Thesis advisor: Mary E. Walsh / Poverty negatively impacts health, emotional wellbeing, and educational outcomes for children and creates an opportunity gap between children living in poverty and their wealthier peers (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016). To close the opportunity gap, schools are encouraged to adopt a systemic approach that addresses both academic and non-academic barriers to learning (Adelman 2018). Integrated Student Support (ISS) models have emerged as one of the most effective systemic school-based interventions (Moore et al., 2018). ISS interventions use various strategies to address the continuum of student needs. Tiered intervention frameworks are one strategy geared towards categorizing risk levels and services by their respective levels of intensity. Tiered interventions commonly focus on academic and social-emotional domains. However, their social-emotional focus is often limited to behavior and their categorization of students is deficit-focused (Freeman et al., 2017). City Connects, one ISS intervention implemented in high-poverty urban districts, uses a tiered intervention framework that encompasses the whole child and incorporates strengths as well as risks. City Connects assigns a tier to strength/risk levels evidenced by students at the beginning of each school year. While City Connects has demonstrated robust positive effects on student outcomes, little is known about annual tier level. In the current study, repeated measures latent class analysis (RMLCA) identified patterns of tier change over five years during which students attended City Connects elementary schools in one district. Multinomial regression and chi-square analyses investigated the relationship of social-emotional strengths, needs, and services to the Tier Change Profiles. Overall, more than half of students changed tier between time points. The most commonly exhibited tier change was increasing/decreasing tier by one. RMLCA findings indicated that students facing lower risk at baseline, exhibited low risk over time, while students facing the highest risk exhibited the greatest volatility in risk over time. Students who had more social-emotional strengths than needs were more likely to exhibit Tier Change Profiles of low risk over time but having more social-emotional needs than strengths was not predictive of Tier Change Profile. Among other findings, outcomes suggest that acknowledging and bolstering strengths play a significantly positive role in developmental trajectories. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

The purpose of these studies was to examine moderation processes for the influence of early maternal parenting practices on young children’s prosocial outcomes. Data for both studies were drawn from the Kids, Families, and Places study. Observational measures of mothers’ parenting practices and children’s cooperation outcomes were collected in the home, and both mothers and fathers reported on their children’s prosocial conduct. Study 1 was a longitudinal analysis of the interaction between maternal sensitivity after birth (Time 1) and children’s joint attention (JA) skills (Time 2, 18 months later) on children’s cooperation skills at 18 months. Findings indicated that children’s concurrent Responding to JA (RJA) was associated with cooperation and early maternal sensitivity moderated this relationship. Children high in RJA showed good cooperation irrespective of maternal sensitivity. However, low RJA was associated with high cooperation in the presence of high maternal sensitivity. Study 2 used person-oriented analyses to examine patterns of maternal parenting associated with young children’s concurrent prosocial behaviour across socioeconomic contexts. Latent Profile Analysis identified 3 profiles of parenting: Positive (14%), Negative (36%), and Combined (moderate levels of both positive and negative practices; 50%). Mothers from low-income families and those living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods were more likely to  belong to the Negative or the Combined profiles.  Moderation analyses indicated the protective influence of the Combined profile of parenting for children residing in impoverished socioeconomic contexts. In the context of low family SES and high neighbourhood disadvantage, children were rated as more prosocial if mothers use a combined style of parenting. A protective-enhancing effect was found, in which these high-risk children were actually rated better than those children who did not live in such adversity. Together, results highlight the importance of studying the association between parenting and prosocial outcomes within an ecological and contextual framework, with interactions amongst both child-level and distal factors, for understanding individual differences in prosocial development.

The purpose of these studies was to examine moderation processes for the influence of early maternal parenting practices on young children’s prosocial outcomes. Data for both studies were drawn from the Kids, Families, and Places study. Observational measures of mothers’ parenting practices and children’s cooperation outcomes were collected in the home, and both mothers and fathers reported on their children’s prosocial conduct. Study 1 was a longitudinal analysis of the interaction between maternal sensitivity after birth (Time 1) and children’s joint attention (JA) skills (Time 2, 18 months later) on children’s cooperation skills at 18 months. Findings indicated that children’s concurrent Responding to JA (RJA) was associated with cooperation and early maternal sensitivity moderated this relationship. Children high in RJA showed good cooperation irrespective of maternal sensitivity. However, low RJA was associated with high cooperation in the presence of high maternal sensitivity. Study 2 used person-oriented analyses to examine patterns of maternal parenting associated with young children’s concurrent prosocial behaviour across socioeconomic contexts. Latent Profile Analysis identified 3 profiles of parenting: Positive (14%), Negative (36%), and Combined (moderate levels of both positive and negative practices; 50%). Mothers from low-income families and those living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods were more likely to  belong to the Negative or the Combined profiles.  Moderation analyses indicated the protective influence of the Combined profile of parenting for children residing in impoverished socioeconomic contexts. In the context of low family SES and high neighbourhood disadvantage, children were rated as more prosocial if mothers use a combined style of parenting. A protective-enhancing effect was found, in which these high-risk children were actually rated better than those children who did not live in such adversity. Together, results highlight the importance of studying the association between parenting and prosocial outcomes within an ecological and contextual framework, with interactions amongst both child-level and distal factors, for understanding individual differences in prosocial development.

The established approach to safety management has failed to handle socio-technical systems that have become more complex. The main argument is this approach is based on assumptions that systems are protected against accidents by barriers (well-trained people, redundant mechanisms and safety devices, and procedures and safe systems of work). Complex systems, such as maintenance, are actually labour intensive; maintenance staff often works under pressure to finish tasks as rapidly as possible. They continuously adapt and make adjustments using available resources, time, knowledge, and competence to achieve success. Thus, they are accidents prone. Human factors inherent to maintenance accidents are most times difficult to identify. Research in this area in the oil and gas industry in maintenance management is limited in comparison to the aviation and nuclear sectors. Therefore, it has been suggested to overcome this lack by exploring the maintenance system and identifying appropriate methods and tools that lead a system to safety excellence. Resilience engineering (RE) approach has been found the suitable solution. Moreover, four system abilities (cornerstones of RE: ability to respond, to monitor, to anticipate, and to learn) have been identified to characterise the resilience of a system; if these abilities are known and increased, it will make the system As High Resilient As Possible (AHRAP). However, there is a need to bridge between RE theory and practice. Particularly, a tool that measures these abilities lacks in the oil and gas industry, specifically within the maintenance system. In doing so, a framework based on a Gap Analysis (GA) was outlined. A tool, the MAintenance System Resilience Assessment Tool- MASRAT, was developed to assess current system resilience and identify strategies for improvement to achieve safety excellence. The maintenance system of SONATRACH was explored by the analysis of the system documentation and processes, interviews with maintenance staff, questionnaires, field observations, storytelling, and functional analysis. MASRAT has been validated by means of congruency and principal components analysis, PCA (content validity), and Cronbach’s alpha (reliability). An expert panel testing was carried out to test its usability. The exploration of the system came up with a snapshot of daily activities as well as a better understanding of the maintenance system. The study identified the most significant human factors (resources, time pressure, and supervision/coordination) and their probable impact on plant safety. The elements of the system were found tightly coupled, hence the system complex. Stories describing the continuous adaptations of people to achieve assigned objectives were collected. On the other hand, MASRAT was validated. All items were rated above 0.75 in congruency test. The results of PCA for the three selected factors confirmed the items may be clustered after extraction into four components which interpretation represents the four cornerstones of RE. The analysis showed MASRAT is reproducible. Cronbach’s alpha results were found higher than what is required (0.7). MASRAT was found usable by maintenance expert panel. It was used to measure the maintenance department resilience. Strategies that may lead the system from current maturity level to excellence were identified. Eventually, recommendations were made to management to be implemented both at corporate and department levels. For the first time, the maintenance department resilience of petroleum assets was measured to fill in the gap between RE theory and practice. Besides, this can be of benefit to the petroleum industry by a better knowledge of the maintenance working environment and human factors impact on safety and by profiles determination and improvement strategies identification.

Suicide is a prevalent and international problem which has substantive economic and psychological consequences. This has led to governments placing prevention of suicide as a priority on healthcare agendas. Recognition has been given to vulnerable groups in society that have been identified as being at particularly high risk of self-harm and suicide. This includes those in contact with mental health and forensic services. There is a great deal of literature that has considered the risk factors, processes and mechanisms associated with suicide. Comparatively only a small amount of literature has looked at the concept of suicidality within restricted samples such as psychiatric inpatients and prisoners. This may be as a consequence of extensive ethical and procedural processes that are involved in conducting research in such settings. This results in it being necessary to continually make generalisations from community based literature, meaning that factors relating specifically to such settings may be overlooked or underestimated. In the first paper, the initial sections consider existing risk assessments and models of suicidality. Predominantly being structured around static risk factors, means they are often criticised for lacking predictive utility and specificity. Literature examining dynamic psychosocial factors of suicidality in restricted samples was reviewed and 20 articles were identified. A wide range of dynamic correlates are presented. These form a theoretical model of suicidality specific to restricted samples. The clinical and theoretical implications are discussed in terms of risk assessment procedures and adapting and shaping interventions in accordance with the findings. Developing risk assessments around more dynamic factors will allow for greater sensitivity and prediction of those at greatest risk of imminent harm. The second, empirical paper supports the promotion of recovery focused practice and explores the relationship between suicidality and perceived personal agency in patients in secure mental health settings; Personal agency having previously been suggested as conferring resilience to suicidality. Psychometric measures and experience sampling methodology were utilised to examine the relationship. Perceptions of personal agency were found to confer resilience against suicidality. Change in perceptions of personal agency was not associated with suicidality but the overall level of personal agency was. Implications for service delivery are discussed with emphasis given to fostering perceptions of agency, control and self-efficacy and promoting inclusion, empowerment and person centred care. The final paper provides a personal and a critical reflection on the research process. It highlights and discusses clinical and theoretical strengths and limitations of the two papers and considers the methodological processes of both papers in more detail. Further reflections on how practice could be adapted in line with the findings are given. Future directions for research within secure settings are considered, in the hope of maintaining the drive for research with this vulnerable and often overlooked population.

No description available.

While much research has focused on the psychosocial health of youth with spina bifida and their parents, less is known about the sibling experience. This cross-sectional mixed method study tested an ecological model of adjustment for adolescent siblings using self-report surveys. Convenience sampling methods were used to recruit 224 families from the Spina Bifida Association of America and three spina bifida clinic sites. The central hypotheses evaluated whether a set of ecological variables (stress appraisal, satisfaction with family functioning, warmth and conflict in the sibling relationship, and peer support) predicted sibling self-concept, prosocial behavior, and behavior difficulties, after controlling for spina bifida severity, length of time having a brother/sister with spina bifida, and sibling age. A potential moderating influence of sibling gender and birth order was also examined. A qualitative component was included to ascertain whether the variables included in the ecological model captured those concepts reported as salient by the siblings. Hierarchical regression equations tested the central hypotheses. Content analysis was performed on the qualitative data, with journaling and an external auditor used to enhance rigor.The ecological model explained a significant amount of variance in sibling self-concept, prosocial behavior, and behavior difficulties. Significant individual risk and protective factors were observed at several layers of sibling life, and there were divergent predictors of self-concept and behavior. Birth order emerged as an important moderating variable in several regression equations. The qualitative analysis revealed five major domains and twenty-one themes capturing the lived experience of siblings. Their stories reflected overall acceptance for the omnipresence of spina bifida, though ongoing difficulties such as jealousy, embarrassment, and guilt were evident, particularly for those participants in early adolescence. The journey toward acceptance of spina bifida was one marked by intense, and at times conflicted, emotions. Findings from this research suggest family-centered care may be enhanced by clarifying and supporting sibling perception of the impact of spina bifida, promoting a healthy family milieu characterized by communication sharing, growth opportunities, and positive sibling interactions, and encouraging opportunities for peer socialization.

Accumulative family risk factors can have a detrimental impact on young children's social emotional development and future school readiness. Identifying family risk and resilience factors can be a first step in linking families to needed services. Programs that serve families and children need a brief and valid screening tool that can quickly assess family strengths and needs. This study examined the validity and utility of the Environmental Screening Questionnaire (ESQ), a brief caregiver report of the family's situation. Participants included 324 parent/child (ages 3-60 months) dyads from a sample of programs that serve at-risk families (n = 72) and an online sample of caregivers (n = 252). Results from data analyses evaluating the validity and utility were promising. Validity was investigated by examining convergent validity using the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form. Caregivers from the online sample who had more family risk factors, as identified in the ESQ, were more likely to have elevated levels of stress (r = .23). Moreover, children from families with increased risk factors tended to have higher scores on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional (ASQ:SE) for two age intervals, 6 and 48 months, for the online sample. Utility data were gathered from caregivers and program staff. Results suggest the ESQ is an effective and useful screening measure that can help professionals identify areas of resource need, organize referral information, and monitor family outcomes. Caregivers found the ESQ to be helpful in understanding personal areas of risk and how risk and resilience factors can affect children's social emotional development. This study assisted in developing preliminary "red flag" risk factors that may be useful to programs serving families and children. Testing of the "red flags" is discussed for future research. / 10000-01-01

A key attribute of resilience, robustness serves as a predictor of infrastructure system performance under disruptions, thus informing proactive infrastructure risk management. A literature review indicated that previous studies did not consider some key factors that can influence the robustness of Air Transportation Infrastructure Networks (ATIN) and thus their (system-level cascade) systemic risk management processes. In this respect, the current study first assesses existing and then develops a new methodology to quantify the robustness of ATIN. Specifically, based on integrating travel time and flight frequency, the study develops alternative best route and link weight approaches to assess key ATIN robustness measures and relevant operating cost losses (OCL). In order to demonstrate the practical use of the developed methodology, the robustness and the associated OCL of the Canadian Domestic Air Traffic Network are evaluated under random failures (i.e., disruptive events that occur randomly) and targeted threats (i.e., disruptive events that occur deliberately). The analysis results show that the network robustness is influenced by the utilized evaluation approach, especially after 20% of the network components become nonoperational. Overall, the methodology developed within this study is expected to provide ATIN policymakers with the means to quantify the network robustness and OCL, and thus enable ATIN resilience-guided proactive risk management in the face of natural or anthropogenic hazard realizations. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

L’obiettivo della tesi è ideare uno schema teorico del concetto multidimensionale di rischio territoriale, applicandolo successivamente ad un caso di studio sulle province italiane. Nel primo capitolo si delinea uno schema teorico del concetto di rischio territoriale, utilizzando una lettura del fenomeno di stampo sistemico, secondo cui il rischio è correlato positivamente a fattori di vulnerabilità territoriale e negativamente a fattori di resilienza. Il territorio viene rappresentato nelle tre dimensioni della sostenibilità, quella economica, sociale e ambientale, seguendo un approccio olistico. Nel secondo si applica lo schema teorico ad uno studio sulle province italiane. Si adotta una metodologia di sintesi a passaggi successivi, che prevede l’applicazione di tecniche multivariate. Si giunge ad un sistema di indicatori ed indici sintetici di vulnerabilità e resilienza economica, sociale e ambientale. Nel terzo si giunge agli indici sintetici di vulnerabilità e resilienza territoriale, confrontando metodi di aggregazione differenti. Si individuano così i sistemi locali più a rischio, perchè più vulnerabili e meno dotati di fattori di risposta al cambiamento. Si evidenziano elementi di originalità a livello di disegno teorico, per la trattazione del tema nelle dimensioni distinte Economia, Società e Ambiente, e a livello empirico, per l’utilizzo di metodologie di sintesi ibride. / The aim of the work is to provide a theoretical framework regarding the multidimensional concept of vulnerability of local systems, then applying it to a case study on Italian provinces. The first chapter outlines a theoretical framework of this concept, using a reading of the phenomenon according to a systemic mold, whereby the risk is positively correlated with spatial vulnerability factors and negatively with resilience factors. Region is represented in the three dimensions of sustainability, that is the economic, social and environmental ones, following a holistic approach. The second one applies the theoretical framework for a study on the Italian provinces. We have adopted a method of synthesis by successive steps, which provides the application of multivariate techniques. We arrive at an indicators system and composite indices of economic, social and environmental vulnerability and resilience. In the third one we reach the composite indices of vulnerability and resilience of local systems, comparing different methods of aggregation among themselves. Systems are identified as most at risk, because more vulnerable and less gifted with factors of response to change. Elements of originality are highlighted in terms of theoretical project for the treatment of the theme in the distinct dimensions Economy, Society and Environment, as well as, at empirical level, the usage of hybrid synthesis methods.