Social Work Commons^™

Social Identity As A Factor In Bystander Responses To Bias-Based Verbal Aggression Among College Students, Shveta Kumaria, David S. Byers, Katherine M. Mccarthy, Carmen Moedano

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Bias-based bullying is a significant problem in the United States, including aggression targeting college students with minoritized social identities. Bystander responsiveness can help to buffer the effects, but social identity factors may influence how students respond to bias-based aggression among peers. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a subsample (N = 7,291) of the 2018–2019 Healthy Minds Study to test correlations between racial, sexual, and gender identities and self-reported and hypothetical peer interventions. Students who identify with minoritized sexual and gender identities, across racial identities, are most likely to report past or intended interventions while students who identify as …

The Role Of Validation Experiences And Sense Of Belonging In Academic Self-Concept And Intent To Persist Among Four-Year College Students, Sarah Slates

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Research indicates that historically underrepresented college students are more likely to report alienating campus climates which can contribute to decreased sense of belonging and wellbeing. In turn, a lack of a sense of belonging and poor mental health may lead to decreased academic engagement and increased likelihood of attrition. Theoretical and empirical literature on critical race theory (CRT), validation, and sense of belonging identifies key factors across individual and institutional levels that influence student wellbeing and academic outcomes without relying on a deficit-based framework. Using an interactional, ecological conceptual framework drawing together CRT, validation theory, and sense of belonging my …

Primary Care Physicians’ Experiences Treating Patients With Behavioral Health Needs, Lauren E. Dennelly

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

The delivery of behavioral health care in primary care shapes the patient-physician relationship, which is a core area of focus for examining patient outcomes. Though early research demonstrates the benefit of integrating physical and behavioral healthcare to the patient experience and health outcomes, little research examines the relational implications of this care from the perspective of the primary care physician, including the role of physician burnout. The following study utilized a mixed methods approach to first examine the experience of burnout among primary care physicians who work with patients with behavioral health needs and then, to explore the dynamics of …

The Vernacular Ethics Of Stigmatized Care: Reinterpreting Acceptance And Confidentiality For Social Work In The West Bank, Palestine, David S. Byers, Anan Fareed, Khalid Hreish

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Social workers in Palestine routinely navigate issues of stigma with their clients without formal ethical guidance. This constructivist grounded theory study examines how Palestinian social workers in the West Bank organize themselves ethically to provide stigmatized care—where social workers supporting people with socially rejected conditions and experiences can face community scorn by extension. We conducted focus groups and individual interviews with 99 social work supervisors in 12 cities over a 2-year period. Our analysis reveals localized reinterpretations of acceptance and confidentiality as ethically grounded principles for stigmatized care. These practice principles have emerged under strain in cases involving substance use, …

Teaching Place For Social Work Practice, Cindy A. Sousa, Susan P. Kemp, Bree Akesson

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Negative Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On Behavioral Problems Of Children In Kinship Care: The Protective Role Of Kinship Caregivers' Mental Health, Yanfeng Xu, Merav Jedwab, Kerry Lee, Sue E. Levkoff

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

This study aims to examine the (a) prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among children in kinship care; (b) relationships between the number and type of ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems; and (c) moderating role of kinship caregivers’ mental health on the relationships between ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. A sample of children in kinship care (N = 224) obtained from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II was used. Ordinary least squares regression models were conducted. Results indicated that neglect followed by parental substance abuse were found to be the most prevalent …

Tracing The Evolution Of Welfare Discourse From 1990 To 2016, Jenifer A. Norton

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

In August 1996, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) as the primary cash welfare program for single mothers and children. A political debate during the early to mid-1990s that was particularly hard on welfare recipients culminated in a block grant to states tied to mandatory work requirements and time-limited lifetime benefits for recipients. Media coverage during this period closely tracked the unfolding political discourse around welfare reform and recipients. Following TANF’s implementation, though, coverage dwindled to near nonexistent levels. At this writing in early 2022, TANF remains part of the social safety …

How Do Refugees Experience A “Sense Of Place” In A Community Garden? Exploring An Intervention To Mitigate The Consequences Of Displacement, Amy E. Stein

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

As a consequence of displacement, refugees grapple with significant resettlement challenges, such as social isolation, language barriers and depression, anxiety, and trauma. A growing body of literature focuses on place-making, or emplacement, to promote health and well-being for re-settlement challenges. This qualitative study helps social service providers understand the neces-sity for community-based interventions to improve the resettlement process for refugees, using a place attachment model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Karen and Chin Burmese (Myanmar) adult refugees who participated in a community garden program in Phil-adelphia (ages 28 to 82). Data analysis revealed that community gardens offer an opportunity for …

System Dynamics Of Cognitive Vulnerabilities And Family Support Among Latina Children And Adolescents, Peter S. Hovmand, Esther J. Calzada, Lauren E. Gulbas, Su Yeong Kim, Saras Chung, Jill Kuhlberg, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Luis H. Zayas

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

The paper describes an approach to developing a data-driven development of a feedback theory of cognitive vulnerabilities and family support focused on understanding the dynamics experienced among Latina children, adolescents, and families. Family support is understood to be a response to avoidant and maladaptive behaviors that may be characteristic of cognitive vulnerabilities commonly associated depression and suicidal ideation. A formal feedback theory is developed, appraised, and analyzed using a combination of secondary analysis of qualitative interviews (N = 30) and quantitative analysis using system dynamics modeling and simulation. Implications for prevention practice, treatment, and future research are discussed.

The Campbell Collaboration’S Systematic Review Of School-Based Anti-Bullying Interventions Does Not Meet Mandatory Methodological Standards, Julia H. Littell, Dennis M. Gorman

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background

Many published reviews do not meet the widely accepted PRISMA standards for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Campbell Collaboration and Cochrane reviews are expected to meet even more rigorous standards, but their adherence to these standards is uneven. For example, a newly updated Campbell systematic review of school-based anti-bullying interventions does not appear to meet many of the Campbell Collaboration’s mandatory methodological standards.

Issues

In this commentary, we document methodological problems in the Campbell Collaboration's new school-based anti-bullying interventions review, including (1) unexplained deviations from the protocol; (2) inadequate documentation of search strategies; (3) inconsistent reports on the number of …

Delaware’S Multidisciplinary Teams For The Investigation Of Child Abuse: Communities Of Practice?, Lori Sitler

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Multidisciplinary teams (MDT) of professionals are mandated to respond to and investigate cases of child abuse in Delaware. Utilizing research and theory about interorganizational collaboration, my exploratory study considered how this mandate operated in practice. Five themes from interorganizational literature (IOC) on facilitators and barriers to collaborative practice--trust, commitment, communication, capacity, and change--were examined using the theories of Goffman and Weber. The concept of power underlies these themes.

The MDT was considered a motivating example to explore whether Lave and Wenger’s socio-cultural learning theory of Community of Practice (CoP) explained learning and practice among multidisciplinary professionals considering barriers and facilitators …

An Exploratory Study Of The Prosecution Of Fatal Child Maltreatment: Criminal Charges Filed Against Presumed Perpetrators In The United States In 2017, Kerry Lee, Emily M. Douglas

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

In the United States child maltreatment fatalities (CMFs) do not usually meet the standard for manslaughter or murder, resulting in convictions of lesser crimes and little jail time. This exploratory study examined the charges brought against suspected CMF perpetrators in 2017. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted using data obtained from the Nexis Uni newspaper database, that has over 40,000 high quality media sources, for the year 2017. We found that the most frequently used charges were endangering the welfare of a child and murder, the former of which was more related to neglect-deaths and the latter to physical abuse-deaths. …

White Clinicians’ Way Of Being With Their Black Clients, Briana Bogue

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Within the context of pervasive racial social inequality in mental healthcare (Lund, 2020), this dissertation sought to explore how white people who inherently hold racial bias according to critical whiteness theory (Olcon, Gilbert, & Pulliam, 2019), navigate this within their therapeutic work and relationships as clinicians with Black clients. Using the framework of clinician way of being, the conscious attitudes and beliefs that clinicians hold towards clients (Fife, Whiting, Bradford, & Davis, 2014), this phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews with key informants, practicing white clinicians (N=19). Content analysis of verbatim transcripts suggests that whiteness and conscious navigations of emotions and …

Human (In)Security And Psychological Well-Being In Palestinian Children Living Amidst Military Violence: A Qualitative Participatory Research Using Interactive Maps, Guido Veronese, Frederica Cavazzoni, Alec Fiorini, Hala Shoman, Cindy A. Sousa

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background

Research has widely evidenced the effects of war and political violence on the functioning of children, with a great accord in diagnosing children's psychological burdens related to their exposure to violence. Yet, within this literature, the influence of the chronic sense of insecurity on their psychological functioning during and after hostilities remains unexplored.

Methods

The present study aimed at exploring interrelated relationships between the perceived insecurity and the children's psychological well-being and their adjustment to trauma. Based on drawings and walk-along interviews with 75 Palestinian children, residents of both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, we offer an analysis …

"Making It Work": Accommodation And Resistance To Federal Policy In A Homelessness Continuum Of Care, Jennifer M. Frank, Jim Baumohl

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

This is a case study of the development of a rural continuum of care (CoC) program funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create a coherent system of services and planning processes to end homelessness. It concerns how the founding local coalition of agencies managed internal conflicts about HUD’s changing programmatic and administrative requirements from 1994 to 2015. It addresses the coalition’s relationship with HUD, intracoalition conflict between secular and faith-based agencies over federal requirements, and the workarounds developed to keep local divisions over service modalities from harming the larger project. Through this lens, we …

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Excessive Alcohol Use And Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv) Perpetration Among Black Men: A Latent Class Analysis, Kerry Lee, Paul Sacco, Charlotte Lyn Bright

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to subsequent intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and alcohol use. Although higher rates of ACEs are found in racial/ethnic minority populations, there is a paucity of research examining ACEs patterns and risk for IPV perpetration and excessive alcohol use among Black men.

Objective

To identify homogeneous subgroups based on ACEs among Black men using latent class analysis and assessing risk for later IPV perpetration and excessive alcohol consumption in adulthood.

Methods

Using a sample of Black men (n = 2306) from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and …

Validation Of The Substance Abuse Scale Of The Personal And Relationships Profile, Kerry Lee, R Anna Hayward, Paul Sacco

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

There have been limited measurement studies of the substance abuse scale of the Personal and Relationships Profile (PRP) and the impact of social desirability on alcohol and drug use reporting. This study aimed to (a) model the factor structure of the eight-item substance abuse scale of the PRP and (b) examine the relationship of substance use factors with sociodemographic variables—race, income, age, marital status—and social desirability on substance use reporting among a sample of low-income fathers. The study included secondary data analysis of 665 fathers, who participated in a fatherhood program between 2011 and 2015. The two-factor model with the …

"Most Importantly, I Hope God Keeps Illness Away From Us": The Context And Challenges Surrounding Access To Health Care For Syrian Refugees In Lebanon, Cindy A. Sousa, Bree Akesson, Dena Badawi

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

The influx of 1.5 million Syrians into Lebanon has created an increased demand for health services, which is largely unmet, due to cost, a highly fragmented and privatised system, and crises around legal documentation and refugee status. The aim of this study was to use a constant comparison analysis of qualitative data to explore how Syrian refugees living in Lebanon describe their experiences accessing healthcare (N = 351 individuals within 46 families). Pervasive fear, lack of confidence in the medical system, and high costs all hinder access to healthcare for Syrians in Lebanon. Findings demonstrate the need for attention …

"The Utmost Strength I Can Bear": Strategies And Psychological Costs Of Mothering Within Political Violence, Cindy A. Sousa, Mona El-Zuhairi, Manahil Siddiqi

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Though certainly not women’s only identity or set of responsibilities for women in conflict settings, political violence creates distinct challenges for mothers due to the additional burdens of care-taking in these contexts. Yet, given the paucity of research on the topic, we still are operating without a clear understanding of how political violence jeopardizes maternal well-being and care-taking practices. Drawing on feminist perspectives on mothering, in the analyses presented here, authors use content analysis to explore mothering and political violence from five focus groups with women in Palestine. Results demonstrate the considerable suffering mothers and children endure in war; the …

Impacts Of Housing Insecurity On Health Care Utilization And Parental Awareness Of The Early Intervention Program, Sarah M. Farash

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Among children under three experiencing housing insecurity associated with poor developmental outcomes and decreased medical visit adherence, parental lack of awareness of the Early Intervention program (EI) may foreshadow racial and economic disparities in EI utilization rates. Informed by a social determinants of health and health equity model, I explore whether housing insecurity impacts children’s access to routine well-child pediatric visits where parents have opportunities to become aware of EI. Utilizing logistic regression analyses of cross-sectional telephone interview data collected from parents of three-year-old children in Rochester, NY, I find that parents of multiracial and African American children are less …

The Use Of Trauma-Informed Care In Programs Serving Families Experiencing Homelessness, Lisitski L. Jeannine

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Using a qualitative research design, the purpose of this research was to explore practitioners understanding and utilization of trauma-informed care (TIC) as well as factors that facilitate or deter its’ implementation within transitional housing programs for families experiencing homelessness. Directed content analysis was used with a theoretical framework including trauma theory, the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), and the Bioecological Systems Theory (BST). Thirtyfive practitioners from 23 programs participated. Participants primarily used the SanctuaryÒ Model of TIC. TIC practices identified were varied, general, and defied rigid proscriptions including mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and other social work practices. Programs faced many …

A Queer Ethic Of Conflict And The Challenge Of Friendship. Review Of Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, And The Duty Of Repair, David S. Byers

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Renewing The Ethics Of Care For Social Work Under The Trump Administration, David S. Byers, Janet R. Shapiro

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Clinical Practice With Children And Adolescents Involved In Bullying And Cyberbullying: Gleaning Guidelines From The Literature, David S. Byers, Faye Mishna, Carolyn Solo

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Bullying and cyberbullying have received unprecedented international scholarly attention over the last three decades, including increasingly sophisticated descriptive models, measures of associated harm, and studies of whole-school intervention programs. Despite an abundance of articles related to bullying and cyberbullying, there has been relatively little attention to clinical practice with children and adolescents involved in bullying and cyberbullying. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed academic journal articles published between January 1990 and June 2018 pertaining to individual and group psychotherapy with clients involved in bullying and cyberbullying. Based on this review, we identify four …

Combat-Related Reproductive Trauma: Implications For Quality Of Life And The Reproductive Narrative, Laura S. Covington

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Little research exists on the experiences of a combat-related injury that impairs fertility. This dissertation is a qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of military members after a genitourinary (GU) injury. It addresses the biological, psychological, and social impact on quality of life during recovery and subsequent attitudes about family development and sexual functioning. Building on both the life course perspective and the reproductive story model, this dissertation reviews literature on military culture, GU injury, and infertility to give a context to further analyze the essences of the phenomenon (Elder & Giele, 2009; Jaffe & Diamond, 2011).

This study is …

Reconsidering Self Care, Sara Bressi, Elizabeth R. Vaden

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

In light of diminishing resources in service settings, and the subsequent high risk for worker burnout, self care remains an important vehicle for promoting worker well-being. However, traditional definitions of self care are based in formulations about the nature of the self that don’t reflect paradigmatic shifts in social work practice that place increased emphasis on the multiplicity of workers’ selves, use of self and a collaborative frame for the worker–client relationship. Thus, a reconsidered definition of self care is proposed that reflects intersubjective, relational, and recovery-oriented frames for practice and posits strategies for self care that make the self …

Treatment Narratives Of Suicidal Latina Teens, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Lauren Gulbas, Luis H. Zayas

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

In this article, we examine the treatment narratives of Latina adolescent suicide attempters to understand their experiences undergoing care. For this study, we conducted content and thematic analysis of 68 interviews with Latina adolescent suicide attempters. Most teens who described positive experiences undergoing treatment (n = 39, 44.1%) did so when discussing outpatient mental health services (n = 30, 72.9%). Latinas felt that the providers who fostered their autonomy and connectedness helped them become active agents in their recovery. Clinicians serving suicidal Latinas must allow them to exercise agency while feeling emotionally connected to providers. To help Latinas manage their …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of A Measure Of Comprehensive Airman Fitness, Gary L. Bowen, Todd M. Jensen, James A. Martin

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

The U.S. Air Force has committed significant resources to implementing policies and programs consistent with the Department of Defense's concept of total force fitness. A 12-item measure of Comprehensive Airman Fitness was proposed and empirically examined, using component measures of mental fitness, physical fitness, social fitness, and spiritual fitness from the Support and Resiliency Inventory. Results confirm that the components of airman fitness can be conceptualized as pieces of a total fitness construct and that the measure is invariant across subgroups. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, and an agenda for future research is presented.

A Measure Of Comprehensive Airman Fitness: Construct Validation And Invariance Across Air Force Service Components, Gary L. Bowen, Todd M. Jensen, James A. Martin

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

This article addresses the construct validity of an online assessment measure intended to reflect the biopsychosocial and spiritual fitness of U.S. Air Force (AF) members, defined as Comprehensive Airman Fitness. The analysis presented examines the extent to which this measure and the associated validation model are invariant across three AF components: active duty personnel, members of the Air National Guard/AF Reserve, and AF civilian employees. Our results indicate that total fitness (i.e., second-order factor), its four subcomponents (i.e., first-order factors), and the resiliency construct associated with role performance are invariant across service components at the configural, metric, and scalar measurement …

The Willingness Of Military Members To Seek Help: The Role Of Social Involvement And Social Responsibility, Gary L. Bowen, Todd M. Jensen, James A. Martin, Jay A. Mancini

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Anchored in the social organization theory of action and change, we use data from a large sample of active-duty Air Force members to examine the direct and indirect influence of social involvement and social responsibility on willingness to seek help in times of need via trust in formal systems and informal supports. Group comparisons are conducted between junior male, junior female, senior male, and senior female service members. The key mediational path in the model for all groups is the connection between social involvement and willingness to seek help via trust in formal systems. These results can inform both unit- …