Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-136). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Faculty of the School of Social Service Administration, June 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves: [58]-66)

Dissertation (Ph. D.)--University of Akron, Dept. of Urban Studies and Public Affairs, 2005. / "August, 2005." Title from electronic dissertation title page (viewed 01/15/2006) Advisor, Sonia Alemagno; Committee members, Peter Leahy, Lucinda Deason, Dennis Keating, Jesse Marquette, Zili Sloboda; Department Chair, Raymond Cox III; Dean of the College, Charles Monroe; Dean of the Graduate School, George R. Newkome. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Psychology, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-56).

Background Child abuse is a serious and devastating problem rooted within our communities. According to the South African Police Services (SAPS) crime statistics of 2006 & 2007, the four most common crimes committed (and attempted) against children were rape, common assault, and assault with attempt to do grievous bodily harm. Because this problem has it's roots within our homes and communities it must be unpacked from a community level. Aim and objectives: This study aims to describe the patterns of child abuse in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town and to gain insight into the knowledge and perceptions of the Ravensmead Community regarding child physical and sexual abuse. Methods This was done by exploring the knowledge and perceptions of the Ravensmead community on various aspects of child physical and sexual abuse including perceptions of victim and perpetrator profiles, responses to victims of child physical and sexual abuse, their knowledge of and access to avenues of help. The study also describes the patterns of child abuse in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town as documented in the case record reviews of children presenting to the Karl Bremer Hospital at the Rape crises Centre. In order to explore the knowledge of the Ravensmead community of child physical and sexual abuse, the researcher designed a structured questionnaire and conducted a door-to-door survey. A total of 279 respondents were obtained. Specific areas of enquiry included knowledge of definitions, perceptions of perpetrators, perceptions of predisposing circumstances and perception of avenues for help and where education programs should be aimed. Patterns of Child physical and sexual abuse presenting at the Rape Crises Centre at Karl Bremer Hospital was determined by conducting a case record review. Information regarding victim and perpetrator profiles, injuries sustained and home circumstance as documented in these case records was described. An in-depth interview conducted at the Rape Crises centre with parents of child victims of physical and sexual abuse provided qualitative information relating to patterns and perceptions of child physical and sexual abuse. Data from these three methods was then triangulated. Study design The researcher has chosen to do a descriptive study using methodological triangulation. The aim of the research is to describe the patterns of child abuse (physical and sexual) and to gain further insight into the perceptions and knowledge of the Ravensmead Community regarding child sexual and physical abuse. This was undertaken using a descriptive study design. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used to enhance the overall validity of the results. Setting Ravensmead is an impoverished community in the Northern Suburbs of the Western Cape. The high rate of crimes committed against children in this community is a reflection of the situation in the rest of the country. The Karl Bremer hospital Rape Crisis Center is the centre to which all cases of child sexual abuse and child physical abuse occurring in the northern suburbs of Cape Town presents. Staff is trained in offering the necessary medical, medico legal and psychological support to victims abuse. Results Only 15% of respondents to the questionnaire survey demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of what constitutes child abuse. Although respondents demonstrated understanding of some characteristics relating to victim and perpetrator profiles they failed to recognize certain circumstances that predisposes to child abuse. The In-depth interviews also found that most families of victims of child sexual abuse did suspect that the abuse could occur under the circumstance, which it did. The perception that children are sometimes to blame for the abuse is still held by some members of the community although they are in the minority. Few respondents were able to identify avenues for help other than the police station. However, the in-depth interviews demonstrates that several fears exist regarding reporting abuse to the police, reducing the practical accessibility of this service. The mean age of victims presenting to the Karl Bremer Hospital Rape Crises centre was 6.18yrs and 36% of cases presented was during the period from November to January. Absence of visible injuries could not exclude the diagnosis of sexual or physical abuse. Information relating to home circumstances and perpetrator profiles was lacking. Conclusion The research suggests that knowledge regarding child physical and sexual abuse in the Ravensmead community is lacking. Barriers exist to accessing avenues for help within the community. Greater community empowerment is required in order to effectively combat the problem of child physical and sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse perpetrated by trusted members of the clergy presents unique challenges to clinicians and yet the current literature on the effects of clergy sexual abuse is sparse. The vast majority of current research on clergy sexual abuse is based on the perspective of the perpetrators and not the survivors. Some literature suggests that clergy sexual abuse is equivalent to incest due to the level of betrayal trauma associated with each form of abuse. The current study seeks to examine the effects of clergy perpetrated sexual abuse on survivors and examine those effects in the context of the general literature on childhood sexual abuse. Adult male and female survivors of clergy sexual abuse were recruited online and asked to complete a series of self-report measures of religiosity, spirituality, and traumatic symptomology, including the Spiritual Beliefs Inventory (SBI-15R), Spiritual Wellbeing Scale (SWBS), and the Trauma Symptoms Inventory-2 (TSI-2). Participants also provided demographic information and completed a structured self-report questionnaire of history of sexual abuse. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that there were no between-group differences on measures of trauma or existential belief, but found that those abused by clergy reported lower levels of religious beliefs and practice, less social support from their religious community, less satisfaction with their relationship with God, and were more likely to have changed their religious affiliation. These data suggest that abuse perpetrated by clergy has a unique and measurable impact on survivors’ future religiosity and spirituality as compared to other forms of childhood sexual abuse.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported experiences of primary, secondary, and perpetrated abuse of an emotional, physical, and sexual nature among a male, nonclinical, noncriminal sample. One hundred forty-two subjects completed the Youth Experiences and Behaviors Questionnaire (YEBQ) (developed by the author) and the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS). Results indicated that overall, the YEBQ demonstrated moderate to high levels of internal consistency reliability and moderate levels of concurrent and divergent validity. Various descriptive statistics, scale, and subscale correlations for the YEBQ were provided. Results indicated that secondary abuse information was most predictive of later abuse perpetration with the exception of sexual abuse. Primary and secondary abuse information was found to be most predictive of abuse perpetration types of the same nature (e.g., emotional abuse history/witness scores best predicted emotional abuse perpetration scores and family abuse history/witness scores best predicted abuse perpetration toward family members scores) except in the cases of sexual abuse and stranger abuse. Theoretical interpretations and implications for these results are provided.

BACKGROUND: The nonmedical use of prescription medications among young people has escalated substantially in recent years. Certain subgroups of adolescents are at greater risk than others, including rural youth, however this has yet to be adequately quantified in Canada, and risk and protective factors in rural communities remain understudied. OBJECTIVES: The first objective of this thesis was to characterize the nonmedical use of prescription drugs in Canadian youth by age, gender, socioeconomic, immigrant and geographic statuses. The second objective was to examine time-use patterns among rural young people as they may relate to their risk of using prescription drugs recreationally. METHODS: Data were obtained from 10,429 youth in grades 9 and 10 across Canada who participated in the 2009/2010 Cycle of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. Participants documented information about their nonmedical use of opioid pain relievers, stimulants and sedative or tranquilizer medications in the past year. Cross-tabulations and multi-level regression analyses were used to determine proportions and estimate risk by demographic subgroups, and among 2393 rural youth, to examine associations with time-use patterns RESULTS: Females were 1.25 times more likely to report recreational use of pain relievers (95% CI: 1.04-1.51). Lower SES students were 2.41 times more likely to report recreational use of any type of medication (95% CI: 1.94-2.99). Pain reliever use was highest among rural youth living in close proximity to urban centres. Frequent peer time after school and in the evenings was associated with a 1.73 (95% CI: 1.10-2.73) and 2.16 times (95% CI: 1.30-3.60) increased risk of using prescription drugs recreationally, however associations were attenuated when adjusted for other risk factors. Non-participation in extracurricular activities was associated with a 50% increase in risk for nonmedical use of prescription drugs, even when adjusted for other risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Females, those of low SES and some rural youth, especially those who do not participate in extracurricular activities, are at increased risk for using prescription drugs recreationally. Results from this thesis point to priority areas for public health and education in reducing harms associated with nonmedical use of prescription drugs. / Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2013-10-01 22:39:42.815