Social Work Commons^™

Self-Employment In Later Life: Implications For Financial, Physical, And Mental Well-Being, Cal Halvorsen

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

More than one in five working Americans aged 50 and older are self-employed, yet scholarship that examines the relationships between self-employment and personal health and financial well-being is limited. Using data from six biennial waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally-representative panel study of Americans past 50 years of age, this quasi-experimental dissertation documents the characteristics of self-employed older adults in comparison to wage-and-salary workers, as well as compares self-employed and wage-and-salary workers in later life on a set of financial well-being and personal health outcomes. This study incorporates inverse probability of treatment weighting (also referred to as …

Understanding Child Maltreatment Report Risks As A Function Of Age, Socioeconomic Status, Race, And Neighborhood, Hyunil Kim

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: This study seeks to improve our understanding of risk and protective factors for child maltreatment both over time and within an ecological context. First, this study examines longitudinal patterns of child maltreatment reports (CMR) with child age from 1 to 17 years based on various risk and protective factors (Aim 1). This study also examines neighborhood contextual effects on CMR (Aim 2). Methods: This study used secondary data from a larger longitudinal study which had followed up two samples from the 1991-1994 St. Louis birth cohorts. The CAN sample included all children aged 3 or under with a first-time …

Predictors Of Graduate Students' Self-Efficacy For Working With Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Families, Cassie M. Dinecola

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

As diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to climb, the need for knowledgeable and competent professionals is critical. Research has shown that child symptoms and behavior are related to parent stress and mental health and that this relationship is bidirectional, suggesting the need for the use of a family-centered care model (FCC) that addresses both child and parent needs. While social workers are well-prepared to provide FCC to persons with ASD and their families, few social workers enter the field of developmental disabilities. Professionals more involved in the ASD field, such as special educators, often are equipped to work …

Household Financial Assets Inequity And Health Disparities Among Young Adults: Evidence From The National Longitudinal Study Of Adolescent To Adult Health, Shiyou Wu, Xiafei Wang, Qi Wu, Kathleen Mullan Harris

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Research has established a strong relationship between financial resources and health outcomes. Yet, little is known about the effects of assets disparities on health outcomes, especially during the critical period when adolescents transition to adults.

Methods: Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 10,861), this study investigated the relationships between three household total assets value groups (low, moderate, and high assets) and three net worth groups (negative, neutral, and positive) on young adults’ general health, obese, and depression.

Results: Both assets and debts were related to young adults’ health status, …

Teenage Dating Violence: Perceptions Of Need, Priority, And Prevention Responsibility Among Schools In Predominantly Mexican Heritage Communities, Lela Rankin Williams, Heidi Adams Rueda

Social Work Faculty Publications

Teen dating violence (TDV) affects adolescents’ overall wellness, subsequent social–emotional and academic development, and future success. The extent to which high schools recognize the importance of TDV prevention, and their accountability to prevent or reduce its occurrence, is largely unknown. Recently, there has been increased legislative debate urging or requiring school boards to include TDV prevention strategies in their curriculum. The purpose of this study was to understand how high school personnel from three large schools, of predominantly Mexican heritage urban communities, perceive their role to intervene and prevent TDV. The authors conducted five focus groups (N = 26). …

A Sexual Assault Prevention Program Proposal For Abilene Christian University, Ammie Brooks, Ammie Kae Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop the most effective sexual assault prevention

program for Abilene Christian University. The program will meet the federal regulation requiring Universities to participate in sexual assault prevention and education. Additionally, the program will be made to fit the audience at Abilene Christian University. The proposed program is designed to encompass all undergraduate students at Abilene Christian University and use a pretest and posttest to measure the effectives of the program to meet its eight predetermined goals. The following paper presents the program proposal, methodology and evaluation tools needed for its future implementation.

Geographic Variation In Sex Ratios Of The Us Immigrant Population: Identifying Sources Of Difference, Erin Trouth Hofmann, E. Miranda Reiter

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This paper describes geographic variation in the sex composition of the foreign-born population in the US since 1990, and uses Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to identify key sources of variation in regional sex ratios. We use data from the 1990 and 2000 US Censuses, and from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey, to create estimates of the size and characteristics of foreign-born populations at the level of Consistent Public-Use Microdata Areas. We find substantial local- and region-level variation in population sex ratios, with the highest sex ratios in the South and Midwest. This variation is partly explained by differences in the age- and …

Prevention Of Child Maltreatment In U.S. Air Force Families, Amber Ester Coody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense created the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) to provide primary and secondary intervention and prevention services to military families to decrease the risks of family maltreatment. This review synthesized literature to reveal how deployment, domestic abuse, mental health, and substance abuse relate to adult and child maltreatment in the armed forces. Systematic review procedures are used to evaluate nine studies meeting inclusion criteria to correlate factors significant in the increased risk of child maltreatment. Based on results, this paper discusses how FAP can effectively provide primary and secondary services by transitioning from a traditional medical model to …

The Relationship Between Loneliness, Stress, And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, I'Esha Baber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the misuse of alcohol among college students remains a public health concern in the United States, students are participating in problematic drinking for various reasons. Loneliness and stress have both been associated with the reasoning behind why some college students participate in heavy drinking. Studies show that students who perceive themselves as under a lot of stress tend to drink more and that students who feel they need to overcome structural and emotional barriers such as loneliness and shyness, use alcohol as a resource. This paper examines the relationship between alcohol consumption, loneliness, and stress. Sixteen students, who attended …

Conceptualizing Allyship As An Actionable Construct In Higher Education, Shannon Radford

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This research intends to re-conceptualize allyship as an actionable construct. Previous research conducted on allyship primarily focuses on development and motivation. Although action is often identified as a component of allyship, previous research has only briefly touched upon this topic. In such a tumultuous political climate, this gap in research is distressing. With hate groups on the rise, it has become increasingly important for allyship to become synonymous with action. As institutions of higher education can play a crucial role in providing an actionable definition of allyship and fostering it in campus communities, this study focuses on identifying actions exhibited …

Describing The Education Reform Landscape: A Typology Of State Charter School Laws, William Flanary Dabney Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since 2014, 42 states have adopted charter school legislation. Research has been conducted on charter school effectiveness and legislative adoption. However, limitations in the research exist regarding school choice in that studies address inequalities and outcomes at the school level, with limited attention to the state-level policy environment. Additionally, research does not consider variations in state school choice policy nor does it link policy differences to equitable educational outcomes.

This descriptive study described and categorized the variation of state charter school polices and explored differences in state level education finance, student demographics and academic outcomes, and school type characteristics. A …

A Cross-Cultural Examination Of The Effect Of Employer Support On Employee Productivity, Shawn Tuman, Haley Lipton

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this creative, collaborative, capstone project is to conduct a cross-cultural examination of the effect of employer support on employee productivity by compiling, examining, and synthesizing conclusions from existing research. In a world of growing globalization and technological innovation, the speed of productivity is often the cornerstone that differentiates successful businesses from unsuccessful businesses, providing a competitive advantage to the quick while the others fall behind. Often this increased level of efficiency comes at a cost beyond the price of the product and the salary of employees, a deeper, psychological cost. By reviewing research focused in the United …

Perceptions Of Intra-Familial Child Sexual Abuse And Intimate Parent-Child Interactions, Qian-Wen Xie, Joshua Miller

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

The current study aimed to explore Chinese undergraduate students’ perceptions of intimate parent-child interactions (IPCI) and intra-familial Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) as well. 354 undergraduate students from 15 universities or colleges in Beijing were recruited to participate in an online-based survey. Results indicated that IPCI such as co-bathing and co-sleeping were very common among Chinese undergraduate students during childhood. Factors including the child’s age and gender, as well as the parent’s gender involved in IPCI were found to impact respondents’ perceptions of the appropriateness of those interactions. Moreover, respondents’ perceptions of the appropriateness of parent-child intimate interactions might also be …

Policy Recommendations For Expanding Access To Banking And Financial Services, Terri Friedline, Mathieu R. Despard, Julie Birkenmaier

Center for Social Development Research

Access to financial services is a necessity in the modern economy, yet many households lack such access. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies policies with the potential to expand access to financial services for households in the United States.

Policy Recommendations For Helping U.S. Households Build Emergency Savings, Mathieu R. Despard, Terri Friedline, Julie Birkenmaier

Center for Social Development Research

In households without emergency savings, an unexpected expense or financial shock can heighten stress and threaten the ability to meet basic needs. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies three types of policies to enable U.S. households to save for emergencies.

Policy Recommendations For Financial Capability And Asset Building By Increasing Access To Safe, Affordable Credit, Julie Birkenmaier, Mathieu R. Despard, Terri Friedline

Center for Social Development Research

Strong credit is a prerequisite for financial well-being, but many U.S. consumers lack access to safe and affordable credit options. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies policies that would enable households to build and maintain credit and that would ensure access to credit products with adequate consumer protections.

Collaborative Psychosocial Capacity Building In Northern Uganda, Joanne Corbin, Joshua Miller

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Armed conflicts affect an increasing number of children and families worldwide. War-torn communities often require external resources to address the overwhelming psychosocial needs during and after such violence. This article provides information about a psychosocial training-of-trainers (TOT) program designed by a team of United States and Ugandan practitioners to enhance the knowledge and skills of local community members providing psychosocial support. The conceptual framework of collaboration was used to analyze the work of the TOT facilitators and participants, and identify implications for continued efforts. Discussions among facilitators and between facilitators and participants were essential to developing shared goals, exchanging knowledge …

Next Steps: Whither Social Work Education And Financial Capability And Asset Building?, Darla Spence Coffey

Center for Social Development Research

This CSD Perspective has been adapted from an address given by Dr. Coffey on April 17, 2018, as part of Coin a Better Future: Reaching Out to Financially Vulnerable Families, an event sponsored by the Center for Social Development at Washington University and the Center for Household Financial Stability at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Social Work Trauma Interventions: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Kassie Baumann

Senior Honors Theses

According to Lynne Weilart (2013), in her article on the reasons why people seek out therapy, trauma is the number one reason people attend counseling. Many different trauma-informed approaches are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma and to facilitate healing. Some of these approaches are as follows: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT);Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT); Trauma Systems Therapy (TST); Trauma Assessment Pathway (TAP); and Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) (de Arellano, Danielson, Ko, & Sprauge, 2008). The effectiveness of each trauma intervention will be examined. DBT is one of these trauma interventions that is growing …

Academic Preparedness Of Social Workers For Interprofessional Education/Collaborative Practice (Ipecp), Amy Corwin Sagen

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Are social workers emerging as competent collaborative practitioners? The cost of education is rising, employer training budgets are shrinking, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is forecasting a shortage of personnel trained effectively in interprofessional practice. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) developed four core competencies for interprofessional practice. Interprofessional awareness was added to the latest Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) educational policy and accreditation standards (EPAS) for 2015. Using a socio-cultural learning framework, social workers will be questioned as to their perceived educational preparedness to enter into interprofessional education/collaborative practice. NASW-PA membership comprised the 304 completed surveys. Respondent findings …