Social Work Commons^™

How And Why Foster Care Impacts Maltreated Youths' School Performance, Mallory Constantine

Lincy Institute Events

Youth mistreated within the foster care system are more likely to miss school as compared to non-maltreated peers. A single report of child maltreatment has a rapid and negative effect on school attendance and causes serious, long-term effects on school performance. A report of maltreatment substantiated by the department of family and child services removes a youth from a foster home and places the child in an alternative setting. These disruptions in foster care often result in additional problems with school behavior, achievement, and attendance. This lecture will explore how disruptions in foster care affect school behavior and performance and …

Exploring The Impact Of The Placement Discontinuity In Foster Care, Michelle Sepulveda, Angela Williams

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and purpose: Over the past ten years, there have been more foster parents. Still, foster parents find it difficult to fulfill their obligations. It is crucial to conduct research into the variables that affect foster parents' effectiveness. Method: The Aim of this study was to gather quantitative data utilizing a cross-sectional study from foster parents to determine whether there is a correlation between their level of preparedness to be foster parents and the number of placement changes. The target sample included foster parents who had fostered children within the last twelve months. Although the nonprobability sampling technique was practical, …

Workplace Incivility, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is workplace incivility? Workplace incivility refers to “low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others” (Anderson & Pearson, 1999, p. 457). Though there is some conceptual and empirical overlap between incivility and ostracism, bullying, and abusive supervision, incivility is considered distinct (Yao et al., 2021). Incivility has been examined from the perspective of both the victim and the instigator, exploring factors related to being the target of incivility and factors related to engaging in uncivil …

Behavior Modeling Training, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is behavior modeling training? Behavior modeling training (BMT) involves the following five steps: “(a) describing to trainees a set of well-defined behaviors (skills) to be learned, (b) providing a model or models displaying the effective use of those behaviors, (c) providing opportunities for trainees to practice using those behaviors, (d) providing feedback and social reinforcement to trainees following practice, and (e) taking steps to maximize the transfer of those behaviors to the job” (Taylor et al., 2005, p. 692). BMT can be used to train a variety of skills, from interpersonal skills like conflict management, interviewing, assertive communication, and …

Understanding The Traumatized Brain, Sam Marion, Elizabeth Marston

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Students who have experienced trauma are often in need of behavioral intervention due to challenging behaviors and reactivity. Understanding the body’s threat response system gives insight into these behaviors and allows for empathy within the interventions. This presentation will outline basic neuroscience theories, propose interventions focused on self-regulation, and demonstrate how adding basic elements to existing interventions can increase efficacy.

Stressors Of Special Education Teachers Working With Autistic Students With Behavioral Challenges, Malisa Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In special education there are disabilities and health concerns teachers have to keep at the forefront when working with autistic students. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to gain knowledge and understanding regarding special education teachers’ perceptions of the stressors they experience when interacting with students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and who also have behavioral challenges. This study was grounded in transactional theory. Six participants were included, and semi-structured interviews were conducted via social media calls and phone calls. The following themes emerged: Participants believed that autistic students, while having behavior challenges, were capable of calming …

Effects Of School Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports In An African American All-Boys Urban School, Theresa Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Teachers and administrators spend a great deal of time addressing minor to moderate school discipline behaviors with punitive actions such as suspensions and expulsions from school. Past research has revealed that such punitive actions do not correct the unwanted behavior, and extensive use of punitive disciplinary actions have been linked to negative outcomes such as repeated suspensions, repeating grades due to time missed from school, increased likelihood of dropping out of school, or potential involvement in the juvenile justice system. This single case study design addressed the following research question: How school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) affected …

Understanding Educators’ Perceptions Of Mindfulness On Students’ Academic Skills, Behavior, And Overall Well-Being, Sara E. Gottfried

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Research indicates that academic performance and social and emotional well-being are fundamentally interrelated (Schonert-Reichl, Oberle, Lawlor, Abbott, Thomson, Oberlander, & Diamond, 2015). Given that 13-20% of children in the United States experience social and emotional challenges, schools are required to attend to the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students (Maynard, Solis, Miller, & Brendel, 2017). However, students are often unequipped with the skills to effectively cope with stress and resort to behaviors that cause emotional, mental, and physical suffering, all of which thwart the learning process (Schonert-Reichl et al., 2015). Schools warrant interventions that support the whole student, given …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Social Work Services In Rural School Districts, Breanna Heinrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students in rural communities are often subject to unique barriers and challenges that impact their holistic emotional, cognitive, physical, and social success in school. Because these factors have a strong impact on school attendance, behavior, and overall success, educators have begun to implement social work programs within both rural and urban school districts across the nation. While existing research affirms the effectiveness of school social work, very little research has been conducted to determine the effect in rural school districts. This paper evaluates the impact of a newly developed social work pilot program in two West Texas school districts implemented …

Motivations To Return To A Gang After Severe Physical Victimization, Nora Vlaszof

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Gang violence is a social concern because of the risks of victimization among gang members and their communities. Many gang members have been victims of gang violence, and some choose to remain involved with their gang even after being victimized. Researchers have explored why people join gangs, but less is known regarding the gang-victimization link, which is the focus of this study. Social bond theory guided the study's research question on the motivation of gang members to rejoin their gang after severe physical victimization. A multiple case study design was employed with a purposeful sample of six English-speaking men, …

Consideration Of Financial Satisfaction: What Consumers Know, Feel And Do From A Financial Perspective, Ann Sanders Woodyard, Cliff A. Robb

Journal of Financial Therapy

Financial satisfaction has long been considered an important component to consumer life satisfaction and well-being. Using data from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), financial satisfaction is explored in the context of personal characteristics related to financial knowledge (both objective and subjective) as well as self-reported financial behaviors. Ordinary Least Squares Regression is applied to a predictive model of financial satisfaction, and results indicate that measures associated with what people do (behaviors related to recommended practice) and how they feel (subjective knowledge) may be more salient factors to consider with regard to satisfaction than measures related to what individuals …

Playing With Knives: The Socialization Of Self-Initiated Learners, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Since Margaret Mead's field studies in the South Pacific a century ago, there has been the tacit understanding that as culture varies, so too must the socialization of children to become competent culture users and bearers. More recently, the work of anthropologists has been mined to find broader patterns that may be common to childhood across a range of societies. One improbable commonality has been the tolerance, even encouragement, of toddler behavior that is patently risky, such as playing with or attempting to use a sharp-edged tool. This laissez faire approach to socialization follows from a reliance on children as …

The Impact Of Crisis Alleviation Lessons And Methods Program On Injuries In Healthcare, Andra Lynn Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine whether Crisis Alleviation Lessons and Methods -© (CALM), as a behavioral crisis management program, was effective in reducing patient and healthcare professional injuries in a long-term residential care setting. This research was needed due to the lack of peer-reviewed scholarly literature on the effectiveness of behavioral crisis management programs, especially on programs using both nonphysical and physical de-escalation techniques, such as CALM. An auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) time series analysis was performed to examine the effect the implementation of the CALM program (independent variable) had on the rate of injuries to …

Growing Ideas - Whack! Slam! Bang! - Aggression, University Of Maine Center For Community Inclusion And Disability Studies

Early Childhood Resources

Aggressive behavior - hitting, pinching, biting, and other acts through which children may hurt themselves or others - is a way children communicate by using their bodies. Children behave aggressively for a variety of reasons.

What Is The Effect Of Single Mothers With Depression On Child Development Among Children With Mental Health Diagnoses?, Alyssa Youngquist

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research study is to explore whether the participating mothers were able to identify if an increase in their child’s behavior has a connection with their depressive symptoms. Using a quantitative design, thirty two mothers were surveyed on their depressive symptoms in the previous two weeks as well as their child’s behavior problems exhibited in the previous two weeks. All of the mothers surveyed have children who attend a therapeutic day program for school-aged children with a mental health diagnosis. Data was analyzed using frequency, correlations, T-tests and one-way ANOVA. The findings indicated that mothers who felt …

Attitudes, Behavior, And Social Practice, Harris Chaiklin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The relationship between attitudes and behavior is not symmetrical. A literature review is used to organize a summary of methodological and practical problems in this area. In turn, these findings are used to comment on how sociology and social work practice can take this into account.

Noncustodial Fathers' Involvement With Their Children: A Right Or A Privilege?, Janice Laakso, Sheri Adams

Social Work & Criminal Justice Publications

This study explores the key determinants of noncustodial fathers' involvement with their children. The stereotype that fathers have little interest in parenting their children is contradicted. The findings reveal that fathers are committed to parenting; however, actions on the part of the mothers and what the participants perceive to be bias on the part of the courts prevent fathers from having the relationship with their children they desire. Even fathers who have been committed early in the relationship to their children, pay child support, and give no justification for being denied parental rights do not necessarily get to spend time …

Conceptualizing Hoarding Behavior Among Elderly Women: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Susan Jan Murdock

Theses and Dissertations

Hoarding in the community involves substantial cluttering and impaired functioning, often exposing the hoarder to extensive health and safety risks. This research, based on Functionalism social theory, explores the three elements of hoarding—relentless acquisition, intense possessiveness of objects, and a reluctance to discard possessions—as a sociocultural phenomenon. The mixed methods methodology entailed a quantitative study involving a survey completed by 134 adult protective services workers throughout Virginia and a qualitative study of five randomly-selected adult protective services workers who volunteered for in-depth interviews.Findings revealed that adult protective services workers come in contact with very severe cases of hoarding, with over …

When Dreams Wither And Resources Fail: The Social-Support Systems Of Poor Single Mothers, Susan Weinger

Social Work Faculty Publications

Recent political decisions to redesign the welfare system compels single mothers to work. With concern for the women and children so effected, this qualitative study explores the views of 42 poor single mothers regarding (1) their aspirations and dreams in relation to work and (2) the helpfulness of their social support networks in enabling them to make transitions to work or to study. Analysis was performed on both the sample as a whole and on subgroups of respondents who were divided by work category, e.g. employed fulltime, employed part-time, women who were students and full-time mothers. Developing meaningful subgroupings of …