Summer Riots and Protests: Lessons Learned

by David Jenks

Throughout four nights of violence in some London neighborhoods, rioters updated each other on social network sites. Police struggled to get the situation under control.

Following the protests, Prime Minister David Cameron told members of the House of Commons that police and intelligence services would look into “whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality.”

In July, the fatal shooting of a homeless man by public-transportation police led to protests in San Francisco. When another protest was planned, public-transportation authorities shut down all mobile communications. The result: thousands of frustrated riders; a cyber attack by anonymous hackers on Bay Area Rapid Transit; and a Federal Communications Commission inquiry into the matter.

But somewhere between the extremes — struggling to keep up with protests that can be planned with just a few keystrokes and a complete shut down of service — law enforcement agencies need to develop an effective cyber policy.

Read more:

http://likethedew.com/2011/08/22/summer-riots-and-protests-lessons-learned/

UWG Researchers Seek Survey Participants from LGBT Community

Sociologists at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton are conducting research into the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Two confidential questionnaires are on SurveyMonkey.

The first survey examines parents in same-sex relationships.

Researchers said an important part of the project is to determine how people feel about identities that are associated with being in these relationships.

The survey can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UWGparentingsurvey. The deadline for completing the parents survey has not been determined.

For questions, participants may contact the principal researchers: Associate Professor of Sociology Laurel Holland at 678-839-6331 or lholland@westga.edu; or Assistant Professor of Sociology Pam Hunt at 678-839-6336 or email: phunt@westga.edu.

The second survey explores the connection between same sex domestic violence and police response. It can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UWGperceptions.

The deadline for completing the authorities survey is Feb. 28, 2011.

Researchers said an important part of this project is to determine how people feel about the identities associated with authority figures and identities associated with the LGBT communities.

The information provided by participants will help sociologists understand relationships between authorities and same sex couples.

If participants have any questions about the study they may contact Sarah Bozeman Rhine at sbozema1@my.westga.edu or her advisor Pam Hunt.

Participation in either survey is voluntary. Participants may decline or not answer certain questions or withdraw at anytime. If participants choose to withdraw before completing the survey the information provided will be used, unless researchers are asked to destroy it.

Researchers in both projects stressed that no names or other indentifying information will be used. Also, no references to individuals will be made in any part of either study. No individual’s response will be linked to the results.

Each survey takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Written reports of both surveys will be available in the next year.

If participants are interested in reading a report of the findings, they may e-mail one of the researchers involved in the particular survey and provide a name and address. This information will not be linked to the surveys.

As an incentive for completing the questionnaires, participants will be entered in a pool to win a Visa Gift Card. At the end of the survey participants may enter their names, e-mail or phone numbers. This information will not be connected with participants’ answers. The Visa incentive ends on Feb. 28, 2011.

Participants in the parenting survey will be entered in a pool to win a $100 gift card. Those in the LGBT authority figure survey will be in a pool to win a $50 gift card.