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“And The Next Day, You Are In Charge”: Policy Recommendations Stemming From A Qualitative Investigation Into The Professional Development Of Early Career Peer Support Specialists In Kentucky., Diane Zero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last twenty years, the peer support segment of the behavioral health workforce has grown rapidly. However, few researchers have studied the effects on individuals from transitioning into the role. Likewise, there is limited research examining the professional development process of early career peer support specialists. To begin to fill these gaps in the literature, I conducted a qualitative research study examining workforce development experiences of peer support specialists in Kentucky. This dissertation reports on its findings and includes a policy paper with recommendations for improving policy and practice. Chapter one offers an introduction to the peer support workforce …

Framing The Guard: A Content Analysis Of How The News Media Frames The National Guard During Times Of Crisis., Taylor L. Tolles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A quantitative content analysis of 585 newspaper articles gathered from seven news sources that covered the National Guard’s response to COVID-19, BLM Protests, and the Capitol Riot were used to determine the prevalence of frames used to depict the Guard during times of crisis. By using the five frames found in media framing (Entman, 1991), the prevalence of frames found in newspaper media was compared to the prevalence of frames found to be used in times of crisis (Semetko & Valkenburg, 2000). The results showed that even though the Guard’s response in times of crisis is similarly framed as previous …

Exploring Opportunities For Prevention Of Child Sexual Abuse In A Diverse American Muslim Community., Rishtya Meena Kakar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing the significant mental, emotional, developmental and health consequences for victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) and sociopolitical consequences for families and communities in every cultural, ethnic, and religious group around the world, this study sought to determine key opportunities for prevention of CSA in a diverse American Muslim community using a public health socioecological lens, rooted in aspects of critical theory. While there is considerable research on situational and individual-level risk factors related to CSA cases, there is less research on the societal and community-level processes related to the primary prevention of CSA, especially among minoritized communities. Responding to …

Examining Predictors Of Attitudes And Knowledge Of Registered Nurses And Nursing Students In Tennessee Toward Pregnant And Perinatal Women With A Substance Use Disorder, Jessica Patrylo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substance use disorders (SUDs) among pregnant and perinatal women continue to be a national public health crisis. Furthermore, nursing students and perinatal nurses have historically negative and punitive attitudes toward this vulnerable population of women. As nurses are primary care providers for pregnant and perinatal women, this is troublesome as perinatal patients express feeling stigmatized by nurses whom they should be able to trust. This contributes to the reluctance of women to seek needed medical and prenatal care. Tennessee was the first state to criminalize drug use in pregnancy and has higher neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) rates, which were more …

A Gap Analysis Of Reentry Services For Corrections-Involved Populations In Rural East Tennessee, Alyssa P. Gretak Leal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Returning citizens face a host of barriers when attempting to reintegrate into society; thus, services for these concerns are imperative for successful reintegration. Unfortunately, services are often lacking, particularly in rural communities which tend to be overlooked in reentry research. In order to better determine service need for justice-involved populations in rural communities, the current study completed a gap analysis, both inspired and supplemented, by qualitative information collected from mental health providers (MHPs) in a rural Appalachian region of Tennessee. To complete the gap analysis, an estimation of need was collected via local crime statistics. Using this data, a two-sample …

Use Of The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program For Substance Abuse Monitoring And Pain Management, Crystal P. Beddard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The United States is in an opioid epidemic. The comitant use of opiates and benzodiazepines can ultimately result in death. This project consisted of a quality improvement approach addressing the continued need to educate prescribers on coprescribing benzodiazepines and opioids to the adult population. A qualitative and quantitative descriptive analysis was utilized for data collection. The results will assist in determining if accessing the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) and utilizing evidence-based guidelines before prescribing treatment compared to the nonutilization of the PDMP and evidence-based guidelines aid in the reduction of mortality and overdose rates within a three-month period. …

Critical Thinking In Law Enforcement Training Academies: A Phenomenological Study Of Officer Experiences, Billy J. Spruill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, law enforcement officer use of force incidents resulting in death has seemingly become more prevalent. Generally, the educational requirement for a law enforcement officer is a high school diploma or general education development degree. One must question if this requirement is sufficient for a law enforcement officer to be successful in a modern world as the law enforcement training academy may be the law enforcement officer’s only postsecondary education. Critical thinking is a needed skill identified by high-stress professions such as the military, nursing, and disaster management, yet there is limited study regarding critical thinking in law enforcement. The …

School Leaders And Exclusionary Practices: A Study Of Discretionary Daep Placements For Minority Special Education Students, Tiffany Laine Weiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the perceptions of assistant principals, counselors, and school district-level administrators about the overrepresentation of minority special education students in district alternative education placements. The purpose of this study was to examine the discipline practices at three middle school campuses in one 6A urban school district to understand minority special education students’ overrepresentation in discretionary district alternative education placements. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews with assistant principals, counselors, one dean of students, one assistant superintendent, and one special education director. A document analysis and a data review were conducted to triangulate the results. The findings indicated that years …

You Are Not Welcome Here: Sloterdijk’S Posthumanism And The Rhetoric Of Hostile Urban Architecture And Design, Brandon William Aungst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation brings together three scholarship areas: rhetorical theory and analysis, hostile urban architecture and design, and Sloterdijk’s version of posthumanism. I synthesize these complementary areas to address the following questions: How do architecture and design contribute to the rhetorical meaning-making of being human and facilitate the communication of that meaning to others? How do different types of architecture and design produce the material contexts for conceptualizing what humanness means and contribute to the development of fore-structures for interpreting and communicating that humanness (e.g., hostile architecture and barbed wire)? How can we conceptualize various types of architecture and design, or …

In Pursuit Of Innocence: A Study Of Race And Ethnicity Differences In Time To Exoneration., Virginia E. Braden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wrongful convictions take years from an individual’s life, rob them of the comfort and presence of their family, rip them from their place in the community, and subject them to the harsh pains of imprisonment. Exonerees can spend years and even decades in the pursuit of proving innocence and obtaining an exoneration. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of race and ethnicity upon time-to-exoneration through the lens of focal concerns theory. Focal concerns theory has been used to demonstrate that criminal justice actors are influenced by legal and extralegal factors in decision making and rely on …

Focal Concerns And Case Advancement In Sexual Assault Cases: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., David Stuart Lapsey Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have frequently used focal concerns to explain case advancement – suspect identification, case clearance, and arrest and charge decisions – in sexual assault cases. Indeed, focal concerns has been popularly used to explain prosecutor decision-making and, more recently, it has increasingly been used to explain police decision-making in sexual assault cases. As such, a systematic review and meta-analysis is needed to synthesize and evaluate existing literature. In this study, meta-analysis is used to estimate the overall size, strength, and direction of focal concerns variables on case advancement in sexual assault cases by using police officers’ decision to arrest and …

Incidental Exposure, Political Activity And Perceived Trust., Brianna Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines the concept of incidental versus traditional exposure to information through the context of a police brutality incident. Incidental exposure on social media is when a person is exposed to information or imagery without prior warning. It is hypothesized that 1) individuals who are incidentally exposed to a graphic police brutality event will be more likely to participate in politics and 2) will have lower perceived trust in the government. This randomized study utilizes two treatments (incidental exposure and traditional exposure) and a control group. Analysis of the data shows that support for H₁ is only …

Correctional Officers' Response To Stress: An Exploration Of The Associations Between Violence And Trauma Exposure, Coping Mechanisms, And Ptsd., Katie Lorraine Hughes-Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines correctional officer coping mechanisms and whether they impact the likelihood of an officer developing PTSD symptoms. Additionally, research questions focus on whether problem-focused or emotion-focused coping mechanisms moderate the relationship between exposure to trauma and PTSD symptoms. The data for the current dissertation comes from a larger National Institute of Justice grant determined to examine mindfulness as an intervention for correctional officer PTSD within Kentucky Department of Corrections. Approximately 245 officers from seven adult institutions participated in the study and completed a lengthy survey. Main variables for the current analysis include two dependent variables, both of …

Biomechanical Characterization Of Video-Recorded Short-Distance Falls Involving Children Equipped With A Biometric Device In A Childcare Setting: A Pilot Study., Danielle K. Cory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: A fall is the most common falsely reported injury scenario when a young child presents for medical care and the caregiver is concealing abuse. There is a lack of reliably witnessed falls with known outcomes to aid in the distinction between accidental and abusive injuries.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to characterize video-recorded short distance falls involving young children in a childcare setting, to identify body regions most commonly impacted in these short distance falls, to characterize the head biomechanics of these falls, and describe fall characteristics. Additionally, physics-based models were used to predict fall biomechanics in …

An Exploration Of Factors Related To Recidivism Rates Among Mentally Ill Parolees, Sierra Kitzmiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although criminality among mentally ill individuals is a well-documented phenomenon, limited research has focused on specific factors that need to be addressed to combat this issue. Utilizing the theoretical framework of Shaw and McKay’s (1942) Social Disorganization Theory, in conjunction with collective efficacy (Sampson et al., 1997) and social capital (Coleman, 1988), different factors were explored in an attempt to discover their relationship with recidivism. Using secondary data from Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies, variables such as homelessness, unemployment, and religious importance were analyzed in relation to rearrest rates from 889 parolees nine months post-release. Marriage, sex, and age …

A Qualitative Investigation Into The Trauma Exhibited By First Responders Tackling The Opioid Epidemic In Tennessee, Thalia Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent increases in opioid overdose rates have changed the role of first responders on the front lines of this national crisis. The present study used a semi-structured qualitative interview to investigate how the increase in opioids, opioid-related harm, and opioid-related death within Tennessee has affected the first responder population. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics (N = 30) from rural-serving counties in Tennessee completed a semi-structured interview. Eight themes emerged from the interviews: (1) mental health symptoms, including posttraumatic stress disorder and secondary traumatic stress symptoms; (2) coping behaviors; (3) available resources; (4) barriers to accessing resources; (5) recommendations …

Profiling Beyond Race: Characteristics Associated With Traffic Stop Outcomes, Megan Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research related to profiling and the outcome of traffic stops has generally focused on the race of the individuals involved. Little research has examined other characteristics, such as age and socioeconomic status, that may also play a role in traffic stop outcomes. The current study sought to address this limitation in two ways: (1) determine whether the characteristics of age, sex, race, social class, and demeanor are profiled during traffic stops and (2) whether these characteristics influenced the outcome of the traffic stops with regard to tickets and vehicle searches. Secondary data were utilized from the 2015 Police-Public Contact Survey. …

It’S Not All Aces: The Role Of Negative Parental Influences And Criminal Thinking In Juvenile Offending Behaviors, Branna Humphrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and criminal thinking in causing criminal behavior has been explored extensively in criminal justice research. Based on the concepts of ACEs and the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Scale, the negative parental influences and criminal thinking styles of 1,354 juvenile offenders were examined to establish that negative parental influences and criminal thinking are separately associated with juvenile problem and offending behavior, and that criminal thinking mediates the relationship between negative parental influences and juvenile problem and offending behavior. Analyses showed support for criminal thinking as a pathway from negative parental influences to juvenile …

Investigating The Association Between Adolescent Polysubstance Use, Crime, And Violence In The United States, Christian Nwabueze

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lifetime prevalence of alcohol in the United States is 8% and lifetime prevalence of illicit drug use is about 2-3%. Substance use is common among adolescents and polysubstance use is becoming a public health threat.

The prevalence of adolescent physical dating violence was 8.2%, the prevalence of adolescent sexual violence was also 8.2% while the prevalence of dual adolescent physical and sexual violence was 2.6%. Compared to those who used only single substances, adolescents who did not use any substance were 60% less likely (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.24 – 0.74) to experience physical dating violence, 50% …

The Camouflaged Crime: Perceptions Of Poaching In Southern Appalachia, Randi Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of poaching within the Southern Appalachian Region. To date, little research has been conducted on the general topic of poaching and no studies have focused on this Region. Several research questions were pursued, including perceptions of poacher motivations, methods and concern regarding apprehension and punishment. The study gathered data through qualitative interviews with 27 conservation officers and outdoorsmen located in Southern Appalachia to address these questions. Results provided useful information regarding the unique characteristics of the poaching problem within the Region, which are discussed in detail. Implications and directions for future …

Testimonios Of Resilient Salvadoran Immigrants Who Graduated From A Public High School In The United States And Pursued Further Education, Leticia Ann Guzman Ingram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There was little research-based understanding of how immigrant students manage to flourish and seek postsecondary educational opportunities. Understanding the experiences of Salvadoran immigrants who graduated from high school could enable educators in the United States to meet their needs more effectively. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore through the testimonios of the experiences of Salvadoran immigrants who graduated from a public high school in the United States and were currently pursuing further education or a career. The research design was narrative research, and the data were used to discern how immigrant youth learn to flourish to answer …

Leadership In Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs And The School To Prison Pipeline, April Michele Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current research about the school to prison pipeline has focused on the impact of zero-tolerance policies in public education on historically marginalized student populations, especially school exclusionary practices of minority and learning-disabled students. This transcendental phenomenological study extended the understanding of disciplinary alternative education programs’ place in the school to prison pipeline trajectory. According to critical race and social justice leadership theories, the investigation and exposure of the public education components leading students into the school to prison pipeline are violations of student civil rights that require scrutiny and actionable public education reform focused on equity and inclusion.The purpose of …

Teachers' Perspectives Of Restorative Disciplinary Practices, Asma Anwar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this phenomenological qualitative study, the perceptions of middle school teachers regarding the implementation of restorative practices with their students with disabilities were examined. Exclusionary suspensions have been overwhelmingly employed to handle student discipline, and students with disabilities experience these harsh punishments at higher rates than their general education peers. However, an increasing number of school districts have started to utilize alternative therapeutic methods, such as restorative practices, to handle conflict and build relationships. The researcher’s goal was to understand better the lived experiences of teachers when implementing these practices and understand the challenges they faced while building connections with …

Restorative Strategies Used To Reduce Disproportionality In Texas Schools That Have Implemented Restorative Practices, Shenita Y. Alsbrooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify restorative practice strategies than can be used to reduce disproportionality in school discipline in Texas schools. Exclusionary discipline practices have created disproportionality in school discipline. While zero-tolerance policies are no longer considered effective in addressing conflict in schools, many schools are implementing restorative practices as a promising alternative. Restorative practices have shown to contribute to positive school culture, specifically by improving student achievement, improving attendance, improving student-teacher relationships, and lowering discipline issues. Interviews using semistructured questions were used to conduct this study. In this qualitative case study, participants at suburban …

Validation Of A Deployable Proteomic Assay For The Serological Screening Of Sexual Assault Samples, Catherine O'Sullivan Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a technique to supplant traditional serological tests for body fluid identification. It was hypothesized that proteomic techniques would surpass the sensitivity and specificity of traditional serological techniques. An automated workflow coupled with protein MS has been developed for the confirmatory identification of five biological fluids. A developmental validation was completed, assessing parameters such as reproducibility, sensitivity, ion suppression, and limit of detection. Implementation was determined through tandem sample processing by MS, traditional serological tests, and standard DNA profiling methods. The MS approach offered superior detection limits while also providing true confirmatory results, producing …

Resentenced And Released: Re-Entry Needs Following Release From Juvenile Life Without Parole, Daphne M. Brydon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over 2,100 individuals serving juvenile life without paroles (JLWOP) sentences in the U.S. became eligible for resentencing following the 2016 Montgomery v. Louisiana Supreme Court ruling. Michigan housed an estimated 370 juvenile lifers at that time, the second largest JLWOP community in the country and has since resentenced and released approximately 120 juvenile lifers. Folx released from prison encounter many barriers to successful re-entry. Barriers are often amplified for those incarcerated as adolescents. Further, services are de-prioritized for folx serving JLWOP sentences, which can be especially damaging for this community whose life experiences are marked by high rates of trauma, …

Demystifying School Resource Officers: A Case Study, Alexis Sliva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a dramatic spike in student arrests for behaviors that previously fell under the auspices of suspensions, expulsions, or family consultations. Black and Latinx students receive discipline and law enforcement referrals at superfluous levels compared to White peers. Additionally, the disproportionate and aggressive referral of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students for disciplinary action are often for infractions that are considered less severe than the actions of their White counterparts. Punitive discipline advances school-based pathways to the juvenile justice system (SPJJ), formerly known as the school to prison pipeline (STPP). School psychologists are …

Interrogating The Socio-Ethical Dilemmas Of Precision Agriculture Technologies, Ayorinde Ogunyiola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Farming has moved into a digital age where data and information are available to farmers to make informed agronomic and financial on-farm decisions. The development of precision agriculture (PA), such as big data technologies and machine learning algorithms is transforming the agricultural food production system in diverse ways, economically, environmentally, and socially. Despite benefits afforded by PA to agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability, these technologies can raise unintended societal challenges that can also limit their adoption among farmers. PA is changing how farming is done, reconstructing farmers’ social identities, and influencing relationships between farmers, agronomists, and technology developers. This dissertation …

Encroachment: College Athletes’ Experiences With Identity Development As Affected By Media Representations Of Social Justice Demonstrations, Madison Remi Vanwalleghen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to understand how communication and identity are experienced by Black university athletes in asking about their experiences and how they gauge mainstream media portrayals of Black NFL athletes making verbal or physical statements about or in protest of social injustice, racism, and inequality in America. I interviewed five university athletes identifying as Black/African American or Mixed- Race using media representations of Black NFL athletes’ protests since the NFL has dominated mainstream media headlines regarding recent athletes’ protests, especially in connection to the Black Lives Matter social movement. I also used several theories to interpret the data …

The Perceptions That Um First-Generation College Students Have Regarding The Impact Of Campus Engagement On Their Success At The Institution, Martin B. Fisher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-generation students are often underprepared for college and have lower persistence rates (Balemian & Feng, 2013), and they face a unique set of challenges in their transition to college that many of their peers do not (Pelco, Bell, & Lockeman, 2014). Consistent with national statistics, data obtained from UM’s Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning indicate first-generation students at UM persist and graduate at lower rates than their peers whose parents have a bachelor’s degree.

There are many reasons why first-generation students have lower success rates, and, for some students, a lack of engagement is one of them (Pascarella, …