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“Cause That’S The Only Skills In School You Need” A Qualitative Analysis Of Revenge Goals In Poor Urban Youth, Lena Janina Jäggi

Theses and Dissertations

Ample research shows that revenge goals are correlated with maladjustment and retaliation is an important factor driving youth violence. Still, in environments with limited institutionalized interventions revenge might be an indispensable tool to maintain social equilibrium. This qualitative secondary analysis of 50 (30 Boys) revenge scenarios from a larger longitudinal study (N=358 dyads of youth/maternal caregiver) expands existing one-dimensional knowledge of revenge from closed-answer vignettes to the rich real world experience of 10-16 year old youth from an urban community sample. Key findings showed significant qualitative differences in both cognition and emotions of revenge scenarios. Ten distinct patterns emerged and …

Adolescent Sexual Victimization: The Role Of Social Support And Risky Lifestyle, Andia M. Azimi

Criminal Justice and Criminology Theses

Although about half of all rape victims are adolescents, the bulk of the research on sexual victimization is focused on college or community samples of adult women. As such, little is known about adolescent risk of sexual victimization. Adolescence is an important developmental phase in life, in which an individual undergoes major social and biological changes. These changes may make them more susceptible to environmental characteristics, such as family climate, compared to adults. Environmental factors may influence risk taking among adolescents, which may increase the risk of sexual victimization. The theory of social support can be useful in understanding why …

The Effects Of Family Structure On Juvenile Delinquency, Alisha B. Parks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies show that family structure is an important factor in explaining delinquency among adolescents (Price & Kunz, 2003). There is a lack of research, however, pertaining to cohabitation. The main goals of this study are to determine if there are variations in delinquency between cohabitating and other family types, and to examine the extent to which parental social control measures account for the variation in delinquency by family structure. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) are used for the purposes of this study (n = 4,389). While there are no significant differences in violent delinquency …

The Impact Of Counselor Level Of Spiritual Well-Being On The Morale, Global Symptoms, And Global Impairment Of Adolescents Receiving Treatment For Substance Use And/Or Other Mental Health Disorders: A Pilot Study, Michael William Holland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been a movement towards a holistic perspective of human nature in the counseling leading to increased interest in the nature and role of spirituality in counseling and the counseling process. In the present study multiple regression analysis is used to determine whether Counselor Level of Spiritual Well-Being, or aspects thereof, namely, Counselor Level of Existential Well-Being and/or Counselor Level of Religious Well-Being, as measured by the Spiritual Well-Being Scale significantly impacts client outcomes, namely, Morale, Global Symptoms, and Global Impairment as measured by the Health Dynamics Inventory for adolescents receiving treatment for substance use and/or …

Sex Determination Using Discriminant Function Analysis In Hispanic Children And Adolescents: A Lateral Cephalometric Study, Alyssa E. Sprowl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lateral cephalometric radiographs have been used for years to help diagnose skeletal and dental patterns in Orthodontics. Within the last decade, these radiographs have caught the interest of the department of Anthropology for the identification of gender within the adult and adolescent population. Numerous publications have been made but failed to identify sexual dimorphism in the pre-adolescent population. 303 lateral cephalograms of pre and post Latino adolescence age ranging from 6.5 to 17.9 years old were obtained from University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) digital database. 25 variables were identified and plotted with all linear and angular measurements transferred into …

Trauma, Religion, And Substance Use Among Incarcerated Adolescent Males, Jessica J. Story

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This paper explored the relationships among trauma, religion, and substance abuse among adjudicated male adolescents with sexually harmful behaviors. Youth in secure juvenile justice settings often report a sequelae of complex trauma experiences, placing them at risk for a range of serious problems, including aggression, persistent delinquency and recidivism, and psychological consequences. The limited research on religion and juvenile offending supports that adolescents' religion serves as protective factors and a potential pathway to decreasing delinquent behavior and perhaps recidivism. Research on substance abuse is reviewed as risk factors to offending and an attempt at coping with the psychological consequences of …

To Hold And To Discipline : A Winnicottian And Foucauldian Examination Of Adolescent Athletics Through The Case Of Friday Night Lights, Westley C. Rutter

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical study examined the impact of organized team sports participation on adolescent psychosocial functioning and development. Theoretical concepts were illustrated with examples present in the high school football themed television series, Friday Night Lights. Winnicottian theories were used to explain how athletics could facilitate adolescent development and be psychologically reparative for adolescents who experienced early childhood caregiver failures. In contrast, Foucauldian concepts were applied to demonstrate how disciplinary mechanisms in sports may augment the effects of internalized oppression for adolescents of color and economically marginalized adolescents. The study explored the possible impact of sports-based interventions for youth, cautioning social …

A Retrospective Study Of Gay Gifted, Young Adult Males' Perceptions Of Giftedness And Suicide, Paul James Sedillo

Special Education ETDs

This qualitative, retrospective study investigated suicidal ideation among 32 young adult men. Participants were asked to report their experiences as adolescents. The primary focus of the study was to discover how gay gifted adolescents dealt with issues of suicide and suicidal ideation. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Four groups of participants were chosen with eight males in each group. The groups were: gay (i.e., homosexual) gifted, gay nongifted, straight (i.e., heterosexual) gifted and straight nongifted. Forty-one percent of participants were Hispanic/Latino, 31% were Caucasian, 22% were biracial, and 6% were African American. Data were collected using an …

Individual And Community Factors Associated With Thriving Among African American Adolescents In The Context Of Stressors, Adia Shani Gooden

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation used the transactional-ecological framework along with principles from positive youth development literature to examine naturally occurring individual and contextual factors

that promote thriving among African American adolescents. Specifically, this study examined how religiosity, religious support, racial identity, and communalism relate to thriving. This study

also assessed the negative influence of stressors on thriving in order to understand how thriving manifests in the context of risk factors. This cross-sectional study included 152 youth

participants who were surveyed at five Black churches on the south side of Chicago. Structural equation modeling was used to assess whether the proposed model fit …

Identifying Barriers And Facilitators Of Successful School-Based Mental Health And Behavioral Programs Delivered In The Context Of Urban Poverty: A Qualitative Exploration Of Perspectives From Service Providers And Youth, Farahnaz K. Farahmand

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify the barriers and facilitators of successful mental health and/or behavioral programs implemented within inner-city schools. The impetus for this study came from prior meta-analytic research which demonstrated programs being offered within inner-city schools, as a whole, showed very low effect sizes, with many of the programs offered to youth within these settings showing iatrogenic effects. The use of qualitative methods, specifically a phenomenological approach, provided an in-depth understanding of 1) service providers' experience(s) delivering mental health and/or behavioral programs in inner-city schools; and, 2) low-income, urban youths' experience(s) with receiving school-based mental …

Ecology-Centered Experiences Among Children And Adolescents: A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis, Judy Orton

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

The present research involved two studies that considered ecology-centered experiences (i.e., experiences with living things) as a factor in children’s environmental attitudes and behaviors and adolescents’ ecological understanding. The first study (Study 1) examined how a community garden provides children in an urban setting the opportunity to learn about ecology through ecology-centered experiences. To do this, I carried out a yearlong ethnographic study at an urban community garden located in a large city in the Southeastern United States. Through participant observations and informal interviews of community garden staff and participants, I found children had opportunities to learn about ecology through …

School Counselor-Parent Collaborations: Parents' Perceptions Of How School Counselors Can Meet Their Needs, Natalie Grubbs

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a fuller understanding of the sort of assistance, support, or education parents feel they need from school counselors in parenting adolescents. The research question examined was: What sort of assistance, support, or education do independent school parents feel they need from school counselors in raising adolescent children? The participants for this study were parents of middle school children attending an independent school located in an urban southern city. All parents of children attending the independent school were asked to respond to an online “needs assessment” survey asking parents to select parent education …

Examining The Effects Of A Motion Comic Intervention On Hiv-Stigma Among A Sample Of Adolescent Men Who Have Sex With Men, Kristen M. Nichols

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: HIV disproportionately affects African Americans, Latinos, and gay and bisexual men of all racial and ethnicity groups. People living with HIV/AIDS experience stigma related to their disease. HIV/AIDS stigma can have detrimental effects on HIV prevention, testing and treatment. Entertainment-education is a health communication strategy that can be used to influence behavioral and social change in the population.

AIM: The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a Motion Comic intervention, an EE strategy, can decrease H/A stigma in a sample of MSM adolescents aged 15-24.

METHODS: Participants were recruited from GA, FL, NY and CA using convenience …

The Effects Of Multiple Sclerosis On Perceived Parenting Roles And Adolescent Coping, Alyssa Coundourides, Kendra Host, Elizabeth Rexroat

Adult

This research project focused on the effects of parental multiple sclerosis (MS) upon parenting roles and family coping. Specifically, the study was implemented to acquire insight into the primary research question: How do parents perceive familial role changes resulting from MS to impact coping of their adolescent children? The study also investigated the role of occupational therapy in assisting parents with MS to facilitate coping in their adolescent children. These concepts were investigated though a mixed methods design, using the Role Checklist to quantitatively assess participants’ roles and values, and a focus group to qualitatively explore participants’ lived experiences of …

Emotion Processes In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Adolescent Depression, Patrice Siapno Crisostomo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious treatment for adolescent depression, recent findings indicate that positive treatment effects are reduced among youth with a history of childhood interpersonal trauma (CIT). The processing of emotionally-difficult content has been previously emphasized in therapeutic models for the treatment of depression, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. The present study evaluated the impact of emotion processes on treatment outcomes in two forms of psychotherapy (CBT and usual care treatment) for adolescent depression. This study observationally coded client emotional involvement, specifically during discussions of trauma-related content, as a potentially critical mechanism of change in …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Among Adolescents, Michelle R. Woidneck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prevalence of exposure to traumatic events among youth in the United States is alarmingly high. Trauma exposure has been linked to numerous negative outcomes, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and problematic posttraumatic stress symptomology. Effective trauma-focused treatments for children and adolescents have been identified; however, these treatments also possess various limitations, including a substantial number of individuals who do not respond, show minimal responsiveness, or drop out before completing treatment. Such limitations indicate that investigation into alternative treatment modalities is warranted.

In collaboration with Utah State University (USU), a psychology professor, Dr. Michael Twohig, and a …

Characteristics Of 4-H Participants And Their Psychosocial Development, Lauralee Lyons

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Volunteerism is an important component in the 4-H program. It was initially used as a method to help agents reach the many youth interested in participating in 4-H. Community service has since become a required component for every club project. Research shows that volunteering can impact youth in many different ways. Other research shows that 4-H youth are more likely to contribute or do some type of community service.

The present study uses the Modified Extended Version of the Object Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOMEIS), the Cognitive Autonomy and Self-Evaluation (CASE) inventory, and an instrument specifically designed to study …

The Relation Between Patterns Of Beliefs About Fighting And Social Information-Processing: Differences In Cognitions, Goals, And The Response-Decision Process In Adolescents, Denicia Titchner

Theses and Dissertations

Beliefs about aggression play a key role in how youth interpret and respond to social situations and are related to aggressive behavior. Adolescents may report beliefs supporting aggression and engage in aggression due to reinforcement within their environment, rather than due to maladaptive social information-processing (SIP) biases. The purpose of this study was to examine adolescents’ patterns of beliefs about aggression and how these patterns relate to SIP. This study used latent class analysis (LCA), the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations paradigm, and a Problem Solving Interview to examine differences in SIP between adolescents with varying patterns of beliefs about …

Development And Validation Of The Abstinence Motivation Scale, Natalie Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to design the Abstinence Motivation Scale-Sex (AMS-Sex), a scale to assess adolescent motivations for sexual abstinence using the self-determination theory (SDT) motivation continuum as a framework. Previous sexual abstinence research, SDT measurement studies, pilot study data, and expert panel feedback were used to develop the initial 77-item AMS-Sex. The sample consisted of 695 adolescents (aged 15 to 18; M age = 16.49, SD = 1.08; 50.8% male) recruited online from the across the U.S. Participants completed an online survey. The sample was randomly split into two samples. Independent samples t-tests indicated that sample 1 …

Neural Correlates Of The Extreme Male Brain Theory In Adolescents With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorders, Audrey Meyer Carson

Dissertations (1934 -)

The Extreme Male Brain (EMB) theory (Baron-Cohen, 2003) is a behavioral theory of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), suggesting that the triad of behavioral impairments in ASD can be conceptualized psychologically as impairment in empathizing, coupled with a superior capacity for systemizing. Despite studies of the behavioral manifestations of this theory, it lacks neurological findings, specifically evidence of less coordinated activity between the left and right hemisphere in ASD (i.e. more lateralized activity). This study attempted to investigate neural correlates of the EMB theory utilizing EEG coherence, an index of neural connectivity, to determine if a more lateralized profile exists in …

The Effects Of Health Insurance Of Adolescents On Their Future Well-Being, Lin Zhou

Open Access Dissertations

The number of uninsured children in the United States has declined since the late 1990s. According to the National Health Interview Survey, the percentage of children who were uninsured at the time of the survey decreased from 13.9% in 1997 to 7.0% in 2011. Nevertheless, 5.3 million children lacked health insurance coverage in 2011. Among uninsured children, adolescents tend to be uninsured at higher rates than younger children. The effects of health insurance coverage on children have been widely studied in economics and health care policy literature. Findings have indicated positive correlations between health insurance coverage and children’s health care …

Let's Talk About Sex Baby, Elizabeth Cohen

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on parental relationships, communication, and lifestyles and their potential in shaping their children's sexual attitudes and behaviors. Prior research has examined the effect of the media and schools on adolescent sexuality; however, there is little information on parents. The literature review was an evaluation of studies and written works focused on these three factors, media, schooling, and parental involvement, potentially having an effect on adolescent’s sexual attitudes and behaviors. It was found that media had a strong ability to over sexualize the youth of America. The educational aspect was two dimensional, there was clearly a positive aspect …

Treatment Options For Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious Behavior: A Systematic Review, Rebecca E. Ballinger

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A systematic review was conducted using four different databases and seven different search terms to address the following points: (1) what types of clinical treatment programs are currently being used to address self-harming behaviors in adolescents, (2) how do each of these programs define self-harm, (3) what theory guides these intervention programs, (4) and how effective are these programs at reducing self-harming behaviors in adolescents? Nine final studies were identified and the quality of the reporting of these studies was assessed using an extension of the CONSORT 2010 (Consort Group, 2010) checklist for pragmatic studies. The results of this study …

Cyberbullying Among School-Aged Adolescents And Teens: A Policy Review And Recommendations For Georgia, Britney Bennett Esq

Public Health Theses

Today, school bullying does not just stop in the schoolyard. When children return home after a school day filled with bullying incidents they are oftentimes tormented by a new phenomenon: cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is the willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. Today, more adolescents and teens have access to technological mediums than ever before. Although different forms of technology can be used in productive manners, they are often misused by youth to torment their peers.

Some researchers believe that cyberbullying can be even more detrimental than traditional bullying because cyberbullies can …

The Win-Win Situation Of Mentoring : Empowering Adolescents Through Mentorship, Jami Baretta

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Explores how mentorship can be utilized in a hospital setting as a short-term inpatient intervention.

Conversations : A Middle School Advisory Program, Mindy Swedarsky

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Includes a rationale that develops the reasoning for establishing an advisory program at the middle school level. It explores advisory program models currently used in the field including relevant content and activities for an advisory program as well as exploring the range of options a school has for implementing an advisory program in regards to time allotment and student grouping. It also provides a snapshot of early adolescent physical, social, emotional, moral reasoning, and cognitive development and discusses the benefits to implementing an advisory program with 12 to 14 year olds.

Move Montana: An Exercise Program For Children, Adolescents, And Their Families, Deanna Lynn Babb

Dissertations

Despite advances in medical science, the prevalence of obesity in the US has more than doubled in the last three decades, to over 72 million people (CDC, 2009). The purpose of this project was to pilot an exercise program that would increase physical activity in a group of adolescents and one of their parents or guardians. A convenient sample of 10 adults and eight adolescents returned surveys and exercised through the entire eight weeks (N = 18). Ten of the 18 participants (56%), six parents and four adolescents, reported increased frequency of exercise each week throughout the eight week period. …

Implementation Of Mental Health Screening In An Adolescent Health Care Clinic, Lisa Colleen Isenberg

Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to increase the awareness of adolescent mental health issues and emphasize the importance of screening for depression and suicidal ideations, to provide clinicians mental health screening tools, and to determine the barriers and challenges involved in performing mental health screenings in practice. This project implemented mental health screenings in an adolescent, urban, walk in health clinic and evaluated the mental health screening and implementation process from the patient and the provider perspectives and determined the resources needed for follow up. This practice evaluation project included a mental health screening on consenting 18-24 year olds, …

Investigating The Academic Vocabulary Development Of Spanish-English Bilingual Students In Middle School, Eileen Mercedes Gonzalez

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the vocabulary development of Spanish-English bilingual adolescents (n= 98) from the end of 6^th through the end of 7^th grade in a dual language setting by looking at the patterns of growth in English and Spanish vocabulary post intervention and adding to the body of research on vocabulary development. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM).

At the first level (TIME), the analysis helped to describe the shape of each person’s individual growth trajectory and to examine within person variability. The analysis at the second level (STUDENTS) considered inter-individual differences in …

Exploring Factors Of Non-Compliance For Adolescents With Celiac Disease, Alicia A. Darling

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Individuals with celiac disease face many challenges when navigating the world around them. Adolescents with celiac disease must face the challenge of standing out in a world that is heavily influenced by peers and the pressure to fit in. The purpose of this project was to explore factors of non-compliance for adolescents with celiac disease. Using a qualitative design, two adolescent female volunteers participated in a focus group regarding factors in their lives that led them to not comply with the gluten-free diet. Data were analyzed and the focus group responses were then linked to previous related literature. The findings …