Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title from title page (viewed Apr. 23, 2007) Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-74).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Central Connecticut State University, 2001. / Thesis advisor: Judith Rosenberg. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-131). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Not available / text

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the differential gambling patterns of underage adolescents in order to identify the specific characteristics and determinants that influence the appeal of the lottery and their lottery playing behaviour. This study was an exploratory investigation of the structural characteristics of lottery products that are particularly appealing to youth (e.g., monetary value, attribute of the ticket, type of game, prize structure, advertisements, colour of ticket, etc.). / This research consisted of three phases. Phase I consisted of the inclusion of 5 focus groups (47 children, age 12--19) designed to provide qualitative information on adolescent lottery playing behaviour; Phase II included the development and validation of an instrument to assess lottery playing and gambling behaviour; and Phase III included the participation of a large community sample of youth in Ontario who completed the questionnaire assessing their gambling behaviour in general, factors influencing lottery playing behaviour (e.g., structural characteristics of lottery tickets), and severity of gambling problems. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The three reported articles examine self-mutilation (SM) in a community sample of adolescents. First, the frequency of the behavior, gender differences and self-mutilative practices were examined. In addition, two models of self-mutilation, the anxiety reduction model and hostility model were explored in order to gain preliminary information regarding possible etiological factors in the manifestation of self-mutilation. Finally, other related maladaptive behaviors such as depressive symptomatology and eating pathology were also investigated. Four hundred and forty students from two schools, an urban and a suburban high school were given a screening measure designed to assess for SM. Students who indicated that they hurt themselves on purpose also participated in a follow-up interview. Based on interviews it was found that 13.9% of all students reported having engaged in SM behavior on at least one occasion. Girls reported significantly higher rates of SM than boys. Self-cutting was found to be the most common type of SM, followed by self-hitting, pinching, scratching and biting. In terms of support for the models, students who SM reported significantly more anxiety and more intropunitive and extrapunitive hostility relative to students who did not SM. In addition, prior to self-mutilating, feelings of both hostility and anxiety were described. Findings lend support to the hostility model of self-mutilation. Finally, greater depressive symptomatology and eating pathology were reported by students who SM. Results are discussed with reference to the anxiety reduction model and the hostility model of SM.

The internal dynamics of four selected groups of male adolescents were analyzed and the resultant findings were compared with those based on three previous hypotheses on adolescent values, attitudes, and behaviors.This study shows that the three hypotheses used for comparison were too vague and encompassing and based on too little data to have much general or specific use.

The main goal of this thesis was to enhance understanding of potentially offensive sexual behaviors that occur among adolescent peers. Sexual behaviors were divided into three categories: moderate---did not involve physical touching; severe non-coercive---involved physical touching without the use of coercion; and severe coercive---included physical touching that involved the use of coercion. The first manuscript examined the incidence and tolerance of potentially offensive sexual behaviors and results were comparable to those found in previous studies on peer sexual harassment among adolescents. Boys tended to perpetrate moderate behaviors to both boys and girls, whereas severe behaviors were perpetrated by other-sex peers. Most importantly, experiencing a greater incidence of moderate and severe sexual behaviors for girls, and severe sexual behaviors for boys, was associated with having more other-sex friends. The second manuscript focused on elements that influence the degree of upset over relatively ambiguous potentially offensive sexual behaviors (i.e., moderate and severe non-coercive behaviors). Targets with higher self-esteem tended to attribute more acceptable intents (e.g., thought I liked it) to the perpetrators of potentially offensive sexual behaviors. Furthermore, targets attributed more acceptable intents to close friends than other peers. However, targets were most upset when they attributed less acceptable intents (e.g., wanted to have power over me) to the perpetrator, regardless of self-esteem or relationship with the perpetrator. The final manuscript compared adolescent victims and perpetrators of peer sexual coercion and a control group. Sexist attitudes were highest in male perpetrators and in female victims. Furthermore, victims of sexual coercion tended to report relatively high amounts of drug and alcohol use, and both victims and perpetrators tended to be involved in more non-sexual deviance than controls. Overall

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2007. / Title from title screen (site viewed Dec. 5, 2007). PDF text: 189 p. : ill. ; 8 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3271907. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007. / Prepared for: School of Nursing . Bibliography: leaves 249 - 270. Also available online via the Internet.