The proliferation of drug courts throughout the world over the last two decades presents an opportunity and a challenge. The drug court approach involves a combination of treatment and judicial supervision which is a diversion from incarceration and/or ‘traditional’ criminal justice supervision. Despite widespread study of drug courts, there is much that researchers still do not know and there is still controversy as to how and why drug courts work. This research study is an examination of secondary data from an urban, mid-Atlantic drug court to attempt to correlate factors that contribute to success (as defined by graduation) in drug court. This study examines drug courts using Life Course Theory, Social Capital Theory and Recovery Capital Theory as a theoretical foundation for understanding the influences of drug courts on participants. Findings from the Discriminant Function Analysis employed in this study demonstrate low to moderate ability to predict drug court graduation and program attrition based on a combination of demographic information and drug court program requirements. Among the factors found to contribute to drug court success were participants having children, their employment status, 30-day abstinence, age, and race. Additional implications for social workers practicing in drug courts are discussed as well as suggestions for future research directions in the study of drug courts.

Given the current United States prison population of 1.5 million persons, many states have begun to examine how to effectively reduce correctional expenditures, considering in 2011 healthcare related prison costs increased to approximately eight billion (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2014). Recent research attributes much of this increase to the prevalence of disease and aging within the prison population (Williams et al., 2012; Dumont et al., 2012; Gallagher, 2001; Ahalt et al., 2013). Alternatively, little attention has been devoted to measuring the disparity in health among minority male inmates or the effects of identifying more cost effective health initiatives that address negative health outcomes. With incarceration and health expenditures rates steadily increasing within the United States, studies have highlighted the positive correlation between incarceration and the costs of inmate health, as well as the implications associated with physical illness and its overarching effects on the performance of correctional health care. This study represents an attempt at bridging the gap between preventative health care and criminal justice efforts within the literature in its examination of the demographics, history of incarceration, chronic illness, and current medical conditions of minority male inmates within the state correctional facilities.

No / The present paper uses life course theory to explore the move toward 'independent living' required of young people leaving care in England and Wales. Informal interview contact with 14 young people who had recently left care was maintained over a period of 12-18 months. Biographical stories constructed from field research are used to consider the social and developmental processes of the life course. The contextual analysis formalized within life course theory focused on the social timing and social construction of independence, revealing the way in which important 'invisibilities' may have social and developmental consequences for care leavers.

Criminological, psychological, and developmental researchers have relentlessly explored behavioral characteristics and juvenile justice outcomes in an effort to establish the most appropriate means of analyzing childhood and adolescent problem behaviors. Cross-discipline, empirical evidence and factor analytic research has consistently identified the presence of two predictive concepts, physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking. Research pertaining to the risk factors and correlates of these two distinct substructures of offending align with theoretically postulated typologies of delinquency and offending as well as the frequently cited patterns of delinquency and offending within reviews of longitudinal research. Using longitudinal data from a sample of 756 at-risk, males and females during late childhood and early adolescence, the present research examined variations in latent trajectories of physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking as well as empirically substantiated risk factors that may influence problem behaviors and juvenile justice involvement. The findings support a 4-class model for both physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking as well as a relationship between supported risk factors and latent class membership. A comprehensive understanding of physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking may provide the basis for targeted, problem-specific strategies aimed at early intervention.

Thesis advisor: Christina Matz / Thesis advisor: Ce Shen / The aging of the population has imposed sustainability issues to Social Security, which has led to a glowing debate about what the full retirement age (FRA) should be and whether working longer is a fair and realistic expectation for everyone – or just for those who have a certain level of control over their retirement decision. It was estimated that by 2013, there were over 50% household at risk of financial insecurity in retirement. Thus, having to retire earlier might mean that individuals are in a particular precarious situation financially. Evidence suggests that in order to make ends meet, workers intend to stay on the job longer. About 27% of workers state they plan to work at retirement and 24% state they plan to continue to work until they are not able to do so. However, 50% of retiree retired earlier than planned, and only 24% of them did so because they realized they could afford retirement, while the remaining 76% retired involuntarily due to health or lay-offs. Evidence suggest that there are startling ethno-racial differences regarding retirement preparedness and planning. Hispanics tend to do little to none retirement planning, and tend to face retirement insecurity, which is expressed as high dependency in Social Security and poverty rates three times higher compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Some recent qualitative research has pointed out that for Hispanics there might be cultural elements at play. Few studies have explored ethno-racial disparities regarding retirement planning and decisions and the results are inconsistent. Ethno-racial and cultural variables are some of the most understudied variables in the retirement planning literature. The present dissertation seeks to contribute to fill some of these gaps by exploring ethno-racial differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanics in the U.S. regarding, retirement planning, retirement decisions and retirement outcomes. Results indicate that there are significant differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanics, especially foreign-born Hispanics. This as the result of the complex relationship of Hispanics’ culture and their migration experience that has been marked by diminished labor market conditions, which along with Hispanics’ lack of education and English proficiency has limited their working opportunities / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

This qualitative study examines the lived experience of culturally diverse caregivers to children with ASD. The study is situated within the theoretical framework of the life-course theory. Specifically, the impact of the transition of diagnosis on the trajectory of the primary caregiver's life-course is explored. Further, coping mechanisms, caregiver burden/satisfaction, diagnosis, and other components which contribute to the larger construct of lived experience are discussed. Participant stories were obtained through the use of interactive interviewing techniques and transcripts were transformed into a cohesive narrative designed to evoke emotion within the reader while preserving the authenticity of the data. Further, the study contributes to a disability-related discourse which challenges the current deficit model and gives a voice to individuals who may have previously been marginalized based on their cultural and disability-related characterizations.

In couple relationships, the phenomenon of accepting influence is both an observable action, seen in couples compromising and respecting each other, as well as an approach to the relationship, one’s perception that their partner is someone worthy of sharing power with. This study utilizes a life course perspective to examine the mediated relationship between childhood experiences, partners accepting influence, and relationship satisfaction in a sample of military couples. An actor partner interdependence mediation model was fit in Amos to examine the relationships. Civilian spouses’ childhood experiences were related to their perception their partner accepts influence and service members’ perception their partner accepts influence; this was then related to both partners’ relationship satisfaction. Accepting influence is a potential leverage point for improving relationship satisfaction in military couples who may be at an increased risk due to the nature of military life.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the 6th leading cause of death in older Americans. Currently there is no cure for AD, and even though the specific cause is unknown, diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) is regarded as a risk factor. Hispanics have a higher incidence of DM2 and possibly AD. I chose a life course theoretical model for this quantitative cross-sectional study to illuminate the variables most pertinent to a pathway from good health to poor health. The variables chosen were hypertension (HTN), obesity, smoking, stroke, dyslipidemia, and lower educational attainment. The research questions were used to examine biologic, metabolic, sociologic, and genetic risk factors in the development of DM2 and subsequently, AD. Using data from the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center, the association between DM2 and AD in Hispanics over 65 years of age was examined using Ï?2 and logistic regression to determine whether DM2 in this population contributes to AD development. No association was found between DM2 and AD (OR .791, 95% CI = .441-1.509, p = .476). Risk factors independently associated with AD were HTN, a history of stroke, and lower education in Hispanics. Obesity measured by BMI, dyslipidemia, smoking, and the APOE gene was not significant in their association to AD. This study offers information that medical providers can use to help determine which risk factors affect this population and may thereby alter the course of AD in their patients. Medical providers can make a significant impact on an individual's life by diagnosing dementia early. Early diagnosis could prevent or delay cognitive dysfunction and improve quality of life by using culturally and linguistically appropriate tools.

Foreign-born Black women giving birth in the United States have superior preterm birth outcomes compared to their U.S-born Black peers. Many studies have focused on tobacco use and medical risk factors, but few have focused solely on preconception health. The purpose of this study was to examine preconception health and preterm birth differences among U.S.-born and foreign-born Black women. Three theoretical frameworks guided this study: the life course theory, healthy migrant theory/immigrant paradox, and weathering theory. Primary research questions assessed (a) if there were an association between chronic preconception risk factors, prepregnancy obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, in U.S.-born and foreign-born Black women, (b) if U.S.-born Black women had a higher risk of having a preterm infant compared to foreign-born Black women, and (c) if weathering existed in U.S.-born and foreign-born Black women. A quantitative design using the 2017 Natality Public Use File was employed that included non-Hispanic Black women ages 15 to 44 years. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used for the data analysis. Key findings revealed (a) a statistically significant association between preterm birth and chronic preconception health risk factors in both groups of women, (b) U.S.-born women were roughly 1.4 times more likely to have a preterm infant than foreign-born women, and (c) both groups experienced weathering. This study might positively impact social change by offering an alternative perspective to the reproductive health advantage of foreign-born Black women. This perspective can aid in advancing policy and systems change strategies to address the root causes of racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes, advance health equity, and improve maternal health.

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