Papers by Shanti Kulkarni
141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 2 - November 6, 2013), Nov 3, 2013
Violence Against Women, 2021
Gaps in knowledge related to occupational stress among the intimate partner violence (IPV) and se... more Gaps in knowledge related to occupational stress among the intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA) workforce remain. This study examined associations between key risk factors for occupational stress and compassion fatigue among a sample of IPV/SA service providers in the Southwestern United States ( N = 520). Results of the hierarchical regression analysis identified microaggressions, age, recent life stress, direct practice, and workload as factors associated with compassion fatigue. The findings point to the importance of incorporating trauma-informed organizational approaches to address microaggressions, reduce workload, and support staff experiencing recent stress and providing direct services.
Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 2022
Housing and homelessness are frequent issues facing domestic violence (DV) survivors and their ch... more Housing and homelessness are frequent issues facing domestic violence (DV) survivors and their children. Several DV programs provide transitional housing (DVTH) to address the housing needs of DV survivors and their children. Despite wide use, little is known about the impact of DVTH, especially on child and parenting related needs and outcomes. Multiple structured interviews (82) were conducted with 27 parents with minor children living in DVTH in order to explore housing program experiences. Thematic analysis techniques produced three themes and seven subthemes about DVTH impact on parenting and child wellness. Overarching themes include: (1) DVTH helps to strengthen the parent-child relationship through a focus on family connection and health; (2). Transitional housing provides an opportunity for family stability via housing, material, and economic stability; (3). Time at DVTH allows family to access a diverse range of trauma-informed resources and social support to meet family goals. Barriers to these potential impacts are explored. Implications for practice with youth and parents include the need for extensive mental health and legal advocacy, programmatic models that emphasize resources, safety and the transition to permanent housing, and build on family strengths. Further research is needed to evaluate DVTH program outcomes.
Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 2013
The overlapping nature of interpersonal violence and animal cruelty is well established, however ... more The overlapping nature of interpersonal violence and animal cruelty is well established, however historically each issue has been addressed by distinct and separate protective systems. An innovative community-based project is described that utilized crosstraining as a mechanism to foster collaboration between human services and animal control agencies. Findings are useful for professionals and community stakeholders interested in facilitating the cross-reporting of interpersonal violence and animal cruelty.
Journal of Professional Nursing, 2022
Interprofessional student hotspotting involves experiential and longitudinal learning about team-... more Interprofessional student hotspotting involves experiential and longitudinal learning about team-based care for patients with complex medical and social needs. As an emerging strategy for interprofessional education, there have been few research studies to examine student perspectives. This study used a descriptive qualitative approach to examine the experiences and perspectives of health professions students who participated in a six-month interprofessional student hotspotting program. At the end of the program, focus group interviews were conducted with 24 health professions students from medicine, social work, pharmacy, nursing, and health psychology. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: Observed benefits of interprofessional collaboration; Gained skills for collaborative care; Experienced difficulty managing group dynamics; and Learned approaches to caring for complex patients. The hotspotting program helped deepen students' appreciation for interprofessional team-based care. Repeated practice of teamwork skills during the six-month clinical learning experience resulted in students feeling more prepared to provide collaborative care for complex patients.
The authors would like to thank the research participants who so graciously shared their experien... more The authors would like to thank the research participants who so graciously shared their experiences and expertise with us. A special thanks to several participants who read an early draft of this work as a part of the process of member checking.
The Journal of Primary Prevention, 2019
Teen dating violence (TDV) is a serious public health issue associated with negative physical and... more Teen dating violence (TDV) is a serious public health issue associated with negative physical and behavior outcomes that disproportionately impact African-American adolescents. Despite the emergence of effective TDV prevention strategies, more knowledge is needed about how African American adolescents understand healthy and unhealthy relationships. Adolescents' analysis of media representations can provide important insight into social norms around adolescent romantic relationships, which can inform the development of TDV prevention strategies. We conducted nine focus groups (n = 86) to explore perceptions of healthy and unhealthy relationships and the influence of media representations on romantic relationships. We transcribed focus group interviews verbatim and coded them line by line. Participants were primarily African American (90%), female (67%), and high school aged (13-17 years). Consistent with other studies, participants reported significant engagement across traditional and social media platforms that exposed them to a wide variety of fictional, celebrity, and peer relationships. A modified constructivist grounded theory analytic approach produced four major relationship themes: commitment, authenticity, privacy, and maturity. These themes captured participants' reflections about romantic relationships and how the media interact with relationship processes and perceptions. Results show that adolescents are using media representations of romantic couples to clarify their own romantic relationship expectations and desires. Future prevention strategies should support youths' use of critical thinking, perspective taking, and analysis to help align their relationship choices and expectations with their own values and preferences.
Violence and Victims, 2019
Batterer intervention programs' (BIPs) curriculum have been criticized for their one-size-fit... more Batterer intervention programs' (BIPs) curriculum have been criticized for their one-size-fits-all approach to rehabilitation with recent research suggesting specialized and client-centric approaches to batterer intervention may be more effective than traditional programming. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been examined as a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and numerous studies suggest a relationship between ACEs and low mental health treatment engagement. However, absent from the conversation is how ACEs may influence BIP treatment engagement and more specifically how ACEs influence BIP program attendance and attrition. The current study used administrative data from a sample of 268 men enrolled in a county-operated BIP to explore this question. BIP participants who experienced any ACEs, only household dysfunction ACEs, and/or both household dysfunction ACEs and child abuse/neglect ACEs had decreased odds of BIP attrition compared to parti...
Children and Youth Services Review, 2018
There is substantial evidence documenting the importance of sleep for positive health and mental ... more There is substantial evidence documenting the importance of sleep for positive health and mental health. However, many young adults struggle with getting the sufficient quantity and quality of sleep each night. Individuals who have a history of adverse experiences may be at greater risk for sleep problems. While most studies of sleep and trauma have explored issues such as participating in combat, natural disasters, and child maltreatment, few have focused on the impact of being in foster care. Youth in care have not only the negative effects of abuse and neglect but the challenges of housing instability and adjustment to new caregivers and settings. The current study aimed to learn more about sleep in young adults who have spent time in foster care. Using qualitative data gathered from interviews with 24 foster care alumni, this study examined sleep before entering care, while youth lived in care, and after leaving care and establishing their independence as adults. Three areas were examined across time periods: 1) experience/context of sleep problems; 2) symptoms/behaviors related to sleep problems; and 3) coping strategies for poor sleep and its consequences. Youths' problems with sleep appeared to have greatly impacted their lives and had negative effects upon their relationships, employment, school, and even their foster care placement experiences. Recommendations are made for
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2017
More than 1,800 programs exist in the United States, providing not only shelter but also transiti... more More than 1,800 programs exist in the United States, providing not only shelter but also transitional housing, advocacy and support, transportation, legal aid, and group and individual counseling for women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Shelter and transitional housing provide critical support for survivors, but have also been critiqued for having too many restrictive rules and code of conduct. More information is needed about the impact of rules and agency policy on women seeking services in IPV residential settings. This qualitative study explored the central research question, “How do rules shape IPV residential environment and survivor experiences in services?” Twenty-five women in four programs in two states who were currently residing in IPV residential services were interviewed about their experiences. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Findings indicated rules affect individual survivors’ and families’ experiences and responses in servic...
Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 2017
ABSTRACTSocial work students created a community activism project to raise awareness about trauma... more ABSTRACTSocial work students created a community activism project to raise awareness about trauma prevalence and impact. Trauma theory describes silencing as the mechanism that hinders individual and community healing. Therefore, students sought to create an interactive opportunity to heighten trauma visibility on campus. They created a physical mailbox and invited community members respond to the prompt, “I am a survivor because …” and to read others’ responses. Through the project, students were able to document participants’ trauma experiences, increase community trauma awareness, and enhance their own learning. Moreover, the authors believe that this assignment successfully fostered student integration of micro and macro social work skills.
Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, 2017
We present an attempt to describe the semantics of "embarrassment" laughter in aphasic and nonlan... more We present an attempt to describe the semantics of "embarrassment" laughter in aphasic and nonlanguage-impaired discourse based on the samples from the Russian CliPS corpus based on its place in discourse.
Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 2016
ABSTRACT More than 500 employees of a large corporation participated in a web-based survey on wor... more ABSTRACT More than 500 employees of a large corporation participated in a web-based survey on workplace health and relationships. Mixed method data were analyzed to better understand intimate partner violence (IPV) workplace disclosures, including disclosure recipients and perceived helpfulness of responses. Statistical comparisons were made to assess the relationship between IPV experiences and disclosures and perceptions of workplace supportiveness. About one in five employees reported experiencing IPV during their work tenure. Survivors were more than twice as likely to disclose to coworkers compared to supervisors, employee assistance, or human resources. Although survivors tended to report helpful workplace responses, nearly 20% of survivors experienced an unhelpful workplace response. Survivors of IPV most frequently cited interpersonal support when asked to describe a helpful workplace response but also valued instrumental support, such as receiving workplace accommodations and resource information. Survivors of IPV perceived the workplace as less supportive and less accommodating than employees who did not report IPV. To successfully address IPV across the organization, all employees need information, training and support, as well as clear, specific IPV policies and protocols. Organizations should promote an organizational culture that supports survivors of IPV to facilitate access to critical resources and enhance employee wellness, safety, and productivity.
Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 2013
Research on workplace wellness often neglects the role of organizational factors in preventing ne... more Research on workplace wellness often neglects the role of organizational factors in preventing negative effects and promoting positive outcomes for service providers. Using a person-environment fit model, which highlights compatibility between an individual worker's characteristics and his or her work environment, we examine key risk and protective factors that might contribute to the well-being of domestic violence services providers. Service providers working in domestic violence agencies completed a Web-based survey measuring their perceptions of organizational factors (e.g., workload, control, reward, community, fairness, organizational values) and outcome variables of provider burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Individualorganizational mismatch emerges as a significant risk factor for burnout and secondary traumatic stress, both of which are negative outcomes associated with less manageable workloads. Secondary traumatic stress is also associated with providers' feelings of having little control over their work and spending more time in leisure, which might be in response to symptoms. Compassion satisfaction is positively associated with higher levels of work experience in domestic violence services and with providers who share the values of their organization. Organizational interventions that protect workers and promote these distinct dimensions of worker wellness can yield vital benefits associated with a healthy workforce.
Journal of Social Service Research, 2008
... Shanti Kulkarni, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte... more ... Shanti Kulkarni, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Social Work, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC ... few people that was trying to jump on the helicopters when it wasn't organized and reacting in a rational, rash way, or ...
Journal of Social Work Education
An alarming number of social work students indicate experiencing sexual harassment in their field... more An alarming number of social work students indicate experiencing sexual harassment in their field placements; however, very few formally report these experiences. Recent public discussion about the...
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Papers by Shanti Kulkarni