<p> Research suggests that sexual abuse (SA) increases the likelihood of alcohol/drug use (AOD), and that AOD increases criminality. As such, in this study 50 women completed a survey reporting their histories of SA, AOD, and criminality. Fifteen related hypotheses were formulated: age at which drug abuse began would be lower; total number of drugs used, higher; age of first crime, lower; age of first incarceration, lower; and cumulative time in prison, greater, for those with SA vs. those without, for those who did not report their SA vs. those who did, and for those who did not receive treatment for SA vs. those who did. Thirteen of 15 hypotheses trended as predicted, significantly different from chance using Chi square. Trends for those who did not report SA vs. those who did, and for those who did not receive treatment for SA vs. those who did, were universally in line with hypotheses. Hypotheses regarding those with SA vs. those without remain less clear, with three of five outcome measures trending as expected. Together, these findings suggest that it may not be an SA history in itself that predicts earlier and greater severity of AOD, earlier criminal behavior, and greater prison time; but that the lack of treatment for SA and lack of reporting of SA may predict earlier and more severe behavioral disruptions. This underscores the importance of supporting girls and women who experience SA with access to reporting and treatment to reduce the emotional and behavioral sequellae of SA. </p><p> Keywords: substance use, sexual abuse, criminality, alcohol use</p>

<p>The forensic artists who create suspect composite drawings of wanted criminals for law enforcement agencies are frequently exposed to the details of traumatic events. The manner and degree to which this exposure to details of violence affects the perceptions and lives of these artists comprise the basis of this phenomenological study. Interviews with 8 experienced forensic artists include inquiries about their background and training and their perceptions of the most disturbing type of crimes, and also about how they subjectively process the traumatic material received via the cognitive interviews that they conduct with victims and witnesses of violent crime. Perceptions of a more comprehensive effect of violence on society are also explored. Other pivotal aspects of this study include the manner in which memories of criminal cases are evoked, and specifically the way in which specific facial features that these artists have imaged in composites may act as triggers to these memories. The results of this inquiry reveal the varied degrees to which these forensic artists are conscious of the effects of this repeated exposure to traumatic detail. However, conscious revelations of such an impact on their lives occur frequently during the research interviews due to the narrative process of specific cases with which they had been involved. Recommended future research includes further exploration of specific facial features as triggers to traumatic memory and of the gender of the forensic artist may have on the perception of facial features and their translatable meanings within the context of a suspect composite interview. </p>

<p> The research question posed within this study is "What are the primary ecological factors that impact successful reentry of ex-offenders from incarceration to civil society?". This question is answered through a thorough study of the literature that investigates the complex relationship between the individual ex-offender and their interfacing ecological system(s). Information gleaned from secondary research will be analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Thematic analysis is a research approach that provides a framework for identifying relevant resources and outcome information, comparing and contrasting these sources of information, and reporting on themes discovered within this extant literature. For the purpose of this study, thematic analysis was used to describe and organize the data collected and provided a framework to interpret the multifarious factors influencing prison reentry outcomes. Against the current trends of deficit-based and fragmented explanations for the growing trends in poor prison-reentry outcomes, this study introduces and promotes alternate explanations that offer a holistic approach which includes both the ex-offender and ecological system factors as relevant influences to be considered when addressing the social problem of prison reentry. Future recommendations emphasizing the vital role that psychologists play in developing policies and practices that improve prison reentry outcomes are offered, including efficacious approaches that are relevant to each level of the espoused ecological system.</p>

<p> Becoming employed after release is one of the most effective ways for returning citizens to successfully reintegrate into the community and to prevent recidivism. However, individuals recently released from jails and prisons face unique challenges, both personal and environmental, that impede this process. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a microtrial intervention for 47 recently released ex-offenders actively seeking employment. This intervention, tailored from the Michigan JOBS program, was designed to keep job seekers motivated. The researcher hypothesized that the intervention would increase levels of job search efficacy, self-efficacy, and job search behaviors both immediately after the intervention as well as at the two week follow-up, and that this relationship would be moderated by the personality factor of impulsivity. Previous research has linked higher levels of impulsivity with diminished follow-through and reduced engagement in goal-directed behaviors. The outcome of this study did not support this model, as impulsivity did not moderate this relationship, neither immediately after the intervention nor at the two week follow-up. Impulsivity was assessed using both self-report and behavioral measures. While it was predicted that the three measures of impulsivity would correlate highly and form a latent factor, the behavioral measure did not correlate strongly with one of the self-report measures, and therefore moderation analyses were run separately for each measure. Testing the effects of the intervention without the impulsivity moderator found that the inoculation against setbacks module increased levels of job search efficacy immediately after the intervention, but this effect faded by the two week follow-up. No other effects of the intervention by condition were found. The benefits and drawbacks of the microtrial methodology are described in greater detail, and future directions for interventions with this population are suggested. </p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2000. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 60-06, Section: B, page: 2948. Adviser: Bruce Bonger.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2001. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-07, Section: B, page: 3380. Adviser: Bruce Bongar.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2001. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-11, Section: B, page: 5373. Chair: Cynthia Rosengard.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2003. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 63-11, Section: B, page: 5505. Adviser: Masha Gartstein.

Thèse (D.Ps.)--Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), 2008. / Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 1 février 2007). In ProQuest dissertations and theses. Publié aussi en version papier.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2001. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 61-12, Section: B, page: 6718. Chairperson: Robert McGrath. Available also in print.