This systematic literature review investigated the issue of estranged father-son relationships and how they affect male youth, with the research question: “How do boys experiencing estranged father-son relationships negotiate their self-concept, informing their future identity as caregivers?” Peer-reviewed studies from PsychInfo, PubMed, ERIC, and Social Services Abstracts were analyzed, spanning two decades of research. The search yielded over 4,000 records, with 22 articles meeting the inclusion criteria following a full-text review and screening process. Guiding search terms included, ‘absent father’, ‘male youth’, ‘self-concept’, and ‘caregiving identity’. Articles were scrutinized according to conceptual variables to organize findings thematically. A qualitative synthesis conducted found that sons estranged from their biological fathers often express a strong desire to be present for their own children, experience emotional voids as a result of not being with their biological fathers, and have contact with unique social relationships—such as social fathers. This review discusses implications for male youth mental health and identity development, suggesting that estranged father-son relationships often serve as catalysts for unique caregiving identities.

Sex trafficking has been a focus of legal attention for decades and is addressed in laws aimed at protecting victims. However, these protections often fall short, leaving victims unable to escape cycles of abuse. Through investigation of federal and state law, scholarly articles, and interviews with legal professionals and victim community resource workers, I examine the question: How does the legal system succeed and fail in supporting victims of sex trafficking? My research investigates demographic patterns among victims, systemic legal barriers, community advocacy initiatives, and the impact of federal trafficking, prostitution, and digital privacy laws. My findings are organized into four sections: an overview of trafficking and demographics, the legal barriers facing victims, the emerging challenges of digital trafficking and victim-centered reform recommendations. Victims face legal obstacles in many aspects. The legal system's requirement for victim testimony, often in the presence of abusers, frequently leads to case dismissals due to non-cooperation. This combined with distrust of law enforcement among trafficking survivors, further deters trafficked persons from seeking state assistance. A comparative case study of Florida and Washington State law illustrates how varying approaches to prostitution law can lead to victim criminalization. The constant evolution of trafficking through social media and online forums heightens the need for systemic victim-centered reform. To effectively dismantle trafficking, the law must address the economic need that creates space for trafficking to thrive, and work to decrease the demand for trafficked sex. The legal system needs to embrace victim-centered reform that incorporates the testimonies of survivors in structuring policy to adequately support victims of sex trafficking.

Amidst an aggressively partisan political environment in the U.S., research has shown that a small but significant proportion of Americans find themselves isolated in co-partisan media environments (Fletcher et al., 2018; Cinelli et al, 2021). Few issues are as contentious and oft-covered within these environments as immigration, particularly during the 2024 presidential campaign. Coverage changes on immigration, down to word choice, have been shown to influence opinions in prior scholarship (Djourelova 2023; Abrajano et al., 2017). A literature gap exists on how and to what extent media coverage differs between outlets. My research thus seeks to answer, how do partisan news media differ in their immigration coverage? I focus my research on two key aspects of coverage: the use of frames, which Gamson and Modigliani define as “central organizing idea[s] or story line[s]” in the article, and sources, on which Watts and Maddison found that “publication outlet had a significant effect on proportion of” (2014 p.113), a certain source type. My content analysis will test expectations that: Broadcast outlets will have articles with a stronger general sentiment and source individual figures, Conservative outlets will use episodic frames, like Immigrant Crime, the most, and Liberal outlets will use thematic frames, such as Function of immigration System, the most. I used content analysis to categorize articles on source and data point usage, arguments made, article frame (Gamson & Modigliani 1987), and more. I investigated an article population (N=193) of two major broadcast, (including Fox News (N=57) and MSNBC (N=26)) and two major print outlets (The New York Times (N=62) and the Wall Street Journal (N=48)). Results from this research should establish a modern baseline on whether differences exist in specific details of articles, like sources and frames, representing a key contribution to the literature on partisan media and media framing.

Children of immigrants are uniquely situated in the United States. They share parts of both their American identity and upbringing, along with that of their parents’ and relatives’ homeland(s). Previous research has shown that because of these identities, children of immigrants are more civically engaged than any other group of young people. However, more research is needed to understand what is most effective for this population along with broader implications for these individuals. Utilizing the Youth-Parent Socialization Panel Study of 1965-1997 from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, I examine different civic engagement methods including civic education and community involvement and the effect on children of minority groups as opposed to their majority group counterparts. Furthermore I predict that these methods have a positive long term impact on measures of civic engagement, while also having a stronger effect on minority groups.

The goal of this project is to evaluate the effects of the Migrant Protection Protocols on asylum seekers and their advocates. Asylum seekers who presented themselves at the U.S. Southern border, whether through official ports of entry or otherwise, would be given notices to appear in immigration court. Until their immigration hearing for asylum, they were sent back to Mexico to wait. To ground my research, I performed a literature review of the history of U.S. asylum law. The texts focused on the 1920s-1940s to the present day, but I also included some texts that began their timelines in the 1800s. I hypothesized that restrictionist immigration policies like the Migrant Protection Protocols do not protect anyone; but rather, are a means to limit advocates’ ability to support asylum seekers, as they are now on opposite sides of the border. The barriers in front of asylum seekers are increasing under the current United States federal government. ‘Asylum seeker’ is not a protected status. What is or is not a protected ground for an asylum claim can change at a moment’s notice. Therefore, my research question asks how asylum seekers and their advocates are choosing to respond and adapt to changes in asylum policy in the present day. The stakes are high for asylum seekers and their advocates. Asylum is a highly discretionary process, and therefore who makes the rules can be the difference between entry and rejection to the U.S. To conduct this study, I performed participant observation. I attended public lectures, community events, and volunteered with local organizations. In addition, I conducted informational interviews with legal professionals. By gaining a better understanding of the positionality of asylum seekers and their advocates, we can learn how to develop policies with the voices of those most directly involved in mind.

Love and family are both core components of the human experience and are inherently emotionally complex. While the law is popularly thought to uphold reason alone, our innate sense of humanity makes it nearly impossible to separate law from emotion when discussing family reunification, a core principle of U.S immigration law. Through my research, I aim to define what emotions applicants express when making different kinds of appeals. I also examine how these emotions are employed in storytelling and the construction of personal narratives. This project explores the following question: Considering that the law is designed to be neutral and objective, what role does human emotion play, if any, in influencing family reunification-based immigration decision outcomes? To answer this question, I conducted a detailed textual analysis of letters to USCIS written on behalf of individuals attempting to gain legal status. To supplement the data gathered from the letters, I interviewed several immigration lawyers and one retired immigration judge about the role emotion plays in their careers and how they advise clients to employ (or withhold) their own emotions. My findings were consistent with my hypothesis that emotion plays a critical role in the field of immigration law, particularly in persuasive storytelling. I discovered that throughout the letters, which tended to center themes of fear and distress, the resounding tone and overall message was one of love and hope for a better future. This research contributes to the recently expanding field of law and emotion scholarship. It seeks to demonstrate that our innate sense of humanity is not only irrepressible but plays a significant role in legal decision making where discretion is involved.