Digital Commons Network^™

Good Trouble: Disrupting The Disproportionality Of Black Boys In Special Education Due To Misdiagnosed And Unaddressed Trauma, Montrell Pryor

DSW Capstone Projects

Black boys experience a myriad of trauma as they navigate through society under the gaze of white patriarchy and archetypes. Whether engaging in trauma or witnessing it, it impacts Black boys tremendously, particularly in the educational setting. What typically looks like misbehavior in the classroom can be symptoms of unaddressed and untreated trauma that have been triggered and exacerbated in the school setting. As a result, this phenomenon contributes to the disproportionality of Black boys in special education and adds to the expansion of the school-to-prison pipeline.

This capstone provides a thorough examination of the literature in the form of …

The Experiences Of Religiously And Spiritually Diverse Counselors And Psychotherapists Who Work With Survivors Of Sexual Violence, John M. Waters

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of religiously and spiritually diverse counselors and psychotherapists who work with survivors of sexual violence. The researcher used a transcendental phenomenological approach to understand how the participants engaged their religious and/or spiritual identity to cope with the traumatic stress that accompanies continuous exposure to their clients’ trauma narratives over time. As the only study that has examined these phenomena qualitatively, the present study aimed to enhance counselors and counselor educators’ understanding of the ways that religiously and spiritually diverse counselors make meaning of their experiences. The researcher collected …

Challenging The Norm: Raising The Bar For Educators Of Foster Youth, Valerie A. Storey, Fletcher Roschanda

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

An increasing number of foster youth find themselves representing a vast majority of the most academically vulnerable population. The trauma and neglect experienced by foster youth is but one of many factors influencing educational achievement. The role of educators in foster youth educational attainment is critical. It requires teachers and school leaders to understand the complexities of trauma; to positively develop comprehensive knowledge of trauma-informed practices; and the ability to create a learning environment where foster youth feel supported in their educational journey.

Imagining White Victims And Punishing Black Trauma: Whiteness, Anti-Blackness, Trauma, And Social Work In Canadian K-12 Schools, Christine Mayor

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study critically examined how whiteness and anti-Blackness structure Canadian school social workers’ understanding and responses to students’ expressions of trauma in K-12 schools. Very few studies have previously explored the damage that increasingly popular trauma-engaged school programs may be doing, particularly to Black students. Therefore, this study addressed the role that school social workers play in reproducing harm for racialized, and especially Black, students when implementing trauma-engaged practices.

This critical qualitative study used an innovative methodology combining fictional vignettes and semi-structured interview questions with Ontario school social workers (n=19). Data were analyzed using critical whiteness, anti-Blackness, and critical trauma …

The Creative Arts Personal Growth Group (Capg): Transforming Fear And Shame, Lisa S. Sosin, Sandra Noble, John Jonathan Suroshan Harrichand, Lynn Bohecker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Literature highlights the long-term effects of bullying and interpersonal cruelty, including symptoms of trauma and shame. Although scholars have encouraged the development of trauma-informed group interventions for adults with a history of bullying, they have yet to be developed. This article introduces The Creative Arts Personal Growth Group: Transforming Fear and Shame with Compassion, Courage, and Community (CAPG) and presents findings from a phenomenlogocial pilot study exploring participants’ experiences. Themes of containment, creativity, and community promoted regulation of symptoms and selfidentity within the context of a safe, inclusive, and affirming group experience. Implications and recommendations are provided.

The Impact Of Trauma On Parenting Experiences Of Refugees, Mili Menon-Perez

Honors Theses

The importance of understanding trauma amongst refugees and providing trauma-informed care continues to grow as the number of refugees in the United States steadily increases. Despite the necessity of providing trauma-informed services to this population, a limited number of studies have explored the impact of trauma on this population and how to improve case management. This literature review aims to analyze the relationship between trauma and parenting experiences of refugees within the United States. It also aims to explore the impact of trauma on parenting experiences within this population and how social workers can best provide trauma-informed and culturally competent …

Gormley, Quinn, Liam Dunn, Katherine Sucy

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Quinn Gormley, who uses she/they pronouns, is 27 years old and lives with their husband and dog in Auburn, Maine. Quinn became involved in activism and trans liberation in 2011 after attending a support group with Maine TransNet, a grassroots trans organization serving Mainers. Since then, they have been highly involved with the organization and took on the role of Executive Director in 2016. Prior to Maine TransNet, Quinn worked in public health managing an HIV testing program for the Health Equity Alliance, one of the state’s main AIDS service organizations. She attended the University Church of Chicago for Percussion …

Trauma, André Douglas Pond Cummings

Law Faculty Scholarship

Meek Mill’s life and career have been punctuated by trauma. From childhood through his current adulthood, Mill has experienced excruciating trauma even as a well-known hip hop artist. In 2018’s track of that name Trauma, Mill describes in illuminating prose just how these traumatic experiences harmed and impacted him personally describing the very same harms that impact so many similarly situated young black people in the United States. Meek Mill, as a child, witnessed violent death and experienced poverty while as a young man he was arrested and incarcerated (wrongly). Despite his star turn as a true hip hop icon, …

Secondary Traumatic Stress In School Psychology Practicum And Internship Students, John Phillip Burnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School psychology practicum and internship students increasingly engaged in activities in which they assisted children and clients who were survivors of various traumatic experiences. It has become apparent that the psychological effects of secondary traumatic stress (STS) extend beyond those directly affected and impact those in a variety of helping professions. Despite research that examined STS in various helping professions, gaps currently exist that describe STS in school psychology. In reported research, similar helping professionals engaged in school psychology service activities, which resulted in elevated STS symptoms and other adverse outcomes (Ravi et al., 2021). This study posited that school …

Overcoming Trauma: A Phenomenological Study Of Adults Who Overcame Childhood Trauma, Mary Ann P. Crowder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of individuals who overcame childhood trauma to become resilient adults. For this study, a resilient adult was defined by successful academic and career outcomes. Successful academic outcomes were operationalized as post-secondary educational attainment and successful career outcomes were demonstrated by steady employment of a professional career pathway. Terr’s (1991) theory of childhood trauma and Garmezy and Rutter’s (1983) resilience theory guided the study designed to answer the following central research question: What are the lived experiences of individuals who have overcome adverse childhood experiences to become resilient adults? The study involved thirteen …

Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Effect On Students' Social And Academic Success, Leslie Ray

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Adverse childhood experiences are defined as potentially traumatic events that occur before the age of 17 and include experiences such as violence or abuse in the home, substance abuse or mental health problems of a direct caretaker, neglect, incarceration of a parent, divorce, and other events that can negatively affect a child's sense of safety and stability in their home. These adverse experiences are commonly referred to as ACEs, and research has shown a direct link between a child's ACEs score and chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance abuse problems in adulthood. Research has also shown that these experiences …

Elements Of Teaching Trauma, Michelle J. Evers

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Providing support to students who have experienced childhood trauma requires whole school involvement. From school shootings that shock the nation to the daily violence, poverty, abuse, and addiction in communities that rarely make headlines, students and their families often experience traumatic events that can alter their lives forever. Unions and districts across the country are working together to address the epidemic of trauma in schools with students’ and educators’ needs in mind; collaborating to transform schools into "trauma-informed" environments, taking vital steps to become safe havens for every student. Trauma-sensitive focus on education supports a school community where students feel …

An Analysis Of Effects Of Vicarious Trauma Among Attorneys: A Descriptive Qualitative Approach To Develop Training Programs Focused On Reducing Vicarious Trauma Among Attorneys, Kyla Eileen Gray

Masters Theses

Vicarious trauma refers to exposure to another person's traumatic experience. Professionals working within the criminal justice system, policing, courts, or mental health are regularly exposed to traumatic events. The idea or expectation that a person can be exposed to this every day and not be affected is unrealistic. A new approach to mitigating and preventing exposure to adverse impacts of vicarious trauma is vital to these employees' mental health. This article focuses on attorneys who work with vulnerable populations and how vicarious trauma affects their everyday professional and personal lives. This paper will discuss the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), what …

The Responsibility Of Christian Church Pastors To Include Homelessness Awareness In Ministry Outreach, Joy Nicole Hale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Christian church pastor has a significant role in addressing homelessness within their communities. They must be willing to defeat this giant. This responsibility is further highlighted by the opportunity of outreach ministries within Christian churches working with community resources to identify the physical, financial, social, and emotional needs of the homeless. Understanding the pastoral leadership shapes and influences the Christian church is a critical component to comprehending how the church illustrates hope and the image of God to the homeless population. Many American individuals are faced with the debilitating stresses of homelessness without adequate emotional resources to address their …

Trauma-Informed Care Within The Homeless Service Milieu: Practical And Conceptual Considerations, Martina Mihelicova

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that most individuals in the general population experience some form of trauma (Kilpatrick et al., 2013) and that factors such as homelessness place individuals at higher risk of experiencing traumatic events (Deck & Platt, 2015; Ellsworth, 2019; Kushel, Evans, Perry, Robertson, & Moss, 2003). Considering that environments may both promote and impede the trauma recovery process, Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is a service framework intended to create a culture of trauma awareness and responsiveness (Fallot & Harris, 2006). Preliminary research demonstrates that TIC has positive outcomes for clients and staff (Damian, Mendelson, Bowie, & Gallo, 2018; Hales et al., …

Trauma-Informed Care: An Elementary Perspective, Alexandria Hutchison

Masters Projects

Trauma affects a significant portion of the elementary student population and hinders students' academic achievement, social wellbeing, and emotional health. In fact, almost forty percent of students in the United States have been exposed to a traumatic stressor in their lives (Brunzell et al., 2016). There are numerous effects associated with trauma. Teachers serve as the first line of mental health professionals to support these children; therefore, it is essential that they receive proper preparation in trauma-informed care and classroom sup- ports. This project includes an in-service training program for elementary teachers and a set of classroom lessons that support …

Peer-To-Peer Emotional Support For Second Victims Of Hospital Adverse Events, Jessica L. Van Leuven

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Psychological impact of trauma on healthcare workers is profound, and if left unaddressed can debilitate its victims, depress morale, and undermine safety culture. When adverse events occur and focus is placed on providing care and support to patients and their families, the emotional support needs of healthcare workers must also be acknowledged.

Context: Frontline workers in the oncology unit of the medical center that is the setting for this project experience emotional distress as “second victims” of adverse patient events. Close relationships develop between providers and patients during long-term treatments. When unanticipated or adverse patient events there can …

Git (Gender-Informed Trauma) In Black N Blue Boys / Broken Men: How Concepts Of Gender Restrict The Black Male Actor’S Creative Process And The Methods He Can Use For Creative Freedom., Tyler Tate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how the black male actor’s creative process can be affected by historical and cultural constructions of masculinity connected to race, sexuality, and physical movement. My research on black men’s experience with gender identity finds that social and cultural forces lead black men to reproduce behaviors that mirror a prescribed masculine ideal through physical movement. This prescribed masculine behavior is typically coded in terms of stiffness or lack of expression. This study explores how self-imposed restrictions reiterated by social standards of masculine behavior limit the creative freedom in the black male actor’s creative process. Specifically, black male actors’ …

Examining Associations Between Trauma, The Parent-Child Relationship, And Children's Functioning During Middle Childhood, Candice Blair Crossnine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Children's adaptive and maladaptive functioing may be influenced by several individual and relational factors, including aspects of the parent-child relationship. Specifically, a parent-child relationship that is characterized by closeness and affection may strengthen adaptive skills, while a parent-child relationship that is high in conflict may contribute to children's externaliziing and internalizing problems. The current study assessed associations between parent and child trauma exposure, aspects of the parent-child relationship, and children's adaptive and maladaptive functioning. Participants included 53 cargivers (Mage = 35.48; SD = 9.95) of children aged 6 to 11 years who were recruited organizations in the MidSouth, United States. …

Interpreter Perspectives On Working With Trauma Patients: Challenges And Recommendations To Improve Access To Care., Bianca T. Villalobos, Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Rebeca Castellanos, Freddie A. Pastrana, Regan W. Stewart

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Given the growing number of immigrant and limited-English-proficiency individuals in the U.S., accessing language-congruent services can be a significant barrier for many seeking mental health treatment. The use of spoken-language interpreters can help address this barrier; however, the interpretation in the context of trauma therapy can be particularly challenging for interpreters without mental health training. This quality improvement study explores issues identified by interpreters assisting in the provision of trauma-focused treatment for primarily immigrant populations. Ten certified medical interpreters (nine Spanish-language interpreters and one American Sign Language interpreter) participated in a focus group at a specialty trauma clinic in the …

How Can Early Childhood Educators Promote Equitable Outcomes Through Trauma-Informed Practice?, Elizabeth Terry

Graduate Teacher Education

An abundance of research acknowledges the effects of trauma on children from an early age. Prolonged and severe trauma in early childhood can lead to adverse outcomes in important areas of development, such as one’s physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being (Morsy and Rothstein, 2019). Children present school systems and educators with the task of addressing this important, but infrequently considered issue. Trauma has lasting effects regardless of age, but the impacts of trauma during childhood are especially profound during such formative years. Children require safe spaces to learn and flourish as individuals, therefore it is important that early childhood educators …

Religion In Crisis: Exploring Muslim Refugee Coping Strategies, Isabella Yeager

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

A significant portion of today’s refugee population is either practicing or ethnically Muslim. Because the refugee experience can be very stressful and taxing, many refugees turn to religion as a coping tactic, a resource that informs both one’s general perspective on life and the development of coping strategies. Muslims draw specific coping strategies from their adherence to the Holy Qur’an and other Islamic teachings and practices.This research proposal aims to explore and describe the unique coping strategies that individuals develops and use throughout the Muslim refugee experience.

Crazy Tubby Girl/Mad Fat Transman: Troubling And Reclaiming Schizophrenia Through Women Of Color Feminism And Madness Studies, Tyler Allen Selsor

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Through autobioethnography this project demonstrates a complex, yet incomplete picture of schizophrenia as an illness mediated by and through racist ableist (trans)misogynistic queerphobic capitalist heteropatriarchy. It describes the beginnings of schizophrenia as genetically inherited, yet entirely socially mediated process where subjects come to know themselves as pariahs through the processes of criminalization, incarceration and poor healthcare. Furthermore, it questions the project of wellness and contests schizophrenia as a site of wholly illness. It uses the disciplines of Madness Studies and Women of Color Feminism to argue that schizophrenia is a way of being that upsets patriarchy, so it must be …

Mental Health Outcomes Of Various Types Of Fear Among University Students Who Have An Undocumented Legal Status During The Donald Trump Presidency, Liliana Campos

Doctoral Dissertations

Having an undocumented legal status is a risk factor for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety among university students. Much of the literature on the experiences of university students who hold an undocumented legal status has primarily focused on better understanding the educational, social, financial, and legal challenges among undergraduate students. The literature has addressed how some of these difficulties impact components of their social and mental health wellness. Yet, there is still a dearth of research focused on further understanding the experiences of students who hold an undocumented legal status from a psychological perspective, and specifically, with …

Efficacy Of Narrative Exposure Therapy Among Refugees With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jarom J. R. Hickenlooper

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among refugee and asylum-seeker populations. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) has been effective in reducing PTSD symptoms in multiple trials. The present review analyzed 19 studies from the PsychInfo database, in which NET was utilized for exclusively refugee or asylum-seeker populations in locations of resettlement. Studies demonstrated effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms. In most studies, NET was more effective than other mental health treatments. Results indicated moderate to insignificant symptom reduction in other measures as well, including measures of depression. Discussions in each of the studies were examined for common themes regarding efficacy. Implications for …

Trauma Effects, Empathy, And Dance/Movement Therapy: A Literature Review, Jenna Soldati

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Trauma exists at many levels, affecting people in various ways biologically and emotionally. Trauma and adverse experiences have been researched, suggesting effects on the whole individual including their psychological, physical, and social wellness (Cristobal, 2018; Greenberg, Baron-Cohen, Rosenberg, Fonagy, & Rentfrow, 2018; Levy, Goldstein, & Feldman, 2019; Olofsson, Iddli, Hoffart, Eielsen, & Vrabel, 2020). Similarly, empathy and empathic behaviors exist on a varying scale as well. Investigating the effects of trauma on empathy, themes of resilience emerge in survivors of trauma and provide insight into alternative healing modalities. Dance/movement therapy and other mindfulness-based treatments provide a method of trauma-informed care …

Exploring Art Therapy Techniques In Parent-Child Dyads With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma, Yuval Minz

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Exposure to trauma during childhood has been shown to have severe long-term consequences. It has been shown that art therapy promotes the reduction of trauma symptoms in children, as it allows them to easily engage in the process of therapy through non-verbal treatment. Involving the caregiver in the treatment process of children was shown to hold significant benefits for children, especially in a setting of parent-child art therapy interventions. In this capstone thesis, I present a case study in which I explored the impact of art therapy interventions performed in a parent-child dyad on the well-being of a child who …

Racism-Based Trauma And Policing Among Black Emerging Adults, Robert Motley

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Community violence exposure (CVE) among Black emerging adults ages 18-29 in the United States is a major public health concern. However, an unknown is the nature of the relationship between Black emerging adults CVE and substance use when the perpetrator(s) of the violence are the police and the violence is experienced as a race-based traumatic event. The Classes of Racism Frequency of Racial Experiences (CRFRE) measure assesses individuals’ exposure to perceived racism-based events. However, the CRFRE hostile-racism scale does not capture the range of police violent events that are most salient for a population. To fill the noted gaps in …

Feelings Forward: A Trauma Group For Adolescents, Lindsay Thronson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Within the United States, research has shown that roughly 14% to 43% of children and teens go through at least one traumatic event and of those children 3% to 15% develop PTSD (VA.gov: Veterans Affairs, 2018). The current research has indicated that children who have endured a traumatic event can suffer from lifelong determinantal effects such as emotional, physical, and psychological issues. With these statistics in mind, this group manual has been created for adolescents who are presenting with PTSD symptomology. Among the literature regarding the detrimental impact that trauma has on adolescents development, there will be a focus …

Equipping Preservice Teachers With Trauma Informed Care For The Classroom, Tamarine Foreman, Perianne Bates

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

In an effort to prepare preservice teachers to enter the classroom where students may have experienced or been exposed to trauma, the authors designed and facilitated instruction around trauma’s influence on the learning process. The intent of the instruction was to improve the preservice teacher’s ability to realize, recognize, and respond to students without re-traumatizing the students. The authors compared pre and post scores on the ARTIC-35 Education version (Baker et al., 2016) and found the instruction significantly improved the preservice teachers’ knowledge, awareness, and self-efficacy in working with students who have experienced or been exposed to trauma.