Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, Dec 28, 2015
ABSTRACT Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research a... more ABSTRACT Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research about men’s relationships with women and their sexual assault behaviors that result in high response rates and decrease socially desirable answers. A racially diverse group of 24 English-speaking heterosexual men, aged 18 years or older, were recruited for participation in 3 focus groups. The men were asked to review a survey instrument used in a previous study and the results from that study. Analysis of the focus group transcripts indicates that the men responded to the survey instrument from 3 distinct perspectives: (a) perpetrators, (b) victims, and (c) respondents. From these perspectives, the men also commented on participant anonymity, survey construction and delivery method, question wording, and potential pitfalls in asking men about sexual assault.
Journal of Human Behavior in The Social Environment, Apr 1, 2013
Most often, methamphetamine researchers examine the biological and psychological outcomes of chro... more Most often, methamphetamine researchers examine the biological and psychological outcomes of chronic methamphetamine use and problems leading toward relapse. Consequently, the current intervention models tend to sidestep the salience of socio-cultural environments that influence methamphetamine use. In line with the person-in-environment framework of social work, we submit that understanding these facets can illuminate the dynamic processes that initiate and support methamphetamine use and the subsequent risky sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men. To that end, this article is a review and synthesis of existing literature on methamphetamine use in the men who have sex with men community. We also provide some recommendations for practitioners.
This study uses Stein and Markus’ (1996) self-concept and behavior change framework to examine yo... more This study uses Stein and Markus’ (1996) self-concept and behavior change framework to examine youth offenders’ responses to individual-level treatment in a residential correctional facility. The authors analysed transcripts collected from 10 male offenders, aged 15-17, who were interviewed at least three times over a period of four to six months. Results showed that while many offenders were able to identify negative trends in their life that led to their criminal behavior, other cognitively filtered out self-defeating information and did not identify troubling life patterns. Offenders also articulated visions of hoped for selves that were anchored in their lived experiences with positive role models and feared the selves that they might become if they continued down a criminal path. However, nearly all of the offenders had loosely organized or vague strategies for achieving their hoped for or idealized selves. Based on these findings, the authors pose implications for self-concept theory and for treatment practices with this population group.
... in standardized test scores in some states (Kober, Chudowsky, & Chudowsky, 2008), and... more ... in standardized test scores in some states (Kober, Chudowsky, & Chudowsky, 2008), and some have reported a reduction in the achievement gap for minority and low-income students since the advent of NCLB (Belfiore, Auld, & Lee, 2005; Booher-Jennings, 2005; Haney, 2000 ...
Journal of Hiv/aids & Social Services, May 26, 2010
The 2007 World Bank data on HIV/AIDS for sub-Saharan Africa indicates that 22.5 million adults an... more The 2007 World Bank data on HIV/AIDS for sub-Saharan Africa indicates that 22.5 million adults and children over 15 are living with HIV, including 1.7 million new infections. AIDS killed approximately 2.3 million people in the same year, making this region by far the worst affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This paper proposes a macro-level model for understanding the spread
Social work is ideally suited to use social capital to understand societal ills and to conduct a ... more Social work is ideally suited to use social capital to understand societal ills and to conduct a more holistic exploration of power, privilege, and oppression that affects marginalized individuals and groups. To that end, we review how prominent theorists discuss social capital and offer guidance for community practitioners based on these conceptualizations. In opposition to purely micro-level theories of human
ABSTRACT In this article, we use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which community in... more ABSTRACT In this article, we use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which community involvement in a community-based mental health promotion conference encourages mental health care in an African-American community. We collected data through key informant interviews, focus groups, and participant observations at conference planning meetings and conferences, as well as archival documents related to the conference. We identify community partnerships and shared commitment as drivers of the outreach to people in the community, creators of a culturally relevant and supportive environment for mental health education, and, consequently, promoters of mental health care in the African-American community.
Many schools of social work around the United States of America wrote anti-racism statements beca... more Many schools of social work around the United States of America wrote anti-racism statements because of the recent murders of Black and Brown people. In this contribution, the authors describe a challenging and tense discussion of racism and anti-racism leading to a group process about oppression and anti-oppression in the social work profession. For some, the urgency to address racism led to tactics and strategies that got in the way of social workers engaging in anti-oppressive practices. While the structure of higher education often reinforces traditional hierarchies of power, the profession of social work calls us to promote our core values of social justice, integrity, and the importance of human relationships as we strive for an anti-oppressive future. Consequently, social work faculty may experience role conflict as we navigate these tensions. We believe it is important to harness and process such discomfort as we critically examine the power dynamics within our own departmen...
BackgroundIn collaboration with members of the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community, we... more BackgroundIn collaboration with members of the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community, we created a didactic resource about the unique needs of TGD youth. MethodsWe developed teaching materials enhanced by video clips of two TGD adolescents openly sharing aspects of their lived experience. We compared the video and no video conditions in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which participants were assigned to one of four parallel conditions: 1) a transgender [TgV] or 2) a cisgender [CgV] woman presenting with videos embedded into the presentation, 3) the same cisgender woman presenting without the videos [CgN], or 4) a no intervention control [NiC]. Our primary outcome was change in the total score of the Transgender Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Scale (T-KAB). ResultsWe recruited and proportionally randomized 467 individuals, 200 of whom completed ratings before and after the intervention: TgV (n = 46), CgV (N = 46), CgN (n = 44), and NiC (n = 64). Mean scores on all ...
Abstract Despite the fact that HIV- and AIDS-related stigma is consistently identified as an impe... more Abstract Despite the fact that HIV- and AIDS-related stigma is consistently identified as an impediment to HIV prevention, a multilevel conceptualisation of HIV- and AIDS-related stigma continues to be poorly understood. The role of multilevel HIV- and AIDS-related stigma in the HIV prevention and intervention behaviours of Asian American and Pacific Islander who have sex with men in the USA is particularly overlooked. Psychology has contributed significantly to the identification of individual or interpersonal level factors influencing HIV- and AIDS-related stigma, while sociology has contributed to a more societal perspective. This dichotomy has led to the absence of a multilevel conceptual framework for analysing the HIV- or AIDS-related stigma experienced by Asian American and Pacific Islander who have sex with men in the USA. In this paper, we argue for need to develop such a model which is culturally grounded and bridges the individual, interpersonal and societal conceptualisations of stigma prominent in the social science literature. To that end, we use Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to explore the manifestation of HIV stigma at the micro, meso and macro levels and how these might impact on HIV testing and HIV service utilisation among Asian American and Pacific Islander men who have sex with men. We conclude by identifying some practice and research implications.
Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing population in the United Sta... more Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing population in the United States with documented increases in HIV rates. AAPIs are as likely as other racial/ethnic groups to engage in HIV-related risk behaviors, while being concomitantly less likely to have been HIV tested. Testing is a critical step in HIV prevention. Research points to various barriers to HIV-related testing including HIV knowledge and attitude and stigma. However, these factors and their impact among AAPIs are poorly understood. Myths about this population's "model minority" status compound…
ABSTRACT In this article, we use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which community in... more ABSTRACT In this article, we use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which community involvement in a community-based mental health promotion conference encourages mental health care in an African-American community. We collected data through key informant interviews, focus groups, and participant observations at conference planning meetings and conferences, as well as archival documents related to the conference. We identify community partnerships and shared commitment as drivers of the outreach to people in the community, creators of a culturally relevant and supportive environment for mental health education, and, consequently, promoters of mental health care in the African-American community.
Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 2015
ABSTRACT Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research a... more ABSTRACT Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research about men’s relationships with women and their sexual assault behaviors that result in high response rates and decrease socially desirable answers. A racially diverse group of 24 English-speaking heterosexual men, aged 18 years or older, were recruited for participation in 3 focus groups. The men were asked to review a survey instrument used in a previous study and the results from that study. Analysis of the focus group transcripts indicates that the men responded to the survey instrument from 3 distinct perspectives: (a) perpetrators, (b) victims, and (c) respondents. From these perspectives, the men also commented on participant anonymity, survey construction and delivery method, question wording, and potential pitfalls in asking men about sexual assault.
Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Jul 1, 2008
As prison populations continue to rise, faith-based and restorative justice programs show promise... more As prison populations continue to rise, faith-based and restorative justice programs show promise in influencing offenders' internal motivations and external behaviors. Using a one-group, pretest-posttest design, this pilot study found significant change in offenders' (n=102,) moral motivations (empathy, perspective taking, forgiveness, proneness to forgive, daily spiritual experiences, and relationships with others) after their self-selected participation in a 14-week faith-based program that draws from the principles of restorative justice. Hierarchical regression models were used to examine the impact of reported subscription to Christianity on pretests and score changes. At pre-test, Christian participants (n = 66) were more likely to forgive than non-Christian participants (n = 33) who conversely were more likely to see the perspectives of others. Christian offenders had significantly higher change scores on perspective taking and empathic concern than non-Christian participants. Findings have implications for the use of faith-based programs and victim-centered curriculums to change offenders' moral motivations and for matching faith-based Christian programs with Christian participants. Restorative justice and faith-based programs are receiving increased attention as innovative ways to help change offenders' internal motivations as well as external behaviors (Rockefeller institute of Government, 2007). The purpose of the present pilot study is to examine change in offenders' pro-social responses after participation in an in-prison faith-based program that draws from the principles of restorative justice. Programs in Prisons In-prison faith-based programs aim to facilitate character transformation through the development of religious practice and/or moral orientation. "Restorative justice programs aim to repair the harm caused by a criminal act by holding offenders directly accountable to the people they have violated and working to restore the emotional and material losses of victims (Zehr, 2002). Some programs combine faith-based and restorative justice philosophies and processes. Sycamore Tree is a six-session restorative justice component of the residential InnerChange program that rests on Christian principles and uses biblical narratives, in conjunction with narratives from unrelated or "surrogate" victims and offenders to facilitate the healing dialogue between victims and offenders. Paired sample t-tests on male (n = 2024) and female (n = 166) offenders from six types of penal institutions shows a significant, increase in empathy (Feasey, Williams, & Clark, 2005). Bridges to life (BTL) is a non-residential, free-standing, faith-based, in-prison restorative justice program that also brings together unrelated or "surrogate" victims and offenders (Armour, Sage, Rubin, & Windsor, 2005). To date, 16.3% of post release prison and jail BTL participants have been reincarcerated (J. Sage, personal communicauon, August 31, 2007), which is low compared to the two-year rate of 19-2% for the prison offender population only (Legislative Budget Board, 2005). Moral Motivations and Emotions These faith-based restorative justice programs may contribute to the development or strengthening of moral emotions because of their potential to be motivational forces that inspire an individual to "do good," while inhibiting behaviors diat have negative consequences (Kroll & Egan, 2004; Tangney, Stuewig, & Mashek. 2007). When an individual commits an offense against a moral convention, feelings such as shame, guilt, and pride are examples of the immediate, internalized feedback an individual receives relevant, to his or her behavior. Because moral emotions and cognition are malleable factors (Tangney er, al., 2007), they provide a target, for pro-social intervention. Restorative justice, in particular, works between the interface of moral emotions and behavior by actively discouraging an individual from feeling shame about himself or herself, and instead encouraging the more pro-social feeling of guilt. …
Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, Dec 28, 2015
ABSTRACT Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research a... more ABSTRACT Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research about men’s relationships with women and their sexual assault behaviors that result in high response rates and decrease socially desirable answers. A racially diverse group of 24 English-speaking heterosexual men, aged 18 years or older, were recruited for participation in 3 focus groups. The men were asked to review a survey instrument used in a previous study and the results from that study. Analysis of the focus group transcripts indicates that the men responded to the survey instrument from 3 distinct perspectives: (a) perpetrators, (b) victims, and (c) respondents. From these perspectives, the men also commented on participant anonymity, survey construction and delivery method, question wording, and potential pitfalls in asking men about sexual assault.
Journal of Human Behavior in The Social Environment, Apr 1, 2013
Most often, methamphetamine researchers examine the biological and psychological outcomes of chro... more Most often, methamphetamine researchers examine the biological and psychological outcomes of chronic methamphetamine use and problems leading toward relapse. Consequently, the current intervention models tend to sidestep the salience of socio-cultural environments that influence methamphetamine use. In line with the person-in-environment framework of social work, we submit that understanding these facets can illuminate the dynamic processes that initiate and support methamphetamine use and the subsequent risky sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men. To that end, this article is a review and synthesis of existing literature on methamphetamine use in the men who have sex with men community. We also provide some recommendations for practitioners.
This study uses Stein and Markus’ (1996) self-concept and behavior change framework to examine yo... more This study uses Stein and Markus’ (1996) self-concept and behavior change framework to examine youth offenders’ responses to individual-level treatment in a residential correctional facility. The authors analysed transcripts collected from 10 male offenders, aged 15-17, who were interviewed at least three times over a period of four to six months. Results showed that while many offenders were able to identify negative trends in their life that led to their criminal behavior, other cognitively filtered out self-defeating information and did not identify troubling life patterns. Offenders also articulated visions of hoped for selves that were anchored in their lived experiences with positive role models and feared the selves that they might become if they continued down a criminal path. However, nearly all of the offenders had loosely organized or vague strategies for achieving their hoped for or idealized selves. Based on these findings, the authors pose implications for self-concept theory and for treatment practices with this population group.
... in standardized test scores in some states (Kober, Chudowsky, & Chudowsky, 2008), and... more ... in standardized test scores in some states (Kober, Chudowsky, & Chudowsky, 2008), and some have reported a reduction in the achievement gap for minority and low-income students since the advent of NCLB (Belfiore, Auld, & Lee, 2005; Booher-Jennings, 2005; Haney, 2000 ...
Journal of Hiv/aids & Social Services, May 26, 2010
The 2007 World Bank data on HIV/AIDS for sub-Saharan Africa indicates that 22.5 million adults an... more The 2007 World Bank data on HIV/AIDS for sub-Saharan Africa indicates that 22.5 million adults and children over 15 are living with HIV, including 1.7 million new infections. AIDS killed approximately 2.3 million people in the same year, making this region by far the worst affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This paper proposes a macro-level model for understanding the spread
Social work is ideally suited to use social capital to understand societal ills and to conduct a ... more Social work is ideally suited to use social capital to understand societal ills and to conduct a more holistic exploration of power, privilege, and oppression that affects marginalized individuals and groups. To that end, we review how prominent theorists discuss social capital and offer guidance for community practitioners based on these conceptualizations. In opposition to purely micro-level theories of human
ABSTRACT In this article, we use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which community in... more ABSTRACT In this article, we use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which community involvement in a community-based mental health promotion conference encourages mental health care in an African-American community. We collected data through key informant interviews, focus groups, and participant observations at conference planning meetings and conferences, as well as archival documents related to the conference. We identify community partnerships and shared commitment as drivers of the outreach to people in the community, creators of a culturally relevant and supportive environment for mental health education, and, consequently, promoters of mental health care in the African-American community.
Many schools of social work around the United States of America wrote anti-racism statements beca... more Many schools of social work around the United States of America wrote anti-racism statements because of the recent murders of Black and Brown people. In this contribution, the authors describe a challenging and tense discussion of racism and anti-racism leading to a group process about oppression and anti-oppression in the social work profession. For some, the urgency to address racism led to tactics and strategies that got in the way of social workers engaging in anti-oppressive practices. While the structure of higher education often reinforces traditional hierarchies of power, the profession of social work calls us to promote our core values of social justice, integrity, and the importance of human relationships as we strive for an anti-oppressive future. Consequently, social work faculty may experience role conflict as we navigate these tensions. We believe it is important to harness and process such discomfort as we critically examine the power dynamics within our own departmen...
BackgroundIn collaboration with members of the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community, we... more BackgroundIn collaboration with members of the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community, we created a didactic resource about the unique needs of TGD youth. MethodsWe developed teaching materials enhanced by video clips of two TGD adolescents openly sharing aspects of their lived experience. We compared the video and no video conditions in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which participants were assigned to one of four parallel conditions: 1) a transgender [TgV] or 2) a cisgender [CgV] woman presenting with videos embedded into the presentation, 3) the same cisgender woman presenting without the videos [CgN], or 4) a no intervention control [NiC]. Our primary outcome was change in the total score of the Transgender Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Scale (T-KAB). ResultsWe recruited and proportionally randomized 467 individuals, 200 of whom completed ratings before and after the intervention: TgV (n = 46), CgV (N = 46), CgN (n = 44), and NiC (n = 64). Mean scores on all ...
Abstract Despite the fact that HIV- and AIDS-related stigma is consistently identified as an impe... more Abstract Despite the fact that HIV- and AIDS-related stigma is consistently identified as an impediment to HIV prevention, a multilevel conceptualisation of HIV- and AIDS-related stigma continues to be poorly understood. The role of multilevel HIV- and AIDS-related stigma in the HIV prevention and intervention behaviours of Asian American and Pacific Islander who have sex with men in the USA is particularly overlooked. Psychology has contributed significantly to the identification of individual or interpersonal level factors influencing HIV- and AIDS-related stigma, while sociology has contributed to a more societal perspective. This dichotomy has led to the absence of a multilevel conceptual framework for analysing the HIV- or AIDS-related stigma experienced by Asian American and Pacific Islander who have sex with men in the USA. In this paper, we argue for need to develop such a model which is culturally grounded and bridges the individual, interpersonal and societal conceptualisations of stigma prominent in the social science literature. To that end, we use Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to explore the manifestation of HIV stigma at the micro, meso and macro levels and how these might impact on HIV testing and HIV service utilisation among Asian American and Pacific Islander men who have sex with men. We conclude by identifying some practice and research implications.
Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing population in the United Sta... more Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing population in the United States with documented increases in HIV rates. AAPIs are as likely as other racial/ethnic groups to engage in HIV-related risk behaviors, while being concomitantly less likely to have been HIV tested. Testing is a critical step in HIV prevention. Research points to various barriers to HIV-related testing including HIV knowledge and attitude and stigma. However, these factors and their impact among AAPIs are poorly understood. Myths about this population's "model minority" status compound…
ABSTRACT In this article, we use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which community in... more ABSTRACT In this article, we use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which community involvement in a community-based mental health promotion conference encourages mental health care in an African-American community. We collected data through key informant interviews, focus groups, and participant observations at conference planning meetings and conferences, as well as archival documents related to the conference. We identify community partnerships and shared commitment as drivers of the outreach to people in the community, creators of a culturally relevant and supportive environment for mental health education, and, consequently, promoters of mental health care in the African-American community.
Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 2015
ABSTRACT Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research a... more ABSTRACT Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research about men’s relationships with women and their sexual assault behaviors that result in high response rates and decrease socially desirable answers. A racially diverse group of 24 English-speaking heterosexual men, aged 18 years or older, were recruited for participation in 3 focus groups. The men were asked to review a survey instrument used in a previous study and the results from that study. Analysis of the focus group transcripts indicates that the men responded to the survey instrument from 3 distinct perspectives: (a) perpetrators, (b) victims, and (c) respondents. From these perspectives, the men also commented on participant anonymity, survey construction and delivery method, question wording, and potential pitfalls in asking men about sexual assault.
Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Jul 1, 2008
As prison populations continue to rise, faith-based and restorative justice programs show promise... more As prison populations continue to rise, faith-based and restorative justice programs show promise in influencing offenders' internal motivations and external behaviors. Using a one-group, pretest-posttest design, this pilot study found significant change in offenders' (n=102,) moral motivations (empathy, perspective taking, forgiveness, proneness to forgive, daily spiritual experiences, and relationships with others) after their self-selected participation in a 14-week faith-based program that draws from the principles of restorative justice. Hierarchical regression models were used to examine the impact of reported subscription to Christianity on pretests and score changes. At pre-test, Christian participants (n = 66) were more likely to forgive than non-Christian participants (n = 33) who conversely were more likely to see the perspectives of others. Christian offenders had significantly higher change scores on perspective taking and empathic concern than non-Christian participants. Findings have implications for the use of faith-based programs and victim-centered curriculums to change offenders' moral motivations and for matching faith-based Christian programs with Christian participants. Restorative justice and faith-based programs are receiving increased attention as innovative ways to help change offenders' internal motivations as well as external behaviors (Rockefeller institute of Government, 2007). The purpose of the present pilot study is to examine change in offenders' pro-social responses after participation in an in-prison faith-based program that draws from the principles of restorative justice. Programs in Prisons In-prison faith-based programs aim to facilitate character transformation through the development of religious practice and/or moral orientation. "Restorative justice programs aim to repair the harm caused by a criminal act by holding offenders directly accountable to the people they have violated and working to restore the emotional and material losses of victims (Zehr, 2002). Some programs combine faith-based and restorative justice philosophies and processes. Sycamore Tree is a six-session restorative justice component of the residential InnerChange program that rests on Christian principles and uses biblical narratives, in conjunction with narratives from unrelated or "surrogate" victims and offenders to facilitate the healing dialogue between victims and offenders. Paired sample t-tests on male (n = 2024) and female (n = 166) offenders from six types of penal institutions shows a significant, increase in empathy (Feasey, Williams, & Clark, 2005). Bridges to life (BTL) is a non-residential, free-standing, faith-based, in-prison restorative justice program that also brings together unrelated or "surrogate" victims and offenders (Armour, Sage, Rubin, & Windsor, 2005). To date, 16.3% of post release prison and jail BTL participants have been reincarcerated (J. Sage, personal communicauon, August 31, 2007), which is low compared to the two-year rate of 19-2% for the prison offender population only (Legislative Budget Board, 2005). Moral Motivations and Emotions These faith-based restorative justice programs may contribute to the development or strengthening of moral emotions because of their potential to be motivational forces that inspire an individual to "do good," while inhibiting behaviors diat have negative consequences (Kroll & Egan, 2004; Tangney, Stuewig, & Mashek. 2007). When an individual commits an offense against a moral convention, feelings such as shame, guilt, and pride are examples of the immediate, internalized feedback an individual receives relevant, to his or her behavior. Because moral emotions and cognition are malleable factors (Tangney er, al., 2007), they provide a target, for pro-social intervention. Restorative justice, in particular, works between the interface of moral emotions and behavior by actively discouraging an individual from feeling shame about himself or herself, and instead encouraging the more pro-social feeling of guilt. …
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