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Empowerment As A Predictor Of System Justification Moderated By Race, Nicole Belcher

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The attitudes people hold about the social structure around them have varying explanations in the field of psychology. System justification represents the idea that people will accept and enforce the social structures that exist because of the underlying need for consistency (Jost et al., 2004). Also central to this theory is the idea that people will legitimize structures because of a desire for the status quo to remain (Jost, 2001). These ideas seek to explain the problematic ideologies that maintain unfair social structures and why people allow them to remain. Studies have found individuals will support unjust systems because either …

Length Of Stay, Social Support, And Sex Differences In Recovery, Elizabeth K. Garrity

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The Oxford House model is an expanding network of sober-living houses that aid individuals struggling with substance use disorders. Research exploring sober-living environments can be essential in understanding the factors that relate to sustained addiction recovery. This study examined whether sex differences were present within the relationship between perceived social support and recovery outcomes, to which no significant results were found. These findings contributed to existing research that seeks to understand whether gendered differences exist in recovery outcomes. This study also investigated whether length of stay within a recovery home mediated the relationship between perceived social support and one’s recovery …

Overcoming The War Within: Exploring The Relationship Between Exposure To Complex Trauma And Post Traumatic Growth, Diego T. Thompson

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to complex trauma can be understood as exposure to multiple and varied types of traumatic events, often chronic in nature. Exposure to complex trauma is prevalent among youth in the United States, especially youth living in urban environments and marginalized populations. Black youth who live in urban environments are of particular concern due to their increases susceptibility of exposure to community violence, entrenched poverty, and other sources of trauma at multiple levels, making them an appropriate population in which to examine PTG. the effect that these exposures have on these youth should be acknowledged, it is necessary to also …

Exploring Advocates’ Perceptions Of Rural And Urban Sexual Assault Survivors’ Experiences Seeking Civil Protective Orders, Hannah C. Samuels

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Civil protective orders (CPOs) are one of the most utilized legal remedies that exist for sexual assault survivors. While they are available for every survivor in Illinois, a survivor’s community context can impact their experience petitioning for a CPO. Prior research with domestic violence survivors suggests that the rurality and urbanicity of a community may impact a sexual assault survivors experiences seeking a CPO, but little research has been conducted with sexual assault survivors specifically. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of rape crisis center advocates from rural and urban counties across the state of Illinois …

Profiles Of Violence Victimization And Mental Health Outcomes Among Lgbtq Survivors In Illinois: A Cluster Analysis, Mary Margaret Tull

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Despite legal and social progress, the LGBTQ+ community faces persistent vulnerability to different forms of violence and negative life experiences, including adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and bigotry motivated violence, as well as gender-based violence (GBV). Consistent with the Minority Stress Model, exposure to these experiences are associated with negative mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals. Traditionally, research has focused on subpopulations when examining these relationships, and has often failed to account for the ways individuals experience multiple types of violence across the lifespan, and how this may influence development of mental health problems. This study (n=204) uses the …

Accessibility Of Civil Legal Service Provision For Survivors Of Sexual Assault In Illinois, Kayleigh Zinter

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Informed by Kennedy and colleagues (2012) help-seeking framework, this two-part study assessed sexual assault survivors’ experiences seeking services in the Illinois civil legal system. Extant research on survivors’ experiences with formal helping systems has largely focused on help-seeking from medical or criminal legal systems. To-date, no studies have done an in-depth examination of civil legal system and civil legal service provider accessibility for survivors of sexual assault. To examine civil legal accessibility for sexual assault survivors in Illinois, data from focus groups conducted with legal advocates, and archival spatial data were analyzed. This community-based research study was conceptualized and informed …

Residential Vacancy And Crime In The Wake Of Housing Crisis In Chicago, Shaun Bhatia

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Trends of subprime and predatory mortgage lending were largely responsible for the housing crisis in the late 2000s. These circumstances resulted in a high concentration of home foreclosures, and subsequent vacant and abandoned housing, particularly affecting disadvantaged neighborhoods. There is evidence to suggest that neighborhood spaces characterized by blighted properties and other signs of physical disorder reduce collective efficacy and informal social control, leading to increases in crime. Despite US government efforts to support economic recovery following the housing crisis, interventions were largely not concentrated enough to match spatial patterns of foreclosure and vacancy, and as such, reductions of crime …

Examining Predictors Of Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth Among Sexual Assault Service Providers In Rape Crisis Centers, Anna Wegrzyn

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Rape crisis centers (RCCs) rely on counselors and victim advocates to provide support to survivors of sexual assault via crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, case management, and referrals. As a result of their direct service work, sexual assault service providers are frequently exposed to vicarious trauma. This may inhibit both service provision and provider well-being. Not all impacts of engaging in trauma work are negative, however; positive benefits have also been documented from engaging in trauma work. One such benefit is vicarious posttraumatic growth, which is understood as the positive psychological transformation undergone by trauma workers as a result of their …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Displacement From Single Room Occupancy (Sro) Housing, Camilla Cummings

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing is typically the most affordable and attainable form of housing for low-income people and is often located in desirable areas with access to social infrastructure. Literature shows SRO tenants are marginalized related to their social positionalities (i.e., they are disproportionately Black, elderly, more likely to have mental illness, and be in recovery from substance or alcohol use). Unfortunately, SRO housing has been increasingly lost to for-profit developers. The current study employed a community-based participatory action research approach and qualitative design to explore the subjective experiences of SRO residents’ displacement. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach was …

Under The Skin Social Stress: Physiological Effects Of Racial Discrimination And Family Communication During Adolescence, Dana Mansfield

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a formative, developmental period that encompasses increased life stress. For youth of color, these stressors are amplified due to race-related experiences such as racial discrimination. Studies have shown that family communication greatly influences the physiological stress response in childhood development. The purpose of the current study was to examine how interpersonal and institutional discrimination impact the physiological stress response and how supportive family communication may influence the stress response in adolescents from various ethnic and racial groups. A sample of 379 ethnically diverse adolescents participated in this study and completed self-report questionnaires. Cortisol samples were collected in conjunction …

Too Much For A Heart To Bear: A Systematic Review And Mini Meta-Analysis On The Role Of Skin-Deep Resilience In The Weathering Of Black People In America, Chantelle Miller

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Current public health data underscore CVD as the most predominant public health crisis affecting the U.S population, claiming over 655,000 lives annually as the primary cause of one out of every four deaths (Kochanek, 2020; Rana et al., 2020; Salim et al., 2020). Current approaches to CVD primarily utilize a biomedical approach, are extremely costly to the U.S economy, and appear to disproportionately support positive health outcomes in White individuals while Black individuals continue to exhibit heart health disparities (Carnethon et al., 2017; Ferdinand, 2016). Race-related health inequities must be addressed with a biopsychosocial preventative health approach to effectively redirect …

Service Utilization Among Latina Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Alyssa Donovan

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an international health issue disproportionately affecting women, which is associated with a range of severe physical and mental health sequelae (Black et al., 2011). Research has demonstrated that individual factors, such as violence severity, and systemic factors, such as poverty, affect whether women seek formal help, including mental health, police, and legal services, in response to IPV (Lelaurain, Graziani, & Monaco, 2017). Latina women have voiced many challenges to seeking formal help (Rizo & Macy, 2011). These include limited economic resources, language gaps in service provision, and factors related to immigration (Rizo & Macy, 2011). …

Trauma-Informed Care Within The Homeless Service Milieu: Practical And Conceptual Considerations, Martina Mihelicova

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that most individuals in the general population experience some form of trauma (Kilpatrick et al., 2013) and that factors such as homelessness place individuals at higher risk of experiencing traumatic events (Deck & Platt, 2015; Ellsworth, 2019; Kushel, Evans, Perry, Robertson, & Moss, 2003). Considering that environments may both promote and impede the trauma recovery process, Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is a service framework intended to create a culture of trauma awareness and responsiveness (Fallot & Harris, 2006). Preliminary research demonstrates that TIC has positive outcomes for clients and staff (Damian, Mendelson, Bowie, & Gallo, 2018; Hales et al., …

Life After The Storm: An Examination Of Bereavement And Posttraumatic Growth Among Urban Adolescents, Keturah Jedidah Platt

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The loss of a loved one due to death can be one of life’s most painful and traumatic experiences. During this challenging period, individuals are more prone to developing physical and emotional health problems. Even though these difficulties should be fully acknowledged, it is important to also acknowledge the possibility of posttraumatic growth (PTG) following bereavement. PTG refers to the positive psychological changes that may occur as a result of highly stressful events and circumstances. These changes include growth in the following five areas: (a) New Possibilities, (b) Relating to Others, (c) Appreciation of Life, (d) Personal Strength, and (e) …

Identifying A Typology Of Homelessness Based On Self-Sufficiency: Implications For Rapid Re-Housing Interventions, Quinmill Lei

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Aims: There is limited research on the characteristics of individuals experiencing homelessness

who achieve positive housing outcomes in rapid re-housing (RRH) interventions. This study

aimed to identify a typology of homelessness based on Self-Sufficiency Matrix (SSM) domains

and examine its relation to sociodemographic characteristics and housing placement in RRH.

Methods: Homeless Management Information System data, including sociodemographics, SSM

domains, and housing outcomes, were obtained for 261 Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program participants in Indianapolis, IN.

Results: Latent class analysis revealed three subgroups based on SSM domains. Latent class

regression found the subgroups were significantly associated with race and significantly …

The Association Between Community-Level Factors And Police Decisions To Found Sexual Assault Cases, Erin Elizabeth Hoffman

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Attrition rates in sexual assault cases remain high despite reforms over the past 30 years (Smith et al., 2018). Evidence suggests the locus of case attrition lies with police decision-making (Spohn & Tellis, 2019). Community-level factors may improve or bias police decisions in sexual assault cases; however, this has yet to be examined. Thus, the purpose of this study was to understand community-level factors that predict police decisions to found a sexual assault case. Founding is the first decision officers make and determines whether a case will be investigated. This study used official available records of sexual assaults reported to …

Social Networks As Mediators Of Proximal Recovery Outcomes For Veterans Living In Recovery Homes, Mayra Guerrero

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Although the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among veterans has been long documented (Kulka et al., 1988; Tanielian et al., 2008), insufficient work has been done on veterans living within recovery homes such as Oxford House (OH). Approximately 18% of OH residents in the United States are veterans (Oxford House, 2015); however, only one study has looked at veteran status within OH (Majer, Jason, Ferrari, Venable, & Olson, 2002). In addition, no study has examined the social networks of veterans within recovery homes. Furthermore, although the relationship between length of stay (LOS) in an OH and various positive outcomes …

Defining The American System, Andrea Bellovary

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

American systems are commonly discussed in system justification literature; however, little is known about what subsystems are important to Americans’ understanding of the overall American system and what impact status has on forming these perceptions. This study attempts to answer these questions by asking Americans about their perceptions of the overall American system and seven underlying subsystems (political, economic, employment, education, criminal justice, social services, and health care). Three hundred and forty three community members from the Chicagoland area and Mechanical Turk were recruited to participate in the survey. It was hypothesized that high-status participants would prioritize the subsystems that …

How Women Navigate Safety In The Dominican Bateyes, Mary Margaret Tull

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that individuals of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic are at high risk of violence and experience multiple levels of structural oppression. However, less research exists specifically for women of Haitian descent, who are at unique risk of violence due to the complex political history between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as structural and gendered violence. I use frameworks of socio-ecological systems, intersectionality, structured violence, and gendered violence to consider how women of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic construct safety and prioritize different needs for their survival. I used thematic analysis to analyze life …

Team Characteristics As Predictors Of Collaboration On Sexual Assault Response Teams (Sarts), Anna Wegrzyn

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) are collaborative multidisciplinary groups designed to coordinate the response to sexual assault. SARTs were created through efforts to address issues related to sexual assault response, such as negative treatment of survivors by responders, low prosecution rates, and disorganized relationships among responders. The goal of SARTs is to improve cross-system collaboration in the response to sexual assault in communities. Although SARTs tend to have similar goals and foci, teams vary in the formal structures and the collaborative activities they adopt. Therefore, it is important to examine the characteristics of SARTs and how they relate to collaboration …

An Exploration Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Self-Sufficiency Matrix Among Individuals And Families Currently Or At Risk Of Experiencing Homelessness, Camilla Cummings

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The homeless service sector has moved toward the implementation of assessment tools to better understand the support service needs of individuals and families. While a variety of assessment tools are available, their psychometric evidence base is limited. The Self-Sufficiency Matrix (SSM) is one assessment that holds promise with regard to its reliability, validity, and potential use as an instrument for triaging services. However, research examining the factor structure of the SSM has been inconsistent across samples. Moreover, it has never been tested among a broad population of both those currently experiencing and at-risk of experiencing homelessness, or examined unaccompanied adults …

Housing, Relationships, And Substance Use Among Female Ex-Offenders, Arturo Soto-Nevarez

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Female ex-offenders with histories of substance abuse face many difficulties upon reentry into the general population, such as acquiring adequate housing. The purpose of this proposal is to explore the relations between housing settings, relationships, and substance use. Two hundred adult females participated in the initial baseline study. Two methods of data analyses were proposed to predict substance use: one clustering participants into groups based on the endorsement of those settings and relationships, and one using multi-level modeling examining housing settings and relationships both independently as well as unique settings comprised of housing setting and relationship. Participants fell into one …

Contextual Perspectives On Heroin Addiction And Recovery: Classic And Contemporary Theories, Sarah L. Callahan

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Drug use and recovery have received considerable attention from social scientists over the past few decades. However, many studies involving heroin use continue to focus on person-centered risk factors surrounding use and, to a lesser extent, recovery processes. There is a need to further develop and use theories that focus on contextual approaches that include opportunity structures and behavioral economic factors. In this article, two classic criminological theories (Differential Opportunity and Subcultural) are reviewed as well as the more recent Social Resource theory (SRT). Differential Opportunity theory focuses on the fact that those involved in illegitimate means of opportunity require …

The Longitudinal Effects Of Violence Exposure On Delinquency And Academic Outcomes For African-American Youth, Adina Cooper

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

There are millions of violent crimes reported each year in communities across the United States, disproportionately affecting ethnic minority and low-income communities. Violence exposure has harmful effects on residents and significant implications for adolescent development. Youth who are exposed to violence are at greater risk for problem behaviors and experiences, including delinquency and low academic performance (Baskin & Sommers, 2014; Patton, Wooley, & Hong, 2012). Many of the consequences of violence exposure impact trajectories of adolescent development and can be observed well into adulthood. However, some youth overcome the challenges associated with violence exposure and successfully transition into adulthood. Resilience …

Examination Of Multidimensional Acculturation Theory And Acculturation Process On Latinas/Os In Communal Recovery Homes, Roberto Lopez Tamayo

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Disparities in access and utilization of substance abuse treatment (SAT) among Latinas/os, accentuated by the rapid growth of this population are creating a public health issue. Among those in need of SAT, only 7.7% receive treatment and nearly half of these individuals complete SAT or continue their recovery in a controlled environment. Additionally, Latinas/os who complete SAT reported their needs were not met in treatment. Although substance abuse literature has given more consideration to environmental factors and social support in relation to treatment outcomes, current substance abuse models fail to address important contextual and cultural aspects for Latinas/os in recovery. …

An Examination Of Depression And Social Support Among African American Women In Substance Use Recovery, Jocelyn Rose Droege

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Depression is responsible for widespread functional impairment and disability in 16 million individuals across the United States, as well as societal costs that exceed $36 billion. There are numerous risk factors for depression, such as female gender, ethnic minority status, poverty, incarceration, and comorbid substance use disorders. Thus, low-income, criminal-justice-involved African American women in recovery from substance use problems represent a population that is particularly vulnerable to depression. Social support has been established as a protective factor against depression; however, the relationship between social support and depression has been understudied in such high-risk African American populations. The present study examined …

The Lived Experience Of Recovery Home Residents: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Dina Chavira

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Substance use disorders have had an enormous impact on individuals, families, and communities in the United States. The societal cost of substance abuse in terms of health care, crime, and lost wages is over $700 billion annually. Despite advances in evidence-based treatments, the chronicity of substance use disorders underscores the need to explore and expand long-term aftercare options to prevent relapse after acute residential treatment. Oxford Houses offer an affordable alternative to more costly and limited forms of transitional housing. These self-sustaining, democratically-run recovery homes provide a safe and sober living environment with peer support and no professional staff. Provided …

Perspective-Taking Of The Defendant: Does Race Influence The Final Sentencing Verdict For Mock Jurors?, Matthew A. Pardo

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this study is to test whether there are disparities in a final sentencing verdict, of a guilty defendant that identifies as either African-American or Caucasian. Using a mock-jury design, participants were randomly assigned to the police report of Jamal Washington (representing the African-American defendant), or Greg Sullivan (representing the Caucasian defendant). Additionally, participants were randomly assigned to either take the perspective of the defendant or not to take the perspective of the defendant (control). This combination of race and perspective-taking as manipulations allows for the examination of the extent of racial schemas in courtroom settings through …

The Role Of School Climate In Mitigating The Effects Of Neighborhood Socio-Economic Status And Violence On Academic Achievement, Linda D. Ruiz

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

In recent years the quality of education available to children has become increasingly dependent on the social and economic demographics of neighborhoods in which the children live. This study assesses the role of community violence in explaining the relation between SES and academic outcomes and the potential of positive school climate to promote academic achievement. With a sample of 297 Chicago public elementary schools, we test the hypotheses that violent crime mediates the relation between SES and academic achievement, and school climate has a direct effect on achievement and moderates the relation between SES and academic achievement. Results support the …

Moderating Effects Of Ethnic Identity On The Relationship Between Environmental Stressors On School Suspensions Of Urban Latino/A Youth, Carlos Luna

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Latinos are the largest growing and overall youngest population in the US, in comparison to other ethnic groups. Nearly 40% of Hispanic youth were found to be living in poverty, the largest group of any minority. As of 2014, 20% of Hispanics had less than a high school education and fourteen percent had an educational attainment between ninth and tenth grades; indicating that they had begun a high school education but were unable to finish. Racial and ethnic disparities have also been found to exist within the justice system; Hispanics accounted for twenty-two percent of the prison population while only …