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Advancing Behavioral Health Literacy, James Scollione

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Accessing, comprehending, and using information to make informed decisions and improve one’s overall health or well-being are the foci of health literacy. The concept of behavioral health was introduced in the early 1980s and, since then, it has influenced new ideas (e.g., behavioral health literacy and integrated behavioral health care) and gained research and public attention. My aim is to provide an overview of definitions (i.e., health literacy, mental health literacy, and behavioral health literacy) and their connection to each other. I propose an expanded and honed definition of behavioral health literacy to enhance the behavioral health literacy and well-being …

Reimagining Public Safety In The Aftermath Of George Floyd, William J. Benet, Joseph Mcmillan

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Following the murder of George Floyd, the U.S. Congress called upon the National Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) to play a role in the reimagining of policing in America and a transformation of policing from a warrior to a guardian mentality. In turn, NOBLE partnered with the Institute for Polarities of Democracy (also referred to as the Institute) to conduct an analysis of the 21st century policing report. In this article we summarize the results of a year-long Phase 1 analysis carried out by the Institute and NOBLE. The Phase 1 analysis was conducted with support from the …

Adolscent Substance And Alcohol Use In St. Petersburg, Florida, Andrew Brett

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of this prevention program is to reduce the rate of adolescent use and abuse of drugs and alcohol in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Significant Findings: Rates of excessive drinking are higher in St. Petersburg than the state, and the vibrant night life lends itself to that lifestyle (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps). It is important to address adolescent substance use and abuse, as approximately 15% of the adolescent population have used illicit drugs (High-Risk Substance Use in Youth, 2020). Experimentation with substance use is associated with a litany of potential consequences including addiction, loss of life, and …

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, Zero-Tolerance Discipline, And The School-To Prison Pipeline, Lois V. Woods

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Zero-tolerance discipline policies led to the introduction of police on school campuses and have resulted in a disproportionate number of in-school arrests and referrals of Black middle-school students, subjecting them to the school-to-prison pipeline. Data shows the negative effects of zero tolerance; however, less is known regarding alternative evidence-based strategies such as the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Grounded in the labeling theoretical framework, this study examined whether JDAI status (pre-JDAI and post-JDAI) could predict arrests and referrals while controlling for race, gender, and age. Secondary data were collected from a juvenile court in northwest Georgia on 1,303 middle-school students. …

Transitioning To College: Experiences Of Successful First-Generation College Students, Jonathan R. Ricks, Jeffrey M. Warren

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This qualitative study explored the high school to college transition experiences of ten successful first-generation college students (FGCS). Participants were college seniors at an historically black university in the United States. A generic qualitative research design was used, including in-depth, semi-structured interviews to collect and analyze data. Participants reported that the transition experience led to confusion with academic and financial procedures, various emotions including anxiety and fear, the realization that they had deficits in academic skills, and the receipt of support from family members and others. Cultural and social capital appeared to play key roles in their success. Student affairs …

A Phenomenological Study Of Attachment And Juvenile Justice Involvement, Amanda Jean Gibson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile criminal offending has become a serious social concern. The strongest predictors of juvenile delinquency are low parental attachments, the absence of capable guardians, and an unstable family structure. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of young adult men between the ages of 18 and 25 who, as children, experienced their fathers’ incarceration, how the incarceration influenced attachment between the father and son, and how it also influenced the sons’ involvement with the juvenile justice system. The theoretical base for this study was attachment theory. This theory was suitable for this study as attachment …

Exploring Police Legitimacy Through Procedurally Just Policing Practices In Agencies Using Screen-In And Screen-Out Procedures, David William Justice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recently there have been widely publicized reports of distrust and a lack of perceived legitimacy in communities across the United States for the police agencies that serve them. Scholars have explored perceptions of police legitimacy and the role of procedural justice in police-community interactions; however, there is a dearth of information concerning the policies of law enforcement agencies using psychological assessments to screen-in or screen-out applicants and the manner in which those agencies serve the community. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the manner in which one police agency using psychological assessments to screen applicants in and …

Prosecutors’ Perceptions Of Wrongful Convictions Of African American Men, Teaonna L. Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men are number one in the United States for wrongful convictions, despite being only 13% of the country’s population. Many wrongful convictions involve a prosecutorial error or Brady violations, which occur when evidence is withheld from the defense. Although wrongful convictions are caused due to several factors, prosecutorial involvement is one reason for false convictions. There is substantial research on wrongful convictions and the causes; however, the scholarly community does not know the perceptions prosecutors have of African American men’s wrongful convictions. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore eight prosecutors’ perceptions, decision-making strategies, and what …

Canadian Prosecutors’ Views On The Use Of Capital Punishment For Defined Terrorist Activity, Aswani Datt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the post-9/11 world, Canada has struggled with developing a sentencing regime that effectively punishes and deters defined terrorist activity such as the attack on the Canadian Parliament, the Danforth shootings, the rise of Khalistani and Islamic terrorism, and the Toronto Van Attack. Broadly speaking, the Canadian public still supports capital punishment, but it is unclear whether Canadian prosecutors perceive and view the issue in the same light in their professional and legal capacity. Canadian prosecutors are tasked with seeking sentences that meet criminal justice principles, including the principle of deterrence. Their views on what punishments are just and effective …

Exploring The Parenting Styles In Juvenile-Facilitated Parricide, Justess Jacobson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile-facilitated parricide is a rare crime when a juvenile child murders their parent. Parricide cases are unique in that the offender defies the normal parent-child relationship when they kill their own parent. The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting styles that occur in juvenile-facilitated parricide. By using a qualitative case study analysis methodology, this study examined the effect of parenting styles on the bonds between a parent and child, which creates the necessary tension for a child to be able to kill their parents. Attachment theory was used to understand how a child bonds through parenting styles …

Dynamics Of Male-On-Male Penetrative Sexual Assaults In The United States Army, Nicole Cunningham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male-on-male sexual assaults are a challenge for prevention and response personnel, law enforcement, and the military justice system. Limited research has been conducted on the military sex offender population, and none has been done specifically on military male-on-male assaults resulting in a gap in the research on offenders, what factors make their victims vulnerable, and the situational dynamics of the assaults. In this quantitative exploratory study, 171 cases of penetrative male-on-male sexual assaults were examined through the lens of the routine activity theory. The results of this exploration found that both victims and offenders were most likely to be 18-24 …

Benefits Of Technology Integration In A Small Behavioral Health Organization, Tremaria Sweet

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current study sought to understand the significance of information systems (IS) planning in small-to-medium enterprise (SME) behavioral health agencies and the direct impact it has on organizational growth and performance. The research was guided by the Baldrige Excellence Framework. The study was based on a sample of one senior leader from one agency licensed to practice in three states in the eastern region of the United States. This exploratory case study involved using semi-structured interviews and internal archival data during the process of data collection. Information technology (IT) competence, skills, leadership, infrastructure, and awareness were emergent themes identified in …

Mental Health Disparities In Social Work Practice Of Minority Youth Offenders, Beverly Ann Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA large number of minority youths placed in the juvenile justice system across the United States have mental health disorders. Most of these youths do not receive mental health services or support within the system, which increases risk factors such as undiagnosed and untreated mental illness and adverse outcomes such as recidivism. This action research sought to uncover whether mental health disparities in social work practice in the juvenile justice system were due to race and ethnicity and asked social workers to recommend strategies to improve mental health availability, access, and provision. Participants in the study were social workers who …

Narrative Study Of Educational Stigmatization In Parents Of Indigenous Children With Fasd, Wendy Dianne Sherren-Doucette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Often public stereotyping and prejudicial attitudes follow parents of Indigenous children with FASD throughout their day-to-day life. Stigma affects Indigenous people, particularly parents of Indigenous children with FASD, in different facets of their lives. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions that parents of Indigenous school-aged children with FASD have had of their experiences with school personnel. The study was grounded in Goffman’s social stigma theory and used a narrative inquiry approach in an interview-style format which collected data for this study. The research question explored the experiences of six parents of Indigenous children with FASD with …

Effects Of Trained Providers And Naloxone Distribution On Prescription Opioid Use Disorder, Samuel Sarpong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOpioid abuse and overdose are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates, as well as social and economic costs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the independent and interactive effects of state-sponsored prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) trained healthcare providers and community-based naloxone distribution program related factors in the states of Florida and Georgia for the prevention and reduction of prescription opioid use disorder, overdose, and deaths. The research theory adopted was the socio-ecological model with an emphasis on risk factors such as age. The study used secondary data from 2014 to 2018 from the Florida and Georgia …

Street-Level Bureaucracy And Perceptions Of Juvenile Prostitution, Leshian J. Lockwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juveniles in the United States continue to be arrested for prostitution even though the U.S. Federal law recognizes them as victims of sex trafficking. The purpose of this cross-sectional, quantitative study was to explore what factors law enforcement officers consider when encountering a juvenile involved in prostitution that influences their judgment on whether the juvenile is a victim of sex trafficking or a juvenile delinquent. Each of the 50 U.S. states has laws that address juvenile sex trafficking. The research questions for this study centered around the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA) and factors that influence officers' use of discretion …

Educator Perceptions Of Restorative Justice Practices That Provide Academic Support For Students With Adverse Childhood Experiences, Brigid Sullivan Ripley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The phenomenon of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) has been of interest to scholars since the late 1990s when their impact on life outcomes concerning physical and mental health was first acknowledged. Educators are challenged to support students who have experienced ACE, but many have implemented alternative practices such as restorative justice (RJ) to support students’ academic needs. There is insufficient empirical evidence to determine how elements of RJ support high school students who have experienced ACE. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the RJ practices that teachers, administrators, and other school personnel have implemented to support …

Interpersonal Conflict And Work-Related Stress Among Correctional Officers, Katarzyna Sowa-Lapinskas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasingly, research has been conducted on the penal system, yet few researchers have focused on correctional staff. Due to the nature of their work, correctional officers (COs) experience a high degree of stress that is inmate related, occupational, organizational, and psycho–social. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the work experiences of COs in rural correctional facilities in Alaska and to learn how correctional staff perceive and mitigate work-related stress stemming from interpersonal conflict. The theoretical framework for this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress and coping. Data were collected using semistructured interviews conducted …

Police Officer Aggression During Police-Civilian Encounters And Effect On Civilian Perception, James Aaron Plank

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trust in the police by the public is the cornerstone of public safety. A lack of trust in the police discourages citizens from reporting criminal behavior, leading to increased crime rates. A lack of trust can be the result of inappropriate actions taken by officers in police-civilian encounters, as perceived by the citizen. Although increased professional standards and training have been implemented in police departments across the U.S., researchers have not demonstrated how aggressive police officer behavior affects the civilian perception of the officer’s actions. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between police …

Comparing Rape Myth Acceptance In Law Enforcement Officers And Non-Law Enforcement, Ava D. Ramirez-Ene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assault is a crime of power and control, and despite the prevalence and severity, remains widely unreported and is met with shame, blame, and skepticism: a likely consequence of a rape culture that fosters rape myth acceptance (RMA). Law enforcement officers (LEOs) act as “gatekeepers” to the criminal justice system and, if they accept rape myths, can negatively influence sexual assault case outcomes. Social Dominance Theory posits that the male-dominated criminal justice system, has intergroup relations and shared cultural beliefs that justify and tolerate myths and behaviors fostering discrimination and skepticism towards victims of sexual violence. This study compared …

Harm Reduction Strategies & Law Enforcement’S Approach To The Opioid Epidemic, Johnathon Michael Sharp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The opioid epidemic in the United States has increased in severity, lives lost, and associated costs for several decades. While legislation and criminal justice practices around the world regarding opioids have followed various avenues including alternative harm reduction approaches, U.S. responses have largely remained stagnant. However, one alternative harm reduction program, the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, has been implemented in a few U.S. cities. This study examined law enforcement administrators’ familiarity and challenges with harm reduction strategies like the LEAD program. Using Kingdon’s multiple streams theory, this qualitative case study interviewed 10 law enforcement administrators from the Midwestern …

Perceptions Of Child Sexual Offending Cases Involving Biological Kinship And Victim Age, Carmen Lorraine Neufeld

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child sexual offenders are commonly viewed as some of the worst offenders within North American society, often eliciting responses such as fear, disgust, and moral indignation. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test evolutionary theory’s notion of inclusive fitness by exploring how the relationship between child sexual offenders and victims, as well as victim age affects the public’s emotional responses including fear and aversion. In addition to affective responses, opinions regarding crime severity and length of sentence were also examined. Using a quantitative between-person experimental vignette design, 200 participants were randomly assigned a child sexual abuse case with …

Assessing Online Content Attractiveness And The Next Generation Of Rural Law Enforcement Officers, Brandi M. Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The recruitment of law enforcement applicants has been a focus for scholars for many years, especially in rural areas. With the increased use of the Internet by younger generations, the problem for rural law enforcement administrators is a lack of online recruitment strategies tailored to younger applicants. Researchers have demonstrated that administrators in rural agencies recognize the challenges of recruiting the next generation of law enforcement officers. Furthermore, literature illustrates how the younger generation has predefined work preferences and uses online environments to search for ideal jobs. However, researchers have yet to establish how younger generations perceive website content and …

Hospital Employer Perceptions Of Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Competency-Based Education To Meet Workforce Needs, Regina Cash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Competency-based education (CBE) is an alternative educational system of instruction that allows students to earn academic credit based on demonstration of learned skills and knowledge. This study addressed a gap in research related to the differences between the way hospital employers currently perceive potential employees’ educational credentials through traditional degrees and through CBE credentialing programs. The purpose was to explore the way hospital hiring employers perceive potential employees’ registered nurse Bachelor of Science in nursing (RN BSN) CBE credentials relative to traditional degrees to meet their workforce needs, which the research questions were focused on. Bailly’s model of employers’ beliefs …

The Social Work Perspective Regarding The Underutilization Of Mental Health Services Among African American Families, Carissma Tempest Hughes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underutilization of mental health services amongst African American families has been a long-standing concern in the African American community within large metropolitan cities in Texas. The metropolitan cities are Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and McAllen. There remain experiences that impede families’ ability to engage in mental health services. These experiences involve the conflict between prayer and therapy, stigma, lack of awareness of local mental health services, and cultural competency. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore experiences of African American families and how those experiences affect mental health engagement, as well as how practicing …

Changing Policing: The Impact Of Body-Worn Cameras On Law Enforcement Officers, Michelle Theresa Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem that this study addressed was how police officers perceive policing has been impacted by the implementation of body-worn cameras. The research was purposed to allow police officers to articulate how law enforcement has been altered due to the implementation of the devices. This qualitative study was guided by Lipsky’s street-level bureaucratic theory in which police officers have the autonomy to use discretion when enforcing the law. The methodology used was a qualitative research approach to retrieve data of 34 participants from four different police departments who responded to 10 open-ended survey questions on the SurveyMonkey website. The …

Police Officers’ Suggestions For Improving Compliance With Policies Mandating The Use Of Body-Worn Cameras, Edward Lee Potter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere has been distrust in the United States between citizens and law enforcement since the 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers. The subsequent killing of unarmed African American males by police officers has further heightened awareness of deadly force. Politicians, civil rights advocates, citizens, family members of those killed, and the media have demanded that law enforcement officers be held accountable for their actions by requiring the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) during interactions with the public. Studies have shown that deployment of the BWC has benefits, including increased transparency and accountability, reduced use of force, …

Alterations In Crime And The Ferguson Effect: An Analysis Of Crime Trends In The St. Louis, Mo Metropolitan Area, Robin Christine Lohman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Ferguson Effect, which has resulted in de-policing or disengaging from proactive community policing in response to increased violence against police since 2014 and fear of civil liability, has led to increases in crime and attacks on law enforcement officers. Previous research focused on exploring law enforcement officers’ perceptions of media and public scrutiny, crime rates, self-legitimacy, and willingness to engage in community relations. No studies identified have attempted to predict the source of the Ferguson Effect and its effect on crime. Moreover, no studies have conducted a time-series analysis of crime and de-policing focusing solely on the St. Louis, …

Social Workers’ Attitudes Toward Medication-Assisted Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, William Tillman Spivey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last decade, opioid misuse has emerged as a major problem in the United States. The extreme increase in overdose deaths affects both public health and social welfare in north central Florida. Social workers play a major role in the delivery of treatment for opioid misuse. Medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder has become widely used yet faces debate among social workers. The practice-focused research question for this project addressed the attitudes of social workers toward the use of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Social learning theory was the theoretical framework used in this action research study. Data …

Legislative Factors That Influence The Creation Of Sex Offender Laws In Pennsylvania, Julie E. Wagner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNonviolent sexual offenders are known to have lesser risk of reoffense than their violent sexual offender counterparts; however, both categories of sexual offenders are contained within the same registry in Pennsylvania, without indication of the differences in the nature of their crimes. It was not known why Pennsylvania’s laws require all sex offenders to be listed in one homogenous group. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the factors legislators use to determine how a sex offense crime is categorized in legislative decisions in Pennsylvania. Social construction theory served as the theoretical foundation for the study. Data …