Juvenile delinquency has been a great issue in the United States and there have been a multitude of efforts to reduce these offenses along with reducing recidivism rates. A 2015 report from Council of State Government Justice Center reported that there is a 76% probability that juvenile offenders will reoffend within three years and an 84%…

As eating disorders symptomatology often begins during adolescence, schools have a unique and essential role. Specifically, schools can be at the forefront in the intervention and prevention of eating disorders to implement programs that work. In addition, schools can reach students at individual and universal levels, positively impacting those at…

Youth with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) within residential treatment facilities have a variety of needs (e.g., academic, behavioral, social-emotional). A concerted effort is required to address these areas of need so that youth can develop their skills to be successful within their present and future settings. In chapter…

There is a grave need for additions to the school psychologist's toolbox to support students with intellectual disability (ID) and sexual trauma. These children are especially vulnerable to adverse life experiences overall and are at a particularly high risk of experiencing sexual abuse and resulting trauma. Children with ID are less likely to…

Rates of migration continue to rise in the United States; between 1965 and 2015, new immigrants and their ancestors accounted for 55% of population growth. In Latin America, ongoing violence, extreme poverty, and political instability force many families to migrate north to the United States. Before, during, and after migration, immigrant children…

Non-profit organizations and community programs work with at-risk youth to teach social-emotional skills like empathy, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. This research aimed to examine best practices for community programs that use human-animal interaction as an intervention for at-risk youth. Specifically, the phenomenological study aimed to…

Children with emotional disturbance have historically poor outcomes, including separate school environments, exclusion from school due to disciplinary actions, high dropout rates, poor employment outcomes, and incarceration. Therefore, it is imperative that children displaying early warning signs for risk of emotional disturbance receive effective…

Homelessness and housing insecurity (HI) have impacted college students' success for years but were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when lots of educational institutions closed their student housing, which resulted in college students having to vacate student housing. This was a major concern especially if their student…

College students face high levels of stress due to academic demands, financial pressures, and the challenges of adjusting to college life. College students are at an increased risk for mental health problems, with rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns higher among this population compared to their non-college-attending…

Youth who are exposed to more adversities in life and at-risk for engaging in delinquent behaviors have been found to be less likely to have a caring adult in their life. Mentoring is among one of the most evidence-based preventative interventions/supports applied to at-risk youth in order to promote resilience/protective factors. Youth mentoring…

The purpose of my research was to understand LAUSD counselors' perceptions related to professional development around crisis response before and during COVID. The goal of this project was to learn how we can best support prevention efforts for students. I learned about counselors' understanding of the suicide preventative measures the district…

Cybersecurity awareness training plays a vital role for organizations in guaranteeing resources' availability. Sufficient education regarding security awareness necessitates relating both the scope and importance of the training. This research determines the correlation between an employee's risk score and the effectiveness of AI-based security…

Social-emotional development is foundational to children's health, and academic outcomes. This study examined the effect of a child-centered play therapy intervention on the social-emotional competency of a group of 5 "at risk" third graders. Participants were recruited from a Tier 1 elementary school and social-emotional competency was…

This study sought to determine whether a book provision intervention delivered to low-income mothers participating in the Nurse-Family Partnership had an effect on family shared book reading patterns and family attitudes toward shared book reading. The 25 participants in this study were low-income, first-time mothers, aged 18-25 with infants,…

Youth with and at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) served in alternative education settings often experience challenges with writing due to various deficits across academic, behavioral, and social-emotional domains, especially in the area of writing. These youth also are less likely to engage in self-determination skills such as…