Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

Gen Z Perspectives On Mental Health Service Interaction: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Reddit Discourse, Victor A. Aguiar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Compared to prior generations, Generation Z engages with mental health and mental health service interaction in distinct ways, frequently using social media platforms to share experiences, concerns, and opinions. Previous research has examined mental health discourse on Reddit; however, much of this work relies on inductive thematic approaches and offers limited focus on mental health service interaction and the factors influencing utilization. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines how Generation Z discusses mental health service use through online discourse. Public Reddit posts authored by users identifiable as Generation Z, based on self-reported age, school enrollment, …

The Psychological Effect Of Maternal Separation From A Child During Incarceration: A Survey And Critique Of Risk Needs Assessments, Samantha Yearwood

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines whether frequently used correctional assessment instruments adequately capture the psychological impacts of maternal-child separation among incarcerated women. This research was conducted in response to growing criticisms that traditional risk and needs assessments fail to account for gender-specific experiences, specifically those related to caregiving roles and pregnancy. Using a qualitative analysis content analysis to assess four widely used instruments, the Women’s Risk and Needs Assessment (WRNA), Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS), Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), and Level of Service Inventory–Revised (LSI-R), the thesis  examines the inclusion of pregnancy-related variables, caregiving responsibilities, and separation-related psychological factors. …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status On Substance Use Amongst The Hispanic Maternal Population, Emily C. Olivo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To explore and synthesize existing research that focuses on the relationship between socioeconomic status and the use of substances amongst the maternal Hispanic population. By examining research and these factors, interventions can be identified to lower reported substance use rates amongst Hispanic mothers of childbearing ages.

Background: Minorities such as Hispanic women deal with a myriad of struggles, especially during motherhood. Socioeconomic status and substance use can contribute to a large part of the struggles faced by this population. Hispanic and Latina will be used interchangeably throughout this review of literature.

Method: A comprehensive electronic review of 3 databases …

Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Violence In Flagler County, Fl, 2016-2020, Fiona Chanlatte, Jonzelle Bell Bs, Julio Montanez Ma, Amy Donley Phd

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

The current white paper tabulates non-fatal intimate partner violence (IPV) offenses across Flagler County, FL by using Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data.

Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Violence In Hardee County, Fl, 2016-2020, Fiona Chanlatte, Jonzelle Bell Bs, Julio Montanez Ma, Amy Donley Phd

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

The current white paper tabulates non-fatal intimate partner violence (IPV) offenses across Hardee County, FL by using Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data.

Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Violence In Volusia County, Fl, 2016-2020, Fiona Chanlatte, Jonzelle Bell Bs, Julio Montanez Ma, Amy Donley Phd

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

The current white paper tabulates non-fatal intimate partner violence (IPV) offenses across Volusia County, FL by using Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data.

Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Violence In Seminole County, Fl, 2016-2020, Jonzelle Bell Bs, Julio Montanez Ma, Amy Donley Phd

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

In 2024, the University of Central Florida's Institute for Social and Behavioral Science developed a white paper summarizing Uniform Crime Reports data for Seminole County, FL from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The white paper tabulates intimate partner violence offenses by victim-offender relationship, offense severity, and offense type.

An Intersectional Examination Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Educational Outcomes In Children In The U.S., Josalie C. Condon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Background: Research has found that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been shown to lead to a myriad of issues including struggling in school. The more ACEs a child experiences, the worse their outcome tends to be, including school outcomes. However, critics of ACE research have argued that not all ACEs weigh the same and intersectionality needs to be considered. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the relationship between ACEs and school outcome issues. These school outcome variables are analyzed, first with a binary ACE variable, then with ACE scale variable, to test whether more ACEs lead to worse outcomes. And, …

Volusia County, Fl Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder Treatment Gap Analysis, Amy Donley Phd, Jacquelyn Reiss, Caroline Austin

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

The University of Central Florida's Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS) partnered with Volusia County to undertake a gap analysis focused on mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Specifically, we designed a study to determine the capacity of treatment options, identify barriers to seeking treatment, and illuminate what works particularly well. The gap analysis results can guide future decisions on allocating resources best to ensure that treatment is accessible to all in need.

Local-Level Maternal And Infant Health: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of The Relationship Between Social Determinants Of Health, Maternal And Infant Health Outcomes, And Public Health Programs In Florida, Jacquelyn Reiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Current data highlight significant disparities in infant and maternal health (IMH) outcomes both when comparing outcomes to other countries and between groups within the U.S. Previous studies indicate that disparities in health outcomes are caused by health inequities. Health inequities are a result of marginalized groups historically being denied resources and exposed to increased risk directly impacting health. These resources and risks are considered social determinants of health (SDoH), such as income, housing, transportation, and access to care. Although SDoH influence individuals across multiple levels of society, communities are sites where individuals directly access protective resources and are potentially exposed …

Orange County, Fl Substance Use Disorder Treatment Gap Analysis, Amy Donley Phd, Caroline Austin, Jacquelyn Reiss

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

The University of Central Florida's Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS) partnered with the Orange County Drug-Free Office to undertake a gap analysis focused on substance use disorder treatment. Specifically, we designed a study to determine the capacity of treatment options, identify barriers to seeking treatment, and illuminate what works particularly well. The gap analysis results can guide future decisions on allocating resources best to ensure that treatment is accessible to all in need.

Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission Comment Tool On Changes To Trapping Regulations, Jacquelyn Reiss, Amy Donley Phd, Brian Hall

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

To collect public comments on the modernization of trapping rules and analyze the feedback provided, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the FCRC Consensus Center contracted with the Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences (ISBS). Together the FWC, FCRC Consensus Center, and ISBS constructed a comment tool that was comprised of 5 different sections.

Survey Measures On Substance Use Amongst College Students, Jacquelyn Reiss, Amy Donley

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

The Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS) reviewed measures utilized in 3 major surveys administered within middle schools, high schools, and colleges state-wide and nationally to compile a list of tested survey measures on youth substance use. The 3 surveys that were assessed are the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS), the American College Health Association National Collegiate Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA), and the Monitoring the Future Survey (MFS).

Community Doulas' Impact On Women Of Color With Low Incomes, Emely Matos

Digital Repository: Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence

No abstract provided.

Gender Negotiation Among People In Poly/Consensual Non-Monogamous Relationships, Vanessa Rijo - Sánchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the United States, people are encouraged and even coerced by social forces to behave and interact according to rigid social mores that tend to privilege individuals from a specific gender, racial, and class backgrounds. As many theorists have stated, sexual, gender, and racial minorities navigate their lives experiencing oppression at different levels and at the intersections of different systems of inequality. The marginal social location of these identities often results in people re-defining the social meanings through which they construct their social lives. Although much research has been devoted to investigating the different ways in which people resist the …

Positive Outcomes Of Divorce: A Multi-Method Study On The Effects Of Parental Divorce On Children, Grant W. Mohi

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Previous literature on parental divorce focuses on the negative effects it has on children and young adults in terms of relationships (romantic and familial) and academic standing. The implications of such research are that parental divorce brings harm to families and, consequentially, should be avoided for the sake of the children's wellbeing. What is often missing from this research is a focus on the potential positive outcomes of parental divorce. The current study explores the effects of parental divorce on young adults' ability to form and maintain romantic relationships, exploring the possibility for positive outcomes of parental divorce on young …

The Intersection Of Race And Class In Maternity Leave: Who's Left Out?, Christine Ittai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maternity leave is a critical work-family policy that affects over two-thirds of the working U.S. female population. Although it has been studied extensively, especially since the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the majority of the research has focused on White, middle-class, married, and educated working mothers. There is a plethora of information about access to maternity leave, utilization of maternity leave, length of maternity leave, and compensation during leave. However, there are several limitations in the research. A majority of studies use outdated datasets; measure family leave as a proxy for maternity leave; study paid …

Learning From A Complex Communications Experiment In My Own Home, Carolyn Massiah

UCF Forum

I am living in what I believe is the most complex communications experiment that could be designed by researchers.

Allow The Waves To Do Their Work, Carolyn Massiah

UCF Forum

I have found that the beach is one of the most relaxing places to visit.

With A Little Help From My Friends..., Meg K. Scharf

UCF Forum

Do I have enough friends?

I Still Love Watching Films On Big Screen – Despite Trend To Small Screens, Amanda Osorio

UCF Forum

I’ve always been a fan of movies. And not just watching them, but also analyzing them: who the director was, why they shot a scene a certain way, who produced it, the making of the film, who starred in it and why, the ratings, reviews and more.

It's Time To Spring Clean Your Closets — And Personal Relationships, Carolyn Massiah

UCF Forum

I looked at my calendar recently and realized that spring is rapidly approaching. Each year at this time, I’m like millions of others who undertake the task of spring cleaning our homes.

Relationships That Have Roots Are The Anchors In Our Lives, Carolyn Massiah

UCF Forum

The view in my backyard is a conservation area full of various types of trees. As the seasons pass, the trees lose their leaves and even some of their branches, but the trees remain in large part due to their sturdy roots.

Homeschooled Students Bring Own Set Of Skills To University Campuses, Ali P. Gordon

UCF Forum

Key questions always loom large for parents of homeschooled, college-bound students, such as: “What happens when my child actually gets to the university level? Will they be able to keep up?”

Preparation Is The Key To Facing Whatever May Come Your Way, Michael Preston

UCF Forum

Professional football coach George Allen was famously quoted as saying: “Winning is the science of being totally prepared.”

A Southern Chinese City Through The Eyes Of A British Missionary: Preliminary Analysis Of The Text Of A Historical Travelogue, Sai Deng

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Walks in the City of Canton is a book written by John Henry Gray of Christ's College, Cambridge who came to China and stayed as a missionary for many years, and it was published in 1875. This project did a preliminary analysis of the text of this book digitized by Google from the Library of Harvard University and uploaded to the Internet Archive. The Voyant generated top 500 words are tagged selectively aiming to find the more popular nouns, adjectives and verbs, and their related topics, sentiments or actions. This analysis is combined with the observations obtained in the translation …

The Only Way I Was Going To 'Veganize' My Life Was To Immerse Myself, Amanda Osorio

UCF Forum

This summer I made the decision to do something that many Latins often hesitate to attempt: become a vegan.

The Only Time You Truly Can Have Everything Is On A Bagel, Michael Preston

UCF Forum

Of all of the bagels there is nothing quite as satisfying to me than the Everything Bagel with cream cheese at a shop in town. It gives me everything I want out of life: a warm bagel that is crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside; a savory and salty blend of sea salt, garlic, poppy seed, onion, and other stuff I cannot place right now. And then the cream cheese. Gooey and sweet, it cuts through all of the savory in a way that is magical.

The Sacrifices We Parents Make – Even When We Don't Understand Why, Yolanda Hood

UCF Forum

One recent night I sat in a stadium – being eaten by mosquitos – with my 14-year-old daughter and watched a women’s soccer game. Last summer, after saving for a year, I took my daughter to Canada two weeks for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. I walked a mile from parking to the stadium every day, stood in long lines at security to have bags checked and, at times, even sat in the rain – all so I could watch the pure joy on my daughter’s face.

Change Is Constant – So You Better Learn To Adapt, Traci Evison

UCF Forum

I recently saw a turtle digging a hole to lay eggs in a neighborhood park that I walk through. This park has a lake but what surprised me about the turtle was the location she decided to lay her eggs. Instead of making the nest close to the lake about 50 feet away, where I would assume it would be easier for young turtles to begin their lives, this turtle was digging a hole a few feet from the street at the edge of the park.