Thesis (M.A.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2009. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-184). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-62). Also available via the Internet.

The primary purpose of this study was to utilize an ecological-transactional theoretical framework and an existing longitudinal data set to examine the relationships among neighborhood context, family supervision, association with deviant peers, and patterns of substance use during adolescence. Participants included 821 youth from the Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) data set. Data include primary caregiver and youth self-report measures of adult supervision, peer associations, and substance use. Data also include community survey and systematic social observation measures of neighborhood social processes such as collective efficacy, social disorder and social capital, neighborhood disadvantage, policing, and perceived danger collected from 1994-2001 in the city of Chicago. Latent growth curve modeling analyses were used to answer the research questions. Study results were significant associations between neighborhood social processes and substance use. Contrary to previous findings, more positive neighborhood social processes were related to higher levels of substance use for females. For both the African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino groups, deviant peer associations were related to higher levels of substance use at age 12. For the Hispanic/Latino group, higher neighborhood socioeconomic status was related to greater increases in substance use over time. Study results suggest the continued importance of research to discover sex and ethnic variation in associations among contextual influences and adolescent substance use. The current study makes a significant contribution to extant literature by examining the influence of neighborhood social processes, deviant peer associations, and supervision on substance use trajectories. Including peers, parental, and neighborhood factors&mdashin one model&mdashprovided a more comprehensive examination of how contextual influences impact the development of adolescent substance use. In addition, using a multilevel analysis with a diverse, longitudinal data set provided further insights into understanding ethnic and gender variation in the development of adolescents' substance use. Supplemental files include description of PHDCN scale items, HOME measure, Deviance of Peers measure, and items from the Substance Use Interview.

Despite the glut of literature focusing on numerous aspects of mainline American religious life, there is a surprising dearth of information regarding deviant religious practitioners. Importantly, there remains a lack of focus on the specificities of religious and spiritual deviance, and the accounts of those who engage in such practices. This exploratory study closely examines the members of one such religion; specifically, the Church of Satan. Despite the stigma associated with Satanism, individuals continue to willfully engage in such practices. Research uses face-toface, semi-structured interviews to better discern the rationale behind Satanic worship as understood by modern-day believers. Particular attention is given to the accounts of Satanists to examine motivations for engaging in such practices, as well as identity management techniques for dealing with potential stigma. Results of the analysis show that Satanists utilize a variety of accounts when speaking about their spiritual choices and the potential stigma that surrounds such choices. These results are discussed and directions for additional research are presented.

Lin, Bilian. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-96). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (Ph. D. Com. (Human Resource Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The purpose of this study was to explore workplace deviance, both constructive and destructive deviance, in order to understand and develop strategies that could be used to address different types of deviant behaviours amongst farm workers. Qualitative, explorative and descriptive research designs within the paradigm of constructivism were utilised to obtain rich and valuable data with regards to the participants’ views, experiences and meanings relating to workplace deviance, through a narrative approach to inquiry. Semi-structured interviews, using a critical incident technique, were employed in order to collect data on both constructive deviant behaviour and destructive deviant behaviour of farm workers from the research participants. Farm workers (n=30) and supervisors (n=9) from three farms belonging to the same conglomerate participated in the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected narrative data on farm workers’ workplace deviance. The study highlighted that both forms of workplace deviance, namely; constructive and destructive workplace deviance, seem to exist amongst farm workers. The various forms of constructive deviant and destructive deviant behaviours, which farm workers were more likely to engage in were identified. The constructive deviant behaviours were found to assist the farms in realising their objectives, while the destructive deviant behaviours seemed to negatively jeopardise the wellbeing of the farms. The managerial strategies which could be used in the farming sector in order to manage workplace deviance in a more holistic manner were identified. These included practices to encourage workers to engage in constructive deviant behaviours, while discouraging them from engaging in destructive deviant behaviours. The managerial practices revealed in this study may assist farm management to manage farm workers in such a way that may enhance the farms’ competitiveness. KEY CONCEPTS Workplace deviance; Destructive deviant behaviour; Constructive deviant behaviour; Farming sector; Farm workers.

D.Ed. / Delinquent-prone behaviour amongst the adolescent school population has become a serious problem in South Africa. From the reports in the media, it would seem that many adolescents cannot conform to the demands of society and, consequently, become involved in acts, which may be punishable by law. These acts include illegal substance abuse, stealing, fighting, aggravated assault and bullying of both educators and learners. In this respect, it must be noted that, although society at large tends to highlight delinquent acts of adolescents, very little is discussed about adolescents’ self-esteem or the factors that may have influenced them to perform these acts. Therefore, in order to prevent delinquent behaviour from escalating in our society and perpetuating the vicious cycle, educational psychologists will have to devise ways to understand and identify self-esteem and its contribution to violent behaviour in adolescents, and to prevent these behaviours before they become too ingrained in youths at risk. Taking the above into account, the research problem focused on the nature of self-esteem in delinquent-prone adolescents and how it manifests in their behaviour. Furthermore, the question arose as to what intervention programme could be developed for educational psychologists to render assistance and support to delinquent-prone adolescents, in order to prevent or to change problematic behaviour. This research aimed at exploring and describing the nature of self-esteem in delinquent-prone adolescents, how the self-esteem manifests itself in their behaviour, and to examine the factors that influence the self-esteem of delinquent-prone adolescents. Based on the findings of the study, an intervention programme was developed for educational psychologists to render assistance and support to delinquent-prone adolescents in order to prevent or change problematic behaviour. The research was done through the use of qualitative research strategies, which included a literature review, delinquent-prone adolescents’ written life stories, their responses to an incomplete sentence questionnaire and interviews conducted with participants, and which included the delinquent-prone adolescents themselves, their parents/guardians and housemothers, their educators and principal, the social worker and other parents/guardians of delinquent-prone adolescents who were not selected for this study. For this study, a sample of twenty adolescents, who were between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years, was selected from two secondary schools for this study. The only criteria that were used in the selection of these secondary school adolescents were that they presented with delinquent-prone behaviour. This sample was selected by the social worker at the orphanage and the principal of one of the schools, because they knew these adolescents well. Five categories were identified through data analysis, namely the nature of the self-esteem, feelings, internalised thoughts, delinquent-prone behaviour and significant relationships. The findings indicated that these delinquent-prone adolescents do have low self-esteem. Their feelings and internalised thoughts revealed attitudes and experiences commonly linked with low self-esteem in relevant literature. This low self-esteem manifested itself in their delinquent-prone behaviour, which was categorised as disobedient, covert and overt behaviour. The significant relationships highlighted that, although their peers influenced them to some extent, it was the significant adults in their lives, namely their housemothers, parents/guardians, caregivers and educators who were mentioned mostly in their responses. These significant adults do not appear to have fulfilled their responsibilities adequately, either because they do not know how to or because they do not have sufficient time, or because they themselves are overwhelmed with problems surrounding these adolescents. The findings of this study may not be generalised to other delinquent-prone adolescents, due to the small sample size. However, the research-design chapter did provide an audit trail, which may enable other researchers to determine to what extent their situation is similar to that in this study. What was significant to note was that primary caregivers of these adolescents (housemothers and parents/guardians) and educators seem to be in an ideal position to improve the adolescents’ internal and external environment, in order to enhance their self-esteem. A school-based intervention programme, based on the findings, was developed for educational psychologists to render assistance and support to delinquent-prone adolescents, their primary caregivers (parents/guardians, housemothers or caregivers) and educators in order to prevent or change the adolescents’ delinquent-prone behaviour. The principal areas aimed at enhancing self-awareness, motivation and empowerment, communication, assertiveness, conflict resolution and anger management skills. Other important areas aimed at helping adolescents with grieving and improving emotional intelligence. There are not many (if any) school-based intervention programmes for primary caregivers, educators and delinquent-prone adolescents, to assist the latter to enhance their self-esteem. While the implementation of the suggested programme may be costly, schools need to take the initiative in finding practical solutions at little or no cost by using the voluntary services of social workers or psychologists completing their internships. Measures are needed urgently to curb delinquent-prone behaviour in adolescents. What also became clear, however, was that many delinquent-prone adolescents experience a lack of love, and rejection. It seems justified to argue that support for, and acceptance of, children, maintained constantly, would prevent unacceptable behaviour, at least in some instances. One should not have to hear any child say, “I am tired of looking for love”.

This study tests the predictions made by several causal theories proposing different etiologies for childhood-onset and adolescent-onset conduct problems. It investigates a variety of causal factors proven to be important for the development of antisocial behaviors, specifically neuropsychological/cognitive deficits, temperamental vulnerabilities, dysfunctional parenting, deviant peers, and rebelliousness. Current theories generally agree that the early onset pathway is distinguished by interactions between a child with a difficult temperament and dysfunctional parent-child interactions. However, theories differ as to whether they emphasize the temperament and neurocognitive deficits of the child, or the parenting behaviors. In the adolescent onset pathway, theories typically focus on the importance of affiliation with deviant peers but differ as to whether this is attributed to a personality characterized by the rejection of traditional values and rebelliousness as leading to this association or failures in parenting practices. Seventy-eight pre-adjudicated adolescent (ranging in age from 11 to 18) boys housed in two short-term detention facilities and one outpatient program for boys at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system in southeastern Louisiana participated in the current study. The sample was ethnically diverse (56% African-American) and largely came from facilities serving either a large urban or a largely suburban and rural region of the state. The sample was divided into two groups based on the youngest age of a self-reported delinquent act or parent-reported severe conduct problem. The childhoodonset group (n =47) displayed at least one serious antisocial behavior prior to age 12, whereas the adolescent-onset group (n =31) did not. As predicted, the childhood-onset group showed greater levels of dysfunctional parenting and CU traits. Contrary to predictions, however, this group also showed the strongest affiliation with deviant peers. The only variable strongly associated with the adolescent onset group was lower scores on a measure of traditionalism which indicates less endorsement of traditional values and status hierarchies. The implications of these results for understanding different causal trajectories to antisocial behavior and for designing better prevention and treatment programs for antisocial youth are discussed.