This dissertation is an exploration of the experiences and perceptions the behavior support plan (BSP) had on individuals placed into residential services or an independent living facility through a state waiver in Indianapolis, Indiana. Autistic high school graduates were addressed in this study to look at the various behaviors they faced when…

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the mindsets of preservice educators regarding mandatory training in pre-violence indicator patterns at XYZ University. Pre-violence indicator patterns are defined as behaviors symptomatic of violent or aggressive behavior. The theory guiding this study was…

Teachers continually seek to find new and innovative ways to create classroom environments conducive to learning to discourage problem behaviors in students. Alternative seating, such as therapy balls and seat cushions, has been widely researched and found to have a positive relationship in decreasing student problem behavior and increasing…

Special education teachers are tasked with ensuring the implementation of a free appropriate public education, which might also include supporting students who demonstrate severe problem behavior (SPB). Often, students with emotional and behavioral disorders are likely to engage in SPB in various forms such as physical aggression and property…

One of the areas that was the topic of discussion amongst educational stakeholders was behavior. This includes incentives, intervention systems, awards, and consequences, addressing an individual vs addressing an entire group, triggers, and/or past influences, to name a few. Behavior is a broad topic and naturally, educators are interested in…

This dissertation adds to the economic study of gun and marijuana laws. Chapter 1 studies the impact of stand your ground laws (SYGs) on traffic fatalities. Chapter 2 investigates the effects of campus concealed carry laws (CCCs) on higher education outcomes. Chapter 3 looks at the impact of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on youth crimes. The first…

Most nurses experience lateral violence (LV) during their careers. LV can be detrimental to nurses' livelihoods and careers, to facilities due to nurse replacement costs, to the nursing profession due to attrition, and to patient safety. The purpose of this staff education project was to educate registered nurses on the issue of LV and to equip…

Aggressive behaviors are garnering a great deal of national attention in research, policy, and practice circles. The majority of these problematic behaviors occur in non-classroom settings, where students outnumber staff and structure is lacking. Although strategies, like active supervision, are effective at reducing problem behavior in these…

Improving collegiate women's access to and retention in engineering requires a multifaceted approach. Though a majority of existing interventions are aimed at changing women, strengthening their skills, and increasing their networks, little emphasis is directed at addressing the institutional factors that influence women's opportunities for…

Prior to COVID-19, suicide was the second leading cause of death for college students for over a decade. Within this group, transgender college students were ten times more likely to attempt suicide than their cisgender peers. Fortunately, suicidality for this subset appears to decrease with education level. While it is not clear if an…

There has been a growing body of research on best approaches to reduce college men's sexual assault perpetration. While some interventions have successfully decreased perpetrator behavior, very few have accounted for college men's pre-intervention likelihood of offending (i.e., risk status). Considering the difficulties in changing high-risk men's…

Adolescent anger, aggression, and violent outbursts are social problems significantly affecting each of us. Individual therapeutic management of pathological anger is treated in various ways depending on practitioners' theoretical orientations and competency levels. Popular psychological individual and group therapies addressing anger and…

Traditionally, many of the problems experienced by Black girls were overshadowed by the ongoing crises facing Black Males. Although important, the focus on Blackness and masculinity often implicitly leaves young Black girls on the sidelines and fails to recognize their unique obstacles. Fortunately, there has been a new surge of social concern…

Acts of targeted violence are of great concern to college administrators. Additionally, targeted violence motivated by bias (e.g., racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc.) is occurring at an increasing rate on campuses across the country. Previous research has identified potential pre-incident behaviors which may serve as indicators that an…

The aim of this descriptive study was to research and analyze how professional development of anti-bullying specialist influenced reporting of harassment, intimidations, and bullying in their schools. A large urban school district in New Jersey was identified for having several anti-bullying specialists in each of their school actively…