Digital Commons Network^™

Risk Factors For Running Away Among A General Population Sample Of Males And Females, Kimberly A. Tyler, Kellie J. Hagewen, Lisa A. Melander

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The present study examines risk factors for running away and homelessness among a sample of more than 7,000 currently housed youth using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Structural equation modeling results revealed that those with greater levels of family instability and those who ran away at Wave 2 were significantly more likely to run away and/or become homeless 5 years later at Wave 3. Family instability also had a significant indirect effect on running away and/or being homeless at Wave 3 through greater levels of problem behaviors and running away at Wave 2. Running away at …

Analysis Of Two-Year Colleges: Transfer, Retention And Graduation, Darshak P. Patel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Investment in higher education is typically considered as a static discrete-choice problem where students make post-secondary education choices usually right after high school (Heckman et al., 2006). This is largely aligned with Becker’s human capital theory. As Becker’s theory holds, students’ decisions can alter with the arrival of new information (Weisbrod, 1964). By relaxing the assumption certainty in the human capital model, student education decisions can be modeled using Weisbrod’s option value theory. According to this theory, students reevaluate their lifetime-utility maximizing decisions based on new information acquired in a sequential nature. Students face large uncertainties due to unexpected positive …

Predictors Of High School Graduation In Foster Youth, Clifford A. Stewart

Doctoral Dissertations

Academic achievement in foster youth can be influenced by factors related to the foster care experience. The purpose of this study was to determine if gender, ethnicity, time in placement, type of placement, number of placements, and special education status could predict high school graduation in foster youth. To conduct the study a group of foster youth that graduated from high school (n=390) was compared to a group of foster youth that did not graduate from high school (n-400). Sample data were fit to a logistic regression prediction model on the independent variables of gender, ethnicity, time in placement, type …

Religion And Volunteering In Four Sub-Saharan African Countries, Meredith J. Grief, Amy Adamczyk, Jacob Felson

Publications and Research

Much research has examined the relationship between religion and civic engagement, finding that more religious people are more likely to donate their time, energy, and money to community organizations. The overwhelming majority of the quantitative research on the relationship between religion and civic engagement has been done in Europe and North America. However, we know that many people living in sub-Saharan Africa volunteer their time, and because of the many economic, social, and health problems that plague the continent, the need for local volunteers is particularly acute. This article uses data from the 2000 World Values Survey and multivariate regression …

Interprofessional Empathy In An Acute Healthcare Setting, Keith Adamson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Interprofessional collaboration is emerging as a key factor in reshaping healthcare practices in Canada over the last eight years. Collaboration in healthcare necessarily implies health providers sharing responsibility and partnering with each other in order to provide comprehensive patient care. A review of the empirical literature on teamwork in healthcare settings suggests that relationships between service providers remain conflictual and variable in their commitment to interprofessional collaboration (Zwarnstein & Bryant 2000). Recently, social psychologists have given considerable attention to the possibility that empathy could be used to improve intergroup attitudes and relations (Batson & Ahmad, 2009). Although empathy may be …

An Exploration Of Factors Impacting Youth Volunteers Who Provide Indirect Services, Andrea M. Mcarthur

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Youth volunteerism is highly researched by volunteer organizations, but little is known about the factors impacting youth who provide indirect volunteering and the strengths and challenges which they face. Volunteering is indirect when the results of a volunteer’s work travels through more than one channel, (usually stakeholders spreading a message or raising funds), before reaching the intended client. Awareness raising and fundraising activities are two common examples of indirect volunteering that are attractive to many youth.

Ten youth volunteers from five different organizations in the Greater Toronto Area were interviewed in order to investigate three important questions about indirect volunteering. …

Double The Outcomes: Employing Sensory Based Approaches To Improve The Quality Of Care And Reduce The Use Of Restraints On Inpatient Behavioral Health Units, Mary Ellen O'Connell Rn, Bsn, Msn, Mba, Jennifer P. Maloney Ms, Otr/L, Stephanie Lenhart Mba, Cphq

Administration & Leadership

No abstract provided.

January 2011 Newsletter, Career Center, Illinois Wesleyan University

Career Connections Newsletter

Issue Highlights:

• Alumni Profile of Robert Rave, Class of 1996: Publicist and Author of Spin and Waxed
• The Realities of a Changing Job Market
• Cleaning Up Your Online Presence: Why and How?

Participant Characteristics And Child Welfare Outcomes: Factors Of Influence For Success In The Vip-Ri Program, Alisha Kutzler

Open Access Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics associated with success, defined by a closed case with Child Welfare Services and reunification with biological child, in the Vulnerable Infants Program of Rhode Island (VIP-RI). Data utilized for this study came from participants from the first four years of the VIP-RI program including 206 mothers involved in the Rhode Island Family Treatment Drug Court. These mothers met criteria for this program if they used drugs during pregnancy and voluntarily opted to be part of the VIP-RI program. Demographic, service history and psycho-behavioral variables were examined and, of the hypothesized variables …

Successful Engineering And Technology Student Mobility: Key Student Perspectives And Quality Determinants Before, During And After Student Exchange Under The Atlantis Programme, Mike Murphy, Donal Mchale, Michael Dyrenfurth, James Barnes

Articles

The EU-US Agreement through the Atlantis Programmes supports consortia of higher education and training institutions working together at undergraduate or graduate level to improve their educational services, to compare and modernise curricula and to develop joint study programmes with full recognition of credits and qualifications. The EU-US Atlantis Programme funds innovative projects across three strands: mobility projects, double or joint “transatlantic degrees” for students in the EU and US and policy-oriented measures. The main focus of activities must be on transatlantic rather than intra-European or intra-American interactions. Funded activities, such as the development of curricula, joint study programmes, exchanges and …

Longitudinal Evaluation Of The Impact Of Placement Development Teams On Student Support In Clinical Practice., Graham R. Williamson, Lynne Callaghan, Emma Whittlesea, Lauren Mutton, Val Heath

School of Nursing and Midwifery

AIMS: To investigate the impact of a new structure for supporting healthcare students and mentors in practice placements (Placement Development Teams). INTRODUCTION: The English Model National Partnership Agreement for healthcare education required Strategic Health Authorities, Higher Education Institutions and National Health Service Trusts to redesign strategies for student support. Placement Development Teams are one English University's response to this. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: This study was phase 2 of a longitudinal qualitative evaluation of Placement Development Teams. Data were collected after establishment of Placement Development Teams, and compared and contrasted with those collected prior to their implementation. Telephone interviews were conducted …

Developing Design Materials For Yes Campaign For The Referendum For Children's Rights In The Constitution. (Part 2), Hana Hudakova

Students Learning with Communities

No abstract provided.

The Link Between Functional Behavioral Assessment And Behavioral Intervention Plans, Megan Kathleen Seamans Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The inclusion of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavioral intervention plans (BIP) in the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) 2004 changed the way an educator can discipline a student with a disability . Limited research has been conducted to evaluate FBAs and BIPs completed in the school setting, more specifically the use of FBA data to inform the BIP, and compliance with IDEIA mandates. The current study examined 72 initial FBAs and BIPs completed by school teams in a Midwest regional education agency. Findings indicate the majority of teams were out of compliance with IDEIA …

The Role Of Work Environment On Employee Job Engagement, Micayla Michelle Evers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Employee job engagement is an increasingly popular and important construct in organizations in the United States. Job engagement is widely considered to have a strong influence on employee job performance, turnover rates, burnout, etc. Many variables contribute to this important construct, and work environment encompasses one of these variables. This study addresses the impact of physical work environment and social work environment in predicting employee job engagement. The current study found that both physical work environment and social work environment were significant predictors of employee job engagement and that physical work environment had a slightly larger impact. Exploratory analyses were …

Asia Pacific Perspectives Vol. 10 No. 2, November 2011, University Of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Contents:

Editor's Note by Joaquin Jay Gonazalez and John Nelson

Beyond the Hot Debate: Social and Policy Implications of Climate Change in Australia by Lawrence Niewójt and Adam Hughes Henry

This paper discusses the social and policy implications of climate change on the world’s most arid populated continent. Warmer average temperatures will have real, identifiable impacts on human health, marginalized sectors of the population, and the sustainability of rural and coastal communities in Australia. By analysing indicators of environmental health and social welfare we can identify emerging threats posed by a warmer climate. Policy-makers will need to devise a suite …

What Critical Success Factors Are Necessary And Sufficient For Provision Of Development Care For Each Young Person In Irish Residential Care And Youth Care?, Gay Graham

Doctoral

This study seeks to better understand the organisational factors that impact on provision of
frontline residential care in Ireland. An historical overview of Irish residential youth care clarifies factors which shaped it by contriving to establish a system of residential youth care which catered for large numbers of children in institutions run by Catholic religious orders. A social risk model of care prevailed in Ireland, focused on the segregation and control of children by enforcement of a regimented, sectarian regime. Despite the fact that the Irish
Child Care Act 1991 which currently regulates residential child and youth care mandates
youth …

"You Can See It In Their Eyes:" A Communication Ethnography Of A Humane Society, Sara Victoria Kaufman

Dissertations and Theses

This study sought to understand the culture-sharing group of people working within the shelter area of a Pacific Northwest animal shelter through the Ethnography of Communication. About 63% of households in the United States live with a companion animal (Risley-Curtis et al., 2006). Recently, there has been a shift toward closer examination into the ways in which humans interact with animals, particularly companion animals. The guiding questions of this study were: RQ1: What are the cultural communication forms performed in the context of the humane society? RQ2: How do shelter workers communicate about companion animals? RQ3: What cultural meanings are …

Investigating The Predictors Of Postsecondary Education Success And Post-College Life Circumstances Of Foster Care Alumni, Amy Michele Salazar

Dissertations and Theses

As a group, youth who have spent time in foster care are far behind the general population in postsecondary educational attainment. Nevertheless, most do hold aspirations for higher education. For those who make it to college, foster care alumni face a variety of obstacles related to successful postsecondary completion. However, it is unclear whether the factors that affect postsecondary success in this population are similar to those identified for other college students or more unique to the distinctive experience of being in foster care. Furthermore, while there is general consensus that higher education is beneficial to foster care alumni in …

Gender, Culture, And Prison Classification: Testing The Reliability And Validity Of A Prison Classification System, Aimée Ryan Bellmore

Dissertations and Theses

Research consistently shows actuarial classification instruments have equal or higher predictive validity than clinical judgment and can lead to more ethical and fair treatment of incarcerated men and women (Austin, 1983, 1986; Bonta, 2002; Clements, 1981; Holsigner, Lowenkamp, & Latessa, 2006; Meehl, 1954; Salisbury, Van Voorhis, & Spiropoulos, 2009). Best correctional practice recommends all objective classification systems are tested for reliability and validity to ensure they are effective for the population they intend to serve (Austin, 1986; Holsinger et al., 2006; Salisbury et al., 2009). This study examined the reliability and validity of the classification and assessment instruments currently used …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between Violence Exposure, Internalizing And Externalizing Problems, And Adolescent Alcohol Use, Gregory Lloyd Forehand

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescent Alcohol Use (AAU) is widespread and potentially harmful to the health of youth. Substantial research and theoretical development suggest that both violence exposure and internalizing and externalizing problems of adolescents are associated with AAU. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the roles of internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents to determine if the two types of symptoms are differential mediators of the link between violence exposure and AAU for females and males. Using Developmental Systems Theory as a framework, three primary hypotheses were examined: 1) Increased violence exposure at home and in the community are associated …

Adoptive Parents' Perceptions Of Their Open Versus Closed Adoptions, Begum Nebol

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The author presents a research study on adoptive parents' perceptions of their own open versus closed adoptions. The main research interest behind this study was to identify similarities and differences between open versus closed adoption methods. Thus, this paper offers description and exploratory analysis of the adoption literature as well as discussion of the findings of this research study.

The Influence Of Personality And Affect On Motives For Playing Drinking Games, Steven V. Bindl

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drinking game participation is widespread in the U.S. college student population and has been shown to be associated with heavy drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences. Prior research has identified several predictors of alcohol use and alcohol-related negative consequences. Additionally, prior investigations have indicated that alcohol-related negative consequences are related to an individual's motives for using alcohol. College students have reported a variety of reasons for playing drinking games that are associated with higher levels of alcohol use, problems, and various personality dimensions and affective states. Although previous studies have also suggested that motives for drinking are the final common pathway …

The Social Impacts Of Tropical Storm Ondoy And Typhoon Pepeng: The Recovery Of Communities In Metro Manila And Luzon, Czarina Saloma-Akpedonu, Maria Elissa J. Lao

Sociology & Anthropology Department Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Assessment On Repeat Deliberate Self-Harm, Kellie Jones

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Deliberate self-harm is a pervasive issue that is the topic of worldwide clinical and research focus. Among the extensive research findings two salient issues emerge that provide the foundation for this study. The first is that a deliberate self-harm attempt is a significant risk factor for future attempts. The second is that a comprehensive assessment of a person presenting with an incident of deliberate self-harm can reduce further deliberate self-harming behaviour. A limitation of existing research is that no study has clearly identified the nature of assessments that impact on the likelihood of future self-harm attempts. The initial aim of …

A Study Of Why Some Inner-City, African-American Churches In Chicago Have Undergone Significant Membership Declines, While Others Have Seen Large Increases In Memberships In The Post-Civil Rights Era, Norman Goodwin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Called "Out" At Home: The One Strike Eviction Policy And Juvenile Court, Wendy J. Kaplan, David Rossman

Faculty Scholarship

One of the harshest collateral consequences of a juvenile delinquency case is the prospect of eviction from public housing. Under the federal government’s One Strike policy, public housing authorities are encouraged to evict families for any criminal act by their children, no matter how trivial. This politically popular policy creates more social ills than it cures. There is no evidence that it reduces crime in public housing, but there is abundant evidence that it makes families homeless, puts children out on the street, leads police departments to breach laws concerning confidentiality of juvenile proceedings, and creates conflicts of interest between …

Landscape, Mobilities, And Performance: An Autoethnographic And Visual Engagement With Public Protests In Washington, Dc, Paul Ronald Watts

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how geography’s traditional approach to studying cultural landscapes, which has been largely reliant upon vision, should also include the embodied practices: the customary and habitual actions that inform human engagement. Using public protests in Washington, DC as an extended case study, I reveal an underlying tension between protest participants’ embodied practices and material objects in the built environment. I accomplish this by drawing from over one year’s fieldwork in Washington, where I used qualitative approaches, including—but not limited to—participant observation and autoethnography, to engage in public protests as an embodied participant. To support my empirical data, I …

An Exploration Of The Paradigm Of Kinship Caregiving And Caregivers' Experiences With Child Welfare And Public Welfare Systems Using Critical Theory Analysis, Tara Valinchus Dejohn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Kinship caregiving as a paradigm in the United States (US) is historically linked to slavery subcultural practices. Over time, dominant US systems have vacillated in demonstrating formal acknowledgement of kinship as an acceptable family unit and in availing resources to support kinship caregiving. The patterns and practices of these variations pertaining to kinship caregiving as a paradigm has received little attention despite documentation of its increased utilization in public child welfare and welfare systems. This exploratory case study responds to the paucity of knowledge regarding the systemic shifts towards the kinship caregiving paradigm and the perspectives of kinship caregivers who …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of An Early Truancy Intervention For Reducing Chronic Absenteeism Amongst At-Risk Students Through The Use Of Regression Discontinuity Analysis, Johanna M. Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Truancy is a major social problem affecting students, families, schools, and communities in the United States and is associated with low academic achievement, grade retention, and dropout. Truancy is also correlated with other adverse life outcomes including delinquency, substance abuse, and incarceration. Social work best practices literature suggests that truancy interventions should take place before habitual chronic truancy becomes a problem. There are few truancy preventions for elementary-age students that have been empirically assessed. Thus, this study examined the effectiveness of the Truancy Assessment and Service Centers intensive case management intervention for elementary-aged students (N = 700) using a quasi-experimental …

The Times-Picayune Coverage Of Three Incidents Resulting In Capital Trials, Sean Seosop Muggivan

LSU Master's Theses

Death penalty cases are truly the most unique cases in the criminal justice system. Much research has been done showing that the death qualification process venripersons must undergo results in jurors un-empathetic to the kind of information used to mitigate the death penalty, as well as creating a jury that is more susceptible to pretrial publicity. This study reviews this research and analyzes the content of a New Orleans’ newspaper’s coverage of three incidents resulting in capital trials. It was found that, similar to a study done in California that was the model for this study’s content analysis, the newspaper …