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The Reconciliation Of Cognitive Dissonance Among Social Workers In Substance Use Treatment Settings, Miranda Ashley Kieler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although harm reduction (HR) and abstinence-based treatment approaches are both useful in addiction treatment, the former is less accepted and integrated into practice. Social workers who embrace an HR approach but who work at substance abuse treatment facilities that are abstinence based may experience cognitive dissonance because they perceive their work role to be incompatible with social work practice values and education. Little was known regarding how practitioners with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree experience and reconcile cognitive dissonance related to their HR education and abstinence-only practice in substance use treatment centers. To address this gap in the …

The Reconciliation Of Cognitive Dissonance Among Social Workers In Substance Use Treatment Settings, Miranda Ashley Kieler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although harm reduction (HR) and abstinence-based treatment approaches are both useful in addiction treatment, the former is less accepted and integrated into practice. Social workers who embrace an HR approach but who work at substance abuse treatment facilities that are abstinence based may experience cognitive dissonance because they perceive their work role to be incompatible with social work practice values and education. Little was known regarding how practitioners with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree experience and reconcile cognitive dissonance related to their HR education and abstinence-only practice in substance use treatment centers. To address this gap in the …

Preincarceration Collaborative Religious Coping Strategies Of Black Males With A History Of A Criminal Offense, Pearlette E. Springer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are 56% of the incarcerated population in the United States. Black males spend an average of 13.4% of their working lives incarcerated and 82.6% of their working lives addressing the stigma and restrictions associated with incarceration. The purpose of this study was to address a gap in research by exploring the preincarceration collaborative religious coping strategy experiences of Black males with a history of criminal offenses. Pargament’s theory of collaborative religious coping strategy guided the research, interview questions, and data analysis. The qualitative narrative approach with purposeful and snowball sampling was used to recruit and collect data from …

Strategies For Developing And Implementing Internal Controls For Mitigating Retail Consumer Fraud, Anna Marie Foye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of consumer fraud internal controls can destroy a small business. Small retail business owners who do not practice good internal controls are susceptible to early failure. Using the fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small retail business owners use to develop and implement internal controls for mitigating retail consumer fraud. Participants consisted of four small retail business owners in the Southeastern United States who practiced effective internal controls. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and financial documents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: financials, monitoring, and segregation …

Motivations Of Youth Engaged In International Drug Smuggling Through The Perceptions Of Law Enforcement In San Diego County, Gabrielle Suzanne Smyth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of illegal narcotics in the United States is an epidemic that requires significant and measurable results. Not only are illegal drugs crossing from Mexico into the United States a threat to public safety, but the involvement of juveniles is also becoming increasingly dangerous. Since early 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) San Diego Field Division has seen a disturbing trend of Mexican cartels increasingly recruiting juveniles from high schools in southern San Diego County to smuggle drugs through the ports of entry. The theoretical framework utilized in this study was social learning theory. The logical connection between social …

Multiple Case Analysis Exploration Of Prenatal Substance Exposure On Juvenile Adjudicative Competence, Danielle Leigh Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research into the neurological and cognitive factors influencing juveniles’ adjudicative competence psycholegal abilities is needed to ensure their due process rights and help inform qualified forensic mental health examiners offering their opinions on adjudicative competence in courts. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of prenatal substance exposure on neurological factors related to juveniles’ abilities to understand the charges against them and participate in legal proceedings. Jean Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory was the theoretical framework for this study. Concrete operational and formal operational stages of cognitive development were addressed to help frame juveniles’ factual and rational understanding …

Lived Experiences Of Police Officers And Their Roles During Opioid Overdose, Sean Banks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted multiple studies regarding opioid users, opioid addicts, relatives of addicts, and health professional responses. The opioid crisis has been a focus for scholars following the first wave of prescription in 1991 (CDC, 2016). However, there is limited research that examines the lived experiences of law enforcement officers and their roles during an opioid overdose. As the opioid crisis has continued to negatively affect individuals, families, communities, cities, and countries, federal, state, and local policymakers have searched for ways to combat the opioid crisis. For many law enforcement agencies, policymakers have enacted policy that mandates patrol officers carry …

Perspectives Of Key Court Personnel On The Prosecution Of Domestic Violence Cases, Crystal M. Schoeder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence (DV) continues to be a public health and criminal justice problem. Several criminal justice system changes have been made to combat DV, such as mandatory arrest policies, no-drop prosecution policies, and specialized DV courts. Perspectives on these policies, DV, and the criminal justice system have been obtained from the victims, police officers, and victim advocates. However, perspectives from those within the criminal justice court system are missing. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to obtain the perspectives of key court personnel in small rural communities regarding the prosecution of DV cases. Narrative policy framework was used …

A Phenomenological Study Of Attachment And Juvenile Justice Involvement, Amanda Jean Gibson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile criminal offending has become a serious social concern. The strongest predictors of juvenile delinquency are low parental attachments, the absence of capable guardians, and an unstable family structure. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of young adult men between the ages of 18 and 25 who, as children, experienced their fathers’ incarceration, how the incarceration influenced attachment between the father and son, and how it also influenced the sons’ involvement with the juvenile justice system. The theoretical base for this study was attachment theory. This theory was suitable for this study as attachment …

Lived Experiences Of Reintegration Of Malaysian Nonviolent Ex-Offenders In Singapore, Hendrika Wilhelmina Vosselman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNonviolent ex-offenders in Singapore of Malaysian descent face many challenges with reintegration into the community following incarceration. The Malaysian ethnic group comprises a small part, only 14%, of the Singaporean population, but they are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, which creates challenges for the Singapore government. The Malaysians face challenges such as the lack of support, academic underachievement, and economic and socioeconomic disparities. There is a literature gap regarding the Malaysian nonviolent ex-offenders who are experiencing problems with reintegration into society and have more limitations than other ethnic groups in Singapore. There are currently no studies focusing on clarifying …

Teachers’ Experiences Addressing Students’ Trauma-Related Behavior In The Classroom, Amanda Lynn Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trauma is not something the untrained eye can see; it can be described as a silent issue, but the effects of trauma are seen in society. Research about trauma has focused on the perspective of the student and not the interaction between the teacher and the student. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore classroom teachers’ perceptions and experiences with addressing students’ trauma-related behavior. The theoretical foundation was trauma theory. Data were collected through questionnaires and in-person interviews with teachers and administrators who work in Southwest Pennsylvania. There were a total of 13 participants. Descriptive coding was …

Risk Factors For Sexual Assault Victimization On A College Campus, Josh Studeny

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, sexual assaults are becoming increasingly prevalent on college campuses. This study addressed the problem of increasing sexual assaults at a Northeastern university in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the risk factors that led to sexual assault victimization on a college campus through the students', campus police officers', and counselors' perspectives. This study incorporated Cohen and Felson's theoretical framework of the routine activity theory. The focus of the study was on perceptions of (a) risk factors that motivate offenders to commit sexual assault in a university setting, (b) risk factors …

Patterns Of Victimization Of School-Aged Children With Autism In The Rural Southern United States, Megan Rae Marie Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with disabilities experience victimization at rates higher than their typically-functioning peers. Because they are often perceived as unreliable reporters, the likelihood that victimizations of individuals with disabilities are reported is low. Data regarding the lived victimization experiences of individuals with specific disabilities are scant. Grounded in the rational choice theory and Cohen and Felson’s routine activity theory, this qualitative study investigated the victimization experiences of school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the rural Southern US. This study involved 21 public school students between the ages of 12 and 17 who were interviewed using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, …

Individual Experiences Of Criminogenic Youth Participating In Outpatient Treatment, Seth Allen Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Outpatient treatment programs for low-level criminogenic youth have been shown to positively impact behavioral trends and recidivism rates. By providing juvenile offenders the opportunity to remain in the community while receiving clinical interventions to address their maladaptive behaviors, outpatient therapy enables participating youth to identify their negative decision patterns. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the individual experience of low-level criminogenic youth who successfully completed outpatient treatment. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory was used to frame the study, and audio recordings were collected during semistructured interviews with 8 participants. Subsequently, the recordings were transcribed and the data were coded …

A Phenomenological Study Of Christian Conversion And Recidivism In Ex-Prisoners, Christopher Featherstone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism rates are high in the United States. According to the Bureau of Justice

Statistics, within 5 years of being released, 77% of ex-prisoners are arrested, with 37%

arrested within the first 6 months and 57% arrested within the first year. Past research has

indicated that religiosity functions as a protective factor in relation to criminal behaviors

that is consistent across genders and developmental periods. The purpose of this

qualitative study was to examine Christianity as a protective factor against offending. The

theoretical framework of the study, self-determination theory, with its focus on

individuals’ growth tendencies based on self-motivation and …

An Exploration Of Mental Health Practitioners' Perceptions Of Ethical Requirements And Self-Care As Means To Maintain Professional Competence, Ebony Denise Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A mental health practitioner must refrain from partaking in any mental health work if personal problems interfere with his or her ability to provide services in a competent manner. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how mental health practitioners manage personal problems to stay ethically compliant. Previous research has indicated that a significant amount of literature has revealed the causes and damaging effects of burnout among mental health workers. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature that links burnout directly with competently providing quality care. Ethical compliance, self-care, and mental health practitioners' perceptions were …

A Phenomenological Analysis Of Formerly Incarcerated Women's Perceptions Of Successful Reentry, Angela Martilik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female offenders are distinctly different from male offenders, and present with their own gender-specific needs and issues both in and out of the correctional setting. Most approaches to treatment and programming for female offenders are currently based on research involving males and approaches designed for males. Inquiry regarding the gender-specific needs of female inmates as they pertain to treatment and reentry programs is necessary so professionals can better understand how to serve this population. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 8 women who were formerly incarcerated in the United States, this phenomenological study was used to examine the perceptions of successful …

Workplace Bullying From A Nurses Perspective, Dawn Reid White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying has long been associated with school children. In recent years, however, more attention has been paid to the bullying that has reached beyond the playground and into the workforce. One population facing this problem is staff nurses. To date, no one has found an effective way to address workplace bullying in the healthcare field, nor have effective methods been found for retaining trained nurses affected by this problem. The focus of this dissertation was on understanding nurses' lived experiences and how nurses decided to remain in their current working position despite these problems. Taking a phenomenological approach and using …

Internal Controls Possessed By Small Business Owners, Stephanie Weiss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

On average, a small business could lose $150,000 a year due to employee fraud schemes. For most of the small businesses affected by employee fraud schemes, the average $150,000 loss could be detrimental to the small business, causing the business to close. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the internal controls small business owners apply to detect and prevent fraud from occurring in the business. The population for the study consisted of 3 small business owners located in Hartsville, South Carolina who implemented effective internal fraud controls in their business. The conceptual framework guiding the study …

Direct Care Provider Perceptions Of Factors Influencing Treatment Motivation Of Dual-Diagnosed Female Offenders, Cara Renee Tilbury

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dual-diagnosed female offenders (DDFOs) present direct care providers with complex psychosocial needs and challenges that result in a serious lack of motivation to attain, sustain, and continue treatment after release from prison. Unsuccessful treatment of DDFOs represents a significant public health and safety risk including continuing criminal acts, increased health care costs, accidents related to substance abuse, and poor reintegration. Through in-depth semistructured interviews with direct care providers, this phenomenological study's focus was on examining the motivational facilitators associated with treatment adherence, barriers to treatment adherence, and approaches for enhancing treatment motivation. Nine major themes emerged from this research, including …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Police Officers' Perception Of Sexual Offender Registration, Tracy Lee Veri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although many research studies about sexual offender registration exist, there is no qualitative study on the perspective of police officers whose job duties include the implementation of Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN) laws. The purpose of this case study was to explore specific police officers' perceptions of sex offender registration. Six police officers were hand selected for face-to-face interviews based on their unique job duties that included responsibilities and training related to the implementation of the sexual offender registration and community notification protocols. Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory provided the theoretical framework for this research study. According to study findings, …

An Evaluation Of Service Learning For Associate Degree Nursing Students, Valerie Marie Pauli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes of the service-learning requirement in the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) curriculum at the local college. The problem addressed in this study was that the local ASN program lacked formal evaluation of the service-learning requirement. Guided by Kolb's model of experiential learning, a goal-based, summative evaluation employed as a qualitative case study explored the perceptions of 20 stakeholders including graduates, faculty members, and key community informants. The research questions focused on how service learning influenced a student's learning of cultural competence and the impact service learning had on the community. …