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Analyzing the Effects of Supervisors’ Conduct on the Persistent Stress Experienced by Nevada Law Enforcement Officers
No full textThis quantitative study aimed to identify the specific actions of supervisors that contribute to chronic stress among law enforcement officers in Nevada. Chronic stress is a common issue in law enforcement and can have detrimental effects on officers’ mental and physical well-being. Despite the acknowledgement of supervisors\u27 actions as a significant stressor for officers, there is a lack of research specifically addressing the actions that officers perceive as most stress-inducing, particularly in Nevada. This research gap hinders efforts to address and alleviate these stressors, allowing them to persist and impact officers\u27 well-being. To address this gap, a Likert-scale survey was administered to 100 law enforcement officers in Nevada, listing 27 stressors identified in previous research, as well as additional stressors gathered from discussions with law enforcement professionals. Utilizing univariate and frequency analyses, the researcher will determine the median (M), standard deviation (SD), and percentage of selection for each stressor, identifying the most commonly reported stressors, and recognizing patterns and trends in the data. A deeper understanding is essential for tackling the issue of chronic stress in law enforcement personnel, as it significantly affects their mental and physical health, job effectiveness, and personal relationships. By identifying and addressing the underlying reasons for stress originating from supervisory behavior, interventions and tactics aimed at alleviating stress within law enforcement organizations can be developed to greatly enhance the overall well-being and performance of officers, their families, departments, and the communities they serve
\u3cem\u3eMahmoud v. Taylor\u3c/em\u3e: A Significant Victory for the Religious Rights of Parents with Children in Public Schools
No full textThe Supreme Court’s June 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor unmistakably accomplished two things: it strengthened the Free Exercise Clause protections of the First Amendment, and it weakened the ability of schools to press an ideological agenda on matters of human sexuality and gender identity when the materials substantially interfere with the religious development of children. After Montgomery County refused to exercise its discretion to give parents notice and the right to opt their elementary-aged children out of objectional material concerning gender identity and sexual orientation, several parents and a non-profit organization sued, alleging free exercise and parental rights claims. The United States Supreme Court only reached the free exercise claim, leaving until another day the parental rights question.
For years, lower court decisions have afforded broad discretion to school officials to require student attendance at sexually explicit school-sponsored events or instruction that parents found objectionable. Some federal circuit courts have gone so far as to say that the only choice parents have is whether to send their child to public schools and that once parents drop their children off at school, it is the school that decides what the students should be taught, regardless of parental objection. Those decisions represent the mindset that government, not parents, has the primary responsibility to raise children. Scripture, however, makes clear that the opposite is true: God has given parents the responsibility to “[t]rain up a child in the way he should go” and to impress the truths of Scripture on children at all times and places.
In Mahmoud, the Supreme Court strengthened Free Exercise Clause claims, concluding that even if a law is neutral and generally applicable, it still is subject to strict scrutiny when it imposes a burden “of the same character as that imposed in Yoder.” That burden exists when the government “substantially interfer[es] with the religious development of the [parents’] child[ren]” and “poses ‘a very real threat of undermining’ the religious beliefs and practices that the parents wish to instill” in their children. Significantly, the Court concluded that substantial interference exists even if children are not forced to abandon or disclaim their religious beliefs.
This Article explains the Mahmoud decision, discusses the decision’s implications for future parent-school instructional conflicts, and identifies important questions left unresolved
From Retaliation to Restoration: Evaluating Norwegian Prison Rehabilitation Models For United States Integration
No full textThis study evaluates the viability of implementing Norwegian rehabilitative frameworks within the American prison system by gathering the perspectives of formerly incarcerated men in the United States. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, the research sought to understand how American offenders perceive Norwegian normalization techniques, such as single-occupancy rooms, humane architectural environments, respectful inmate-officer relationships, and their potential to promote rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. Fifteen participants who had served a minimum of three weeks in correctional institutions completed open-ended questionnaires analyzed through conceptual content analysis. Findings revealed strong support for individualized rooms, normalized environments, and increased positive human interaction as transformative factors that could reduce criminal identity and promote reintegration. Participants emphasized that true rehabilitation arises not from punishment but from being treated with dignity and humanity. The study concludes that Norwegian principles of normalization, when contextualized for American culture and resources, could serve as a viable model for reforming incarceration practices. Grounded in both psychological theory and biblical foundations of restoration, this research provides insight into how correctional systems can shift from retaliation to rehabilitation, building safer communities and restoring individuals to their intended purpose
Jesus’s View on Church Unity and Leadership: A Comparative Study of His Views Against the Old Testament and Pauline Models in Addressing Leadership-Driven Divisions Within the Togolese Assemblies of God Church
No full textThis paper will analyze the lack of alignment between Jesus\u27s view of kingdom-centered unity and the pattern of leadership, and how these differences have affected the rule of the church according to biblical history. The paper further examines the problem of divisions driven by leadership in the modern churches, especially those in the Togolese Assemblies of God Church (TAGC). The thesis argues that Jesus\u27s unique teachings on the Kingdom of God can be viewed as both the key organizational principle defining ecclesial leadership and unity and the final leadership paradigm that wrestles with the Old Testament and Pauline models of authority and power formation. `To establish the biblical foundations of leadership systems, this paper discusses the Old Testament concept of kingship and the leadership principles that come with it. An outline is provided to modern-day church leaders on how to address leadership issues, particularly in the TAGC. It offers a theological and practical way to overcome division and develop unity. It provides a theological and practical solution to overcoming division and creating unity. This is achieved by aligning leadership practices with the Kingdom-centered example evidenced by Christ
Racial Bias, Mindfulness, and Motivation Among Mental Health Clinicians
No full textRacial bias is linked to poor mental health outcomes and obstructs clinician-client relationships. Mental health clinicians (MHCs) may express implicit bias, expanding disparities for people of color. Mindfulness and motivation to respond without prejudice (MRP) are associated with reduced racial bias, yet few studies have examined these constructs among MHCs. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate relationships between mindfulness, MRP, and implicit racial bias. Licensed MHCs (n = 47, 85.1% female, 59.6% African American, mean age 50 years) participated in a convergent parallel mixed-methods study involving an online survey [Race Implicit Association Test (Race IAT), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Internal and External MRP Scales (IMS and EMS)], and semi-structured interviews (n = 13) using a phenomenological design. Multiple regression and moderation analyses (SPSS v. 28) revealed no association between Race IAT scores and FFMQ (95% CI: -.03, .02, p = .78), IMS (95% CI: -.03, .03, p = .99), or EMS (95% CI: -.02, .01, p = .89) scores. Thematic analysis (MAXQDA v. 24) uncovered awareness of mindfulness and racial bias, as well as limited opportunities for bias-related training. A small sample size and inadequate statistical power may have influenced study outcomes. These findings show how MHCs manage their clinical experiences and may benefit others in psychological research and the mental health field
A Phenomenological Study to Describe the Lived Experiences of U.S. Military Veterans Diagnosed with PTSD Who Have Completed a Spiritually Integrated Treatment Program
No full textThe purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of U.S. military veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who completed a spiritually integrated treatment program. Schlossberg’s transition theory formed the study’s primary theoretical framework, through which the following research questions were answered: 1) How do U.S. military veterans diagnosed with PTSD describe their experiences before attending a spiritually integrated treatment program? 2) How do the participants describe their expectations for the program prior to their participation? 3) How were the participants’ expectations met, and were any unexpected outcomes experienced while participating in the program? and 4) How do the participants describe the immediate and long-lasting effects of the program experience? The data collection involved an online survey, recorded one-to-one virtual and telephone interviews, and participant reviews of the interview transcripts. The data were primarily analyzed using coding, thematic development, and phenomenological reflection. The findings showed that the participants described their changes as mainly spiritual in nature, crediting their spiritual transition and their renewed relationship and understanding of God in their lives as the reason for seeing their PTSD from a different perspective. The theoretical and practical implications of this study support the idea that spiritually integrated approaches to treating veterans with PTSD, as well as including clergy in the treatment process, can be as effective as non-spiritually integrated programs, and potentially more so in cases involving moral injury (MI). Future research remains to be undertaken to confirm if similar results can be found in non-veteran groups
Teaching Multiculturalism with a Christian Worldview to Influence Perspectives: Combating Emotions and Challenging Presuppositions of Counselors
No full textIn counseling education, teaching multiculturalism is a critical curricular component. Today, counselors (more widely defined as various caregivers) are more likely to encounter people whose race or culture differs from their own. Therefore, to be the most effective counselor, a solid and unapologetic curriculum in multiculturalism should be required. Because the education component of multiculturalism is often subordinate to a trainee’s reluctance—or even inability—to confront the difficult concepts, it is necessary first to address the reluctance; hence, my thesis. Multiculturalism presented and discussed on an academic plane is more likely to assuage trainees’ fears and spur them to cultural competence. This begins with a concerted self-reflection. Under the guise of “multicultural counseling,” I suggest this article can serve as an important step in teaching counselors to be culturally competent
Unmothered: A Phenomenological Study of Black Daughters Who Are Detached From Their Black Mothers
No full textMother-daughter relationships are often characterized as foundational, nurturing bonds, but for some adult daughters, the relationship is a source of pain and disconnection. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of adult Black American daughters who are detached from their Black American mothers, influenced by Bowen Family Systems Theory’s emotional cutoff concept. Seventeen Black adult women, aged 27-49, were interviewed to assess how they made meaning of being detached from their mothers, along with the ways it shaped their lives. Findings showed that detachment was a gradual response to a history of harmful mothering. Daughters described detachment as an act of self-preservation that offered peace and emotional stability. Withdrawing from mothers was often fixated within the context of personal meaning, cultural norms, and socializing practices, providing nuanced insights on experiences of women who represent different aspects of the Black American community. Although detachment was articulated as a necessary act, it uncovered a lingering mother wound as several daughters continued to mourn the fractured relationship. In response to maternal detachment, daughters pursued healing and showed commitment to breaking generational cycles within their families and the Black community at large. By illuminating the theoretical, cultural, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of maternal detachment, this work contributed to discourse on Black family life and offers practical implications for future research, psychological practice, and faith-based settings
Trusting Jesus to the End: How a Christocentric, Inductive, and Canonical Hermeneutic Best Answers Rapture Debates and Reaffirms Perseverance
No full textThis dissertation compares the four premillennial end-time theories (i.e., the pretribulation, midtribulation, prewrath, and posttribulation views) to answer whether the Bible literally/explicitly describes two future descents of Christ, multiple future resurrections of saints, a pre-wrath timing, a reascent back to heaven, two last trumpets, two peoples of God, and two standards of protection (as proposed by rapture views) or whether the Scriptures describe only a single future coming of Christ for all saints “after the tribulation” (as held by the posttribulation view). By trusting what Jesus taught and relying on what is explicitly written and repeated in the Bible as the standard for truth (i.e., a Christocentric, inductive, and canonical hermeneutic), the author finds that a single posttribulational return of Christ is best supported by the explicit evidence. Conversely, the author finds that the pluralities, timings, and movements proposed by the three rapture theories are based not on a literal interpretation of the Bible as claimed but on inferential, deductive, and eisegetical hermeneutics, which lead to many, and therefore disqualifying, exegetical and theological fallacies.
With the increase in rapture predictions, this timely study analyzes hundreds of end-time passages, supplies numerous time-saving canonical matrices, and answers an exhaustive list of rapture-related questions, like should imminency mean “at any moment” or “impending,” do Christians need to fear being afflicted by God’s wrath during the trumpets and bowls of Revelation, who repopulates the millennium, does the absence of the word “church” in Revelation 4–18 suggest a rapture, and did Paul teach a new rapture revelation or what Jesus taught. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of daily and end-time perseverance and reaffirms the centrality of Jesus’s words in understanding Bible prophecy
Examining the Influence of High School Work-Based Learning Experiences on Post-Secondary Employment for Adults with Disabilities: A Case Study
No full textThe purpose of this case study was to discover how work-based learning during high school was utilized to support successful post-secondary employment outcomes for young adults with high-incidence disabilities in a suburban area of a southeastern state. The theory guiding this study was Albert Bandura\u27s social cognitive theory as it explains how observational learning, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and reciprocal determination affect the learning process. The central research question for this study was: How was work-based learning utilized to support successful post-secondary employment for young adults with high-incidence disabilities in a suburban area of a southeastern state. To answer the research questions, an instrumental case study was used. Participants included ten young adults with high-incidence disabilities who were completers of occupational credentials from five different high schools in a suburban area of a southeastern state. Document analysis, individual interviews, and direct observation were used during the data collection process. Cross-case synthesis, coding, thematic analysis, and pattern matching were used during data analysis to answer research questions in alignment with social cognitive theory. This study found strong connections between high school work-based experiences and successful post-secondary employment for individuals with high-incidence disabilities who completed occupational special education programs throughout high school. Findings indicated themes of development of employability skills, building self-efficacy and confidence, and supportive environments and relationships as characteristics of successful high school work-based learning experiences for the ten participants of this study