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Too Many Constructs In The Kitchen: Toward A Feature-Based Approach To Mistreatment, Sarah Carver

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The field of workplace mistreatment has grown considerably over the last two decades yet continues to be plagued by construct overload and measurement challenges. Constructs such as incivility, bullying, abusive supervision, and social undermining are definitionally distinct in terms of their frequency, intensity, and intentionality but this is seldom explicitly measured. Across three studies, we created and developed the Features of Mistreatment (FOM) measure to explicitly measure frequency, intensity, and perceived intentionality. In Study 1 (N = 282), we examined the psychometric properties of the initial 28-item FOM measure and revised the subscales to four items each. We found …

Development And Validation Of The Fat Microaggressions Scale, Megan Lindloff

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Much of the discrimination that higher-weight people face takes the form of microaggressions, which have yet to be quantitatively measured. Across five studies, I describe the development and validation of the Fat Microaggressions Scale (FMS). In Study 1, I created the initial item pool through examining previously published measures of experienced weight stigma, qualitative studies, and tweets using the #FatMicroaggressions hashtag. In Study 2, I conducted a Delphi review with fat activists and scholars to receive feedback on the scale. In Study 3, I provided initial evidence for a four-factor structure of the FMS through an exploratory factor analysis. In …

Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: Effective Risk Management With Male Perpetrators, Simrat K. Tung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research aimed to identify the competencies required of intimate partner violence (IPV) specialists to effectively manage risk posed by male perpetrators of violence. Two methods were utilized– a scoping review of existing literature, and semi-structured interviews with 19 experts in the field. Researchers analyzed 140 documents and the transcribed interviews, extracting and compiling excerpts relating to competencies for assessing and managing risk and safety. Reflexive thematic analysis and methodological data triangulation were used to identify and compare competencies derived from literature and practice-based knowledge. Triangulation revealed overlap for themes of knowledge about IPV, promoting safety, assessing risk, collaborating with …

Evidence-Based Programming For Vulnerable Youth: Successes And Challenges Of Implementing Healthy Relationships Programs In Diverse Settings, Rachelle M. Graham

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years a variety of evidence-based programs have been developed to promote mental health and reduce violence among youth, including those considered to be the most at risk. However, simply providing evidence-based programming to settings that serve vulnerable youth does not ensure the efficacy of these programs because of the unique contextual factors, strengths, and needs of those youth and settings. There is often a disparity between the efficacy of a program identified in a research context and the effectiveness of a program in its application in real world settings. The purpose of this study was to explore this …

Students Adrift: An Examination Of School Disengagement Among Clinically Referred Children And Youth, Janell A. Klassen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

School disengagement is a significant problem experienced by many students and may be an indicator of or resultant from underlying difficulties. Indeed, the first onset of mental health difficulties typically occurs during childhood and adolescence. Utilizing large clinically referred samples of elementary and secondary school students at intake into community and inpatient mental health service agencies across the Province of Ontario, Canada, school disengagement was explored as associated with physical and mental health as well as peer and familial relationships, other and self-directed harm, and service intensity need. Age and sex differences were explored across studies to inform the development …

Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives On Child Anxiety: Opportunities To Promote Anxiety Management Skills In The Classroom, Sydney Coleman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of the current study was to examine how teachers identify and provide supports for students with anxiety as well as their perspectives on implementing strategies informed from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in the classroom. Data was collected from 11 classroom teachers in London, Ontario through virtual focus group sessions and an online demographic questionnaire. Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: opportunities to implement CBT-informed strategies, barriers to implementing CBT-informed strategies, and current knowledge and resources. The findings revealed that teachers perceived that they are facing increased demands to support the mental health needs of students without appropriate resources …

Exploring Learner And Classroom Characteristics In The Online Classroom During Covid-19, Emily S. Sluys

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Given the novel learning context induced by COVID-19, the current study sought to characterize Brescia students’ reactions to forced online learning for mandatory courses. Importantly, this study aimed to address gaps in existing literature by combining more commonly studied reactions; Learned Helplessness and Mastery Orientation, and a less commonly studied reaction, Psychological Reactance and examine their relationship between multiple indicators of academic success including perceived learning, course satisfaction, and final course grade. Female students in second year mandatory psychology and sociology courses participated in the study by completing two online surveys administered via Qualtrics. The Early Course Survey measured demographics, …

Exploring Social Connections And Perceived Stress During Covid-19, Lily G. Mackenzie

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study evaluated university students’ levels of overall social connectedness, social connectedness with various groups (family, friends, classmates, instructors, school community), and perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this study investigated whether there were associations between students’ overall social connectedness levels, levels of social connectedness with various groups, and perceived stress levels. Undergraduate students (n = 91) at a university in London, Ontario, completed a questionnaire comprising the Social Connectedness Scale, questions about social connections with particular groups, and the Perceived Stress Scale. A correlation analysis revealed a significant, negative correlation between overall social connectedness and perceived stress. Furthermore, …

Neither Seen Nor Heard: Surviving Children Of Domestic Homicide, Alexis Winfield

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Domestic homicide is a critical human rights issue that continues to impact women, children, and families in Canada. Between 2010-2018, 662 individuals died as a result of domestic homicide, many of whom were mothers who left surviving children behind. This study examined the experiences of surviving children prior to, during, and in the aftermath of domestic homicide through quantitative and qualitative court and media document analyses. It was found that 136 children in Ontario experienced domestic homicide between 2010-2017. Domestic homicide impacted surviving children in all domains of functioning and was often associated with long-term adverse outcomes. Court documents revealed …

What Do We Know About Senior Citizens As Cybervictims? A Rapid Evidence Synthesis, Laura Huey, Lorna Ferguson

Sociology Publications

Internet-based victimization of senior citizens is an important potential threat of growing social, economic, and public policy interest. Given this, we sought to examine whether the existing research base could be used to formulate sound public policy in this area. To do so, we conducted a rapid evidence synthesis and assessment of the research literature from 2010-2020 surrounding three central organizing themes: cyber-related harms, responses and strategies, and prevention programs and solutions. Results reveal that there is an insufficient research base, lack of diverse research topics, and shortage of research beyond that of which is exploratory in nature. However, our …

An Examination Of Child And Youth Mental Health Service Urgency In Ontario, Valbona Semovski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Ontario’s capacity to treat children and adolescents in mental health crisis is outweighed by the number and needs of individuals requiring treatment. A lack of standardized assessments for prioritizing individuals has contributed to long wait times for treatment and a paucity of information to help prioritize those requiring urgent services. This study examined whether sector (e.g., school, hospital), sex, age, legal guardianship, interpersonal and school conflict, intellectual disability and comorbid health conditions predicted greater mental health service urgency in 61,448 children (ages 4 to 18 years) assessed using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Screener. Additionally, differences in mental …

Pilot And Adaptation Of A Social-Emotional Learning Program In Youth Justice Settings, Amanda J. Kerry

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Interventions for youth offenders should aim to reduce risk factors and promote protective factors. Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs aim to enhance intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive competencies. Research demonstrates that SEL programs reduce antisocial behaviours and improve prosocial skills; however, to date, SEL programs have been primarily implemented in schools. This integrated-article dissertation explored the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of implementing a SEL program in youth justice settings. The first paper proposes the implementation of SEL programs in youth justice settings and identifies unique programming and implementation considerations for this population.

The second paper presents a two-phase study examining the feasibility, …

Police Prevention Of Domestic Homicide: Missed Opportunities And Barriers To Change, Michael D. Saxton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This integrated-article dissertation focused on the critical role of police in responding to domestic violence (DV) and recognizing the potential risk of adult and child homicides. The first study examined the police role in domestic homicide through an analysis of cases reviewed by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee in Ontario, Canada. Homicide cases with police contact were found to have 1.6 times more risk factors compared to those without police contact. Cases also show an overall scarcity of formal risk assessments, even when there was prior police contact. The second study was a national survey on the types of …

Descriptive And Prescriptive Belief In A Just World, Joel Armstrong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Justice Motive has traditionally been conceptualized as a homeostatic, prevention-focused motivation, but attempts to measure individual differences in the Justice Motive (i.e., the Belief in a Just World) have not treated it as one. The measurement of a motivation requires accounting for both the current state and the goal state, but traditional measurement techniques have relied solely on beliefs about how just the world currently is (i.e., the current state). This has resulted in two major issues in the literature. First is the assumption that everyone who reports believing in a just world has reached that belief because of …

Missed Opportunities For Saving Children From Domestic Homicide: Implications For Prevention, Intervention, & Community Collaboration, Katherine Reif

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation is comprised of three studies that explored the risks faced by children exposed to domestic violence, as well as systemic and agency-related recognition of, and responses to, these risks. Literature in the field has demonstrated that children living in these circumstances are at risk of significant adverse outcomes stemming from their exposure to domestic violence, and at its extreme, domestic homicides (Alisic et al., 2017; Jenney & Alaggia, 2014). In addition, these children are also at risk of becoming homicide victims in the context of domestic violence, either through being directly targeted in the homicide, or as a …

Offender Characteristics: Influence On Attitudes And Sentencing Patterns Of Female Undergraduates, Madison Mcaskill

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Offender rehabilitation has more positive outcomes, yet the public prefers the punishment of incarceration. Disparity in the punitivity of sentencing has been related to age and gender of offenders, with adult, male offenders receiving more punitive, less rehabilitative sentences than youth, female offenders. The present study examined patterns of sentencing in an all female sample (N=103). After reading a crime story manipulating offender gender and age, participants were asked to “sentence” the offender. Gender of offender did not cause differences in sentences given, however youth offenders were sentenced significantly less. Participants showed no significant attitudinal differences on the Treatment Attitude …

The Impact Of Maltreatment On Children And Youth: Exploring The Potential Mediating Effects Of Resilience To Traumatic Life Events, Rebecca Pschibul

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Abstract

Childhood is an acutely vulnerable period for trauma, as it can significantly influence normative childhood development. Specifically, trauma resulting from maltreatment (i.e., neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and witnessing domestic violence) offers unique challenges, as it often includes violations of boundaries and trust by caretakers. The aim of the present study was to examine child and youth maltreatment, and its impact on internalizing (e.g., mood disturbances) and externalizing behaviours (e.g., behavioural deviance). The sample was comprised of 9,002 participants who were assessed between the years of 2012-2017 on the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health instrument (ChYMH). The ChYMH …

Female And Male Perpetrators Of Domestic Homicide: A Gendered Phenomenon?, Jackie Salas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Domestic violence is a global issue extending across regional, cultural, and social boundaries. In 2017, 137 women across the world were killed everyday by intimate partners or relatives. By far, women over-represent victims of domestic violence and domestic homicide across time. Although disproportionate, equally concerning is the issue of violence against men. Researchers have started to question whether the risk factors related to male and female’s use of violence is gendered, however no clear consensus has been reached. A retrospective case analysis was completed using domestic homicide cases reviewed by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee based in Ontario, Canada. …

Examining The Relationship Between Intrinsic Drivers Of Motivation And Functional Outcomes In A Cross-Section Of Individuals With Psychotic Disorders, Sahana Kukan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Impaired functioning is recognized as a major barrier to recovery among individuals with psychotic disorders. Research on the role of negative symptomatology on functioning has identified avolition (i.e. lack of motivation) as being highly correlated with functional outcomes. However, current measures of avolition fail to consider more intrinsic factors that influence motivation. There is a need for more nuanced research on the drivers of motivation and their relationship with functioning to inform the observed relationship between avolition and impaired functioning. This cross-sectional study uses data obtained from the Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses, in London, Ontario. 105 clients …

Examining Child Sex As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Cortisol Reactivity And Symptoms Over Time, Andrew R. Daoust

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Females’ reactivity to stress appears to be closely tied to internalizing symptoms, while males who are under-reactive may be at risk for externalizing problems. Little is known about when such differences emerge, despite possible implications for early prevention. Cortisol reactivity to a laboratory stressor was assessed in 409 three-year-old children along with children’s parent-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms, which were re-collected at child ages 5 and 8. Multilevel modelling was used to investigate whether the relationship between cortisol reactivity and symptoms differed between boys and girls longitudinally. Over time, girls with lower cortisol reactivity showed a decrease in depressive symptoms …

Crossover Kids: Maltreatment Experiences, Subsequent Maladjustment, And Systems Of Care, Blake Stewart

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Recent research suggests that youth (12-16) who have experienced the Child Welfare System (CWS) are more likely to be involved in early criminal and delinquent behaviour. These youth who are involved in this system of care are more likely than youth in the general population to “crossover” into another system of care - The Youth Justice System (YJS). While the CWS does not cause youth to crossover to the YJS, precipitating experiences such as maltreatment histories, mental health concerns, and psychosocial issues are possible factors that may exacerbate problems experienced in the CWS. The current study focused on these precipitating …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Crossover Youth: The Pathway To Development And The Relationship With Life-Time Offending, Hailey Kolpin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A large portion of justice-involved youth have previously been involved with the child welfare system; termed crossover youth. What is less understood is the trajectory of crossing over and the potential role of mental health problems. Using the theories of developmental traumatology and Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy of antisocial behaviour, the present study investigated the ability of several factors to distinguish and predict crossover youth who develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study of 299 justice-involved youth, chi-squared analyses found that several factors were able to differentiate youth with PTSD and/or associated symptoms from those without. Logistic regression indicated that …

Assessing The Perceptions Of The Use Of A Courthouse Facility Dog Program With Child And Youth Witnesses, Melissa Glazer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study evaluates the use of a courthouse facility dog program as a testimonial aid for children and youth testifying in court to help reduce secondary trauma. Court officials’ perceptions of the use of a courthouse facility dog program were assessed through a structured interview and a short self-report measure. A total of seven court officials participated in the study. Results indicate that court officials perceive the use of a courthouse facility dog to be beneficial for children and youth who are experiencing challenges testifying in court. In addition, results show that some respondents perceived a degree of bias against …

Risk Factors For Domestic Homicide: Immigrant & Canadian-Born Populations, Sakthi Kalaichandran

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Domestic violence is a critical human rights issue that can escalate to cases of domestic homicide. Globally, approximately 30% of women in relationships have reported experiencing violence at the hands of an intimate partner. In Canada this pattern is echoed, as over 25% of police-reported violent offences were from victims of domestic abuse. Recent research has revealed that immigrant & refugee victims experience unique risk factors that may render them more vulnerable to this form of violence. Yet, despite this burgeoning research area, and Canada’s diverse population of 6 million immigrants, there is a dearth of research pertaining to domestic …

Exploring Dimensions Of Vulnerability In Victims Of Domestic Homicide, Natalia Musielak

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Gender-based violence is rooted in a network of multidimensional constructs encompassing personal, situational, social and cultural elements, as well as the intersectionality of these elements. Current research on victims of domestic homicide has not incorporated the use of this lens and has had a tendency to focus on a singular construct as independent and autonomous. The present study explored 20 dimensions of victim vulnerability. Cases from the Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee were analyzed to examine the presence and frequency of these dimensions within the sample. Using two-step cluster analysis, different profiles of vulnerable victims were determined. Relationships between …

Comorbid Depression And Substance Abuse In Perpetrators Of Domestic Homicide, Casey Oliver

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Globally up to 38% of murdered women are victims of domestic homicide. However, research has yet to examine comorbid depression and substance abuse in domestic homicide, despite comorbid mental health conditions being associated with homicide in the general population. A retrospective case analysis approach was performed using domestic homicide cases that had been reviewed by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee of Ontario. Group comparisons were made by compiling cases into groups based on perpetrator mental health status: a no mental illness group, depression only group, substance abuse only group, and comorbid depression and substance abuse group. Statistical analyses compared …

The Heart Of Ideology: Bringing Compassion Into The Political Sphere, Vanessa M. Sinclair

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Individual differences are pivotal in predicting sociopolitical views, which in turn guide behaviours like voting decisions, career choices, or engagement in activism. Compassion, a trait related to empathy and prosocial behaviour, has shown promise in predicting reduced hostile, anti-egalitarian attitudes. Certain kinds of political beliefs can be termed hierarchy-legitimizing in that they perpetuate or enhance existing societal hierarchies, such as economic inequality or racial discrimination. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between compassion for others and hierarchy-legitimizing viewpoints, as mediated by the characteristic of Social Dominance Orientation (SDO). A sample of 590 undergraduate students completed measures …

Estimating Costs And Benefits Associated With Evidence-Based Violence Prevention: Four Case Studies Based On The Fourth R Program, Claire Crooks, Jennifer Zwicker, Lana Wells, Ray Hughes, Amanda Langlois, J.C. Herbert Emery

Education Publications

Teen violence in dating and peer relationships has huge costs to society in numerous areas including health care, social services, the workforce and the justice system. Physical, psychological, and sexual abuse have long-lasting ramifications for the perpetrators as well as the victims, and for the families involved on both sides of that equation. An effective violence prevention program that is part of a school’s curriculum is beneficial not only for teaching teenagers what is appropriate behaviour in a relationship, but also for helping them break the cycle of violence which may have begun at home with their own maltreatment as …

Please Ignore Those Gestures: Does Warning Reduce The Gestural Misinformation Effect?, Brittany Haynes

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Conformity On Eyewitness Testimony And Confidence, Kaitlyn B. Sluys

Undergraduate Honours Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if eyewitness testimony and confidence are affected by conformity. Participants watched a crime video and then watched three videos of three confederates who were believed to be participants. For the three videos, each confederate looked at pictures of suspects and identified which one committed the crime. Participants in the ‘unbelievable suspect choice’ condition watched videos of confederates purposely choosing the wrong suspect. Participants in the ‘believable suspect choice’ condition watched the confederates choosing the correct suspect. After the participant chose a suspect, a confidence scale was filled out. The participant then assessed …