This study examines how Black graduate women respond to gendered-racial microaggressions at a historically White institution. Using Critical Race Theory and Critical Race Feminism, this study also explores the social and psychological factors that contribute to their responses. Data suggest that participants' responses are influenced by stereotype…

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…

Current research has focused largely on teachers' practices in order to promote safe and peaceful classrooms; however, research on how teachers cope with negative emotions in student aggression is limited. In light of the growing evidence regarding the impact of student aggression on teachers' emotional distress and burnout, it is important to…

This narrative case study explored how Black women in higher education leadership cope with gendered and racial microaggressions. Through the narratives of the six participants, the study aimed to understand the impact racial and gendered microaggressions have on work engagement and job performance. This study used Intersectionality and Black…

A qualitative case study with 18 non-traditional age undergraduate Women of Color yielded rich data about strategies they employed to cope with racial microaggressions on a predominantly White campus. Women first decided if, and how, to "pick their battles" based on how much time and emotional energy they had left after fulfilling…

This study examined the relative contributions of peer teasing, relational aggression, and body image disturbance on subclinical maladaptive eating patterns among female college students. One hundred and two female college students completed self-report online surveys on peer teasing, relational aggression, body image disturbance, and eating…

Limited scholarship has examined the relationship between pervasive intellectual, cultural, and racial stereotypes and their role in establishing and perpetuating psychological anguish. This effect can potentially hinder the academic success and use of healthy coping mechanisms among African American women students. Using Black feminist thought…

Using the unique form of a composite counterstory culled from the experiences of 13 Black women at historically and predominantly White colleges and universities in a Western U.S. state, this paper explores the psychological tensions and silencing Black college women face as they navigate social constructions of their selfhood under a White gaze.…

Women who experience recurrent intimate partner violence (IPV) may use alcohol or drugs because they expect that these substances will help them cope with the negative physical and psychological sequelae of IPV. However, expectancies for alcohol and drug use have not been explored among this population of women. We used the Relaxation and…

This study explores community violence exposures among African American adolescents and whether coping strategies were gendered. In-depth interviews are conducted with a sample of 32 African American high school students. Data are analyzed using a thematic analysis. The primary forms of violence exposures are physical attacks, fighting, and…

We examined the degree to which children with and without a history of stable peer victimization differentially endorse strategies for dealing with school bullies. Participants were 323 children, 58 of whom met criteria for chronic peer victimization. Children with a history of stable peer victimization differed from comparison children in how…

This mixed-methods study examined urban adolescents' perceptions of gender and racial/ethnic barriers to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) success, and their meaning-making and coping regarding these experiences. The sample includes surveys from 1024 high school-aged students and interviews from 53 students. Logistic…

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious health concern, but little is known about prevalence of IPV in the armed forces, as military members cope with the pressures of long-standing operations. Furthermore, previous prevalence studies have been plagued by definitional issues; most studies have focused on acts of aggression without…

Psychological symptoms, abuse characteristics, abuse disability, and coping were assessed in college women who either did or did not acknowledge victim status relative to rape or intimate partner violence. Women were asked directly whether they had experienced intimate partner violence or rape. They also completed the Conflicts Tactic Scale (CTS)…

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has consistently been associated with the use of avoidant coping; these coping methods have been associated with increased trauma symptoms, which have, in turn, been linked to increased risk for adult sexual revictimization. Given these previous findings, the purpose of the current study was to test a model that…