Tag: Ellen Scott

Victims’ Advocate Experiences and Perceptions on Engaging with Survivors of Crimes

Presenter: Ethan Guo − Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Ellen Scott

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Connection and Community

The United States Criminal Justice System’s response to crimes committed against other persons relies heavily upon people who are “Victims’ Advocates”. This advocate system is what guides survivors through the process of criminal justice by working closely with survivors to ensure that they are comfortable and aware of their rights and the ways in which they are involved in a criminal case. This study utilizes multiple interviews with Victims’ Advocates, as well as supplementary interviews with survivors in order to examine Victims’ Advocates’ perception of their impact on survivor experiences with the criminal justice system. Both in general experiences as well as how specific circumstances create different environments for survivors. Interviews from advocates revealed a pattern of how survivors’ responses differ greatly across the specific type of survivor and the nature of the crime experienced. Perceived participation and engagement levels differed greatly between crimes such as: domestic violence, theft, burglary, stranger assaults, homicides, car theft. Experiences; and also varied by across the extent of impact a survivor felt their participation and engagement would have in the proceedings against the defendant. Recognition of these patterns and differences when it comes to survivor involvement can better inform our societal approaches to how organizations and their frameworks’ are better suited for the needs of survivors.

Esperanza y Determinación (Hope And Determination): Conceptualizing Themes in Transit Migrant Narratives

Presenter(s): Carina Garcia − International Studies, Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Kristin Yarris, Ellen Scott

Poster 126

Research Area: Social Science

Funding: McNair Scholarship

Mexican out-migration has traditionally received significant attention in news and scholarly writing. However, South and Central Americans migrating through Mexico to the United States have been less studied. Its geographical location makes Mexico an intermediary destination along migratory routes for Central and South Americans looking to gain access into the US. This research explores common themes in migrants’ experiences while transiting through Mexico en-route to the United States. The role of Mexico as a primarily migrant sending country has shifted to a much more complex state of transit and receiving migratory routes, yet we know little of the experience of migrants traveling through Mexico seeking to settle in the United States. Using interviews with migrants collected in Mazatlán, Sinaloa Mexico, this research will explore what migrants say about those experiences, and how those experiences differ from or are similar to those of Mexican migrants. The results clearly show a need for a better response to humanitarian needs and addressing widespread violence against migrants. Overall, these findings contribute to the growing knowledge of changing migration patterns of contemporary Americas.