/library/oar/handle/123456789/107222 2025-12-26T22:24:43Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/132781 Title: Stalking in Malta : from perceptions to coping and support Abstract: Stalking is a serious criminal offence that inflicts lasting psychological and emotional harm on victims. Mitigating and minimising its impact requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including the victim's social network and the victims themselves. This research focuses on stalking in Malta, aiming to comprehensively understand police attitudes, victims' coping strategies, and available support systems through a police survey, victim interviews, and focus groups. The survey results reveal a significant knowledge gap among officers regarding stalking and relevant laws, hindering effective identification and response. As a result, victims often face inadequate support and protection. Eleven victim interviews yield valuable insights into their experiences and coping strategies shaped by Malta's distinctive characteristics. Some coping options, such as relocation, prove unfeasible in the Maltese context due to the economic costs involved and the islands' geographic and social constraints. Moreover, inward coping strategies in Malta are less common, with victims often relying on family and friends for support, emphasising the importance of close social connections in the local culture. While the involvement of family and friends is crucial for providing support, victims often lack validation from professional support services, leading to increased isolation and vulnerability. Additionally, foreign victims face increased vulnerability due to their limited awareness of available services and rights. These findings underscore the need for culturally tailored support mechanisms and improved access to professional assistance for victims in Malta. Focus group discussions stress the urgent need for comprehensive policy reforms to address systemic deficiencies in supporting and protecting stalking victims. The discussions, encompassing senior police management, police middle management, and non-police organisations, have revealed underlying issues, including insensitivity, biases, and resource limitations that hinder officers from delivering adequate services. Legal remedies alone are insufficient; educational programs, improved risk assessment models, and enhanced services are essential to meet victims' specific needs. In conclusion, this research study sheds light on the intricate dynamics of stalking in Malta. It emphasises the necessity of a holistic approach to address the challenges victims face, which are further exacerbated by the Islands' restricted and intricate social structures. The findings underscore several crucial areas for improvement: raising awareness, enhancing recruitment standards, addressing gender imbalance within the police force, improving law enforcement training, fostering support networks, and implementing effective policies and interventions. Additionally, adopting a victim-centric approach that considers the risks associated with stalking behaviour is crucial. Description: Ph.D.(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/123657 Title: Drug trends in different age groups Abstract: The relationship between drug trends and age is complex and well-established, especially the belief that there is a progression when it comes to drugs and the fact that teenagers tend to start abusing cheaper drugs. This research seeks to comprehensively examine drug use initiation, specifically, focusing on the factors driving drug misuse, as well as the underlying catalysts prompting individuals to embark on the path of drug consumption. The examination of these factors is a central focus, marked by meticulous consideration. To conduct this study, a qualitative approach was employed, which involved conducting interviews with professionals specialized in drug abuse and current/former drug users to gain holistic insights. The insights gleaned from these interviews played a pivotal role in elucidating the correlation between drug trends across varying age cohorts. A significant focus was placed on discerning the factors underpinning this usage, a critical pursuit given the dearth of local research in contrast to international studies on the subject. The findings derived from the interviews distinctly reveal the presence of the gateway drug phenomenon within the context of Malta, where softer drug abuse often progresses to harder substances due to tolerance and curiosity. Furthermore, the study revealed that synthetic drug consumption is also on the rise, posing challenges in testing. The interviews unearthed several key factors contributing to drug misuse initiation, notably childhood experiences, peer pressure, adverse events, and family dynamics which illustrate its multifaceted nature. The study's outcomes underscore the potential for implementing measures and diverse strategies aimed at curtailing drug use initiation and progression, contributing to more controlled patterns. Description: M. Prob. Serv.(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/123655 Title: Stalking among Dutch adolescents : an explorative study Abstract: Up until now, the situation of stalking among Dutch adolescents was unknown. This research aimed to address the gaps in our knowledge by answering five research questions about prevalence, relationships, motives, perspectives on (cyber-)stalking, and the role of peers and friends in perpetration and victimisation. In this research, 29 Dutch secondary educational students (N = 29) participated who were between 16 and 18 years old. It created a questionnaire that focused on multiple aspects, finding multiple associations and statements about the situation of stalking among Dutch adolescents. It used Pearson’s chi-square tests and a more lenient p-value of 0.10. The study found that 45% of the respondents were stalkers, and 59% were victims of stalking. Females and participants classified as offline stalkers were more likely to have a romantic relationship with the victim, while males were more likely to know the victim from a broader environment (p = .008, V = .737). Participants were more divided about determining if a situation was cyberstalking. Educational level (p = .096, V = .371), being classified as a victim of online stalking (p = .006, V = .562), and gender (p = .075, V = .423) played a role in the perspective and ideas about stalking. This research also examined the role of peers in the perpetration and victimisation of (cyber-)stalking, finding multiple variables influencing risk estimation. Adolescents who followed practical education were more likely to state that their classmates were stalkers (p = .041, V = .650), and offline stalkers are more likely to have friends who are stalking someone (p = .065, V = .516). In conclusion, this research provides valuable insights into the situation of stalking among Dutch secondary educational students between 16 and 18 years old, but further research is needed to construct a comprehensive approach to the issue. Description: M.A. (Crim.)(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/123654 Title: Analysis of use of force simulation training in the Malta Police Force Abstract: The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of simulation training in decision-making use of force scenarios. According to studies, it is very important in the criminology and policing sectors, particularly among educators, firearm instructors, and law enforcement personnel. Media technology advancements have created new options for simulation-based learning, which have been quickly adopted by professions training for high-risk, high-stakes contexts. The ever-present reality of risk to personal and public safety, along with cost reasons, makes exercising decision-making by police officers in use of force and public order management in the real world impossible and untenable. While educators are becoming more aware of the potential for technology-assisted simulations to create genuine contextual learning environments and their impact on learning transfer, there is still much that research can contribute to this body of knowledge. According to the research, instructors in this field should focus on the ability of simulations to provide a channel for validating a learner's cognitive skills. There has been little attention paid to the impact of simulation-based learning on the formation of a learner's professional identity and their standing within a community of practise. The notion of simulated use of force training preference is significant in organisations that is required as part of their position, such as the police force. Empirical research demonstrates that undertaking simulation training that requires more than one task independently, such as practising, increases knowledge retention. The study's findings are based on two major samples. The first sample consisted of 530 Malta Police Force members who took part in two simulation situations, one for deadly force and one for less-than-lethal force. Safety standards, drawing weapon on time, verbal communication, identification, and precision relative to the threat encountered were all considered and measured. The second sample included 538 participants who provided feedback on demographics and perspectives on simulation system immersion, confidence in handling a firearm, previous firearms practise, value and benefit of simulations for field policing, involvement in situations requiring lethal use of force, and self-assessment of their performance. This was put up largely to observe and study the notion that simulation training is useful in targeting strengths and weaknesses on a performance level the success of the application linked to the use of force in the decision-making process. Learning outcomes will result in increased service value and community safety, resulting in the efficiency of training programmes based on strong research. Description: M.A. (Crim.)(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z