Master of Arts, Miami University, 2019, Theatre

This thesis expands the field of violence theory by way of adapting Dostoevsky's Notes from a Dead House. I propose a new dramaturgically driven analysis of the text by creating a system of contexts to assess the scene allowing for an adaptation that is both sensitive to the goal of the text as perceived by the adapting artist and the audience's response. This system of contexts is the best approach to adapting a given scene rather than considering the piece as a whole. Dostoevsky's text is also notorious for its abstract use of time, and the layering of fiction and reality as Dostoevsky was forced to distance himself from his narrative by the Russian state. Since violence is a major element of Dostoevsky's novel, I also propose a meaning-making system to analyze acts to determine first how the scene is socially coded. With this information, the adapting playwright can then decide how they can best be embodied and displayed on stage in a way that both holds to the original elements of the source and avoids undue stress on the audience.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Sociology

This study examines the relationship between natural disasters and extreme weather events (ND/EWEs) and the incidence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Texas from 2018 to 2020. Utilizing a series of mixed-effects negative binomial regression models and data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the research investigates the impact of various ND/EWEs on general violence, and specifically SGBV incidents. Key findings reveal that extreme heat events are significantly associated with an increase in general violence, violence against women (VAW), and intimate partner violence (IPV), indicating that heat acts as a stressor contributing to the escalation of SGBV. Conversely, winter storms are associated with a decrease in IPV, suggesting a potential reduction in violence during these weather conditions. The study underscores the importance of incorporating environmental factors into the analysis of SGBV and suggests the need for targeted interventions and policies to mitigate the risks of violence in the aftermath of ND/EWEs. This research contributes to the understanding of the complex dynamics between environmental disasters and societal violence, with implications for public health and disaster response strategies.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch Seattle: Counselor Education & Supervision

This study solicited experts in relational violence across the United States using the Delphi methodology and grounded theory. This research was conducted in two phases and designed to answer two primary questions: (1) What cultural beliefs are involved in relational violence in the United States? And (2) How are the beliefs about relational violence maintained? The findings showed agreement from the experts on the societal beliefs that hold relational violence, the specific beliefs held by the abuser, and the impacts of these beliefs on the survivor. The experts offered ideas for intervention and prevention, which are important contributions to professional counseling and the field of relational violence, including specific educational considerations. This study enhances current research by providing a systemic lens to how relational violence is perpetrated. Cultural spillover theory was applied to identify the overlapping relationship between structural forces and violence, while polyvagal theory informed the biological underpinnings of relational violence and how it is perpetuated.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Sociology

Past research has examined the phenomenon of intimate partner violence (IPV), with recent increased focus on IPV among adolescents and young adults. Moreover, prior work examining IPV among young adults often looks at familial factors such as child maltreatment, and current relationship dynamics such as jealousy and control, but does not consider these two domains simultaneously. This is potentially problematic, as individuals’ relationships in multiple domains are affected by their socialization experiences within the family. Relatedly, research examining family effects on IPV often focus solely on childhood maltreatment and interparental aggression, failing to include other meaningful aspects of family life, such as the parent-child relationship. Finally, while trajectory analyses have been conducted in the past, most are confined to IPV occurring among older adults. Given the highly fluid and complex nature of adolescence and young adulthood, the examination of IPV across time may be especially insightful during these stages of the life course. Using five waves of longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), the current project relies on social learning and life course theories to investigate the antecedents and trajectories of adolescent and young adult experiences with IPV perpetration and victimization. Results from fixed-effects, random-effects and growth-curve analyses indicate both parental violence (i.e. child maltreatment) and parentchild relationship quality (PCRQ) are significant and independent predictors of IPV reports. Interestingly, though, both parental violence and PCRQ are more predictive of males’ experiences with IPV than females’. Findings also demonstrate that as jealousy and control, cheating, verbal aggression, arguments, and partner mistrust increase in frequency or severity, so too does the likelihood of both IPV perpetration and victimization. However, contributing to previous research (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2020, Communication and Development Studies (International Studies)

This research aims to expand knowledge on the experiences of lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer(LBTQ) women and gender non-conforming (GNC) people with intimate partner violence (IPV) in the understudied Global South, with a focus on individuals in Jamaica. The study examines the perceptions which LBTQ people hold toward IPV, unique factors which contribute to IPV within their relationships, and barriers to help-seeking which LBTQ people face when seeking support services in Jamaica. A qualitative methodological approach was used, and data collected through 13 semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed. Findings indicate that three factors impact LBTQ women and GNC people's perceptions of, and experiences with IPV. These factors are 1) negative public perceptions of LBTQ and GNC people, 2) the adoption of heteronormativity by LBTQ and GNC people, and 3) LBTQ and GNC people's experiences with Jamaican mental health services. These findings were used to make recommendations for the development of evidence-based, IPV prevention and intervention programmes for LBTQ and GNC communities in Jamaica, and the wider Caribbean.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2017, Department of Criminal Justice and Consumer Sciences

What is domestic violence, and who is affected? On one hand, it can happen to anyone regardless of their race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. However, my hypothesis is that women age 18 to 24 years had a greater risk to becoming a victim of domestic violence than any other age group.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Public Health

Background: Gender-based violence exposure is associated with smoking. Both gender-based violence and smoking are independent risk factors in the development of cervical cancer. Women living in Ohio Appalachia experience cervical cancer at disproportionately high rates and smoke at higher rates than women living in other regions of Ohio. However, little is known about 1) women's exposure to gender-based violence, throughout the life course, in Ohio Appalachia, or 2) the association between gender-based violence exposures, contextual factors, and smoking behaviors among women in the region. Objective: This dissertation examined the relationship between sexual and intimate partner gender-based violence exposures and smoking, among women in Ohio Appalachia, within a socio-contextual health disparities framework. The goal of this investigation was: 1) to understand if disparate smoking rates of women in Ohio Appalachia, compared to other parts of Ohio, are associated with gender-based violence in the region, and 2) to examine the context of smoking behavior among women exposed to intimate partner and/or sexual gender-based violence in Ohio Appalachia. In addition, a set of gender-based violence constructs for use in effective abuse assessment among this underserved population were identified. Method: A two-phase address-based sampling approach was used to recruit a random sample of women, 18 years of age or older, from 1 of 3 selected Ohio Appalachian counties, to participate in an observational, interview administered, cross-sectional survey from August 2012 through October 2013. The analytic sample for this analysis comprised 398 participants, of the 408 women completing interviews, who provided complete gender-based violence exposure histories. All analyses were conducted in SAS or LISREL, including correlation, regression, and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Intimate partner and sexual gender-based violence is a notable public health c (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2010, Latin American Studies (International Studies)

Violence against women (VAW) is one of the world's most pervasive social problems. It is a cross-cultural phenomenon that is created, enacted, and experienced on many levels and to varying degrees. For this reason, ethnographic research on VAW is especially appropriate in order to develop nuanced understandings of each socio-cultural context. In Lambayeque, a town on Peru's northern coast, intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is common. IPVAW is naturalized within Lambayecano society, making it particularly difficult to address. The naturalization of IPVAW also leads its reproduction from one generation to the next, as IPVAW is not often questioned or problematized. It is difficult for women to effectively resist IPVAW because it is woven into the multiple socio-cultural spheres of everyday life. Naturalized IPVAW can be understood as a form of intimate terror because of its strategic, intentional, coercive and often extreme nature that has particular effects on abused women and women in general.

DNP, Kent State University, 2024, College of Nursing

Lateral violence (LV) in healthcare remains a critical issue, impacting both staff well-being and patient care quality. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to raise awareness of LV and provide practical strategies for healthcare professionals to address it effectively. Educational sessions were developed to define LV, explore its causes and consequences, and teach Cognitive Rehearsal (CR) techniques to combat LV. The project also emphasized organizational policy reviews, scenario-based learning, and promoting a culture of safety through continuing education. The QI initiative was conducted in a 269-bed acute care hospital, with two educational sessions held: one virtual session open to all hospital employees and an in-person session with the Nursing Practice Council. In total, 33 healthcare professionals attended the sessions. Participants were provided with educational materials, including an infographic and a pocket card summarizing LV concepts and CR responses. Data collection involved interactive polls and post-session evaluations, with results indicating 70% of participants had experienced LV and 91% reported feeling more knowledgeable about its impact. Participants expressed increased confidence in recognizing and addressing LV, with 73% rating the sessions as excellent. The project's findings highlight the value of combining educational interventions with policy reinforcement to promote awareness and improve responses to LV in healthcare. Limitations of the project include small sample size, limited post-session feedback, and the short-term nature of follow-up, all of which restrict the ability to assess the long-term impact of the intervention. Despite these limitations, this project has demonstrated positive results in enhancing awareness and offering practical strategies to address LV. Future initiatives could expand participation, include long-term assessments, and incorporate simulation exercises to further strengthen staff competency in (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Criminal Justice and Consumer Sciences

U.S. violence, including school shootings and synagogue bombings, is increasing. Perpetrators of violent events often radicalize from violent beliefs to actions. The theory of cognitive radicalization distinguishes between the radicalization to extremist opinions and radicalization built on actions. People who commit mass shootings and bombings are part of the 1% of people who fit at the apex levels of the two-pyramids model of cognitive radicalization. Observed events of firearm violence throughout the country in media, such as mass shootings, initially produced interest in this study. Analyses of the data revealed that firearm access is significant to violent opinion radicalization; many violent events are related to radical behavior, ideas, or beliefs. This study analyzes data from the Public Religion Research Institute Social Networks Survey. It investigates associations between firearm accessibility and adherence to violent acts after controlling for sociodemographic factors. The sample population includes 5461 online survey respondents. Frequency tables and binary logistic regression were used for analysis, aiming to provide insights into violence identification, awareness, and prevention. Variables not included in the current study that can be reviewed in the future involve political affiliation, religious belief, and cultural norms.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Social Welfare

Each year in the United States, approximately 15.5 million children are exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV), and 7.1 million children fall victim to child maltreatment, in their homes. Not only are these childhood violence exposures serious concerns alone, but they often co-occur, with child maltreatment happening in approximately 30-60% of households where IPV is taking place. Among several of their deleterious outcomes, both violence exposures have been linked with adolescent dating violence (ADV). However, despite the significance of these issues, several gaps exist in the literature, including inconsistent measurement IPV exposure and ADV research, with varying results specific to ADV perpetration, limited child maltreatment and ADV studies, and no existing studies assessing the impact of IPV exposure and child maltreatment co-occurrence on ADV. These limitations are exacerbated by a lack of theoretically grounded studies, particularly examining mechanisms explaining the relations between childhood IPV exposure, child maltreatment, and ADV. To address these gaps, this dissertation comprises three distinct yet connected studies within the fields of childhood IPV exposure, child maltreatment, and ADV. In studies one and two, theoretically driven conceptual models were tested using moderated mediation structural equation modeling with data from the National Survey of Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence (STRiV) to identify potential points of prevention and intervention in the relations between childhood IPV exposure, child maltreatment, co-occurrence of both, and ADV perpetration. In study three, a systematic review and evaluation of existing measurement approaches in the field of IPV exposure and ADV was conducted, resulting in recommendations for the field moving forward. In studies one and two, one theoretically driven, potential point of intervention was identified: youth mental health quality. Study three identified several recommendations for the (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2023, Social Work

Domestic violence is a prevalent issue with extensive impacts. For some, abuse greatly threatens immediate safety and survivors are forced to flee their homes to seek refuge in domestic violence shelters. These shelters address immediate environmental, social, and emotional concerns, helping guide survivors through recovery. Like all people, survivors encompass a wide range of intersecting identities and backgrounds, inevitably making their recovery experience individualized. In particular, mother-survivors staying in domestic violence shelters face unique challenges as restrictions are placed on them which make parenting more difficult and in turn hinder parts of their recovery. Through qualitative interviews conducted with mother-survivors and staff members of domestic violence shelters, this study examines the unique challenges and strengths of mothers recovering from abuse in a domestic violence shelter. Findings reveal that the shelter supervision and discipline policies inhibit the recovery of mother-survivors. Despite these struggles with child-related policies, however, findings also show that motherhood is an important source of strength in recovery for survivors. Recommendations include promoting survivor-centered, trauma-informed care in shelters, being sympathetic and flexible when communicating and enforcing parenting policies, continuously building up a mother-survivor's self-image, and, if possible, expanding interventions and programming to address the specific needs of mother-survivors.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

This is a mixed-method study exploring Designated Forensic Psychologists' (DFPs) experiences with the violence risk assessment (VRA) of individuals diagnosed with dementia. DFPs (N = 23, 69.6% female, 87% White) completed an online survey investigating the frequency of VRA and dementia, potential change in VRA method in response to dementia, application of existing VRA instruments, and perceived benefit of tailored guidelines and VRA instruments. Most in this sample (84.2%) endorsed cases involving VRA and dementia that typically comprised 5% or less of lifetime cases. The presence of dementia had a variable impact on the approach to VRA, and thematic analysis revealed that changes in method were related to the clinical interview being impacted, the need for objective cognitive assessment, and increased reliance on collateral records or informants. Sixty-three percent reported using existing VRA instruments with perceived applicability to the population. However, many participants reported being less confident in their evaluations and an overwhelming majority reported perceiving benefit from the development of tailored guidelines or VRA instruments. These results shed light on the importance of future research to investigate the unique needs of this population concerning VRA.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Counselor Education (Education)

The dissertation investigated the experiences of six counselors located in the Midwestern region of the USA and how their experiences influence intervention strategies when providing support for GBV (Gender-Based Violence) survivors. The purpose of the study was to explore the counselors' experiences and to see how these affect the strategies that they use. The hermeneutical phenomenological approach was used as a methodology, with six participant counselors who were from agencies and shelters that house gender-based violence survivors. The researcher recruited the participants using convenience sampling and snowballing strategies, and analyzed data from semi-structured interviews, fieldnotes, and document analysis, using the Bronfenbrenner Model as the conceptual framework. The data analysis yielded seven main themes: experience of counselors, interventions for GBV, negative impacts of therapy on counselors, counselors' needs in GBV work, coping strategies for counselors, types of abuse in clients, and the effects of covid on GBV work. Implications for these findings on counselor educators, clinical supervisors and future research within the mental health field are discussed.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

This phenomenological research study explored the experiences of five adult participants who reported witnessing domestic violence between their parents during childhood. Through the process of open-ended interviews, this work added further support to the existing understanding of the impact that childhood witnessing of parental violence can have on one's adult behavior and relationships. Thus far, child witnesses to parental violence receive little attention, perhaps due to the lack of tangible evidence that they have been harmed. Existing studies in the field primarily make use of quantitative methods to examine negative outcomes of such experiences. This study identified similar themes among the five participants regarding their childhood experiences. Personal views and the potential needs of the former witnesses were highlighted by specific descriptions of the past experiences which may have led to the negative outcomes in their lives, such as sense of indirect victimization, posttraumatic stress, psychological distress, affected self-esteem/confidence, and relational difficulties. Furthermore, the adult participants described certain commonalities of unfavorable experiences during childhood-- fear, sense of endangerment, limited ability to predict daily routines, receiving poor modeling of communication and coping, poor relational connections, maladaptive coping, and difficulty understanding their environment. The burden of these experiences led to harm in their adult lives and relationships. Participants shared similar beliefs about the lack of support they received during childhood and expressed the need for therapeutic intervention as a form of resolving some of the embedded learned behaviors and coping skills from the past. This dissertation is available in Open Access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu and OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd

Master of Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Systems Biology and Bioinformatics

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent issue that results in overwhelming physical and mental health consequences. It is also known that majority of victims su¿er from blunt force in the head, neck and the face area. Injuries to head and neck are among the causes for traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI often linked to neurological conditions and permanent behavioral disorders. In this study, we aim to characterize the key associations between IPV and TBI by mining de-identified electronic health records (EHR) data from the Explorys platform. We formulate a novel, data-driven, three-step analytical method to find key health associations by comparing prevalent health conditions among IPV, TBI, and six control cohorts. Our analysis suggests that health effects attributed to substance and alcohol abused livers are highly significant in contributing IPV and TBI interplay. Our results would greatly assist in improving existing screening, diagnostic, and treatment procedures of IPV-induced TBI victims, especially with increasing risk correlated with substance and alcohol abuse.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Health Education

This dissertation consist of two studies. Study one examined school violence perpetration among African American youth and whether the impact of prosocial behavioral involvement on school violence perpetration differed based on sex and grade. Study two examined school violence victimization among African American youth and whether the impact of prosocial behavior involvement on school violence victimization differed based on sex and grade. Study One Abstract Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with school violence perpetration among African American youth. The following research questions were examined: (1) To what extent do African American students report school violence perpetration? (2) Does school violence perpetration differ based on sex and grade? (3) Does school violence perpetration differ based on prosocial behavioral involvement? (4)Does the impact of pro-social behavioral involvement differ based on sex and grade? Methods: African American students in 7th through 12th grade (n=7,488) in schools within the Greater Cincinnati area completed the Pride National Drug Survey. Results: Chi Square analyses revealed that school violence perpetration significantly differed based on grade and prosocial behavioral involvement. Students in 7th-8th grade and students with low prosocial behavior involvement were more likely than their counterparts to engage in school violence perpetration. In addition, logistic regression analyses indicated that females and 9th-12th students with low prosocial behavior involvement were significantly less likely than their counterparts to engage in school violence. Discussion: Findings should be considered by health educators and prevention specialists when developing programs and efforts to prevent in school violence perpetration among African American students. Study Two Abstract Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with school violence victimizat (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2015, Human Ecology: Human Development and Family Science

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a preventable health problem that has multiple effects on the family, including the youngest member of the family, the child. For many years children were not recognized as having detrimental consequences of IPV. Now that it is recognized that children suffer from the negative effects of IPV, it is important to examine how and when exposure to IPV is associated with the development of children. This study uses the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study to examine the socioemotional development of children exposed to IPV from birth to 9 years old. Using structural equation modeling, latent growth curve models were conducted to analyze internalizing and externalizing problems at age 3, 5, and 9. Children who were exposed to IPV, whether it be a violent and controlling or a controlling only relationship, had more internalizing and externalizing problems. Also, the earlier and longer the child was exposed to IPV, the more socioemotional problems the child had. Identifying the critical time period of externalizing and internalizing problems for children exposed to IPV is crucial for intervention techniques and child victims' long-term development. Every child should be able to develop to their fullest potential, by targeting intervention efforts at those critical time points, it could allow for children to live up to their full promise.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2015, American Culture Studies

This dissertation employs a mixed-method approach to explore the experiences and perceptions of domestic and sexual violence victim advocates. Advocates are trained professionals who provide support, information, and resources to victims who have experienced gendered violence. Little research examines domestic and sexual violence victim advocates despite the thousands who work across the United States. The existing literature research primarily uses quantitative methods to examine the negative emotional impact of employment. Few, if any, studies ask questions about how external factors and experiences of every day life affect advocates, on or off the job. As a result, this research investigates what it means to be an advocate in a socio-relational context by exploring advocates' experiences of occupational identity when interacting with strangers or new acquaintances. Occupational identity is a primary point of interaction within the social world, and advocacy is a complex, politically, and culturally situated occupation within the United States. Advocates are subject to a host of reactions when they introduce their jobs to strangers or new acquaintances—many of these experiences communicate stigma based on occupational choice rather than personal identity. Thus, this dissertation examines the presence and effects of occupational stigma on advocates, which is most clearly seen through the deployment of positive and negative stereotype and the relational process of Othering. Using data gathered from 21 in-depth interviews with advocates as well as a survey with 221 respondents, this study uses cultural studies, feminist methodology, and sociological theory to demonstrate that occupational stigma experienced through short introductory interactions has an effect on advocates' sense of self, sense of work, and willingness to share their occupational identity. Advocates and advocacy organizations have few resources to consider and prepare their employees (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2011, Womens Studies

Throughout the 1990s in the United States, a series of suburban school shootings perpetrated by young, white males disrupted contemporary perceptions of American youth, often a population configured in terms of ideal whiteness. In conjunction with sensationalized media coverage of school shootings, various fictional portrayals of suburban youth violence also emerged throughout this period as what Henry Giroux has called “public pedagogy” that served to further influence national perceptions of youth. In this body of film, television and literary narratives, school violence is often related to other national concerns surrounding American youth identity such as deviant sexuality and teen pregnancy. While a good deal of scholarly attention has focused on popular representations of education and youth generally, little has been written about these specific fictionalizations of school shootings and what they signify. This dissertation offers a feminist, discursive analysis of these fictional narratives of suburban school violence and argues that rampage violence narratives are intricately connected to national anxieties regarding youth, citizenship, threats to white masculinity, and American identity. In order to illustrate the complexities of themes present across popular culture mediums, my research delves into the purpose of the narratives and what they signify about contemporary American youth identity. Thus, my dissertation will explore representations of youth violence from a variety of angles that prioritize intertextual connections. Specifically, I offer a comparative analysis of portrayals of urban versus suburban school violence, explore the creation of gay male shooters as protagonists, and analyze fictional female shooter characters and teen pregnancy storylines. As well, my dissertation examines the genre phenomenon of young adult novels portraying school violence in order to place these novels in dialogue with other “adult” narratives. Throughout my dissert (open full item for complete abstract)