This dissertation explores the newly theorized concept of "sexualized aggression" in U.S. college women's social drinking spaces (e.g., parties, bars, clubs). I developed the concept of sexualized aggression to refer to understudied and overlooked forms of sexual assault and aggression--more specifically, sexual assault that happens in…

Existing literature suggests that the pervasive issue of institutional betrayal--the failure to prevent sexual assault or respond supportively when it occurs that exacerbates distressing mental health symptoms--is a factor in one's ability to cope with the trauma of the assault. This study investigated female undergraduate students' experiences of…

This case study explored the impacts of school shootings on K-12 school principals. Eleven school principals and assistant principals from rural, suburban, and urban areas in all regions of the United States were interviewed. The study answered two research questions: What impact do school shootings have on school principals? and What do…

In recent years, within the United States and globally, workforce members who directly and tangentially treat and serve traumatized individuals have begun to experience an additional occupational hazard in the form of compassion fatigue. Consistent school leadership can be a critical factor in increased student achievement and school-based…

Campus sexual violence in the United States has been elevated as a matter of national concern over the past decade through student activism, Title IX legal regulation, and the #MeToo movement. This attention has mandated the creation of institutional structures for addressing sexual violence, but also highlighted the limitations of university…

Across the United States, many administrators on college campuses are attempting to respond to the increased student need for mental health services; however, there is concern about colleges' ability to meet the demand for mental health services in the long term. Using Folkman and Lazarus' theory of transactional stress and coping, this…

Suicide is a complex phenomenon that deeply impacts the lives of those it touches. Approximately one million people die by suicide globally every year. One group that is increasingly susceptible to suicidal thoughts and behaviors are youth and adolescents. Although there are plenty of statistics regarding suicide rates and trends, there is a…

Bullying is one of the most common yet tolerated forms of violence. "BREAKAWAY" is an educational game purposefully designed to use entertainment-education and digital gaming to help youth around the world to learn about different types of bullying and coping strategies. This dissertation reports the design and results of a pilot study…

Females between the ages of 18 and 24 consistently experience higher rates of sexual violence compared to females in any other age group (Sinozich & Langton, 2014). Approximately one in five college women experience sexual violence victimization (SVV; Krebs, Lindquist, Berzofsky, Shook-Sa & Peterson, 2016) during the academic year. Among…

School administrators are leaving the profession due to limited coping mechanisms and support for building resilience within themselves. Without identified supports, school administrators will more likely succumb to fatigue and face job dissatisfaction. This mixed-methods study examined the relationship between leadership style, engagement in…

Educators "burning out" at alarming rates by years five and ten has become a persistent social problem in the United States. "The Starfish Experience" case study identified a sample from North Carolina and surveyed twelve educators between year five and twelve in the field in order to investigate the effects of burnout…

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore what can be done to mitigate the onset of a disability for young adults aged 18-24 in order to prevent suicidal thoughts or actions. Research suggests that many factors play into suicidal ideation for this young population, including lost hope, lack of coping mechanisms, lack of financial security and…

The current study investigated the methods that school counselors utilize to identify children of substance abusing parents (COSAPs), the support services being offered in the school, and the potential barriers to providing support to COSAPs in the school. This study revealed the most used methods of identifying COSAPs in the schools, for instance…

Depression during adolescence is highly prevalent with as many as 20% experiencing a major depressive episode by the age of 18. Adolescent depression causes significant impairment across life areas including school functioning, such as poor academic performance and decreased academic achievement. Despite the existence of many evidence-based…

Rooted in sixteen months of ethnographic fieldwork in the inner city Neapolitan neighborhood of the Quartieri Spagnoli, this dissertation analyzes the sociocultural and linguistic lifeworlds of five- to twelve-year-old girls as they grow up amid urban poverty. The dissertation demonstrates how Quartieri Spagnoli girls learn and deploy…