Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Bonding Through Outdoor Recreation In Foster Care Utilizing Attachment Theory, Casandra L. Barnes

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

As of 2024, there are over 328,000 children in foster care in the United States (AFCARS, 2024), many of whom experience disrupted attachments and trauma that hinder their ability to form healthy relationships. Drawing from attachment theory, this study explores how outdoor recreational activities can facilitate bonding between foster parents and their foster children. Using a mixed method approach this explorative research project consisted of two phases: a pilot study at the Virginia zoo involving foster families participating in a cooperative outdoor activity and completing post event surveys, and semi-structured interviews with foster parents to examine lived experiences of bonding …

United States V. Skrmetti: L’Identité De Genre Dans Le Droit Et La Politique De L’Égale Protection, Olatunde C.A. Johnson

Faculty Scholarship

French Abstract: L’article analyse l’arrêt United States v. Skrmetti, dans lequel la Cour suprême américaine juge que l’interdiction, par le Tennessee, des bloqueurs de puberté pour les mineurs trans ne viole pas la clause constitutionnelle d’égalité, dite clause « d’égale protection ». Refusant de considérer qu’il s’agit d’une discrimination fondée sur le sexe, la Cour applique le contrôle le plus déférent (base rationnelle) et accepte l’argument de l’État selon lequel il protège les mineur·es de risques médicaux incertains. L’auteure montre ici que cette approche s’inscrit dans un contexte plus large de lois et de décrets fédéraux visant les personnes …

From 4-H To Higher Education: College Enrollment Among Indiana 4-H Alumni By Demographics, Favour C. Ojike, Casey Mull

Journal of Youth Development

Evaluating the long-term impact of college readiness programs on diverse youth presents unique challenges, particularly as youth navigate the complex and often transient path of postsecondary education. Instrumentation limitations and resource constraints can further blur the positive contributions of such programs. In an inaugural study, Indiana 4-H leveraged the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to assess the postsecondary educational journeys of its alumni across diverse demographic groups. Data from the NSC were analyzed using descriptive frequency test, chi-square tests, and correlation analysis. Key findings reveal that Indiana 4-H alumni enroll in postsecondary institutions at significantly higher rates than the state average, …

Full Issue, Volume 20, Issue 4

Journal of Youth Development

No abstract provided.

Developing American Indian/Alaska Native Children As Leaders In The Climate Movement, Joseph Burns, Alessandra Angelino, Danielle Heims-Waldron, Allison Empey, Jason Deen

Journal of Youth Development

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) voices are critical in the climate movement, as numerous social drivers have rendered these communities particularly vulnerable to the consequences of environmental change. In recent years, specific events, including the Dakota Access Pipeline, have galvanized AI/AN youth, who have been increasingly involved as leaders in the climate movement both in the United States and internationally. This yields a significant opportunity to promote leadership development for Indigenous youth, both through local, national, and international organizing and through curricular development to spark interests in environmental science. This review aims to discuss the role of AI/AN youth leadership in …

Sport Participation, Academic Engagement, And Well-Being Among Adolescents Impacted By Parental Incarceration, Sarah Kaja, Amy L. Gower Ph.D., Frederique Corcoran, Ingie Osman, Elizabeth Shaver, Samantha J. Adler, Rebecca Shlafer

Journal of Youth Development

Millions of American adolescents have experienced the developmental consequences associated with parental incarceration. Positive youth development activities, including sports team participation, could buffer some of the risks of parental incarceration. Research on sports involvement among adolescents impacted by parental incarceration is scant and suggests their participation may be limited, though a significant body of research among adolescents in general demonstrates sports team participation is associated with better outcomes. We addressed important gaps in research by 1) estimating the prevalence of sports team participation among adolescents impacted by parental incarceration, 2) examining whether sports team participation differed by socioeconomic status in …

Promoting Positive Youth Development Through Mentoring In Alternative Education, Tia S. Andersen

Journal of Youth Development

This Program and Practice article provides a comprehensive overview of a university-school mentoring program specifically designed to address the school-to-prison pipeline by supporting youth in a disciplinary alternative school setting. The purpose of this article is to offer a detailed description of the program’s structure, components, and implementation strategies, with the goal of providing practitioners with a replicable model that can be adapted for use in similar school environments. This program matches undergraduate students with high school youth removed from traditional schools due to behavioral or justice-related challenges. Grounded in a strengths-based framework, the intervention incorporates a structured mentor training …

High-School-Age Youth Serving As “Emotion Coaches” For Young Children In The Early Grades: A Feasibility Study Of A Cross-Age Approach To Social And Emotional Learning, Amanda Moreno, Maria Kontoudakis, Whitney Davis-Mcintosh, Anita Evans, Olivia Bobbitt

Journal of Youth Development

While the benefits of cross-age programming within youth have been understood for decades, such programs are rarely employed with curricula specific to social and emotional learning (SEL) or with a wide age range between the two groups of youth. This article describes the findings of a pilot implementation and feasibility study of the Emotion Coaches program, which sought to explore whether the conceptual and pragmatic challenges involved in bringing early childhood students (i.e., preschool to second grade) together with adolescent teachers delivering an SEL curriculum could be overcome. Findings from the pilot evaluation suggested that middle-school-age students are likely too …

Coaching Life Skills Through Sport: Program Description And Evaluation, Lori Gano-Overway, Sarah Sackett, Robert J. Harmison, Dorian Hayden

Journal of Youth Development

While life skill development opportunities in sport and the coach’s essential role in facilitating the process have received much support, coaches often report they lack the tools and confidence necessary to integrate life skill development strategies into practice. Additionally, while life skill development focused coach education programming exists, few have been formally documented and systematically evaluated for effectiveness. The present study aimed to describe an accessible (online, free, asynchronous) and evidence- informed course while assessing the program’s fidelity and utility using the utilization-focused evaluation model (Patton & Campbell-Patton, 2021). The developed Coaching Life Skills Through Sport (CLSTS) course covers empirically …

Identifying Common Characteristics Among Female Serial Killers And The Role Of Early Childhood Abuse, Jill Marie Raichel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 17% of known serial killers in the United States are women, and often their crimes go undetected for years accruing a higher number of victims than their male counterparts. The purpose of this study was to identify common characteristics of female serial killers (FSKs). A multidisciplinary, holistic and developmental approach was used to guide the identification of common characteristics based on theories by Erik Erikson and Carol Gilligan as well as feminist theory. Case studies of 15 FSKs were randomly selected for participation from a list of over 100 known FSKs documented in the Radford Serial Killer database. Common …

Public Perceptions Of Leadership Effectiveness In Ethiopia Over The Last Decade, Fikadu Reta Alemayehu

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa, with a fast-growing economy, rich history, diverse agroecology, more than 70 languages, and a population exceeding 130 million. However, the country continues to face serious internal conflict, high malnutrition, and economic hardship, while the study of leadership effectiveness remains limited and lacks consistent longitudinal research. To help fill this gap, this study examined how public perceptions of leadership effectiveness and development outcomes changed in Ethiopia between 2013 and 2023, using Afrobarometer survey data. The analysis explored how citizens’ views about governance, wellbeing, and access to services evolved during a decade of …

Undergraduate Awareness Of Sexual Harassment Law In Tanzania's Higher Learning Institutions: Case Studies Of Two Universities, Salma Ramadhan Fundi Phd Candidate

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

This study examines undergraduate students' awareness of legal provisions and guidelines concerning sexual harassment in Tanzanian higher education, focusing on the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) as case studies. Sexual harassment significantly impacts students’ well-being, safety, and academic success. Despite the existence of legal frameworks, students' knowledge of these provisions is often limited. The study employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological research design to explore students’ experiences and perceptions of harassment policies. This design allowed participants to share the meanings they attach to their experiences and how such policies are understood …

Borderlines Of Becoming: Transfronterizx College Students Navigating Surveillance, Hybridity And Belonging Along The Us-México Border, Aylin Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This narrative literature review examines the educational experiences of transfronterizx college students along the U.S.– México border, a population largely absent from higher education scholarship. Drawing on Borderlands Theory, Anzaldúa’s frameworks, and critical perspectives on neoliberalism and militarization, this thesis highlights the border as a site of both constraint and possibility. Structural violence, surveillance, and militarization intersect with linguistic, racial, and class hierarchies to shape students’ mobility, identities, and sense of belonging. At the same time, students mobilize hybrid identities, cultural wealth, and transborder networks to assert agency, cultivate belonging, and resist deficit narratives. It also identifies persistent gaps, particularly …

Empowerment Or Imprisonment? The Line Between Sex Work And Sex Trafficking: A Comparison Of Law Enforcement And Academic Perspectives, Jocelyn Belcastro

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This research explores the line between consensual sex work and sex trafficking to gain a better understanding of the prevalence and pathways through which sex work may transition into sex trafficking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with law enforcement professionals that work closely with survivors of sex trafficking to examine the pathways from consent to coercion. An interview with a former sex worker, now college professor, was also conducted to examine the lived experience and academic perspective. Both the law enforcement and academic perspectives were analyzed and compared to one another to form a nuanced understanding of the complex issue of …

Alaska Native Disparities In Alaska Jails And Prisons. An Exploratory Study And Descriptive Analysis, Brad A. Myrstol, Cheryl Jones, Rus'sel Sampson, Bri Moffat

AJiC Reports

This report presents an exploratory study of racial disparities in Alaska’s correctional system, combining a review of national research with an analysis of Alaska Department of Corrections (ADOC) booking data.

Living With Dementia In Kenya: Pathways To Care, Diagnosis And Management, Edna Bosire

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing a sharp rise in the size of theolder population; consequently, the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer’s DiseaseRelated Dementias (AD/ADRD) is also expected to rise. There is limited research onAD/ADRD lived experiences have been conducted in SSA including Kenya. Our projectaimed to explore patient’s and caregivers lived experiences with Alzheimer’s disease inKenya.

Methods: This ethnographic study was conducted at the Aga Khan University hospital(AKUH), involving in-depth interviews with 21 health care providers, 26 patientswith mild cognitive impairment and 36 caregivers. We also conducted 10 homevisits and observations. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.In what …

Drought, Worry, And Preparing For The Future: The Ethnopsychology Of Climate Distress In Kilifi County, Kenya, Edna Bosire, Syed Wahid, Linda Khakali, Benjamin Oestericher, Felix Agoi, Anthony Ngugi, Rosebella Iseme, Jasmit Shah, Zul Merali, Lukoye Atwoli

Brain and Mind Institute

The impacts of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) presents a chronic and intensifying disaster, with drought, flooding, and extreme heat, presenting unique challenges and profound disruptions. Growing evidence links such events to ecological grief, ecological anxiety, and solastalgia – negative affective states that reflects responses to climate change related destruction of nature, species, culturally significant or sacred spaces, and other ways of life. While this literature is expanding in the Global North, little is known about how communities in SSA perceive and respond to deteriorating or depleting natural ecosystems. This article explores the ethnopsychology of distress precipitated by environmental …

Community Perspectives On Factors Contributing To Resilience For Healthy Aging In Kenya, Linda Khakali, Everline Onchari, Maureen Ondire, Catherine Onyancha, Chinedu Momoh, Edna Bosire

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: The global elderly population is increasing and expected to double in thenext decade. Aging increases the likelihood of adversities, with resilience becomingan important aspect of healthy aging. Understanding how individuals conceptualizeresilience offers an opportunity to create contextually relevant interventions forpromoting healthy aging. This study aimed to explore adults’ perspectives on factorsinfluencing resilience in Kenya.

Method: Using qualitative methods, 36 adults aged 35 years and above werepurposively recruited from various communities in Nairobi County to participate ininterviews. We asked questions about their understanding of aging, adversity andresiliency. We also provided them with case scenarios of two individuals respondingdifferently to the …

Reassessing Dementia Risk: Expanding The 2024 Lancet Commission Report For A More Accurate Global Understanding, Cyprian Mostert

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: The 2024 Lancet Commission Report analyzes 14 risk factors thataccount for 45 percent of global dementia cases. However, it overlooks four criticalrisk factors: poverty, wealth shocks, income inequality, and viral infections. This isparticularly concerning given that 57 percent of the identified risk factors in theLancet report are more prevalent in men, even though dementia predominantly affectswomen worldwide.

Method: In this policy paper, we used the recent global review studies and argue that itis essential to recalibrate and expand the 2024 Lancet Commission’s list of risk factorsto include poverty, wealth shocks, income inequality, and viral infections. Our analysissuggests that these …

A Quantitative Exploration Of Risk And Protective Factors Affecting The Mental Health Of Chitimacha Tribal Youth, Daphnie Vilcan-Tanner

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationships between demographics, risk factors, and protective factors with mental distress among Chitimacha Tribal adolescents aged 12 to 18. Using a Positive Youth Development framework, the research aimed to identify the prevalence of mental distress, trauma, discrimination, and protective factors, as well as their collective and individual impacts on mental health. Data were collected through online surveys completed by 73 participants residing on or near the Chitimacha Tribal Reservation. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Results revealed that while trauma and discrimination collectively predicted mental distress, family and community …

Up From The Archive: On Stigma, Resilience And Chosen Families. Hassan Khalil Thinks With Bernard Gardiner 2018, Hassan Khalil

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper reflects upon Bernard Gardiner's qualitative study of the lived experiences of older gay people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) in regional Queensland. The study explores how advancements in the biomedical field have extended the life expectancy of PLHIV, allowing this group to navigate through persistent challenges both psychosocial and structural. Central to Gardiner's study is the exploration of stigma, trauma and financial challenges. The core strength of the study is its participant-led narrative which offered valuable insight into complex lived experiences of ageing PLHIV. Gardiner's findings remain relevant in the contemporary and current context, highlighting the need …

Cultural Adaptation Of An Innovative Reproductive Health Assessment Tool For Dementia Research In Africa: Insights From The Fember-Africa Study, Alice Moraa Ondieki, Anne Njogu, Cynthia I Sabel Smith, Edna Bosire, Karen Blackmon, Harrison Kaleli, Jasmit Shah, Rachel Maina, Sheila Waa, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Dementia research accounts for only 0.1% of all research in Africa,making it the lowest among all low- and middle-income country (LMIC) regions. Thedevelopment and adaptation of biological and psychosocial measures in ethnicallyand culturally diverse populations remain limited but are essential for culturallyinformed research. This is particularly critical for examining sex- and gender-basedvulnerabilities to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), including factorssuch as reproductive health and fertility.

Method: We conducted a thorough review of our clinical and health questionnaires forcultural relevance and sensitivity through a series (n = 3) of focus groups discussions.These focus groups included a diverse range of …

Vitality Tracking In Kenyan Adults Using Wearable Devices And Ecological Momentary Assessments, Karen Blackmon, Benard Alaka, Catherine Onyancha, Litha Musili, Raechel Kamau, Cyprian Mostert, Mansoor Saleh, Zul Merali, Chinedu Momoh, Thomas Thesen

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Vitality is essential to healthy aging but is elusive to define and measure.Dynamic capture of fluctuations in vitality can uncover abnormal trajectories thatcould be a harbinger of frailty in older adults. Yet, these fluctuations are missed bystatic and/or sparse sampling strategies. To address the need for dynamic and high-density capture of vitality in older adults, we developed a passive sensing and activeprobing digital platform using wearable devices and smartphones. We deployed thisparadigm in older Kenyan adults and evaluated its potential for use in research on thedynamics of accelerated aging.

Method: Cognitively unimpaired (CU) Kenyan adults ≥ 35 years of …

Predicting Accelerated And Delayed Aging In Global Settings: Biobehavioral Age Gaps And The Role Of Global Exposomes, Hernan Hernandez, Hernando Santamaria-Garcia, Sebastian Moguilne, Agustina Legaz, Pavel Prado, Jhosmary Cuadros, Liset Gonzalez, Cyprian Mostert, Chinedu Momoh, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Global health challenges like aging and dementia are shaped bysocioeconomic disparities, environmental factors, and social determinants of health.We developed a behavioral age gap (BAG), measuring the difference between expectedbehavioral age and chronological age

Method: We utilized a cross-sectional sample (n = 161,981) comprising countriesfrom Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Behavioral age was estimated usinga Gradient Boosting Regressor with 10-fold cross-validation, incorporating multiplerisk factors (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, female sex, visual impairment andhearing impairment) and protective factors (cognition, functional ability, education)associated with healthy aging. BAG was calculated as the difference between predictedand chronological age, and adjusted gaps were derived …

Embodied Overcrowding And Sensory Tensions: A Carceral Autoethnography Of Philippine Jails, Dwayne Antojado

Ateneo School of Government Publications

In this paper, I undertake a sensorially oriented autoethnography of two Philippine jails, illuminating the visceral textures of carceral life that conventional sociological or criminological discourses often overlook. Drawing inspiration from Jewkes and Young's (2021) examination of Kyoto Prison, I foreground the overlapping realms of sight, sound, smell, and touch, arguing that incarceration is inherently a profoundly embodied phenomenon. By weaving personal reflections, field observations, and broader scholarly insights, I reveal how overcrowded dormitories, suffocating heat, and lingering bodily odours converge to redefine detainees' spatial, temporal, and psychosocial realities in ways rarely captured by quantitative metrics. While mindful of Nelken's …

Exploring Hiring Managers’ Strategies For Recruiting Diverse Educators In A Southeastern State, Keisa K. Davis Ma

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the strategies applied by hiring managers within one state in the southeastern United States to recruit diverse teachers. The purpose of the study was to explore hiring managers’ experiences and knowledge of minority teacher recruitment. The primary research question for this study was: What strategies do hiring managers in the school district under study find most effective in overcoming barriers to recruiting minority educators, and how do they measure their success? Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and thematic coding was used to arrive at emerging themes, patterns, and perceptions. The findings revealed that while hiring managers …

Digital Literacy And Family Engagement For Student Success, Genesis B. Mendoza

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The North Monterey County Unified School District (NMCUSD) in Castroville, California, serves a student population in which 87.5% are identified as low-income and nearly half are designated as English Language Learners. Families face significant barriers to accessing educational and community resources, barriers worsened by limited digital literacy and technology access. The NMCUSD Castro Plaza Family Resource Center serves as a vital hub supporting families in the predominantly rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged region. This project aimed to strengthen family engagement and digital inclusion through hands-on workshops. Workshop topics included online student registration and data verification, training on essential district digital tools …

Bud On The Ballot: A County-Level Analysis Of Citizen Support For Cannabis Legalization, Amelia G. Jennings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis research has often emphasized usage rates among certain groups of citizens, focusing mostly on demographic factors. A less studied topic within the cannabis literature pertains to the predictors of voting patterns of legalization referendums. Past research on this topic has examined states with similar characteristics, which calls into question the generalizability of results. The current study attempts to broaden the scope of knowledge in this area by partially replicating a previous study that explored county-level voting patterns, while also exploring the potential influence of the declining agricultural industry in predicting support for cannabis legalization. This was accomplished by analyzing …

Contextual Stress Profiles And Trajectories Of Internalizing Symptoms Among Adolescents In Mexican Immigrant Families, Su Yeong Kim, Wen Wen, Kiera M. Coulter, Wei Xiang Sim, Tianlu Zhang, Jingyi Shen, Yang Hou, Yishan Shen, Ka I. Ip

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Contextual stress experiences in early adolescents may predict distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms and anxiety across the course of adolescence. Data from 604 Mexican-origin adolescents collected from 2012 to 2020 (54% female; Mage = 12.92, SD = 0.92) showed that youth with high stress levels in multiple domains (Broadly Stressed) and those with high stress in language brokering domain only (Language Brokering Stressed) had similar levels of internalizing symptoms in early adolescence, and both groups reported higher stress than youth experiencing occasional levels of stress across domains (Occasionally Environmentally Stressed). However, youth in the Language Brokering Stressed group experienced slightly …

Exploring The Experiences And Needs Of Chinese Older Adults And Their Family Caregivers, Yu Huang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This multi-generational research project represents an academic partnership between Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Chung Wah Community Care (CWCC), conducted from February to August 2025. Through CWCC's established community participation programs, this collaboration provided both a rich platform for community engagement and an accessible entry point for an ECU Research Internship to collect and analyse in-depth data on the "homing" experiences of Chinese elderly immigrants in Australia.

The study employed a mixed-methods design, engaging 162 survey participants and 15 interview participants across CWCC's two service locations (Balcatta Hub and Willetton Hub) and one well-aged group of name as Evergreen College. …