakers recommend that colleges and universities with publicly accessible threat assessment team (TAT) policies enhance campus safety. While many universities have TAT policies in place, external assessors usually have not thoroughly evaluated the actual content of those policies. A gap exists in the applied research literature…

Little is known about how a college mass shooting affects faculty and staff survivors. The purpose of this study was to better understand how the experience of a college mass shooting affected the lives of faculty and staff involved in the incident. This study examined, in-depth, the personal accounts of six college staff and faculty who had…

There is a national problem with campus safety (CS) at universities and colleges in the United States. Research on this topic has primary focused on the perceptions of faculty, staff, and administrators about CS, while the research including the perceptions of students is largely absent. It is important to investigate students' perceptions of CS…

The problem is staff fear being involved in the next campus shooting, which has pushed campus safety experts to update safety policies and procedures. One of the policies being addressed is the option of allowing concealed carry on campus (CCOC). However, allowing CCOC makes some staff feel less safe. The purpose of this causal-comparative study…

No parent, student, employee or visitor should ever fear walking the halls and grounds of a college or university campus. Over the past two decades, this country has witnessed many tragic mass shootings, which resulted in multiple deaths and countless injuries. One of the deadliest on record occurred April 16, 2007, at Virginia Tech. Today,…

The shooting on Virginia Tech's campus that left 32 dead in 2007 and other incidents since then resulted in active threat preparations at institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States. Little is known about how emergency managers understand campus preparedness and what enhanced learning in the implementation, training, and…