<p> The purpose of this project was to identify potential funding sources, and write a grant to fund an existing violence prevention program designed to change cultural norms around masculinity that condone and glorify violence. The grant would fund the expansion of the program into targeted organizations that the host organization was previously unable to collaborate with for a variety of reasons. An extensive literature review increased knowledge about the problem of violence and its relationship to traditional or hegemonic definitions of masculinity and provided information about evidence-based violence prevention programs that the grant writer then used to design a best-practices approach to phase two of the existing program. A search for potential funding sources resulted in the selection of the Office on Violence Against Women, a division of the United States Department of Justice, as the best funding source for this project. Actual submission and funding of this grant were not a requirement for successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> This thesis examines the public perception of the Ray Rice and Janay Rice intimate partner violence (IPV) incident that occurred on February 19, 2014. This event became the source of thousands of tweets, revealing a representation of public response to IPV through the lens of sports, African American celebrities and gender. Exploring public response through social media, this thesis analyzed a sample of 332 tweets at two time periods, one centering around the NFL announcement of a two-day suspension of Ray Rice and the other later announcement regarding the announced indefinite suspension of Ray Rice. The thesis includes a qualitative investigation of tweet contents to examine public sentiment regarding IPV victimization and accountability during the two time periods. This study expands on research on IPV and social work through being one of the first research projects to integrate an analysis of gender, violence and social media.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant for a youth development boxing program for adolescent males in Long Beach, California. An extensive literature review was conducted to investigate the best ways to incorporate combat sports into a youth development program with the goals of increasing self-esteem, enhancing social relationships with peers and adults, and supporting the development of healthy male identity. The program consists of two components: 1) boxing program and 2) group discussion. As many as 20 adolescent males would be served from three high schools in the city: Cabrillo High School, Jordan High School, and Polytechnic High School. </p><p> The program was developed to address the potential impact of growing up in economically disadvantaged and high-risk neighborhoods. Program goals will be achieved with a boxing program that includes post-training discussions. The integration of sports and group discussions will allow for an environment that can both support and empower adolescent males. Long Beach United Boxing Club, the program site, has a strong standing reputation of providing a safe and open environment in which youth can thrive. The Foundation for Global Sports Development was selected as the best potential funder because of its commitment to promoting the well-being of underserved youth. </p><p> If funded, this program would be a model upon which other programs could build. Combat sports involvement is an innovative and dynamic way to reach hard-to-engage youth and provide a supportive space in which they can thrive. The thesis project did not require the submission of the proposal.</p><p>