Health messaging can be a successful tool in encouraging pro-social behavior, such as bystander intervention in sexual violence situations. This dissertation explored the development of a social media message to encourage bystander intervention among college students using multiple theoretical frameworks: social norms approach and bystander…

An institution of higher education holds certain beliefs about the personal growth of students while they are enrolled. The behavior prohibited within the student misconduct policies reflect the norms within the larger society as well as the expectations specific to the learning environment within the institution. Students adhering to the…

The National Behavioral Intervention Team Association (NaBITA), the de facto guiding organization for college and university groups formed to assess and intervene with students of concern, developed the first industry standard series of twenty best practices for campus behavioral intervention teams (BITs) in 2018. The researcher designed this…

Student misconduct continues to trouble institutions, negatively affecting institutional mission fulfillment. Although student codes of conduct and related processes exist to establish standards and address behavioral concerns, little research has proactively explored what characteristics impact student moral behavior intentions and understanding,…

High-risk alcohol use on college campuses is associated with several negative consequences for students. Social norms campaigns are a widely used intervention aimed at decreasing high-risk alcohol use in a university population but their efficacy can vary based on students' peer groups and gender. Research on gendered drinking norms for college…

This narrative study examined how the life experiences of high school administrators impact how they conceptualize and understand school discipline. These experiences were then positioned within the current context of COVID-19 pandemic related school closures and protests associated with George Floyd's death which brought light to systemic racism…

This study examines the effects of Jayhawks Give a Flock, a bystander education program adapted from "Bringing in the Bystander," on first-year students' intentions to intervene as bystanders and prevent sexual violence using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Fishbein & Azjen, 1975; 2010) as a theoretical framework. This study…

Sexually aggressive behavior is well-documented among college students. However, little is known about the role technology may play in facilitating this behavior. Given that social norms have been established as a useful framework for understanding problematic and risky behavior in college students, the current authors sought to determine whether…

This exploratory study was designed to determine if a normative structure exists among a community college student body by extending the work of Caboni, Braxton, Deusterhous, Mundy, McClendon, and Lee (2005). The study also sought to determine if the level of espousal for the norms differed across student characteristics. This study analyzed data…

Research indicates that early school success influences eventual life chances and that attentiveness in the classroom contributes to early school success. Using ethnographic fieldnotes, interviews, short surveys, and video footage collected over three school years, I investigate how teachers and young students experience "attentiveness" during…

Misuse of technology is a behavioral pattern that continues to emerge in our society. Television and newspapers continue to list and report technology misuse. A recent study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project has indicated approximately one third of teen are victims of online harassment (Lenhart, 2009). Other prominent problems with…