Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Tony Pellegrini
Committee Member
Rene Villa
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
abuse counseling, assessment of needs, children, community agencies, counselor education, counselor training, counseling intervention, developmental methodology, domestic violence, domestic violence counseling, domestic violence intervention, elementary school children, elementary school guidance counselors, intervention strategies, needs assessment, referral system, school counselors, school district, support services, training program, victims of domestic violence
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to increase the knowledge and skills of elementary school guidance counselors to ultimately improve the domestic violence counseling interventions provided to elementary-aged school children. The school district’s guidance counselors’ job description indicated that counselors were to refer these children to community agencies for assistance. In addition, counselors openly stated that they were untrained, and therefore unqualified, to provide needed interventions. Consequently, they shared their concerns over the lack of interventions available to these children and expressed an interest in acquiring the training needed to meet these children’s needs.
This applied dissertation was guided by the following questions: (a) To what extent are elementary school guidance counselors able to identify children who are victims of domestic violence?; (b) To what extent are elementary school guidance counselors referring children who are victims of domestic violence to outside agencies for appropriate counseling intervention?; (c) What is the percentage of children who are victims of domestic violence referred to outside agencies for appropriate counseling intervention by elementary school guidance counselors who are known to have ultimately received the needed assistance and support?; (d) What interventions, as stated in the literature, would be appropriate for children who are victims of domestic violence?; (e) What specific training would enable elementary school counselors to provide the needed intervention for these children who are victims of domestic violence?; and (f) If this training were provided, would counselors then provide these services to the children who are victims of domestic violence?
Development methodology was utilized in this applied dissertation. First, an assessment of needs was administered to the sample group of 10 elementary school guidance counselors to determine the effectiveness of the present referral system for elementary school children who were victims of domestic violence. Based upon stated concerns of counselors and the results of the assessment of needs, a training program to provide the knowledge and skills to enable counselors to provide appropriate intervention for these children was substantiated. This training was developed, implemented, evaluated, and refined in a developmental process and recommended herein as a formal report to administrators of the school district for ongoing implementation.