Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Sociology

The likelihood of being removed from the home following a substantiated case of maltreatment is much higher for black youth than for their white counterparts. There are two competing explanations in the literature. The first is that black children experience more serious forms of maltreatment and have fewer resources to remedy the maltreatment situation through informal means than do white children. The second is that there is an underlying bias within the child welfare system, where discriminatory beliefs about the perceived threat and dangerousness of certain groups and their abilities to care for their children may contribute to black children being disproportionately removed from their homes. The present study examines whether race has an effect on child placement within the child welfare system after taking into account various risk factors associated with race and placement. It also examines whether the factors influencing placement are the same for white and black youth. Findings illustrate a racial disparity in out-of-home placements supporting both of the competing explanations in the current literature. Parental mental illness and emotional abuse as the maltreatment type are identified as factors operating differently for black and white children within the child welfare system. Overall, the present study finds that two separate processes seem to be at play in the placement decisions of maltreated youth, and concludes with possible explanations for this differential treatment.

Committee: Stephen Demuth PhD (Advisor); Jorge Chavez PhD (Committee Member); Alfred DeMaris PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Criminal Justice

Using data from Stinson's (2021) data set of police crime across the United States, this sample consists of 1,719 criminal arrest cases where police officers were arrested for a crime involving an individual aged 17 or younger during the time of victimization. Prior research has revealed that officers can commit various crimes and that no one individual or demographic is immune to police violence or misconduct. Stinson's (2009) typology of police crime shows that nearly all crimes committed by officers can fall within five mutually inclusive categories: alcohol-related, drug-related, sex-related, violence-related, or profit-motivated. These cases vary in many ways, such as the type of crime, duty status of the officer, demographics of the officer and victim, and final employment and conviction outcomes for the arrested officers. First, the study examines the overall demographics of officers and victims and then looks at what variables are significantly related to each of the five crime types. Secondly, this study aims to explore what best predicts an officer being convicted or facing job loss. Overall, the study examines this vile phenomenon and simultaneously contributes to growing child victimizations and police violence research. These findings can clarify police crime against children and the overall likelihood of job loss or conviction. The final results of this study can erase the blind spot regarding police crime involving children and reaffirm that protecting children across the country from predators regardless of the profession does matter enormously.

Committee: Philip Stinson Ph.D. (Advisor); Adam Watkins Ph.D. (Committee Member); John Liederbach Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2019, Educational Studies

This study examined the independent and joint influence of peer victimization, close teacher-child relationships, and classroom organization on early elementary students' school adjustment. Five hundred and ninety students from 42 classrooms were a part of this study. Data were collected through observations, student interviews, and family and teacher questionnaires. Based on self-perceptions of peer victimization, teacher perceptions of teacher-child relationships, and observer ratings of classroom organization, results of the multilevel models indicate that children who are victimized by their peers have lower school liking, behavioral engagement, and academic achievement. Additionally, results indicated that close teacher-child relationships support school adjustment. However, despite their positive impact, findings indicate that close teacher-child relationships are not able to buffer against the adverse effects of peer victimization. Also, results indicated that classroom organization negatively correlated with behavioral engagement and school liking; however, it was not significant in any of the multilevel models. Findings underscore the importance of creating classroom climates that promote positive peer interactions and reduce victimization.

Committee: Lynley Anderman (Advisor); Laura Justice (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology

Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2019, College of Sciences and Health Professions

The purpose of the present study was to examine how child sexual abuse (CSA), hyperarousal symptoms, and dissociation symptoms are associated with sexual revictimization in adulthood. The study hypothesized that (A) a history of CSA will be associated with greater instances of adult sexual victimization, (B) higher rates of hyperarousal will be associated with lower rates of adult sexual revictimization in survivors of CSA, (C) higher rates of dissociation will be associated with higher rates of adult sexual revictimization in survivors of CSA, and (D) in looking at both hyperarousal and dissociation, hyperarousal symptoms will buffer the relationship between CSA and sexual revictimization, whereas dissociation will exacerbate this relationship. The study provided support for the relationship between CSA and ASV in line with previous findings. Hyperarousal symptoms were associated with greater instances of ASV overall; however, they did not moderate the relationship between CSA and ASV. This may be in part due to while those with hyperarousal symptoms may be able to recognize risk, they may less able to accurately respond to credible threats. Further, there was no support for hypothesis three, as dissociative symptoms were not associated with ASV overall and did not moderate the relationship between CSA and ASV. Finally, there was no support for hypothesis four, as the moderating variables for hyperarousal, dissociation, and the three-way interaction of CSA, hyperarousal, and dissociation were all insignificant.

Committee: Elizabeth Goncy Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Ilya Yaroslavsky Ph.D. (Committee Member); Boaz Kahana Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2011, Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

In recent years, research has begun to focus on the short- and long-term effects that the experiencing of multi-type maltreatment in childhood can exert later in life. The current research sought to explore the relationship between childhood multi-type maltreatment and long-term functioning and adulthood victimization risk as well as clarify the specific combinations of maltreatment that exert the greatest impact on subsequent functioning and victimization risk. Retrospective and prospective survey data were collected from 558 undergraduate women at a medium-sized Midwestern university. Findings showed that women who experienced multiple forms of maltreatment reported greater functional impairment and trauma symptomatology than women who reported experiencing only one form of abuse or no history of abuse. Differences in reported parenting practices were also identified as women who endorsed having experiences of childhood abuse were more likely to report authoritarian parenting in their homes of origin whereas women with no abuse histories reported greater authoritative parenting practices. Results also demonstrated that some specific childhood multi-type maltreatment groups and the experiencing of multiple forms of victimization as identified by summary scores were predictive of participants' experiences of adolescent victimization reported at the first study session and victimization occurring over the 8-week follow-up. Future research directions as well as implications for programming and clinical practice are discussed.

Committee: Christine Gidycz PhD (Advisor); Timothy Anderson PhD (Committee Member); Paul Castelino PhD (Committee Member); John Garske PhD (Committee Member); Kathleen Rose-Grippa PhD, RN (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2011, Counseling Psychology

Victimization in childhood (e.g. neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, etc.) is considered to be a widespread societal problem. Researchers and clinicians working in this area have recently contended that children exposed to one act of victimization in childhood are at an increased risk for exposure to additional acts of childhood victimization. This exposure to high levels of victimization in childhood has been term “poly-victimization.” While researchers have recently begun to examine the short- and long-term effects of poly-victimization, two significant limitations of the current literature present themselves. First, the studies to date have been inconsistent in their definition and assessment of poly-victimization. This inconsistency leaves questions regarding the interpretation and generalizability of the findings across studies. The present study examined several methods of assessing poly-victimization that have been used in the current literature to determine whether one method of assessing poly-victimization was more effective than another. The second limitation is the tendency of past research to be atheoretical. Specifically, previous studies have focused primarily on symptoms associated with victimization in childhood, neglecting to explore possible underlying psychological constructs which may influence the development of psychological distress. The current study provides some preliminary exploration of Constructivist Self Development Theory (CSDT), focusing specifically on the development of self-capacities, as a plausible explanation behind the psychological distress often associated with childhood victimization. A sample of 738 undergraduate students were recruited to examine the research hypotheses for this study. Results regarding the effectiveness of the various methods of assessing poly-victimization were mixed. Findings showed a moderate association between poly-victimization and psychological distress, regardless of the method used (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Rogers Dr. (Advisor); John Queener Dr. (Committee Member); Ingrid Weigold Dr. (Committee Member); Dawn Johnson Dr. (Committee Member); Renee Mudrey-Camino Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Psychology

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2009, Sociology

The primary focus of this study is the evaluation of the victimization-delinquency relationship by exploring the impact of childhood physical and sexual abuse by parents on several delinquent activities. This study specifically evaluates whether child abuse acts as a strain on the parent-child association that increases delinquent peer associations. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescents (Kilpatrick and Saunders 1995), this project examines the direct relationship between specific types of childhood victimization (i.e. physical and sexual abuse) by parents and specific types of delinquency occurring during adolescence;the impact of specific types of childhood victimization on delinquent peer associations during adolescence; the impact of delinquent peer associations on the specific types of delinquency; and examines the impact of delinquent peer associations on the victimization-delinquency relationship. The findings of this study indicate that physical and sexual abuse have a substantial indirect effect on each of the delinquency measures via delinquent peer associations.

Committee: Stacey Nofziger Ph.D (Advisor) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology