Bryan G. Victor

Laying the Foundations for Scientometric Research A Data Science Approach

Objective: Scientometric studies of social work have stagnated due to problems with the organization and structure of the disciplinary literature. This study utilized data science to produce a set of research tools to overcome these methodological challenges. Method: We constructed a comprehensive list of social work journals for a 25-year time period and searched for all available article records using 35 different databases. Customized software was developed to restructure article records into a single analyzable database. We then computed the annual journal growth from the database. Results: A population of 90 disciplinary journals was established, and 33,330 article records were retrieved from 80 of these journals. Rapid and consistent growth in the number of social work journals was observed, particularly from 1997 up to 2005. Conclusions: The population list of social work journals, database of article records, and customized software builds the foundation for future scientometric studies in social work.

Recovery support mediates the relationship between parental warmth and quality of life among women with substance use disorders

PurposeHistorically, recovery from substance use disorders (SUD) has focused exclusively on the use or non-use of the addictive substance(s). More recently, SAMSHA [1] has defined recovery in a more holistic way, using quality of life (QoL) as a measure of recovery for individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. However, little is known about the myriad experiences that inform and affect QoL for individuals with substance use disorders. Using an attachment informed stress-buffering framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of parental warmth and recovery support to QoL among women in substance abuse treatment.MethodsLinear regression and bootstrapping were used to examine direct and mediated effects of parental warmth and recovery support on QoL among 318 women recruited from three inner-city women-only addiction treatment programs. Relationships were assessed across three domains of quality of life: physical, psychological, and social.ResultsParental warmth and recovery support were directly associated with psychological and social QoL, when controlling for the influence of trauma symptoms. Recovery support mediated the relationship between parental warmth and QoL across psychological and social QoL domains.ConclusionsFindings suggest that interventions that focus on attachment-related constructs to enhance recovery support may improve quality of life among women with SUD.

Timing matters: A randomized control trial of recovery coaches in foster care

Substance use disorders are a major problem for child welfare systems. The abuse of and dependence on alcohol and drugs by parents increases the risk of child maltreatment and interferes with efforts to locate a permanent home for children in foster care. The current study focuses on an intervention designed to increase the probability of reunification for foster children associated with substance using families. We focus specific attention on the timing of the intervention, in particular the timing of comprehensive screening and access to substance abuse services in relation to the temporary custody hearing. A diverse group of children (n=3440) that were placed in foster care and associated with a parent diagnosed with a substance use disorder were randomly assigned to either a control (services as usual) or experimental group (services as usual plus a recovery coach for parents). Binomial logistic regression models indicated that early access to substance use services matters (within two months of the temporary custody hearing) but only when parents were connected with a recovery coach. Additional findings indicated that the recovery coach model eliminated racial disparities in reunification. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Electronic displays of aggression in teen dating relationships: Does the social ecology matter?

Abstract Electronic and online forms of communication play a central role in the social lives of adolescents. The increased connectivity provided by electronic communication has allowed for the distal engagement in a set of negative behaviors such as bullying, harassment and stalking known collectively as electronic aggression. Recent research has explored the use of electronic aggression within teen dating relationships. This study sought to expand on that research by examining the influence of the social ecology on electronic aggression in these relationships. Survey data from 727 middle and high school students who reported a dating history in the past year found significant associations between elements of the social ecology and the perpetration of electronic dating aggression (EDA). Parental involvement and perceived safety in the community were linked to decreased rates of EDA perpetration, while Adverse Childhood Experiences were connected with a greater likelihood of perpetrating EDA. The findings suggest a number of sites within the social ecology for environmental modification to protect against EDA within teen relationships.

Foster home placements and the probability of family reunification: Does licensing matter?

The concept of foster care has been widely studied in child welfare. The literature is well developed with regard to the risk of initial placement, length of stay in care, placement stability, exits to permanency, and emancipation. Yet, the literature is woefully underdeveloped when it comes to understanding if variations in the types and characteristics of foster homes impact important child welfare outcomes. The current study utilizes entry cohorts pulled from statewide administrative data (N=17,960) to investigate the association between types of foster care and the probability of reunification. We focus specifically on the licensing status of foster homes. Reflecting federal benchmarks, we examined the odds of reunification at one- and two-year intervals. Propensity score analysis was used to reduce selection bias. Adjusted logistic regression models revealed that youth placed in licensed relative care (LRC) homes were the least likely to achieve reunification compared with youth placed in licensed non-relative care (LNC) homes and unlicensed relative care (URC) homes. Conversely, youth placed in URC homes were more likely to achieve reunification as compared with youth placed in LRC and LNC homes. These findings will help states to efficiently target scarce resources to specific types of foster homes that may be impacting federal reunification benchmarks.

Domestic violence, parental substance misuse and the decision to substantiate child maltreatment

Families that experience domestic violence and parental substance misuse are disproportionately involved with the child welfare system. Prior research suggests that child protective services (CPS) caseworkers are more likely to substantiate maltreatment allegations when domestic violence and parental substance misuse are identified during the investigation, pointing to one possible mechanism for this disproportionate involvement. While previous studies have relied on nationally representative data sets, the current study used administrative records from a large Midwestern child welfare agency that accounts for state-level variation in child welfare policy and practice. A total of 501,060 substantiation decisions made between 2009 and 2013 were examined to assess the influence of caseworker-perceived domestic violence and parental substance misuse on the decision to substantiate reported maltreatment. Results from multilevel modeling suggest that the identification of domestic violence and parental substance misuse during an investigation significantly increased the probability that an allegation would be substantiated. The implication of these findings for child welfare practice are considered in light of the fact that many child welfare agencies do not consider exposure to domestic violence and parental substance misuse in and of themselves to constitute child maltreatment.

Parental Substance Use and Foster Care Reentry

Foster care involvement due to parental substance use is a common problem with many challenges associated with service delivery. Using administrative data from a Midwestern state between the years 2009 and 2015 (N = 17,420), this study examines characteristics of substance-abusing families at the time of entry into the foster care system and estimates the risk of reentry subsequent to reunification. Bivariate findings and survival analysis for reentry suggests substance-using parents are more likely to be involved in additional allegations associated with foster care involvement. These results highlight the need for improved services integration and coordinated delivery among service systems.

Online, Offline, and Over the Line: Coercive Sexting Among Adolescent Dating Partners:

This study examines the incidence and correlates of coercive sexting by dating partners among middle and high school students, including sex-based differences and associations with other forms of sexual coercion. Survey data from a study of protective factors for teen dating violence in middle and high school students were examined (N = 1,236). Of youth who reported at least one dating or sexual partner in the past 12 months, 12% reported coercive sexting victimization and 8% acknowledged pressuring a partner to sext. Other forms of sexual coercion including the use of threats and insistence on sex without a condom were significantly associated with perpetration and victimization of coercive sexting. Coercive sexting was notably more prevalent in the high school cohort, with boys significantly more likely to pressure a partner than girls. The strong association with other forms of sexual coercion suggests a potential link to broader patterns of teen dating violence.

Identification of Domestic Violence Service Needs Among Child Welfare–Involved Parents With Substance Use Disorders: A Gender-Stratified Analysis:

The current study examined the prevalence and associations of a need for domestic violence services among child welfare-involved mothers and fathers with substance use disorders. Data were drawn from 2,231 child welfare-involved parents in Illinois with an identified substance use disorder. Approximately 42% of mothers and 33% of fathers with a substance use disorder had a concurrent need for domestic violence services. The sample was stratified by gender and logistic regression models were fit to determine the adjusted odds of an identified need for domestic violence services. For both mothers and fathers, the strongest association was an additional need for mental health services. Age, education status, alcohol use, marijuana use, and a reported history of physical violence victimization were also associated with a need for domestic violence services among mothers, while race, age, marital status, annual income, alcohol use, cocaine use, and a reported history of physical violence perpetration were associated with a need for domestic violence services among fathers. The findings of this study make clear that domestic violence is a commonly co-occurring service need for child welfare-involved parents with identified substance use disorders, and that associations with this need vary by gender.

Disseminating High-Impact Social Work Scholarship: A Longitudinal Examination of 5-Year Citation Count Correlates

Objective: Disseminating high-impact scholarship is a critical task for many social work academics. Although the factors that contribute to this process have been investigated in other disciplines, there is a paucity of equivalent research in social work. This longitudinal study addresses this gap in the literature by examining the effects of coauthorship, database indexing, and article length on subsequent citation counts, a widely used measure of scholarly impact. Based upon the extant research, we hypothesized that all three factors would be associated with a greater number of citations 5 years after publication. Method: The sample consisted of 3,066 articles, published inclusively from 2005 to 2009 in 18 disciplinary social work journals. Multilevel negative binomial regression was used to model the effects of each factor on 5-year citation counts. Results: The findings generally supported the hypotheses. Articles were more likely to be cited in subsequent scholarship if they were (a) written by 3 or more authors, (b) retrievable from more databases, and (c) longer. Conclusions: The results raise the possibility that authors interested in high-impact scholarship might benefit from working in authorship teams to create longer papers containing more original ideas, and then submitting the resulting manuscripts to journals that are indexed in multiple electronic databases.