Psychological Factors That Underlie Hazing Perceptions: A Mixed Methods Study

The quantitative phase of this mixed-methods study examined psychological predictors, including previous bullying involvement, moral disengagement, the need to belong, and their influence on students’ perceptions of hypothetical hazing behaviors. The following qualitative phase was used to explain and contextualize Phase I results through an understanding of the psychological processes related to participants’ constructed meanings of their experiences as perpetrators, witnesses, and/or victims of bullying and hazing. Study participants for Phase I and Phase II included undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses who participated in the study for research credit. Phase II participants also received a $25.00 gift card as compensation for participating. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the hypotheses that previous bullying and victimization experiences, higher levels of moral disengagement, and a higher need to belong would lead to a decreased likelihood of identifying bullying and hazing, as well as intervening in hazing vignettes. Results suggested that participants’ previous victimization experiences significantly increased their ability to define situations as bullying. As predicted, moral disengagement significantly reduced participants’ likelihood of defining situations as bullying and hazing, as well as intervening in the scenarios. Participants with higher needs for belonging were more likely to define situations as bullying and hazing, but were less likely to intervene in the vignettes. Phase II involved interviews with four undergraduate students who participated in the Phase I surveys. Participants were asked to describe their bullying and hazing experiences, including the dynamic relationships and events that impacted the bullying and hazing incident(s). Qualitative responses were analyzed using constant comparison and domain analysis, and subsequently connected to quantitative data in MAXQDA. Participants’ interviews reflected several of the study variables of moral disengagement, need to belong, acceptability of hazing, and defining hazing on a continuum of mild to serve hazing. This study further expands on bullying and hazing research and supports the use of explanatory mixed-methods designs as a robust methodology for understanding social-ecological, social learning, and personality factors that underlie bullying and hazing. Advisor: Susan M. Sweare

Psychological Factors That Underlie Hazing Perceptions: A Mixed Methods Study

The quantitative phase of this mixed-methods study examined psychological predictors, including previous bullying involvement, moral disengagement, the need to belong, and their influence on students’ perceptions of hypothetical hazing behaviors. The following qualitative phase was used to explain and contextualize Phase I results through an understanding of the psychological processes related to participants’ constructed meanings of their experiences as perpetrators, witnesses, and/or victims of bullying and hazing. Study participants for Phase I and Phase II included undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses who participated in the study for research credit. Phase II participants also received a $25.00 gift card as compensation for participating. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the hypotheses that previous bullying and victimization experiences, higher levels of moral disengagement, and a higher need to belong would lead to a decreased likelihood of identifying bullying and hazing, as well as intervening in hazing vignettes. Results suggested that participants’ previous victimization experiences significantly increased their ability to define situations as bullying. As predicted, moral disengagement significantly reduced participants’ likelihood of defining situations as bullying and hazing, as well as intervening in the scenarios. Participants with higher needs for belonging were more likely to define situations as bullying and hazing, but were less likely to intervene in the vignettes. Phase II involved interviews with four undergraduate students who participated in the Phase I surveys. Participants were asked to describe their bullying and hazing experiences, including the dynamic relationships and events that impacted the bullying and hazing incident(s). Qualitative responses were analyzed using constant comparison and domain analysis, and subsequently connected to quantitative data in MAXQDA. Participants’ interviews reflected several of the study variables of moral disengagement, need to belong, acceptability of hazing, and defining hazing on a continuum of mild to serve hazing. This study further expands on bullying and hazing research and supports the use of explanatory mixed-methods designs as a robust methodology for understanding social-ecological, social learning, and personality factors that underlie bullying and hazing. Advisor: Susan M. Sweare

Alternative Schooling Strategy Brief

Although there is little overall research on alternative schooling due in part to the widely disparate types of alternative school programs, there is program evaluation and anecdotal support for their effectiveness for some students. These programs are commonplace, and must be considered a part of the effort to keep students, particularly students with behavioral needs in school. There is anecdotal evidence that these programs can be beneficial to students who would otherwise not participate and complete a school program

Academic Supports & Tutoring

Many students, including those receiving special education services, require more academic support than their peers to be successful in school. Fortunately, a wide variety of strategies to provide this support have been developed and empirically evaluated

Assessing Youth Early in the Juvenile Justice System

Unnecessary involvement in the juvenile justice system generally results in negative long-term outcomes (Annie E. Casey Foundation Website, 2008). The problem lies in determining when involvement is unnecessary and when it is necessary. A juvenile’s path to detention often begins years prior. Research indicates that unnecessary court involvement may contribute to worse outcomes, which can ultimately culminate in detention (Holman & Ziedenberg, 2006). Youth who are formally processed through court are more likely to be under closer supervision, which, in turn, increases their chances of being caught violating curfew, missing school, or committing another technical violation. To test the effect of system involvement, we examined youth enrolled in two early intervention programs: Juvenile Diversion, which involves formal processing and services, and Early Assessment, a process designed to screen youth out of system involvement. Only low-risk, juvenile law offenders are eligible for either of these two programs. Using propensity score analysis we examined whether youth who participated in Early Assessment were less likely to recidivate than their peers who participated in the Juvenile Diversion Program. Our findings indicate that, 24 months after program completion, Early Assessment participants were significantly less likely to have a new law violation compared to youth who participated in Juvenile Diversion

The Lancaster County Juvenile Reentry Project

In order to establish a best practice model for juveniles reentering the community, Lancaster County brought multiple agencies together in 2012 and began to develop a systematic juvenile reentry approach, which became known as the “Reentry Project.” By January 2013, Lancaster County had contracted with multiple agencies to ensure this new approach was used when youth were returning to the community

Psychological factors that underlie hazing perceptions: A mixed methods study

The quantitative phase of this mixed-methods study examined psychological predictors, including previous bullying involvement, moral disengagement, the need to belong, and their influence on students’ perceptions of hypothetical hazing behaviors. The following qualitative phase was used to explain and contextualize Phase I results through an understanding of the psychological processes related to participants’ constructed meanings of their experiences as perpetrators, witnesses, and/or victims of bullying and hazing. Study participants for Phase I and Phase II included undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses who participated in the study for research credit. Phase II participants also received a $25.00 gift card as compensation for participating. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the hypotheses that previous bullying and victimization experiences, higher levels of moral disengagement, and a higher need to belong would lead to a decreased likelihood of identifying bullying and hazing, as well as intervening in hazing vignettes. Results suggested that participants’ previous victimization experiences significantly increased their ability to define situations as bullying. As predicted, moral disengagement significantly reduced participants’ likelihood of defining situations as bullying and hazing, as well as intervening in the scenarios. Participants with higher needs for belonging were more likely to define situations as bullying and hazing, but were less likely to intervene in the vignettes. Phase II involved interviews with four undergraduate students who participated in the Phase I surveys. Participants were asked to describe their bullying and hazing experiences, including the dynamic relationships and events that impacted the bullying and hazing incident(s). Qualitative responses were analyzed using constant comparison and domain analysis, and subsequently connected to quantitative data in MAXQDA. Participants’ interviews reflected several of the study variables of moral disengagement, need to belong, acceptability of hazing, and defining hazing on a continuum of mild to serve hazing. This study further expands on bullying and hazing research and supports the use of explanatory mixed-methods designs as a robust methodology for understanding social-ecological, social learning, and personality factors that underlie bullying and hazing

Psychological factors that underlie hazing perceptions: A mixed methods study

The quantitative phase of this mixed-methods study examined psychological predictors, including previous bullying involvement, moral disengagement, the need to belong, and their influence on students’ perceptions of hypothetical hazing behaviors. The following qualitative phase was used to explain and contextualize Phase I results through an understanding of the psychological processes related to participants’ constructed meanings of their experiences as perpetrators, witnesses, and/or victims of bullying and hazing. Study participants for Phase I and Phase II included undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses who participated in the study for research credit. Phase II participants also received a $25.00 gift card as compensation for participating. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the hypotheses that previous bullying and victimization experiences, higher levels of moral disengagement, and a higher need to belong would lead to a decreased likelihood of identifying bullying and hazing, as well as intervening in hazing vignettes. Results suggested that participants’ previous victimization experiences significantly increased their ability to define situations as bullying. As predicted, moral disengagement significantly reduced participants’ likelihood of defining situations as bullying and hazing, as well as intervening in the scenarios. Participants with higher needs for belonging were more likely to define situations as bullying and hazing, but were less likely to intervene in the vignettes. Phase II involved interviews with four undergraduate students who participated in the Phase I surveys. Participants were asked to describe their bullying and hazing experiences, including the dynamic relationships and events that impacted the bullying and hazing incident(s). Qualitative responses were analyzed using constant comparison and domain analysis, and subsequently connected to quantitative data in MAXQDA. Participants’ interviews reflected several of the study variables of moral disengagement, need to belong, acceptability of hazing, and defining hazing on a continuum of mild to serve hazing. This study further expands on bullying and hazing research and supports the use of explanatory mixed-methods designs as a robust methodology for understanding social-ecological, social learning, and personality factors that underlie bullying and hazing

Academic Supports and Tutoring, Strategy Brief.

Students who fail eighth-grade math or English are 75% more likely to drop out of high school than peers. With increasing academic standards and accountability movements, there is a clear need to develop and provide students with extra help and support in order to succeed in school.This paper discusses the need for programs to provide supplementary supports for academics for students in school