Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Between Sexual And Gender Minority Stress Exposure And Schizophrenia-Like Experiences In The South, Lillian A. Hammer

Dissertations

Background: Negative experiences related to one’s minority identity serve as stressors contributing to mental health concerns for those identifying as a sexual and/or gender minority (SGM). SGM groups have greater severity of some mental health symptoms than non-SGM individuals, yet it is poorly understood whether these findings extend to schizophrenia-like experiences (SLEs). SLEs are associated with significant distress and may indicate risk for the development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Associations between exposure to minority stress and SLEs are underexplored. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing whether exposure to SGM-related minority stress was related to SLEs using ecological …

Evalutating Self-Instructional Training Materials To Teach Caregiver Implementation Of A Reading Program, Ky'aria Moses

Dissertations

Approximately 69% of fourth grade students and 70% of eighth grade students performed below the proficient level on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment, highlighting ongoing gaps in early literacy skills (NAEP, 2024). Caregiver implementation of instructional reading strategies can positively impact children’s literacy development; however, training is often required to ensure fidelity. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (TYC), is an evidence-based Direct Instruction reading program designed for caregiver implementation, yet its written self-instructional Practice Guide may be insufficient for developing fluent instructional delivery. Research suggests that programmed instructional formats incorporating active …

Pathways To The Streets: A Proposed Model Examining The Factors Influencing Gang Affiliation And Involvement Among Young Black Men In The United States, Ceauna L. Juarez

Dissertations

This literature review examined gang involvement among young Black men in the United States and explored the factors that contribute to joining gangs and the consequences that may follow. The first chapter provides a brief history of gang involvement in Black communities and introduces Erikson’s development model, self-determination theory, and the minorities’ diminished returns as the three theoretical frameworks. The second chapter discusses common challenges faced by young Black men who are currently involved in gangs or are at risk of joining. The chapter explores issues such as life expectancy after gang involvement, adverse childhood experiences, mental health concerns, and …

The Weight We Carry: An Arts-Based Narrative Screenplay Of Academically Successful African American Male Students, Freddie Mcgee

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine, understand, and creatively represent the stories of African American male college students from low-income backgrounds who were raised by single parents and were academically successful. Guided by the overarching research question — What are the stories of academically successful African American male college students from lowincome homes who single parents raised? — The study sought to understand how participants navigated institutional racism and systemic barriers while achieving academic success, and how they resisted deficit-based stereotypes and expectations in higher education.

This study employed a critical, arts-based, qualitative narrative inquiry approach grounded in …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Juvenile Offending: Client-Factor Variations And A Novel Intervention Approach, Madison M. Dobreff

Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences have consistently been identified as risk factors for juvenile offending. However, this relationship is complex and varies based on individual factors. This critical literature review not only examined the current research on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and juvenile offending but also identified client factor variations that influence the relationship. Client factors examined throughout include race/ethnicity, gender, age, internalized and externalized mental health symptoms, positive internal factors, familial and external social support, educational engagement, environmental factors, and positive childhood experiences. The relationship is further complicated by examining the effects of multiple client-factor variations on the adverse …

A Primary Care Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating The Efficacy Of A Caregiver-Focused Prevention Program For Child Sexual Abuse, Cassandra Dukes

Dissertations

Child sexual abuse (CSA) affects 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys before the age of 18, resulting in significant long-term physical, emotional, and social consequences. Caregivers play a crucial role in preventing CSA by engaging in preventative behaviors with their children. Primary care settings may be an avenue through which to educate caregivers on their role in prevention of CSA. The present study used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to investigate the efficacy of a caregiver-focused educational program to prevent CSA, provided via integrated behavioral health (IBH) in a pediatric primary care setting. Participants (n=56) were …

Bridging The Gap: Action-Oriented Vs. Community-Minded Mentalities And Behaviors In Cold Case Investigation Units, Samantha Strine

Dissertations

One key group in policing that has seen an increase in public and media attention but not research is the cold case investigation unit. These units tend to be more “bureaucratic”, focusing on communication, community-engagement skills, and “desk work”. Thus, this is a potential area for learning techniques and policies that shift the mentalities within police culture to be more accepting of new community focused policies. This study also seeks to address a gap in current research related to studying specialized police units.

The purpose of this study is to describe the organizational dynamics and officers’ tactics, perceptions, and interactions …

Out Of The Briar Patch: Storying Resistance Among Black Male Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Its Impact On Their Educational Experiences, Anthony Animuntu

Dissertations

This study examines the lack of support within educational settings for Black boys who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Despite growing attention to trauma-informed practices, the experiences of Black male survivors remain largely absent from educational research. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach informed by critical autoethnography, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five African American men reflecting on their schooling experiences as CSA survivors. Axial analysis revealed four central themes: silence as survival and strategic invisibility, shame and internalized distress, institutional misrecognition, and the transformative role of relational care and educational kinship. Findings indicate that participants’ trauma was often …

Enhancing Postsecondary Outcomes For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders: A Design-Based Mixed Methods Approach To Transition Planning, Kate M. Schrum

Dissertations

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experienced significantly lower postsecondary outcomes when compared to same-aged peers. These outcomes included lower graduation rates, higher unemployment rates, and difficulty establishing independent living arrangements (Wagner & Newman, 2015). Following a human-centered, design-based approach, the scholar-practitioner found a lack of consistent and meaningful transition support specifically designed for students with EBD. Working with a stakeholder team of educational professionals directly involved in supporting transition for students with EBD at an alternative special education program, the scholar-practitioner developed a "Transition Toolkit". The toolkit contained scaffolded grade-level checklists (for grades 6–12) with self-advocacy and goal-setting …

Addressing Mental Health Issues And The Effectiveness Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Mindfulness-Based Interventions Among Athletes, Shelby Jones-Stachnik

Dissertations

This literature review identifies mental health concerns among competitive athletes and evaluates psychological interventions to address these challenges. Specifically, the review explores the mental health concerns experienced by athletes engaged in high-level sport. It examines whether cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions are effective approaches for improving psychological outcomes in this population. A systematic review of peer-reviewed research was conducted, and findings were synthesized to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions. The review included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and meta-analyses examining psychological interventions in athletic populations. Findings across the literature indicate that both cognitive behavioral …

The School To Prison Pipeline From The Inside Out: Survivor Narraitves, Nina M. Koufalias

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of two Latino men who traversed the school-to-prison pipeline in the 1980s. The purpose of this study is to investigate how intersecting systems of racism, ableism, poverty, and exclusionary school practices shaped their educational trajectories and contributed to their incarceration. Three overarching research questions guide this inquiry: (1) What can be learned from the stories of two formerly incarcerated relatives that sheds light on how the school-to-prison pipeline is lived? (2) How do their narratives illustrate the impacts of exclusionary discipline policies, such as zero-tolerance, on educational opportunities and life outcomes? (3) How does …

Enhancing Postsecondary Outcomes For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders: A Design-Based Mixed Methods Approach To Transition Planning, Kate M. Schrum

Dissertations

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experienced significantly lower postsecondary outcomes when compared to same-aged peers. These outcomes included lower graduation rates, higher unemployment rates, and difficulty establishing independent living arrangements (Wagner & Newman, 2015). Following a human-centered, design-based approach, the scholar-practitioner found a lack of consistent and meaningful transition support specifically designed for students with EBD. Working with a stakeholder team of educational professionals directly involved in supporting transition for students with EBD at an alternative special education program, the scholar-practitioner developed a "Transition Toolkit". The toolkit contained scaffolded grade-level checklists (for grades 6–12) with self-advocacy and goal-setting …

Principles Of Privacy And Security In Artificial Intelligence And Applications, Khang Tran

Dissertations

Modern artificial intelligence (AI) systems have transformed critical domains such as healthcare, software engineering, finance, and the legal system. Despite their broad impact, concerns about trustworthiness, especially regarding privacy and security, remain major obstacles to wider adoption. Addressing these concerns requires both a systematic understanding of the privacy and security risks inherent in AI systems and the development of principled foundations for trustworthy AI that safeguard client privacy and security. This goal is particularly challenging because of the complexity of modern large-scale AI systems, the trade-offs between privacy and model utility, and the need to simultaneously ensure other important properties …

“I Have A Voice”: Bridging The Communication And Sensemaking Gap Between Restorative Justice Practice And Program Implementation, Stefan Cocorelis

Dissertations

Restorative justice (RJ), a philosophy, practice, and movement inspired by local, largely Indigenous traditions, has increasingly been introduced in modern criminal justice systems as an alternative process to more comprehensively address harmful incidents, heal harms, and meet victim’s needs. While RJ implementation growth is encouraging for its advocates, there remain significant questions around formalized RJ practice. Specifically, little is known about the decision-making process in implementing and administering RJ programming within criminal justice. This dissertation aimed to contribute to the understanding of RJ practice and implementation efforts within criminal justice systems by putting emphasis on practitioners already working directly in …

A Quantitative Critical Analysis Of Comprehensive Education Plan Effects As Implemented Under Title 5 In California Community Colleges, Nicole Jones

Dissertations

California Code of Regulations, Title 5, is the policy and regulatory guide of the California Community Colleges. Sections of Title 5 policy govern the implementation of programs and services at these colleges. It provides protection for colleges and specifies student entitlements under the law. The mission of the California Community Colleges is to serve as an open-access point, providing students with services and instruction. Access barriers to services like counseling can delay goal attainment, increase cost of attendance and time to completion, and result in lower successful retention or persistence rates. Additionally, resource allocation, Title 5 Section 59200 regulations (the …

Police, Punishment, And Mental Health: Examining The Effects Of School-Based Services On Disciplinary Inequities, Jessica Peña

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how school-based law enforcement officer (LEO) staffing ratios and school-based mental health provider (MHP) staffing ratios were associated with disciplinary disproportionality for students of color, and whether MHP staffing moderated the relationship between LEO staffing and disproportionality using a comprehensive national dataset. The following research questions guided this study:

Q1 Does disciplinary disproportionality exist in exclusionary practices within the current educational system?

Q2 How are ratios of school police officers related to disciplinary disproportionality?

Q3 How are ratios of school-based MHPs related to disciplinary disproportionality?

Q4 Does the ratio of school-based MHPs …

Intelligent Surveillance For Weapon Threat Detection: Transformer-Based Detection And Segmentation Using Thermal And Rgb Imagery, Akhila Kambhatla

Dissertations

Proactive public-safety surveillance requires deep learning systems that can detect and segment weapons reliably under real-world conditions. This research develops and evaluates a progressive, multi-phase pipeline that moves (i) from RGB object detection to pixel-level semantic segmentation and (ii) from visible-spectrum cameras to thermal imagery to improve robustness under low-light, clutter, and occlusion. Early phases establish strong detection baselines using one-stage and two-stage detectors (YOLOv5 and Faster R-CNN) for multi-class weapon localization, followed by practical optimization through pruning and ensembling to reduce false positives and computational overhead while maintaining real-time feasibility. Building on the limitations of bounding-box localization, the methodology …

Adapting The Alternative Program At Panther Community High School To Meet The Needs Of Its Students, Citlali J. Flores Hernandez

Dissertations

This study presents a comprehensive program evaluation of the PAGD alternative education program (a pseudonym) at Panther Community High School, a program that had not undergone formal revision since approximately 2015. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the PAGD program in addressing students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs, and to identify areas in need of improvement to support both student success and long-term program sustainability. The evaluation was guided by four primary research questions: To what extent is the PAGD program meeting students’ needs? To what extent are PAGD program teachers receiving the necessary support? …

“I Should’Ve Listened!”: Lived Experiences Of Postsecondary Transitions Among Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders From Non-Traditional High Schools, Kristen De Rose

Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of former students with EBD who attended a non-traditional high school. Eight semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to understand how students experienced emotional and academic supports during high school and throughout the transition into adulthood. Results revealed that participants appreciated attending a non-traditional school for its school connectedness, emotional and instructional supports, and school-based counseling. Additionally, findings suggest the school did not prepare them for the transition to post-secondary life. These findings suggest that emotional and academic support for students with EBD in non-traditional high school settings positively affected students’ sense of success …

Black Men's Perception Of Mentorship In A Black Male Initiative Program, Caprice Butts

Dissertations

Black men in higher education often navigate systemic barriers, including underrepresentation, limited access to resources, and challenges related to belonging and identity within predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Mentorship programs, such as Black Male Initiative (BMI), have emerged as a key support mechanism; however, limited research explores how Black men experience these programs and how mentorship influences their personal and professional development. This study examined how Black men perceive the influence of a BMI mentorship program on their personal and professional development during and after their postsecondary journeys.

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Black men who participated …

The Ballot Question: Citizen Initiatives, Institutions, And The Policy Process, Ty Rhoads

Dissertations

State-level policymaking remains undertheorized relative to its federal counterpart, particularly in states where institutionalized direct democracy creates a parallel channel for policy change outside the legislature. This dissertation develops a novel theoretical framework for the state policy process by adapting punctuated equilibrium theory to American state politics, integrating it with party cartel theory and the concept of legislative policy monopolies. The central argument is that citizen initiatives and legislative referrals are structurally distinct policy venues whose ideological profiles, policy magnitudes, and electoral dynamics are systematically shaped by the partisan context of the legislature. Using Missouri as a case study spanning …

Built On Dignity, Backed By Love: A Mixed Methods Study And Curriculum Grounded In Black Caregivers’ Racial Socialization To Cultivate Youth Agency, Heather Watson

Dissertations

This dissertation explores how low-income Black youth and their caregivers experience, interpret, and respond to racial discrimination, with a focus on the development of youths’ dignity as a culturally grounded resilience process. Using a mixed-methods, community-based participatory research (CBPR) design, the study addresses three central aims: (1) to identify the forms of discrimination youth and caregivers encounter and their relationship to racial stress and resilience; (2) to define dignity from the perspectives of youth and caregivers; and (3) to identify caregiver-youth conversations that cultivate dignity and inform the development of the Dignity Development Curriculum (DDC). Data were collected through semi-structured …

Recruitment Of Black Minority Community Into Irish Police: Evaluating The Dynamics Of Culture In Decision-Making., Adeyemi Adekanle

Dissertations

Ethnic and racial diversity in police services has been a focus for criminologists and policing scholars for some considerable time. But despite intense efforts, most multicultural societies still struggle to get Black minority communities recruited into their police services. Two widely held interconnected assumptions appear to be at issue. The first is that police occupational culture, which has been shown in some studies to be prejudicial, is, in many cases, blatantly racist. This may well be a catalyst or “push factor” in discouraging members of Black communities in particular from taking up police careers. The second is that members of …

Match Or Mismatch? : The Effects Of Fingerprint Evidence And Expert Testimony On Jury Decisions, Kassie N. Thallas

Dissertations

Fingerprint evidence is widely perceived as objective and reliable, yet is typically presented to jurors through expert testimony rather than directly evaluated. The present study examined how fingerprint match status and expert testimony influence juror decision-making. Participants (N = 225) read a mock criminal trial summary and were randomly assigned to one of five conditions. Four conditions were derived by crossing Expert Condition (fingerprint expert alone vs. conflicting experts) and Match Status (match vs. no match), with an additional control condition without fingerprint evidence. The participants made verdict decisions and rated the credibility, honesty and believability of the expert. The …

Threatened To Testify : Juror Perceptions Of Coercive Eyewitness Interviews, Alexa A. Mecikalski

Dissertations

The effects of coercive investigative questioning techniques have been extensively studied in the context of suspect interrogations; however, few studies have evaluated outcomes related to coercive questioning of eyewitnesses. Therefore, the present study investigated mock juror perceptions of the use of interrogation tactics during eyewitness questioning. Participants read a trial summary and provided trial judgments (e.g., verdict, eyewitness credibility, perceived coerciveness of the interview) pertaining to a case in which an eyewitness is questioned using either (1) maximization tactics (e.g. high pressure questioning, threats), (2) minimization tactics (e.g., minimizing severity or consequences), or (3) no tactics (e.g., statement provided voluntarily). …

Public Perceptions Of Sexual And Dating Violence: How Attitudes On Sexual Education, Pornography, And Masculinity Relate To Rape Myth Acceptance, Bailey Lane Saldana

Dissertations

Rape myths are false beliefs that explain sexual violence, and uphold current beliefs on sexual violence (Payne, Lonsway, & Fitzgerald, 1999). These myths can be learned and reinforced through a variety of sources, including formal school-based sexual education programs, pornography consumption, and peers. Through two studies, sexual education and rape myth were examined. In the first study, an exploratory content analysis of state sexual education guidelines was completed to better understand what information and guidance is provided by states to those providing sexual education. In the second study, a sample of 420 U.S. adults completed a factorial survey experiment wherein …

Building Bridges: Co-Producing Philanthropic Public-Private Partnerships For The United States National Park System, Jason S. Northern

Dissertations

The sustainability of America's National Park System increasingly relies on public–private partnerships that leverage private philanthropy. While the National Park Foundation provides national support, local Park Partner nonprofit organizations, like the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, are key to community-level fundraising and advocacy. This qualitative study of the St. Louis Arch grounds renovation examines how this public–private partnership structure influences donor motivation, trust, and engagement. Guided by Social Exchange Theory and Resource Dependency Theory, this research explores the relational and structural dynamics of this philanthropic co-production including reciprocal donor motivations and interdependence among public, private, and nonprofit partners. Fifteen semi-structured interviews …

Fear Of Victimization, Trust, Security, And Public Spaces In Guatemala, Keyla Navarrete

Dissertations

This dissertation explores fear of victimization, personal encounters with crime, perceptions of institutional trust, support for informal justice practices, and avoidance of spaces in Guatemala. Institutional trust—understood as individuals’ confidence in the police, judiciary, and correctional systems, particularly their fairness and effectiveness—is vital for democratic governance and social stability. High levels of trust in legal institutions can foster civic engagement, reduce social fragmentation, and encourage public cooperation in crime prevention. In contrast, diminished trust may lead individuals to withdraw from formal systems of justice, limiting the state's capacity to function effectively. Utilizing nationally representative data from the National Survey of …

Effectiveness Of A Classroom-Based Stress Awareness And Coping Skills Program Among Adolescents From Diverse Backgrounds, Adriane Van Zwoll

Dissertations

The ongoing youth mental health crisis in the United States, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has highlighted the urgent need for accessible and effective school-based interventions. This dissertation evaluates the effectiveness of Stress Less: Resilience for Success™, a single-session, classroom-based stress awareness and coping skills program implemented by NAMI Metro Suburban in diverse middle and high schools in the western suburbs of Chicago from 2018 to 2024. Using the CDC’s Framework for Program Evaluation, this study analyzes secondary data from 7,225 pre-test and post-test surveys and is complemented by qualitative informational interviews with current and former NAMI staff and volunteers …

2+2 Doesn't Always Equal 4: A Mixed Methods Approach To U.S.-Born Children Of Immigrants' Cultural Identities And Belonging, Teriin Lee

Dissertations

Within the next generation, one in five adults born in the United States will be a child of immigrants. Despite this, research on children of immigrants is limited. Specifically, the scholarship on this growing demographic limited their experiences to cultural identity, as it pertains to belonging. Simply put, the literature supposes that children of immigrants’ cultural identities define their sense of belonging. Moreover, the literature lacks insight into the lived experiences of children of immigrants, despite the increasing prevalence of this population.

This study aimed to address how children of immigrants experience cultural identity and belonging. A mixed methods research …