Capstone

Both colleges and universities have been trying to develop different ways of violence prevention such as bystander intervention, self-defense programs taught by the police or an outside party, and even sending out emergency notification emails and texts. Even though these methods seem to help prevention in some way, attacks are still at an all-time high. There needs to be a more efficient way for both students and campus personnel to report dangerous situations. There has been recent innovation in mobile technology through the creation of smartphone safety apps that certain colleges throughout the country have implementing. In my project, I am am investigating how the use of technology, focusing primarily on the use of campus safety apps, can prepare students to become more self-aware about campus violence and how they can prevent and how campus security can respond to it. I am looking at a number of sources and articles to describe what prevention measures are currently on campuses, whether that be from a campus wide text or any programs that college administrators have in place. After doing quite a bit of research, I found at least ten different safety apps that have currently been implemented in both k-12 schools and higher education institutions. Seeing as how there are multiple apps out there I am going to focus primarily on five of the apps that share similar functions. I am hoping to compile a list of colleges that are currently using the selected apps and schedule interviews with their campus safety/security to find out how the app has impacted their students.

Once I have gathered the information from the colleges and their safety apps, I will then host two focus groups in a computer lounge with a total of ten RAs and ten criminology students. I will ask begin by asking them basic questions about their take on Merrimack in regards to campus violence and prevention. From there I will then provide each student with five website urls that will that will bring them each to the mobile applications that I researched from before. Based on the information that was presented to them they will then choose which app they think would be most beneficial to the campus and the students. The literature that I chose for my capstone focuses on violence and it’s causes among college students, current college violence prevention/security measures, mobile technology and how it is utilized on a campus, and focuses on how college students perceive phones as a means of protection, how mobile technology could be used as a violence response and prevention method. I am following a constructivist paradigm because I am relying on the participants views of the current violent situations on a campus and seeing if their past experiences or background with this topic will intrigue them of the idea of a campus safety app.

My target population is going to be the resident assistants and criminology students because of the student connection that they have with the entire on campus student population. The resident assistants serve as a resource, mentor, and policy enforcers which would make them an ideal candidate for both prevention and awareness. I also have good connections with the Residence Life Department on campus and believe that I will have a good response. I am also going to be using criminology students due to the fact this can directly relate to their field of study and I believe that I will get great responses. I do not foresee any issues arising other than a heightened awareness about violent situations that happen on college campuses. Seeing as how resident assistants are in contact with many of the students on campus, they could potentially be the best advocates for their residents. Once I have the all of the data compiled from the school interviews and focus groups, I will then explain why and how mobile technology can serve as a future prevention method for further violence against campus. I will also report to my supervisor with the results of my findings and offer my opinion on the apps that were presented.