Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Qualitative Analysis Of A Junior High School Eating Disorder Prevention Program, Janine Ruth Stickney

Theses and Dissertations

Past research conducted in the areas of diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders have provided information in regards to understanding the epidemiology, base rates, damages and longitudinal course of eating disorders. Few studies, however, have focused on prevention, especially in adolescents. In this particular study, students in a Utah junior high school health class received preventative curriculum called, Eating Disorders: Physical, Social, and Emotional Consequences. Ten, female participants were then interviewed to explore their thoughts and feelings about their experiences and to qualitatively ascertain the success of the prevention program.

An Exploration Of Pathological Gambling Among Diverse Populations, Ayana N. Perkins

Psychology Dissertations

This study used an ecological perspective to identify pathological gambling (PG) risk and protective factors, nonclinical resources, and prevention strategies based on the perceptions of Georgia stakeholders. With an ecological perspective, human behavior is perceived as an outcome of the interaction between the individual and various factors in their social environment. The ecological perspective is especially suitable for examining the higher PG prevalence among ethnic minority groups since these populations have been documented as encountering greater exposure to PG social and environmental risk factors (Smedley & Syme, 2000). To assess prevention needs, data were obtained from a 2008 needs assessment …

Prevention As The Primary Goal Of Sentencing: The Modern Case For Indeterminate Dispositions In Criminal Cases, Christopher Slobogin

San Diego Law Review

This Article contends that properly constituted, indeterminate sentencing is both a morally defensible method of preventing crime and the optimal regime for doing so, at least for crimes against person and most other street crimes.

More specifically, the position defended in this Article is that, once a person is convicted of an offense, the duration and nature of sentence should be based on a back-end decision made by experts in recidivism reduction, within broad ranges set by the legislature. Compared to determinate sentencing, the sentencing regime advanced in this Article relies on wider sentence ranges and explicit assessments of risk, …

Prevention And Imminence, Pre-Punishment And Actuality, Gideon Yaffe

San Diego Law Review

In a variety of circumstances, it is justified to harm persons, or deprive them of liberty, in order to prevent them from doing something objectionable. We see this in interactions between individuals--think of self-defense or defense of others--and we see it in large-scale interactions among groups--think of preemptive measures taken by countries against conspiring terrorists, plotting dictators, or ambitious nations. We can argue, of course, about the details. Under exactly what conditions is it justified to inflict harm or deprive someone of liberty for reasons of prevention? But in having such arguments we agree on the fundamental idea: there are …

Substance Use Among Asian American Adolescents: Perceptions Of Use And Preferences For Prevention Programming, Lin Fang, Kevin Barnes-Ceeney, Rebecca A. Lee, John Tao

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Rarely has substance use prevention programming targeted Asian-American adolescents. Using a focus group methodology, we explored perceptions of substance use and preferences for prevention programming among 31 Asian-American adolescents in New York City. Participants considered substance use common in the community. Factors contributing to substance use among Asian-American adolescents (e.g., peer pressure, pressure to achieve, family factors, and community influence) were identified, and the need for prevention programs tailored for the Asian-American community was highlighted. Participants discussed preferred program content, delivery settings, and recruitment and retention strategies. Despite the favorable attitude for family-based prevention programming, participants raised potential issues concerning …

South African Youth And Parents: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Family Communication About Sex, Hiv, And Violence, Lindsey Zimmerman

Psychology Dissertations

South Africa retains the highest HIV prevalence in the world, with the incidence of infection growing fastest among youth. The purpose of this investigation was to inform preventive family-based interventions designed to reduce youth HIV risks. In 2009, 38 black South African caregivers and youth (ages 10-14) participated in key informant interviews and focus groups, which were coded for themes related to family communication about sex. Findings highlighted a cultural taboo against communication that among some caregivers was shifting. Informed by this qualitative data, in 2010, 97 black South African caregivers and 97 youth (ages 10-14) completed measures designed for …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Adolescent Girls' Experience In An Eating Disorder Prevention Curriculum, Jill L. Smedley

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disorders are a widespread problem that affects millions of people each year in the United States. Research-based prevention programs are becoming more and more important as this number rises. This study qualitatively examined the effectiveness of a prevention program called Eating Disorders: Physical, Social, and Emotional Consequences, A High School Curriculum about Anorexia, Bulimia, and Compulsive Eating (EDPSEC). Study participants included 10 female students in a ninth grade health class in a junior high school in Utah. The integrity of curriculum administration was analyzed and interviews were conducted. The aim of the interviews was to determine what students who …

Testing Of A Brief Internet Cyberbullying Prevention Program In College Students, Ashley Nicole Doane

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Although the prevalence of cyberbullying varies across investigations, studies on adolescents and college students have shown that cyberbullying is associated with a wide range of negative consequences, including emotional distress, substance use, delinquent behavior, and even suicide. Given the frequency and consequences of cyberbullying, effective low-cost cyberbullying prevention programs are needed. Based on a review of the literature, best practices for program development, and earlier work on cyberbullying (e.g., Doane, Kelley, & Padilla, 2011; Doane, Kelley, Cornell, & Pearson, 2008), the goals of the proposed project were to develop a video-based program to increase knowledge about cyberbullying and empathy toward …

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Cyber Bullying Prevention And Intervention Strategies, Sterling V. Stauffer

Theses and Dissertations

Results from recent meta-analyses have indicated that bully prevention programs tend to produce little discernable change in student behavior. Possible reasons include a lack of teacher buy-in and teachers' questioning about the effectiveness of such programs. Teacher buy-in is an essential ingredient when implementing and maintaining effective school-based interventions, including bully prevention programs. In order to examine teachers' perceptions, a questionnaire was administered to 66 high school teachers in a western U.S. urban high school. The questionnaire examined teachers' attitudes regarding the impact of cyber bullying on students; which intervening strategies teachers were likely to use when dealing with cyber …

Cleveland Schools Social Skills Training Program Showing Positive Results, David Volosin, Oscar T. Mcknight, John Sikula

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

This article reports on research conducted in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District by the Society for Prevention of Violence (SPV). A total of 1500 students and 150 teachers participated in a social skills training program. Statistically significant positive results were found over the course of the 2009 - 2010 school year. A positive change in the school environment was documented via a thirty-five item learning survey. Because of the positive results, during the 2010 - 2011 school year, SPV's social skills training program is being implemented in all three Parma middle schools.

U.S. Cultural Involvement And Its Association With Co-Occurring Substance Abuse And Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Youth In The Dominican Republic, Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen, Juan B. Peña

Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen

We examined the relationship of US cultural involvement with substance abuse and sexual risk behavior profiles from our nationally representative sample of public high school students in the Dominican Republic. Using a novel methodological approach to control for selection bias, we examined explanations for the so-called Latino or Hispanic immigrant paradox. A latent class regression analysis with manifest and latent covariates found that US cultural involvement indicators were independent and robust predictors of increased risk of co-ocurring substance abuse and sexual risk behaviors. Implications for prevention efforts targeting risk behaviors among Latino/a adolescents in the US and abroad are considered.

A Multi-Level Investigation Of Teacher Instructional Practices And The Use Of Responsive Classroom, Benjamin George Solomon

Open Access Dissertations

A year-long longitudinal study was conducted to quantify different types of teaching in the beginning of the year, and the effect of those choices on end of year instructional practices and student outcomes. Teacher practices were organized around the fidelity of implementation to the Responsive Classroom (RC) program (Northeast Foundation for Children, 2009). Most notably, a central RC tenant entitled “the first six weeks” was examined. RC is a universal prevention program that previously has been categorized as a Tier I social-behavioral program for students when considered within an RTI model (Elliott, 1999).

Twenty-seven teachers from the New England region …

Finding Balance: School-Based Yoga Programs For The Prevention And Reduction Of Anxiety, Jessica Dawn Aaron

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Children and adolescents experience anxiety to varying degrees; levels vary from healthy and motivating to clinically elevated and debilitating. At present, anxiety disorders are most commonly treated through psychopharmacology and cognitive behavioral therapy. This thesis contains a brief literature review of these existing treatments, followed by a presentation of the emerging support for mindfulness-based yoga programs, highlighting a particular opportunity for school-based mental health providers. Keywords: yoga, anxiety, wellness, prevention, school-based, holistic care.

Preventative Behavioral Parent Training: A Preliminary Investigation Of Strategies For Preventing At-Risk Children From Developing Later Conduct Problems, Jessica L. Malmberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children exhibiting conduct problems comprise the largest source of referrals to children's mental health services in this county. Significant research has been conducted in an attempt to identify specific risk factors that result in increased vulnerability of a child developing conduct problems. Knowledge of these factors increases our ability to identify young children who are at greater risk for developing conduct problems. The treatment for conduct problems that possesses the greatest amount of empirical support is behavioral parent training. Yet behavioral parent training fails to address behaviors and risk factors that are present during a child's early development. Preventative behavioral …

A Prevention-Centered Approach To Homelessness Assistance: A Paradigm Shift?, Dennis P. Culhane, Stephen Metraux, Thomas Byrne

Dennis P. Culhane

Prevention has long been cited as an important part of any strategy to end homelessness. Nonetheless, effective prevention initiatives have proven difficult to implement in practice. The lack of a prevention-oriented policy framework has resulted in responses to homelessness that focus primarily on assisting those who have already lost their housing and, consequently, to the institutionalization of homelessness. Recent Federal legislation, however, signals an emergent paradigm shift towards prevention-based approaches to homelessness. This paper explores the conceptual underpinnings of successful prevention initiatives and reviews practice-based evidence from several successful prevention-oriented approaches to homelessness in the United States and Europe. We …

Distinguishing Between Homeless And Unstably Housed Men On Risk Factors For Homelessness, Valerie Holton

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the risk factors for homelessness in single men, the largest group of people experiencing homelessness and a group about which little is known regarding their risks for homelessness. A case control design was used to differentiate risk factors between men who were homeless and men who were unstably housed. Risk factors included cumulative risk, negative life events, and demographic factors. Two models were tested using discriminant function analysis (DFA). The Cumulative Risk Model did not significantly differentiate between the two groups. However, the Negative Life Events Model yielded one discriminant function that significantly differentiated between the groups …

A Quantitative Analysis Of An Eating Disorder Prevention Program, Jennalee Murray

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disorders affect millions of people in the United States alone. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of a preventative curriculum for eating disorders called Eating Disorders: Physical, Social, and Emotional Consequences, A High School Curriculum about Anorexia, Bulimia, and Compulsive Eating (EDPSEC). Participants included an experimental group of 27 students in their ninth grade health class and a control group of 21 students. The research examined the integrity of the curriculum administration and changes in participating students' attitudes and behaviors. The outcome measures used were students' scores on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the Eating Survey (ES). …

Relational Aggression Among Students, Ellie L. Young, David A. Nelson, America B. Hottle, Brittney Warburton, Bryan K. Young

Faculty Publications

Some types of bullying are harder to spot than physical aggression, but they still damage students' self-esteem and impede academic success.

Examining The Protective Effects Of Brand Equity In The Keepin' It Real Substance Use Prevention Curriculum, Jeong Kyu Lee, Michael L. Hecht

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

While branding appears to be an effective health prevention strategy, it is less clear how successful brands have protective effects. To better understand the role of branding in health prevention and promotion, it is necessary to examine how the persuasive mechanisms of branding function in health campaigns (e.g., modeling socially desirable behaviors). Using a cross-sectional data (N = 709), the current study uncovered the mechanisms explaining branding's effects on adolescent substance use in a school-based substance use intervention, keepin' it REAL (kiR) curriculum. Consistent with our predictions, a confirmatory factor analysis suggested that kiR brand equity had a higher-order, multidimensional …

Adoption Of An Infection Prevention And Control Programme (Ipcp) In The Republic Of Kiribati: A Case Study In Diffusion Of Innovations Theory, Peta-Anne Zimmerman, Heather Yeatman, Michael Jones, Helen Murdoch

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the International Conference on Prevention & Infection Control (ICPIC 2011) Geneva, Switzerland. 29 June - 2 July 2011

Positive Peers: Exploring How And Why To Incorporate Peers Into Hiv Prevention Services, Allison Tan

Dissertations

In 2002, the Human Resource Service Administration (HRSA) began encouraging and funding a new strategy in HIV prevention. Referred to as Prevention with Positives (PwP), this approach to HIV prevention focused efforts on intervention with individuals who were already HIV-infected. This study examines one particular modality for the delivery of these important prevention messages to men and women living with HIV - the utilization of a peer-based model. "Peer-based" refers to any program which utilizes HIV-positive individuals as service providers for other HIV-positive individuals. A nationwide sample of such programs is used to provide an exploratory look into the possibilities …

Predicting Teachers' Awareness Of And Interventions In Classroom Episodes Of Gender-Based Bullying : Individual And Systems Factors, Evan David Slater

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Gender-based bullying (GBB) includes threatening behaviors based on gender/gender-role expectations, verbal/physical harassment, unwanted sexual attention and coercion, insults, intimidation, and assaults based on sexual orientation. In this study, 342 teachers completed an online survey to identify which variables predicted their rates of witnessing and intervening in GBB. Individual variables included teacher rates of homophobia and heterosexism. Systems variables included teachers' fear of angry backlash for reporting GBB, the comprehensiveness of districts' safe school policies (SSP), the timeliness of districts' responses to reports of GBB, and the consistency of administrative responses. Also included were the number of district trainings concerning their …

The Role Of Expectancy In Prescription Stimulant Misuse, Alison Looby

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Misuse of prescription stimulant medication such as methylphenidate (MPH) has increased among college students over the past several years. Common motivations for misuse include enhancements in cognitive function and subjective arousal. Researchers have recently cited a need to better understand and develop treatments for this behavior. Expectancy effects, which impact initiation and maintenance of substance use, may also be implicated in one's decision to engage in prescription stimulant misuse. This study first examined whether subjective mood and cognitive performance could be elevated solely by one's expectation to receive MPH. Additionally, this study examined the efficacy of an expectancy challenge in …

Legacies And Prevention Of Genocide And Mass Atrocities In The Asia-Pacific: A Workshop Report, Deborah Mayersen, Julia Mangelsdorf, Aishath Latheef

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

The twentieth century has been labelled the ‘century of genocide’. According to some estimates, more than 250 million civilians were victims of genocide and mass atrocities during this period. The Asia-Pacific region has not been immune. Genocide and mass atrocities have occurred in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971, Indonesia (1965-66), Cambodia (1975-79) and East Timor (1975-1999). At the opening of the twenty-first century, efforts to halt this massive loss of innocent life culminated in the emergence and acceptance of the ‘responsibility to protect’ principle in international discourse. More effort than ever before is being channelled towards preventing mass atrocities.

Prevalence And Socio-Demographic Correlates For Serious Injury Among Adolescents Participating In The Djibouti 2007 Global School-Based Health Survey, Adamson S. Muula, Seter Siziya, Emmanuel Rudatsikira

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Mental health and injury are neglected public health issues especially in low-income nations. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates for serious injury in the last 12 months.

Findings

The study used data of the 2007 Djibouti Global School-based Health Survey. Logistic regression analysis was used to establish associations. Of the 1, 777 respondents, 61.1% (63.2% males and 57.8% females) reported having sustained serious injury (SSI). Compared to participants who were not bullied, those who reported being bullied 3-9 days per month were more likely to have sustained serious injury in the last …

Gene-Environment Interactions, Criminal Responsibility, And Sentencing, Stephen J. Morse

All Faculty Scholarship

This chapter in, Gene-Environment Interactions in Developmental Psychopathology (K. Dodge & M. Rutter, eds. 2011), considers the relevance of GxE to criminal responsibility and sentencing. It begins with a number of preliminary assumptions that will inform the analysis. It then turns to the law’s view of the person, including the law’s implicit psychology, and the criteria for criminal responsibility. A few false starts or distractions about responsibility are disposed of briefly. With this necessary background in place, the chapter then turns specifically to the relation between GxE and criminal responsibility. It suggests that GxE causes of criminal behavior have no …

Moving Upstream: The Merits Of A Public Health Law Approach To Human Trafficking, Jonathan Todres

Jonathan Todres

Human trafficking, a gross violation of human rights and human dignity, has been identified by numerous government leaders as one of the priority issues of our time. Legislative efforts over the past decade have produced a patchwork of criminal laws and some assistance programs for victims. There is no evidence, however, that these efforts have reduced the incidence of trafficking. This lack of meaningful progress prompts questions as to what the best framework is for addressing human trafficking. This Article begins with a discussion of the limitations inherent in the current law-enforcement-centric approach to the problem. It then explores the …