Date

8-29-2025

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ)

Chair

Jared Perry

Keywords

Case studies, public warning messaging, Theory of Preventive Action

Disciplines

Philosophy

Abstract

The messages that are provided to the public when there is an imminent or ongoing crisis are of extreme value to individuals, primarily to have information by which to base decisions upon. The sense of urgency during imminent or ongoing crisis is the factor that differentiates the need for information about the crisis from the need for information for other types of events. There is messaging during other, less critical types of incidents, but often there is little to no messaging to the public at a time when it is most needed and sought after, during a crisis. Erik J. Dahl provided a Theory of Preventive Action about how information used to prevent surprise attacks must first provide a precise, tactical warning (versus strategic), and second, must be combined with a high level of receptivity toward the warning. In this research, Dahl’s theory is applied to warning messages provided to the public when preventative actions are needed to avoid a threat. In this study, purposive (or judgmental) sampling is used to select four cases of crisis that affected or are affecting the public at large and where a lack of or minimal warning messaging was provided to the public. For this study, it is not possible to tie the lack of messaging to a lack of preventative action taken, since this is an inherent aspect regarding response actions when there is a lack of information to base decisions upon. The cases to be studied are the ongoing infant formula shortage; the cyber-attack upon the Colonial Pipeline Company; the Flint, Michigan, water crisis; and the 2017 protest events in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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