Court-Appointed Special Advocates in the Rural South: A Fidelity Assessment

Children in the court system who are abused or neglected are mandated by the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to have special legal representation in the form of a Guardian ad Litem (GAL). A GAL can be a staff attorney or he or she can be a volunteer layperson (known as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA) who has undergone the GAL training. In some states, the CASA volunteer can be a substitute for the GAL, while in other states (like Georgia) the CASA is appointed by the judge as a complement to the staff attorney. To date, there has been very little research evaluating the fidelity of CASA programs where they are implemented, nor has there been much research on the CASA program more generally. Therefore, this study evaluates the fidelity of a rural CASA branch using the Justice Program Fidelity Scale (JPFS; Miller & Miller, 2015) and interview data from 12 CASA volunteers, along with local CASA program statistics and training materials. The CASA program evaluated for the present study scored an 85.64% on the JPFS using combined scores from two researchers. Implications for rural areas, including implications specifically for a judicial circuit with no dedicated specialty judge for cases involving abused or neglected children, are discussed

Deconstructing the LGBT-Victimization Association: The Case of Sexual Assault and Alcohol-Related Problems

Research on lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT) students has been gaining traction in the fields of criminology, victimology, and education, but available data lag behind the demand for studies on this underserved population. While LGBT students are often perceived to face greater risk of victimization and subsequent health problems than their counterparts, little research has investigated the mechanisms behind problematic outcomes for LGBT students. This research uses data from a Southeastern University to examine sexual assault among LGBT students and their experiences with alcohol-related problems. The results show that LGBT youth are at an increased risk for sexual victimization but that LGBT status does not have a direct effect on alcohol-related problems

Understanding the CASA Process

The Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program is a national effort that seeks to address the needs of court-involved neglected and maltreated children and teenagers. There have been several evaluation studies of CASA?s effectiveness and a handful of meta-analyses conducted on the program as a whole. These studies identify that rural youth have particular challenges when compared to their urban counterparts and that CASA programs in rural areas have unique barriers to effective implementation of program facets. This study is a multi-method process and program study of a rural-based CASA program. Preliminary results will be discussed in this presentation

Illicit Hormone Acquisition and Use among Transgender Individuals using Internet Forums

This presentation was given during the Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Meeting

Personal and Political: LGBTQ+ Students’ Perceptions of Safety and Harassment in the Rural South

Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are often at an increased risk for multiple forms of victimization and discrimination throughout the life course. The transition to college can be a source of stress for all students, and LGBTQ+ students face unique challenges during this transition. However, college can also provide LGBTQ+ youth with a safe space within which to develop coping mechanisms, feelings of efficacy, and community support. The present study employs semi-structured in-depth interviews with a diverse group of LGBTQ+ students conducted between 2013 and 2017. Data collection for this study is ongoing, and participants are recruited using social media, flyers, and advertisements with the university’s student organization for LGBTQ+ students and allies. In this paper, we identify participants’ common experiences with safety and harassment in the context of a University located in the rural South, and examine important differences using an intersectional theoretical approach. In addition, we examine the role of the 2016 Presidential campaign in shaping LGBTQ+ students’ perceptions of safety and harassment in this context. Finally, we ascertain the sources of social and institutional support that protect students from some of the negative effects of stress including drug abuse, depression, and suicidal ideation

Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People’s Victimization Experiences

Little is known about transgender or gender nonconforming peoples’ lived experiences, particularly about their victimization. Due to the lack of literature on transgender victimization, researchers have yet to identify specific themes, predictors, and risk factors. The present study uses interviews with transgender and nonconforming individuals to explore the underlying themes within transgender peoples’ victimizations. That is, they were asked to discuss their experiences with victimization (both in private and in public places, such as bathrooms), their perceptions of safety, their experiences in the criminal justice system (including reporting behaviors), and the process of transitioning. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

An Evaluation of a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program in the Rural South

Children in the court system who are abused or neglected are mandated by the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to have special legal representation in the form of a Guardian ad Litem (GAL). A GAL can be a staff attorney or a volunteer layperson (known as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA) who has undergone GAL training. In some states, the CASA volunteer can be a substitute for the GAL, while in other states, including Georgia, the CASA is appointed by the judge as a complement to the staff attorney. To date, there has been very little research evaluating the fidelity of CASA programs where they are implemented, nor has there been much research on the CASA program more generally. Therefore, this study evaluates the fidelity of a rural CASA program using the Justice Program Fidelity Scale (JPFS; Miller & Miller, 2015) and interview data from 12 CASA volunteers, along with local CASA program statistics and training materials. The CASA program evaluated for the present study scored an 85.64% on the JPFS using combined scores from two researchers. Implications for practitioners working in the field of child abuse and prevention in rural areas, including implications specifically for a judicial circuit with no dedicated specialty judge for cases involving abused or neglected children, are discussed

Psychological Victimization among College Students

According to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, approximately 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men will experience stalking, physical violence, and/or rape by an intimate partner in their lifetimes, and almost half of U.S. men and women have been the victim of psychological abuse by an intimate during their lives (Black et al. 2011). These behaviors can be considered as indicative of ‘‘coercive control,’’ a pattern of abusive behavior that can lead a victimized person to feel trapped in an intimate relationship characterized by a loss of power and control (see Stark 2007). Using data from a random stratified sample of 786 undergraduates at a large southeastern university located in a rural area, we examined the relationship between sexual orientation, self-control, alcohol consumption, partying, demographics, prior intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization, and psychological IPV among students since attending college. Findings indicate that a greater percentage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students experience psychological IPV than heterosexual students do, and nonwhite students, those who experienced prior IPV consume alcohol, and who exhibit low self-control are significantly more likely to experience psychological IPV once at college. The implications for policy and practice for rural college students are discussed

The Effects of Self-Control, Sex, and Sexual Orientation on Dating Violence Victimization

This presentation was given during the Southern Criminal Justice Association Annual Meeting

Racial Disparities in the American Child Welfare System

This presentation was given during the Southern Criminal Justice Association Annual Meeting