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Annual Report Fy 15-16: Released August 2017, Lindsey Wylie, Erin Wasserburger, Sage Jensen, Victoria Ann Kaspar, Anne M. Hobbs, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

During this first fiscal year of the evaluation process (FY 2015-2016), the Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI) worked with the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T) and the Nebraska Crime Commission to develop and build the Juvenile Case Management System (JCMS). The JCMS is a secure data collection system that programs funded by CBA use to complete quarterly reporting requirements, which includes entering data for each youth who participates in the CBA-funded program. Each screen within JCMS was developed to specifically capture outcomes relevant to each program type (e.g., diversion, truancy, mentoring).

From State Policy To School Practices: Accessibility And Implementation Of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Education, Heidi Adams Rueda, Peter R. Fawson

Social Work Faculty Publications

Currently, 22 states legally require or urge schools to include teen dating violence (TDV) awareness education; yet, little research has examined how school districts are interpreting and implementing these policies. In a state that mandates such education for parents and children, and within a large urban city serving primary Hispanic youth, the present article assessed the types of TDV awareness education being provided in public schools, including the accessibility of this information. Specifically, we contacted independent school districts (ISDs; N= 10, serving over 15,000 youth) directly to assess whether and which TDV education programs were being implemented. We also assessed …

Factors Influencing Law Enforcement Responses To Child To Parent Violence, Gaylene Armstrong, Lisa Muftic, Leana A. Bouffard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

A domestic violence incident perpetrated by a child toward his or her parent presents a challenging dynamic for law enforcement officers responding to these calls for service. To date, law enforcement responses to child to parent violence (CPV) have only been studied dichotomously (i.e., decision to arrest), and as a result, the associated complexities are not well understood. Here, we add to the understanding of individual, situational, and contextual factors that influence law enforcement response to CPV by examining 1,113 calls for service in a Midwestern state. In assessing the relative influence of these factors on responses using a multinomial …

Preventing Delinquency & Promoting Prosocial Activities, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

Evidence-Based Practices Brief #2.

Recognizing the need to support youth before problem behaviors take shape, prevention programs emerged in the 1970s to address the needs of youth and families; however, these early programs were rarely rooted in either theory or research on childhood development. Consequently, programs began incorporating information gleaned from longitudinal studies to address specific risk factors identified as predictive of problem behaviors in youth. In the 1980s, prevention efforts often focused on a single problem behavior, however in the early 1990s, consensus emerged that programs should expand beyond focusing on a single problem behavior and instead examine co-occurrence …

Exploring The Nature Of Resources And Relationships In A Multi-Stakeholder Collaborative Network, Tracie Evans Reding

Student Work

Multi-stakeholder collaborative networks (MSCNs) centered around innovative problem solving have become increasingly popular. These collaborations seek to pool the resources of the various stakeholders in order to address their common issue. The importance of the collaboration members’ awareness of one another’s resources is the basis for this study. This study developed a new analytical method in which to quantify the resource awareness of members of an MSCN and how that relates to features of the network. The MSCN that was the focal organization for this study was as STEM Ecosystem. A perceptual framework was built upon literature from diverse areas …

Postural Control Strategies Differ In Normal Weight And Overweight Infants, Danae Dinkel, Kailey Snyder, Victoria Molfese, Anastasia Kyvelidou

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background

Evidence suggests obesity can have a negative influence on a child’s motor development and postural control behavior. Little research has examined the impact of infant weight on gross motor behavior, particularly postural control at the onset of sitting.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine whether normal weight and overweight infants differed in their postural control strategies at the onset of sitting and one-month post onset of sitting.

Methods

29 infants (n = 19 normal weight, n = 10 overweight) were recruited to participate in this study. Infant’s length and weight were measured at 3 months of …

Intimate Partner Violence And The Overlap Of Perpetration And Victimization: Considering The Influence Of Physical, Sexual, And Emotional Abuse In Childhood, Tara N. Richards, Marie Skubak Tillyer, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Using data from Wave 4 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study examined the independent relationship of childhood maltreatment type (emotional, sexual, physical) on IPV victimization and perpetration; then mutually exclusive categories of IPV involvement (victimization, perpetration, and victimization/perpetration) were investigated. IPV victimization and perpetration were assessed using items from the revised Conflict Tactics Scales. A series of binary regression models and multinomial regression models were estimated. Models were stratified across gender. Results uncovered significant relationships between child physical abuse and IPV victimization as well as IPV perpetration for males and females, but this effect …

Graduating Msw Students’ Recommended Interventions For Teen Dating Violence: A Descriptive Analysis, Heidi Adams Rueda, Alicia Hawley, Beverly M. Black, Bernadette Ombayo

Social Work Faculty Publications

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a widespread issue that social workers are likely to encounter in their practice with youth, yet little research exists concerning their preparedness to do so. This study assessed the proposed interventions of graduating MSW students (n=73) from two accredited universities in response to two scenarios of TDV. Each scenario reflected various forms of relational violence. Nearly one-third of students’ proposed interventions focused on the need to deliver some form of education, healthy relationships being the most prevalent theme. Other interventions included teaching about appropriate boundaries, issues of control and anger, self-esteem-building, and communication skills. The …

Nebraska Truancy And Absenteeism Programs 2015 To 2016, Marijana Kotlaja, Lindsey Wylie, Anne M. Hobbs, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

There are a wide variety of programs that address truancy and absenteeism across the state of Nebraska. This report is the first opportunity that we have had to quantify whether or not truancy interventions effectively encourage youth to improve school attendance. In the beginning of this report, we present three example program models that differ in the approach and interventions for addressing absenteeism. In the second part of this report, we present data on the youth served and the effectiveness of the truancy interventions across Nebraska. The Community-based Juvenile Services Aid Program fund specifically outlines funding particular activities, including truancy …

The Importance Of Interagency Collaboration For Crossover Youth, Emily M. Wright, Ryan E. Spohn, Joselyne Chenane, Nicholas Juliano

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Crossover or dually-involved youth are youth enmeshed in the child welfare (CWS) and juvenile justice systems (JJS). Given their dual status and high needs, attention has recently focused on how to best respond to them in an integrated, interagency fashion. The Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM) is designed to facilitate interagency collaboration between the CWS and JJS in order to enhance services and diversion to these youth. This study reports on the benefits and challenges that the JJS and CWS, as well as the personnel working within them, experience by participating in a CYPM effort in a Midwestern county, and …

Alternatives To Detention– Theory Of Change Convening, Paige M. Dempsey, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

Purpose of this work, from Erin Bock, Sherwood Foundation: Our community has come a long way over the last year in strategically partnering to reform the Juvenile Justice system in Douglas County. The strengthened relationships across the system are now enabling us to ask more assertive questions and gather catalytic evidence towards change. We are also in a position to foster mutual accountability for that change. It’s up to all of us! In that light, the OYS/JDAI Data Committee has commissioned an evaluation of the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) in Douglas County and will partner with Dr. Ryan Spohn in …

Alternatives To Detention Theory Of Change Report, Paige M. Dempsey

Reports

Our community has come a long way over the last year in strategically partnering to reform the Juvenile Justice system in Douglas County. The strengthened relationships across the system are now enabling us to ask more assertive questions and gather catalytic evidence towards change. We are also in a position to foster mutual accountability for that change. It’s up to all of us!

In that light, the OYS/JDAI Data Committee has commissioned an evaluation of the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) in Douglas County and will partner with Dr. Ryan Spohn in the implementation of that process. This evaluation is meant …

Douglas County Youth Impact Challenges Evaluation Report, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Douglas County Youth Impact! is a practice model designed to prevent “crossover” youth from moving further into the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. The target population for this initiative is youth that meet the following criteria: 1) the youth must have been referred to the County Attorney’s office for: a) a status offense, or b) a law violation; and 2) the youth has a child welfare case which is: a) open, b) closed within the last 12 months, c) voluntary, or d) court-involved.

Operation Youth Success: Developmental Evaluation Final Report, Jennifer Miller, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

In the summer of 2014, a subset of leaders and stakeholders in Douglas County initiated a collective impact project to reform the county’s juvenile justice system. Since the first meeting of that group, a number of additional stakeholders have been incorporated into this initiative, which is now known as “Operation Youth Success.” Operation Youth Success, or OYS, has been engaged since that time in an effort to create system change producing a more effective, efficient, and compassionate justice system that better serves the families and youth who are the users of this system. This report will review the activities and …

Operation Youth Success (Douglas County Collective Impact) Developmental Evaluation Report, Jennifer L. Miller, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

In the summer of 2014, a subset of leaders and stakeholders in Douglas County initiated a collective impact project to reform the county’s juvenile justice system. Since the first meeting of that group, a number of additional stakeholders have been incorporated into this initiative, which is now known as “Operation Youth Success.” Operation Youth Success, or OYS, has been engaged since that time in an effort to create system change producing a more effective, efficient, and compassionate justice system that better serves the families and youth who are the users of this system. This report will review the activities and …

Ncjr Annual Report: 2016, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

The Nebraska Center for Justice Research (NCJR) was established in 2014 with a mission to develop and sustain criminal justice research capacity internal to the State of Nebraska. Our goal is to assist the Legislature, justice agencies, practitioners, foundations, and stakeholders with research and evaluation to reduce recidivism, promote the use of evidence-based practices, and improve public safety. This annual report summarizes the activities and financial status of NCJR in its second year.

Douglas County Youth Impact Successes Evaluation Report, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Douglas County Youth Impact! is a practice model designed to prevent “crossover” youth from moving further into the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. The target population for this initiative is youth that meet the following criteria: 1) the youth must have been referred to the County Attorney’s office for: a) a status offense, or b) a law violation; and 2) the youth has a child welfare case which is: a) open, b) closed within the last 12 months, c) voluntary, or d) court-involved.

Annual Report 2016, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

The Nebraska Center for Justice Research (NCJR) was established in 2014 with a mission to develop and sustain criminal justice research capacity internal to the State of Nebraska. Our goal is to assist the Legislature, justice agencies, practitioners, foundations, and stakeholders with research and evaluation to reduce recidivism, promote the use of evidence-based practices, and improve public safety. This annual report summarizes the activities and financial status of NCJR in its second year. Our research products built upon the reports we produced last year. For example, we crafted our Adult Justice in Nebraska report to provide a foundation of data …

Youth Impact! Of Douglas County: Views Of Success From The Professionals Involved, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Douglas County Youth Impact! is a practice model designed to prevent “crossover” youth from moving further into the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. The target population for this initiative is youth that meet the following criteria: 1) the youth must have been referred to the County Attorney’s office for: a) a status offense, or b) a law violation; and 2) the youth has a child welfare case which is: a) open, b) closed within the last 12 months, c) voluntary, or d) court-involved.

Youth Impact! Of Douglas County: Views Of Challenges From The Professionals Involved, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Douglas County Youth Impact! is a practice model designed to prevent “crossover” youth from moving further into the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. The target population for this initiative is youth that meet the following criteria: 1) the youth must have been referred to the County Attorney’s office for: a) a status offense, or b) a law violation; and 2) the youth has a child welfare case which is: a) open, b) closed within the last 12 months, c) voluntary, or d) court-involved.

Nebraska Juvenile Diversion Programs 2012 To 2015, Lindsey Wylie, Anne M. Hobbs, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

In Nebraska, approximately 4,000 youth are referred to a juvenile diversion program annually. From 2012 to 2015, the majority of cases (87.0%) referred to juvenile diversion programs involved a law violation. Data from juvenile diversion programs indicates that Black youth are referred to diversion at twice the rate at which they appear in the population, whereas Asian and Native American youth are under-represented in juvenile diversion. Ideally we would examine how this compares to juveniles stopped by law enforcement for law violations, but this data is not consistently available in Nebraska. Without access to law enforcement stops, the underlying reasons …

The Lancaster County Juvenile Reentry Project - Follow-Up Report, Anne M. Hobbs, Sommer Fousek

Reports

In 2011, Lancaster County received a planning grant under the Second Chance Act administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Using these funds, a team of stakeholders examined the limited reentry services available to juveniles who return to Lancaster County after a stay in a Nebraska Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center (YRTC).

The following year, Lancaster County officials brought together multiple agencies to develop a systematic juvenile reentry approach, which subsequently became known as the Lancaster County Juvenile Reentry Project. From January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015, a total of 126 youth were served under the …

Ne Budget Request And Reporting System June 2015, Nu Board Of Regents

Business/Finance/Operations

No abstract provided.

Minding The Tragic Gap: Conversations Of Invisibility In Early Childhood Music Education, Regina Carlow, Shelly C. Cooper, Julia Church Hoffman

Music Faculty Publications

During the last few decades, the music education profession has slowly begun to recognize the impact of music experiences in early childhood. Key publications in the 1970s drew attention to music education for young children (Greenberg 1976, Simons 1978, Zimmerman 1972). Articles focusing on young children's musical development appeared in the 1980s (Hargreaves, 1986; Peery, Peery, & Draper, 1987; Sloboda, 1985; Swanick & Tillman, 1986). MENC (now the NationalAssociation for Music Education-NafME) began to address early childhood music education through "focus days" attached to biennial national conferences and through the establishment of the Early Childhood Special Research Interest Group. Yet …

Dating And Sexuality Among Minority Adolescents With Disabilities: An Application Of Sociocultural Theory, Kristen Faye Linton, Heidi Adams Rueda

Social Work Faculty Publications

Adolescents with disabilities, American Indians, Hispanics, and African Americans are more likely to experience victimization and pregnancy as teens. This study explored ethnic and racial minority youth with disabilities’ dating and sexual experiences from the perspectives of social workers using Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with master’s degree–holding high school social work practitioners. Social workers described family beliefs and practices, socioeconomic status, special education, historical influences, and resiliency as aspects of adolescents’ lives that impacted their dating and sexuality. Social workers’ dialogue concerning family beliefs and attitudes toward abusive relationships were interpreted as internally oriented signs used …

The Lancaster County Juvenile Reentry Project, Anne M. Hobbs, Ryan E. Spohn, Jenna Strawhun, Timbre Wulf-Ludden, Johanna Peterson, Sommer Fousek

Reports

In order to establish a best practice model for juveniles reentering the community, Lancaster County brought multiple agencies together in 2012 and began to develop a systematic juvenile reentry approach, which became known as the “Reentry Project.” By January 2013, Lancaster County had contracted with multiple agencies to ensure this new approach was used when youth were returning to the community.

Spr Bulletin, Fall 2013, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

This bulletin features Recent Grant Recipients; IRB Education Series at UNO; IRB Office Hours at UNO; and ORCA & SPR News.

Diversion In Nebraska: Fy 2012/2013, Amy Hoffman, Anne M. Hobbs

Reports

Among the many initiatives created with the passage of LB 561, the position of the Juvenile Diversion Program Administrator was established within the Nebraska Crime Commission. The Diversion Administrator is tasked with assisting in creating and maintaining juvenile pretrial diversion programs to divert juveniles away from the judicial system and into community-based services. That process includes creating a statewide steering committee to assist in regular strategic planning related to supporting, funding, monitoring, and evaluating the effectiveness of plans and programs receiving funds from the Community-Based Juvenile Services Aid Program, as well as provide best practice recommendation guidelines and procedures used …

Spring, Summer, Fall 2013 Graduation Survey Responses Master File Without Identifiers, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Graduation

Spring, Summer, Fall 2013 Graduation survey responses.

“More Time. More Showing. More Helping. That’S How It Sticks”: The Perspectives Of Early Childhood Coachees, Lisa L. Knoche, Miriam E. Kuhn, Jungwon Eum

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Coaching is a form of consultation used in early childhood settings to support positive outcomes for young children and families. While some research shows the effectiveness of coaching on practice and outcomes, little information is available on the experiences and perspectives of “coachees” as recipients of coaching support. The purpose of this study was to understand, from the coachees’ point of view, the benefits and challenges of participating in an early childhood coaching relationship. Twenty-one parents, preschool teachers and childcare providers who had engaged in coaching relationships participated in interviews and completed surveys regarding their experiences and perspectives. Data were …