Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Dissociative disorder is a DSM-IV psychiatric disorder characterized by disturbances in memory, identity, awareness and cognition. Although some degree of dissociative experiences may be quite common in the general population, there has been very little research on the epidemiology of dissociation. To address this issue, this paper presents the results of a random telephone survey of the general population of northeast Ohio. We used the Dissociative Experiences Scale to examine the distribution of dissociation with respect to gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic. The development of dissociation has been linked with the experience of childhood traumas, particularly a childhood history of physical abuse. The relationship between childhood mistreatment and dissociation is important because it has been suggested that adults with dissociative tendencies may be more likely to abuse their own children, thus providing a causal mechanism for the inter-generational transfer of child abuse. There is mixed evidence for this proposition and contradictory results may be due to the fact that most research on this topic fails to examine the broader social context in which dissociation may develop. That is, dissociation may be a generalized response to poverty, not a specific response to childhood abuse and/or trauma. Thus, the secondary purpose of this analysis is to test this proposition by examining whether childhood poverty is associated with dissociation and whether it mediates the relationship between childhood abuse/neglect and dissociation. We find evidence for this hypothesis for men, but not for women – among men childhood poverty is a stronger predictor of dissociation than either measures of retrospective reports of childhood neglect and abuse. The implications of our results for future research are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: A paucity of scholarly works exists on the subject of how familial and peer networks influence the childhood political and social milieu of future presidents. In the beginning to address this absence, this study proposes an analysis into the childhood background of William Jefferson Clinton. This case study was selected for two reasons: (1) there is a plethora of descriptive psycho-biographies of Clinton (Maraniss, 1995; Renshon, 1996a), and (2) there are oral history interviews from individuals who were part of Clinton's familial and childhood peer networks. The interviews used for this study are part of the Clinton History Project, a joint oral history study by the University of Arkansas and the Miller Center at the University of Virginia. The data in the transcripts were coded and placed into several categories. Using a text analysis program, the categories were tested for tone and content. The goal of this project is to shed light on the influences on the personality of Bill Clinton. It should also serve as a foray into building a theoretical framework to show how early political familial and peer socialization influences presidential personality.

Publication Type: Multiple Paper Format
Abstract: Members of the Early Childhood SIG will share insights about state policy changes in the last year. The group will discussion similarities and differences to identify trends in the field.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This study analyzes the diffusion of policy innovation among nonprofit organizations in different American states. Current literature on the diffusion of policy innovation among the states focuses on the transfer of policy between governments, overlooking the interstate transfer of policy among nonprofits. In contrast to the prevailing quantitative study of policy diffusion between individuals in government, a qualitative approach is used that considers organizational determinants of successful diffusion. The study uses in-depth interviews with 74 policy actors to examine the spread of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Project to nonprofits in four states. It finds that nonprofit-to-nonprofit policy diffusion consists of multiple stages and a number of policy actor roles. It also sheds light on similarities and differences between nonprofit and governmental diffusion of policy innovation and builds a foundation for further research on nonprofit policy diffusion.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Exposure to violence (ETV) is an important public health concern due to the adverse developmental impacts it can have on children and adolescents. Although many studies have made attempts to identify risk factors that increase the odds of ETV, few to date have simultaneously considered neighborhood context, family, and individual risk factors in one model. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), we assess multiple types of ETV among 9, 12, and 15 year olds residing in approximately 80 neighborhoods in Chicago. A series of hierarchical linear models (HLM) indicate that while violence and community characteristics should be targeted for prevention and intervention, individual level risks are also important. Specifically, after controlling for neighborhood risk, children/ adolescents’ with low self-control were highly likely to witness and experience violence. In addition, blacks, males, and older children from lower SES families were also at increased risk for exposure. We discuss implications of our findings and future research needs on ETV.