Michelle HandGeorge Mason University | GMU · Department of Social Work
Michelle Hand
Doctor of Philosophy
Violence, trauma + non-pharmacological interventions for at-risk communities across the lifespan, chiefly in later life
About
29
Publications
6,834
Reads
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130
Citations
Introduction
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at George Mason University who studies multi-level non-pharmacological strategies to address sexual violence and trauma among communities that are at-risk, owing to structural oppression, across the life course and especially in later life. Such strategies include community-, arts-, and nature-based approaches to improve wellbeing and to promote social and environmental justice. Examples can be reviewed at michellehand-phd.com.
Additional affiliations
July 2020 - present
Position
- Professor (Assistant)
Description
- Provide independent instruction to graduate and undergraduate students in Social Work and Gerontology courses, advise graduate students, continue to develop an active research program, and engage in university, professional and community-focused service, such as through serving on the Anti-racism, Equity and Justice Committee in the School of Social Work, conducting peer-reviews and informing a local advisory board to improve healthcare services for survivors of intimate partner violence.
May 2014 - May 2020
Position
- Graduate Teaching Associate
Description
- Independently instructed students on the social welfare system, human rights, social and economic justice, life course development, and the profession of social work, in both traditional and online settings. Offered collaborative instruction as well, as part of the first study abroad course offered in Nicaragua by the Ohio State University College of Social Work.
August 2012 - May 2014
Position
- Research Associate
Description
- Actively contributed to community-based research on innovative solutions to community food insecurity, led by Michelle Kaiser, Ph.D., and on the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ) college students, led by Susan Saltzburg and Tamara Davis, through quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, hosting research trainings, advancing resource development, conducting scoping reviews, and preparing manuscripts and presentations.
Education
August 2012 - June 2020
Publications
Publications (29)
At-risk older adults and older survivors of sexual violence (SV) remain largely absent from SV prevention and intervention, owing to ageism and sexism, as well as other intersectional forms of prejudice, including among service providers (e.g., social workers, healthcare professionals, practitioners in SV organizations, and practitioners who serve...
Women are subject to health disparities across the life course, owing to multiple factors, including sexism, ageism, and other forms of structural discrimination and mistreatment which have been linked with greater risks for sexual violence and related trauma as well as resulting problems with physical and mental health as well as overall wellbeing...
Background
Elders remain largely excluded from sexual violence (SV) prevention and intervention, owing to perceptions of older adults as asexual or undesirable due to intersectional ageism and sexism, which is further complicated when dementia is present (Bow, 2018). Thus, knowledge is limited on SV in later life and its prevention. Accordingly, a...
Background and objectives:
Older adults are not regarded as sexual and are widely excluded from sexual violence (SV) research, policies, and practice; little is known about SV against older adults and its prevention.
Research design and methods:
An eight-database scoping review explored perceptions of SV against older adults, barriers to and sol...
Background
Sexual relationships in long‐term residential care facilities are common, but addressing the issue of dementia and ability to consent to sex remains unclear. Do individuals with dementia have the mental capacity to consent to sex? And how should residential facilities address the ethical dilemma of consent among individuals with dementia...
In recent years, a television network partnered with a national organization that offers support to exploited women and girls to feature poetry offered by survivors of sex trafficking in the US. Feminist autobiography theory is used to explore their content, purpose, and positioning as well as benefits of this approach to address sexual trauma. Ben...
Every Three Seconds is an innovative documentary provided
by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) and In the Moment
(ITM) Productions which explores the impacts of dementia,
national and international frameworks and strategies for helping communities,and technological advancements aimed to
slow and potentially cure dementia in addition to effort...
Low-income urban communities, and the individuals that live within them, continue to face disproportionate interconnected social, economic, and environmental challenges related to their built, natural, and social environments. The aim of our phenomenological research study was to elevate the experiences of residents living in low-income urban neigh...
Rape stereotypes involve the assault of young women due to sexual desire, resulting in the exclusion of older adults from sexual violence research, policies, and interventions, suggesting a need to further knowledge in this area (Bows & Westmarland, 2015). Debates also persist on the prevalence and nature of elder sexual abuse (ESA), where it occur...
African refugees are among the fastest-growing
populations in the United States and nearly half of these refugees
come from Somalia, many of whom are Somali Bantus, the most
marginalized group in Somali society. Yet limited research is
available on Somali Bantu refugees. In this paper, Empowerment
Theory is used to guide an in-depth exploration of...
Every Three Seconds is an innovative documentary provided by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) and In the Moment (ITM) Productions which explores the impacts of dementia, national and international frameworks and strategies for helping communities,and technological advancements aimed to slow and potentially cure dementia in addition to effort...
Multifaceted causes and consequences of food insecurity require collaborative work across multiple academic disciplines and with various community partners in order to build sustainable solutions. Interdisciplinary teams require thoughtful considerations of time devoted to team-building exercises, paying particular attention to understanding member...
Prior to and during World War II, thousands of girls and young women were abducted from Korea and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese government. Termed “comfort women”, these girls and young women suffered extreme sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and trauma. Research on this group is not well-developed and we know little of impact of t...
Various mapping methodologies have been used to explore complex social, economic, and environmental components of the food system. Planning scholars, geographers, public health officials, and community organizations have created maps to better understand disparities in the food environment. This review provides an analysis of the nature of geograph...
Multifaceted causes and consequences of food insecurity require collaborative work across multiple academic disciplines and with various community partners in order to build sustainable solutions. Interdisciplinary teams require thoughtful considerations of time devoted to team-building exercises, paying particular attention to understanding member...
This study was intended to characterize the perceived risks of urban agriculture by residents of four low-income neighborhoods in which the potential exists for further urban agriculture development and to provide data to support whether any chemical hazards and food borne pathogens as potential food safety hazards were present. Sixty-seven residen...
This study was intended to characterize the perceived risks of urban agriculture by residents of four low-income neighborhoods in which the potential exists for further urban agriculture development and to provide data to support whether any chemical hazards and foodborne pathogens as potential food safety hazards were present. Sixty-seven resident...
Questions
Question (1)
With COVID-19 and social distancing in place, I realized my plans for a community based participatory research project may need to be delayed. Still I wonder-- what are some meaningful ways you have formed new relationships and continued to engage with community stakeholders beyond emails and Zoom conferences during this uncertain period?