Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Maladjustment Among Victims Of Bullying, Jack Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying has garnered attention from educators, social scientists, and the public at large for nearly 50 years, but the dilemma persists. We have seen that bullying is a high-risk factor for psychological adjustment across the lifespan. The current study has surveyed college students to ascertain their perceptions of adjustment in adult life. The study has added to the existing literature in addressing the role of reduced perceived control in the maladjustment of bully victims. A novel contribution was made by comparing the strength of this potential mediator to another documented correlate of poor adjustment among bullying victims, thwarted belonging.

Factors Associated With Resilience Among Msw Students In The Face Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jose Carbajal, Donna Schuman, Warren Ponder, Christine Bishop, Amber Hall, Kristin Bolton

Faculty Publications

COVID-19 continues to affect the general population, and its impact on MSW students is unknown. Therefore, this study aims to examine resilience, attachment, and other mental health constructs among MSW students during COVID-19. U.S. MSW program directors were emailed the electronic surveys to distribute to their MSW students. Authors evaluated the bivariate relationship between the variables and conducted a multiple hierarchical regression predicting resilience. The findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of resilience have lower levels of depression and PTSD. Finally, attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and self-efficacy were statistically significant predictors of resilience in the hierarchical regression. This study …

Developing A Strategic Plan For Municipal Housing Infill, Robert G. Vine

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

In order for some cities to be competitive for growth, there is a need to emphasize efforts on creating infill. Swapping abandoned, run down houses for new ones benefits the immediate neighborhood and ripples outward through the entire community. Municipalities can proactively work with stakeholders to create a strategic plan to rehabilitate these properties and breathe new life into an existing neighborhood. By stepping into the role of promotor, designer, facilitator, and coordinator, a city can create an environment that is attractive to builders and developers, add housing, and add value to the community. Cities that successfully create partnerships with …

The Importance Of Succession Planning In Local Government, Mendy Davis

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

All organizations benefit from succession planning. Succession planning is the process used to identify critical roles, skills, and knowledge in your organization and to develop a plan for employees to step into those roles when they become vacant. Due to limited personnel, resources, and budgets, and the belief that succession planning is costly and complex, succession planning is often left unaddressed in smaller cities. Even with limited resources, succession planning adds value to smaller organizations. An analysis of the current talent within a given organization can aid in developing backups and potential successors for any critical roles. Maintaining competitive salaries …

How To Lose $5.2 Million In Your Operational Budget And Still Make It Balance, Tamara Alexander

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Some cities experience exponential growth. Some cities experience operating budget shortfalls. Significantly few cities experience both simultaneously and are still able to balance their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. This is the predicament a small municipality found itself in as it was forced to face unimaginable challenges at the beginning of fiscal year 2022. The operational budget shortfall could happen to any municipality and may have even happened to yours.

This article will explore what happened, how it was discovered, what was done to balance the budget, and what measures were put in place to prevent this from happening …

The Generational Gap In The Workforce: How Flexible Schedules May Be The Answer, Kelli D. Casey

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

This article explores the importance of flexible scheduling for smaller municipalities to retain and attract talent and compete in a changing job market. The workforce is evolving, and with each generation that enters the market there is a push for a stronger work-life balance. Smaller cities can meet these generational expectations as well as retain the skills and talents of retiring generations by offering flexible schedules. Flexible schedules may be the answer for small municipalities to stay relevant while staffing their organizations.

Should Cities Offer Remote Work?, Colleen Martin

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

In December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus was discovered in Wuhan, China. This highly contagious virus soon spread rapidly throughout the world and brought many countries and cities to a standstill through lockdowns, travel bans, and fear of illness and death. Many employers abandoned in-person work to prevent the spread of what became known as COVID-19, or COVID. Plans were made instead for employees to work from home as employers created modified work environments and moved meetings to online platforms. In 2022, once the virus was considered to be under control and fear began to subside, employers began to reopen for …

Tharp’S Funnel: Understanding The Present Through An Understanding Of The Past, Alejandra Y. Martinez, Dayna Parrish

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Inspired by the changes precipitated by 2020 and 2021, the authors introduce Tharp's (1994) Funnel and Filters of Development and his emphasis on ethnogenetic analysis as a framework to understand current conditions and events. In doing so, we aim to provide a lens to better grasp the issues that our nation faces and propose it as a tool to disrupt the ongoing pattern of social injustice. This framework is introduced with a discussion on some of the unfortunate, yet significant, events that have unfolded in 2020 and 2021, followed by an explanation of Tharp's Funnel and its application to contemporary …

How To Be An Anti-Racist Educator: A Book Review Through An Educational Perspective, Maria Cristina F. Soares, Melanie Morales

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The authors reviewed the book How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (2019) while reflecting on how Kendi’s brilliant dismantlement of racism and discrimination would help educators become conscious of how racism operates in our society, their schools, and their communities. Kendi’s book could motivate teachers to self-reflect on intrinsic feelings and misconceptions about race and culture built over time, allowing them to adopt new attitudes towards their students and school community. The authors considered the need to reevaluate systemic racism in schools as research has, for instance, found evidence of discriminatory practices towards African American boys (Gregory …

A Method For Collective Healing: The Utility Of Talking Circles, Samuel Montano, Victoria Williams, Jia Jian Tin

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This paper highlights the importance of Justice and Healing Talking Circles (JAHTC) in higher education settings, as well as other institutions to provide a safe place for individuals and groups to have collective healing experiences. This paper outlines the current sociopolitical climate that poses a threat to social equity, social justice, and communal healing, while also providing a method and rationale for the implementation of JAHTC.

A Deeper Understanding Of Noise Effects On Cetaceans, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

Recent research with cetaceans under human care is illuminating just how dolphins are affected by human-made noise both in terms of their ability to cooperate as well as their ability to habituate to such noise. This research is providing granular detail to regulators assessing the problems associated with anthropogenic effects and is highlighting a role for behavior/cognition research in conservation.

Perception Of Alumni Of The Department Of Agriculture At Stephen F. Austin State University, Sherifat Rufai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

University alumni surveys have served various purposes since they were introduced in the 1930s in the United States. The Department of Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) aimed to evaluate alumni perceptions between the Fall of 2010 and the Spring of 2022 to provide an opportunity to examine the relationship between degree fields and occupations and the agriculture curriculum, salaries, and demographic data for college graduates. This study's web-based survey was designed to include closed-ended and open-ended questions to collect individual opinions using Qualtrics Survey Software. The survey materials were made available on the alumni's social media accounts. …

The Impact Of Couple Minority Stress And Perceived Relationship Equity On Relationship Satisfaction Of Women In Same-Gender Relationships, Rebekah Malott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test two hypotheses (H1: relationship satisfaction will mediate the relationship between perceived relationship equity and potential relationship dissolution in women in same-gender relationships. H2: Relationship satisfaction will mediate the relationship between perceived minority stressors and potential relationship dissolution in women in same-gender relationships). Participants who met the demographic profile and consented to the study were asked to complete five questionnaires: relationship equity (Kurdek, 1998), couple minority stress (Neilands et al., 2019), relationship satisfaction (Funk & Rogge, 2007), potential relationship dissolution, and demographics. The results showed that relationships satisfaction was a partial mediator between …

Peer Perceptions Of Parent-Students Seeking Higher Education, Alexandria Wall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With a growing number of parents pursuing academia, it is imperative that researchers understand the social environment in which parent-students function. Stereotypes of parent-students may be held by peers, faculty, and other educational supervisors. Across two previous independent studies, evidence and rationale were provided to suggest that both positive and negative perceptions of parent-students exist, with noted differences between gender. The purpose of the current 2x2x2 between-subjects study was to analyze the social perceptions of students enrolled in higher education as varied by parenthood status, age, and gender. The social perceptions included measures accounting for perceptions of intelligence and academic …

Differences In Resilience And Mental Health Symptoms Among Us First Responders With Secure And Insecure Attachment, Donna Schuman, James Whitworth, Jeanine Galusha, Jose Carbajal, Warren Ponder, Kathryn Shahan, Katelyn Jetelina

Faculty Publications

Objective: This observational study aimed to determine whether attachment style predicted first responders' mental health and resilience. Method: Data were from a treatment-seeking sample of first responders (N = 237). Each participant completed six assessments measuring attachment, resilience, generalized anxiety, depression, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Results: On the attachment assessment, 25.3%were categorized as secure, 19.0%as dismissive, 25.3% as preoccupied, and 30.4% as fearfully attached. As predicted, securely attached participants had the lowest scores for generalized anxiety, depression, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder and the highest scores on the resiliency measure, followed by dismissive, preoccupied, and fearfully …

Peer Perceptions Of Parent-Students Seeking Higher Education, Alexandria M. Wall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With a growing number of parents pursuing academia, it is imperative that researchers understand the social environment in which parent-students function. Stereotypes of parent-students may be held by peers, faculty, and other educational supervisors. Across two previous independent studies, evidence and rationale were provided to suggest that both positive and negative perceptions of parent-students exist, with noted differences between gender. The purpose of the current 2x2x2 between-subjects study was to analyze the social perceptions of students enrolled in higher education as varied by parenthood status, age, and gender. The social perceptions included measures accounting for perceptions of intelligence and academic …

University School Training Model Consultation Practica: Dismantling Anti-Black Racism With Predominately White Educators To Improve School, Family, Community Collaborations With Black Families And Community Stakeholders, Katherine L. Nelson, Joseph R. Morris

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This article outlines a consultation case study facilitated in an urban elementary school through the University School Training Model (USTM) (Colles et al., 2019; Morris et al., 2016). The USTM is a collaboration between an APA accredited Counseling Psychology doctoral program and an urban school district to provide racially responsive counseling and consulting services and graduate level training. The case study details a consultation practica to improve school, family, and community collaborations in an urban elementary school with predominantly Black stakeholders and a predominantly White female school staff. The introduction, background, and self-evaluation of the consultation process are reviewed. Project …

Self-Care Rates Among Undergraduate Human Services Students, Michelle Kelley Shuler Dr.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

For students enrolled in undergraduate human services programs, self-care can be a strategy for managing the stress and strains of academic life. However, few studies investigate the self-care practices of students enrolled in these educational programs. This study looks at the rate human services undergraduate students engage in self-care practices and considers how exploring these self-care practices can contribute to the knowledge base of future students related to this topic. Findings reveal the types of self-care behaviors most often engaged in and at what rate students practiced these behaviors. More studies are needed to examine the self-care practices of students …

In-Class Multitasking Among College Students, Huey-Wen Chou, Shuo-Heng Liang

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The use of mobile devices in class has become a common scene on the college campus. The negative effects of in-class multitasking behaviors have been identified in many educational settings, including colleges. This study investigates the factors that drive college students to multitask and seeks to understand the relationship between learning engagement and multitasking behaviors in the classroom. This study also explores whether polychronic traits relate to multitasking behavior.

A total of 282 survey samples were collected from college students in Taiwan. The results confirmed our hypotheses: (1) Students’ multitasking motivation, including social and emotional needs, positively relates to their …

Rural Social Work Practice: Trauma-Focused Interventions Social Workers Use, Jose Carbajal

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This research study examines rural social workers’ level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment self-efficacy and the use of evidence-based interventions (CBT, TF-CBT, CPT, EMDR and PE). A retrospective design was used to examine Texas rural social workers’ use of evidence-based interventions. The Texas rural social worker sample (N=19) was extrapolated from a larger study (N=1007) conducted in 2014 examining Texas social workers’ trauma treatment and their use of evidence-based interventions. Descriptive and correlation statistical procedures were implemented to analyze the data for the current study. The results show social workers’ knowledge of trauma and treatment self-efficacy scores are above …

Are You Ready For Retirement? Retirement And Quality Of Life As Resources, Hyunsook Kang, Gina Causin, Mary Olle

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Abstract

Retirement in later life has been considered as an important aspect of life course, because it contributes in many ways to one’s life change, social relations updates, and health declines. Although aging brings with changes and declining all aspects of life, many older adults still remain in active after their retirement. This study will address about relationships between older adults’ retirement and its’ quality-of-life resource. Retirement, itself, may be associated with a loss of professional colleagues and work-related friends (Gloria et al, 2015). By contrast, growing numbers of older adults may maintain their active participation in social networks through …

An Assessment Of Access To Services: Early Childhood Brain Development In Angelina County, Maria Caldera, Loran Ashley Rhodes, Kristel Maguy Sio, Lenola Wyatt

Graduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Faith On Women In Leadership Positions, Ashley Adams, Ashley Michel, Stephanie Howard, Macie Stringer

Graduate Research Conference

Women are still underrepresented in leadership roles and still suffer from gender stereotypes and injustice. Women of faith are frequently stigmatized by both their faith and place of employment. This study is about women of faith who held leadership roles in rural communities. The objective of this study is to examine the experiences of women of faith in leadership, their qualities, and knowledge as effective leaders. The data used in this study is secondary and it was obtained from a parent study entitled, “Women Ascending to Leadership Positions in Rural Nonprofit Organizations.” This parent study used a snowball approach to …

The Effects Of Child Sexual Abuse On Children With Autism, Octavia Daniels-White, Joanna Odom, Mariela Wilthew

Graduate Research Conference

The purpose of conducting this research was to understand the effects of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) on children with autism, and how behaviors attributed with CSA easily get mistaken as behaviors attributed with autism, leaving them more vulnerable to CSA. The research question used in this study is: How does Child Sexual abuse affect children with autism? This paper is a systematic review, which entailed using a sampling of professional and scholarly articles published in recent years to answer a question or understand a subject matter, in this context being the effects of CSA, with the focus demographic being children …

Kng Furniture: A Social Media Strategic Plan, Nicolas Martinez, Gavin Winders

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

In Defense Of Imperfect Solutions, Victoria Hoover

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Type 1 Diabetes Education And Familial Connections – Bonds Beyond Appearance, Tristan Bonilla

Undergraduate Research Conference

Type 1 Diabetes is becoming exceedingly normalized in modern day society. Diabetes is one of the most common genetic , chronic conditions of the 21st century Because diabetes shuts down the pancreas, causing little to no insulin to be produced by the body , diabetics require costly insulin and other medications to live. When someone is diagnosed with diabetes, they face costly treatments, stress, anxiety , and an array of health problems. Now, what about a family where more than half of the members are type 1 diabetics? This case study highlights the effects and relation between a family consisting …

Substance Misuse Intervention Proposal For Harrison County, Tristen Alvarez, Lanetta Williams, Kate Mares, Val Modisette, Keren Fuentes, Matilyn Liles

Undergraduate Research Conference

Background: A report produced in 2021 analyzing substance misuse in Panola, Harrison, and Gregg counties emphasized the need for intervention on substance misuse in the area. We decided to create a therapeutic community program to be implemented in the Harrison County Jail to target the specific need of the inmates with substance charges and Harrison County as a whole. Our approach was guided by the Community Partnership Model.

A Quieter Ocean: Experimentally Derived Differences In Attentive Responses Of Tursiops Truncatus To Anthropogenic Noise Playbacks Before And During The Covid-19-Related Anthropause, Paige E. Stevens, Veda Allen, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

The effects of anthropogenic noise continue to threaten marine fauna, yet the impacts of human-produced sound on the broad aspects of cognition in marine mammals remain relatively understudied. The shutdown of non-essential activities due to the COVID-19-related anthropause created an opportunity to determine if reducing levels of oceanic anthropogenic noise on cetaceans affected processes of sensitization and habituation for common human-made sounds in an experimental setting. Dolphins at Dolphin Quest Bermuda were presented with three noises related to human activities (cruise ship, personal watercraft, and Navy low-frequency active sonar) both in 2018 and again during the anthropause in 2021 via …

Improving Faculty Participation And Representation Rates In A University Institutional Repository, R. Philip Reynolds

Librarian and Staff Presentations

Discusses steps taken to successfully increase faculty participation in the institutional repository, (ScholarWorks) at Stephen F. Austin State University.