Impacts of Self-Efficacy on School Psychologists\u27 Provisions of Mental Health Services

The purpose of this thesis was to identify variables that predict a school psychologist’s self-efficacy in counseling abilities, as well as identify variables that predict perceived barriers to implementing mental health services to students in a school setting. Participants were 84 school psychologists working in the state of Washington. Participants were asked to complete a survey that included (a) demographic questions, (b) a questionnaire about perceived self-efficacy in counseling abilities, and (c) a questionnaire about perceived barriers to providing mental health services. The results of two multiple linear regression equations suggest that in this study, certain variables predicted both self-efficacy and barriers. The most noted variable in both equations was the amount of coursework completed in graduate training related to counseling and mental health services

Understanding differences in underrepresented minorities and first-generation student perceptions in the introductory biology classroom

We used quantitative methods to better understand the perceptions of students in an introductory biology course (Biology 101) at a small, liberal arts college (SLAC) that is also a primarily white institution (PWI). In pre/post surveys, we asked students questions related to their attitudes and beliefs about their professor, classmates, and Biology 101. We were especially interested in the responses and outcomes of underrepresented minorities (URM) and first-generation (FG) students. Our findings suggest URM and FG students have a decreased sense of belonging and increased perceptions of exclusion and differential treatment due to race. These findings can explain, in part, the disparity in Biology 101 grade and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) attrition

Does parental monitoring moderate the relationship between bullying and adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidal behavior? A community-based self-report study of adolescents in Germany

Background: Being a victim of bullying in school is clearly linked to various social, emotional, and behavioral problems including self-harm behavior. However, it is not known whether even occasional victimization has similar negative consequences and whether protective factors such as social support may prevent those harmful developments. The present study therefore focuses on the nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior (SB) in victims of bullying and the potentially moderating effect of parental monitoring. Methods: In all, a cross-sectional sample of 647 adolescents (mean age 12.8 years) were surveyed concerning bullying experiences, NSSI and SB, and parental monitoring. Results: A total of 14.4 % of respondents reported being a victim of frequent bullying in the past few months (with verbal and social bullying playing the most important role), which increased the risks of both NSSI (OR = 11.75) and SB (OR = 6.08). This relationship could also be shown for occasional victims of bullying (35.6 %), although to a lesser extent. Parental monitoring had a significant protective effect on SB in victims of occasional bullying. However, parental monitoring did not show any protective effect in victims of repetitive bullying. Conclusions: Victims of bullying show a substantial risk for engaging in self-harm behavior. Therefore, the dissemination of anti-bullying programs in schools would probably also prevent such disorders. Parental participation in school-based prevention may increase its effect; this also matches the results of the present study, showing that parental monitoring may be able to buffer the negative effects of bullying victimization, at least to a certain degree

Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization Independently Predict Changes in Problematic Internet Gaming in a Longitudinal Sample.

PURPOSE Bullying and problematic Internet gaming (PIG) are two concerning phenomena among adolescents. Research suggests an association between them; however, longitudinal studies are scarce. Therefore, this study examined whether traditional and cybervictimization are prospective risk factors for PIG and how gender, school type, and age influence these relationships. METHODS Adolescents (grades 5-13; N = 4,390) answered two surveys one year apart which were linked by individual codes. They were classified as "victims" based on the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire-Revised. Changes in PIG (T2-T1) were computed based on nine items reflecting the diagnostic criteria for DSM-5 Internet Gaming Disorder. RESULTS Traditional and cybervictimization independently predicted changes in PIG. The emergence of traditional victimization only, cybervictimization only, and particularly, both forms of victimization simultaneously, was associated with an increase in PIG. A decrease in PIG was only found if victimization terminated in both contexts. Further, an additive effect was found if traditional victimization newly extended to cyberspace. For boys and B-level students, the emergence of traditional victimization was associated with a larger increase in PIG than for girls and A-level students, when compared to the absence of traditional victimization. For boys, this also applied for cybervictimization. DISCUSSION The emergence of bullying victimization in either an offline or online context appears to be a risk factor for PIG. Importantly, victimization must be stopped in both contexts for a decrease in PIG. Therefore, prevention programs need to focus on bullying offline as well as online to counter PIG. Efforts should especially focus on boys and B-level students

Effects and moderators of the Olweus bullying prevention program (OBPP) in Germany

Bullying is a common and significant risk factor for mental and physical health problems. The aim of the outlined study was to evaluate the German version of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) and to investigate potential moderators of its effectiveness. 23 schools started with the implementation and all students were invited to complete the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire annually. For our analyses, the data from grades 5 to 9 were used (t0: n = 5759; t1: n = 5416; t2: n = 4894). 16 out of the 23 schools completed the 18-months implementation period. The effectiveness of the program statistically depended on its complete implementation (χ2(2) = 7.62, p = 0.022). In the group of non-completers, the prevalence of victimization did not change during the observation period of 2 years (χ2(2) = 4.64, p = 0.099). In the group of the completer schools, a significant decrease in bullying between t0 and t1 was found for victims (t0: 9.14%; t1: 6.87%; OR = 0.74; 95% CI 0.62-0.88; p = 0.001) and perpetrators (t0: 6.16%; t1: 4.42%; OR = 0.70; 95% CI 0.55-0.89; p = 0.004). After 24 months (t2), this decrease could be retained (victims: t2: 6.83%; OR = 0.73; 95%CI = 0.61-0.88; p = 0.001; perpetrators: t2: 4.63%; OR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.57-0.92; p = 0.009). Furthermore, we found the following moderators of program effectiveness in the completer schools: (1) gender (with a stronger decrease among victimized girls; p = 0.004) and (2) school grade (with a stronger decrease of victimization among grades 5-7; p = 0.028). The German version of the OBPP significantly reduced the bullying prevalence in the completer schools. Effective prevention needs time and resources: fulfilling the 18-months implementation period was the basis for positive results

A documentation of the Eastern Suorva dam core : field investigations and thermal modeling with regard to frost action

Detta examensarbete genomfördes för att studera om Suorvadammens tätkärna påverkas av tjälningsprocesser. Stenfyllningsdammen, som stod klar 1972, ligger norr om polcirkeln i en fjällregion som är känd för kalla vintrar och mycket blåsigt väder. Dessutom är platsen utsatt för relativt stora temperaturskillnader med förhållandevis låg årsmedeltemperatur. Efter en tidsperiod på ungefär 30 år efter färdigställandet av dammen finns misstankar om att effekten av frysning och tiningscyckler kan ha betydelse för tätkärnans funktion. Temperaturer under fryspunkten leder till frysning av jorden. När vatten fryser till is bildas islinser vinkelrätt mot värmeflödet vilket leder till tjällyftning. Is har den fysikaliska egenskapen att suga ofruset vatten mot frysfronten så att tillskottsvatten höjer vattenkvoten under tjälningsprocessen. Dessutom kan stenar lyftas upp på grund av trycket under isbildningen, och kornfördelningen i jorden kan sorteras om när jorden tinar. Resultat av cykliska tjälningprocesser kan vara att strukturen i jorden, porositeten och permeabiliteten förändras, så att vattenflödet genom dammen ökar. Funktionen av tätkärnan som hydrauliskt hinder skulle således försämras. Under de genomförda fältstudierna grävdes provgropar för att utföra undersökningnar och observationer av tätkärnan. Prov från provgroparna togs för att jämföra vattenkvoten, kornstorlekfördelning och temperaturen på olika djup i marken. Fyra provgropar i olika tvärsektioner undersöktes. I två provgropar observerades att moränen hade låg temperatur jämfört med lufttemperaturen. Särskilt en provgrop visade temperaturer som låg nära fryspunkten samt att vattenkvoten var förhållandevis hög och andelen av finkorn visades sig att vara högre än i andra delar av tätkärnan. I detta speciella fall var det tydligt att materialet hade varit fruset: eftersom en tydlig skiktning av moränen kunde observeras var tjälnivån markant. Resultaten från provtagningen visade dock inte förändringar i kornstorleksfördelning som hade förväntats och gick inte att använda som information för att kunna bedöma om och hur tätkärnan påverkats av tjälningsprocessen. På grund av informationsbrist om packningsgraden, permeabilitet samt porositeten från materialet under byggnationen saknas en utgångspunkt för jämförelse och bedömning. Skillnaden inom kornstorlekfördelningen som antagits vara markant, eftersom kornen kan ha varit utsatta för omfördelning under tiningsprocessen, kunde inte påvisas. Istället påvisades att kornstorlekfördelningen hade en stor varians i jämförelse med tidigare observationer från den nya möräntäkten och gamla anteckningar från arkivet. Termiska analyser gjorda med programmet Temp/W, som bygger på finita element metoden, visar möjliga temperaturfördelningar i dammkroppen. Analysen betraktar temperaturer och vatten-nivåer under 2002 till 2004. Baserad på en inledande beräkning av temperaturfördelningen i dammen då den utsats för en årsmedeltemperatur baserat på ett 30 års medelvärde, tillämpades och beräknades två olika situationer med olika finita element nät. De två rutnäten representerar två olika byggnadsfaser av dammens krön som förekom under fältundersökningen: dels hade dammen ett vanligt damkrön och dels hade krönet tagits bort på grund av reparationer och var inte helt återställd. Samtliga beräkningar visar att frysfronten ligger på ett ansenligt djup inne i tätkärnan, med en minsta nivå just vid tätkärnans krön och en maximal nivå på ett djup av 5 m i tätkärnan. Resultaten från fältundersökningarna visade i sin tur att tjälen låg på ett djup på 0.8 m. Beräkningarna ger bara en ungefärlig bild om tjälningsprocesserna som förekommer i dammen. Vindförhållanden, till exempel, försummades helt – likaså vattennivåer, vattenströmning och snö. Dessa faktorer anses dock vara betydelsefulla för tjälningsprocessen. Det kan även vara möjligt att frysfronten är längre ner i dammkroppen så att inte bara funktionen av tätkärnan, utan också att funktionen av filtren kan ha påverkats och försämrats.Validerat; 20101217 (root

Frost action processes in the Eastern Suorva hydropower dam

The hydropower embankment dam in Suorva, Sweden, is located in north of the Arctic Circle. The region is known for cold winters and severe wind conditions. The construction was completed in 1972 and has since then been exposed to a wide temperature range and low annual mean temperatures, leading to the presumption that the fine-grained frost susceptible moraine core of the embankment was exposed to cyclic freezing and thawing. The aim of this project was to find indications for freezing processes that affect the structure of the soil. The project included field investigations and a theoretical thermal analysis carried out with a commercial finite element program. Results from this analysis showed that the freezing plane advances to a maximum depth of 5 m from the top of the core. Hence, it may be possible that frost action affects the construction in its function as hydraulic barrier.Godkänd; 2006; 20091118 (ysko