Noel Bridget Busch-Armendariz

• Doctor of Philosophy
• University of Texas at Austin

This paper describes a process that integrates behavioral and decision science methods to design and evaluate interventions to disrupt illicit behaviors. We developed this process by extending a framework used to study systems with uncertain outcomes, where only partial information is observable, and wherein there are multiple participating parties...

This study, a two-site, cross-sectional survey of university students (n = 321 at site 1; n = 201 at site 2), extends the development and utility of the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes about Human Trafficking Questionnaire by generating factor-based scales and scores to represent values for its three factors (Self-Appraisal of Knowledge/Skill...

Prosecuting agencies frequently dismiss domestic violence cases due to lack of adequate evidence and limited victim participation in the case. Evidence-based prosecution asserts high quality evidence can enhance prosecutorial decision-making and reduce the reliance on victims. Video-recorded victim statements offer a potential improvement to eviden...

Background Few studies are dedicated to understanding the extent and impact of sexual harassment among medical students. The aim of this study was to use behaviorally specific measures to examine prevalence of sexual harassment toward medical students. Associated mental health and academic impacts were also studied. Methods A multisite survey was...

Objective: This study's purpose was to examine the prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with stalking victimization among a diverse sample of college students. Participants: Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey administered in November 2015 to students 18 and older on 8 academic universities in a Southwestern universit...

Hundreds of U.S. institutions of higher education have conducted campus climate surveys recently to assess students’ experiences with sexual misconduct and perceptions of institutions’ related policies and procedures. Many of these surveys were implemented in response to the recommendation by the 2014 White House Task Force to Protect Students from...

More knowledge is needed related to collegiate intimate partner violence (IPV) and the pathways between experiencing physical and psychological IPV and academic disengagement. Students in a University System in the southwest completed an online survey including measures of physical and psychological IPV, academic disengagement, sense of community,...

A multisite survey conducted at eight campuses of a southwestern university system provides the data for the present study, total N = 17,039 with 1,869 gender and sexual minority (GSM) students. Sexual violence was measured using the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES), and analysis included both the participant’s risk of experiencing sexual violence a...

BSW and MSW social work students are effected by interpersonal violence on campus, yet little is known about their experiences during schooling. This study explored rates of victimization and associated effects since institutional enrollment among a sample of 734 MSW, PhD and BSW social work students across a university system. Over 14% of particip...

Human Trafficking: Applying Research, Theory, and Case Studies is a practical, interdisciplinary text that draws from empirically grounded scholarship, survivor-centered practices, and an ecological perspective to help readers develop an understanding of the meaning and scope of human trafficking. Throughout the book, authors Noël Bridget Busch-Arm...

This document is a comprehensive guide about sexual assault kit (SAK) testing and the resulting need for victim notification regarding the forensic results or details on the progression of a case. This guide addresses the need for a coordinated community response to re-engage victims after testing unrequested or untested SAKs using trauma-informed,...

Objective: The study assesses the prevalence of physical, psychological, sexual, and cyber forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) among female college students, and associated mental health and academic outcomes. Participants: Participants (n = 6,818) were randomly selected female students attending one of eight campuses of a University System in...

Sexual harassment is a pervasive problem on college campuses. Across eight academic campuses, 16,754 students participated in an online study that included questions about sexual harassment victimization by a faculty/staff member or by a peer since enrollment at their Institution of Higher Education (IHE). Utilizing an intersectional theory and hur...

Sexual assault is a significantly under-reported, -investigated, and -prosecuted crime in the United States, which criminal justice and advocacy actors across the country are working to address. Law enforcement procedures often involve providing crime victims, including sexual assault victims, with written notification by mail about the status of t...

Research methods report for Cultivating Learning and Safe Environments study at UT System Institutions.

Over the last decade, modern slavery has emerged as a major social-justice issue. Many new organizations in the United States have begun serving survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), while others have expanded their services to include this vulnerable population in their mission. This qualitative study describes the principle-based pr...

Sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, sexual harassment, and stalking are complex crimes and have been a major focus of national attention at institutions of higher education (IHEs). To grasp the extent and nature of these crimes on campuses, institutionally specific climate surveys are being developed and endorsed by the federal government and...

Focus groups were used to explore the most appropriate ways to conduct survey research about men’s relationships with women and their sexual assault behaviors that result in high response rates and decrease socially desirable answers. A racially diverse group of 24 English-speaking heterosexual men, aged 18 years or older, were recruited for partic...

By 2019, the United States plans to resettle approximately 50,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the challenges, risks, and strengths of adult Congolese refugee women resettled in the United States to help policymakers, service providers, and other stakeholders prepare fo...

The mission of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) is to advance the knowledge base on interpersonal violence in an effort to end violence. IDVSA accomplishes this through research on interpersonal violence and training, technical assistance, and information dissemination to the practitioner community and the community at...

The mission of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) is to advance the knowledge base on interpersonal violence in an effort to end violence. IDVSA accomplishes this through research on interpersonal violence and training, technical assistance, and information dissemination to the practitioner community and the community at...

Objective This study sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a tool designed to assess social work students’ knowledge of and perceptions and attitudes toward human trafficking. To achieve this aim, the Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes toward Human Trafficking Questionnaire (PKA-HTQ) was developed and its psychometric pro...

Immigration detention is a hot contemporary issue in the United States, with over 33,000 individuals held in detention facilities daily and reports of poor conditions and human rights abuses. Building on a growing body of theory exploring the role of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in social services provision, and seeking to address a gap in the...

The following quotes were recently published in Buzzfeed (Oakes, 2014), an online media and technology company, and ostensibly were culled from actual peer reviews published on another website: I am afraid this manuscript may contribute not so much toward the field's advancement as much as toward its eventual demise. I am generally very happy to pr...

Health care providers play an important role in identifying victims of human trafficking and addressing their unique medical needs. In response to a recently published call to action in Obstetrics & Gynecology, an interdisciplinary medical home has been created in central Texas to serve as a model for delivery of care to survivors of human traffick...

This study emerged from the confluence of these concerns and trends. Its purpose was to identify and understand the concerns, challenges, risks, and strengths of adult Congolese refugee women resettled to the US under the women-at-risk category as a means to help policymakers, service providers, and other stakeholders prepare for the arrival of Con...

As journal editors of Affilia, we often find ourselves in the position of asking the question, ‘‘is this feminist?’’ Of course, this question has various iterations and includes, ‘‘is this feminist enough?’’ ‘‘that can’t be feminist?’’ ‘‘are we behaving like feminists?’’ We also know ourselves, particularly in a moment of intense heated dialog, to...

: Forensic nurses, sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs), and victim advocates have long recognized the trauma of sexual assault crimes and the significance of survivors' decisions around reporting these crimes to law enforcement agencies. Until recently, survivors who didn't report the crime were not entitled to a free medical forensic examinatio...

Background and Purpose: Detention is a key pillar of the contemporary US immigration system that aims to deport those without authorization and deter other migrants from arriving. In 2010, $1.7 billion was spent on immigration detention and 33,000 people are currently held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on any given night. Detention...

This qualitative research study explored responses to trafficking in persons. Fifty-five (n = 55) interviews were collected and data were analyzed using qualitative iterative processes. The social worker and the utilization of social work perspectives provided a strong and effective framework for service delivery and effective interdisciplinary col...

The purpose of this research is to highlight competing and contrasting definitions of social work that have been the subject of continuous ideological debate. These opposing interpretations have characterized public and professional discourse. It is the growth of, and struggle over, these conflicting versions of social work that we trace by explori...

This study describes the marriage and family relationships of refugees as they transition through resettlement. Through in-depth interviews with 31 refugees representing 12 countries, participants describe their lives and experiences in their own “voices.” The findings reflect two broad themes that either support or impede self-sufficiency: (1) the...

Background and purpose Human trafficking has emerged in the past decade as a major criminal and social justice issue in the United States and around the world. Federal legislation has heightened awareness of and response to the crime among Americans, however gaps remain regarding effective prevention, investigative strategies, and responsive socia...

Background: Social capital (often operationalized as community engagement and social trust) has been positively associated with adult health and well-being (Almedon, 2005; Helliwell& Putnam, 2003). Yet our knowledge about the meaning of social capital for women, especially from developing countries such as Indonesia is limited. A focus on women i...

Little research examines the experiences of victims of sex trafficking after they have been rescued and only a handful of studies collected primary data from these victims. This qualitative study involved in-person interviews with immigrant sex trafficking victims. Findings reveal that female victims face challenges similar to transnational mothers...

A crucial yet disputed element in the attempt to regulate sexually oriented businesses has been the negative secondary effects these firms have on nearby businesses and residential communities. This paper addresses a new dimension of the negative effects from such businesses by examining data on administrative and criminal infractions inside a larg...

The article discusses the University of Texas at Austin's (UT Austin) Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA), an institution that was established in 2001. IDVSA is a collaboration of the Schools of Social Work, Law, and Nursing, and 150 community affiliates. Recognizing that interpersonal violence does not occur in a vacuum, the...

Given the increased awareness and attention to human trafficking, including the establishment of federal laws and policies, federally funded task forces that provide law enforcement responses, and specialized victim services, it is important to assess the impact of these procedures and services on survivors/victims of international human traffickin...

Sexual assault is a major social problem that requires well-informed, empirically grounded policy and practice responses. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of sexual assault in Texas and to add to our understanding of the crime of sexual assault. A representative sample of 1,200 adult women and men aged 18 and older from diverse...

Addressing sexual assault requires policy and practice responses that are well-informed and empirically-grounded. This study examines the impact of perpetrators' drug and alcohol use during and after sexual assault. A representative sample of women, who responded to a random digit dialing survey, and reported that they were sexually assaulted at so...

Perpetrator typologies have been useful in understanding other crimes, such as do-mestic violence, and serve a similar purpose in enhancing our knowledge base about human trafficking. Typologies of human traffickers can be useful in improving our understanding about elements needed for successful investigations and prosecu-tions; developing appropr...

Domestic violence is one of the leading health risks to women in the United States. Abuse during pregnancy increases the negative health consequences for mothers and their unborn children. This article presents survey and open-ended interview data from participants in an innovative program for pregnant and parenting battered women and examines the...

Purpose: This study examines the impact of perpetrators' drug and alcohol use during and after sexual assault. Methods: The study relies on data provided by a representative sample of women in Texas who responded to a random digit dial survey and reported that they were sexually assaulted at some time in their lives. Questions about sexual assault...

Three pilot studies were conducted to obtain information about sexual assault perpetration from adult men in the United States. Each used the same random digit-dial sampling and recruitment strategy. One pilot was administered by telephone and two via the Web. Response rates in all pilots were low. Although results cannot be generalized beyond the...

The purpose of this study is to examine attitudes toward date rape among university students in South Korea. Participants included 163 students recruited from two universities in South Korea. Results show that male students were less rejecting of date rape-tolerant attitudes than female students were. Also, male students were less rejecting of the...

The feminist perspective on intimate partner violence is a predominant model in the field, although not immune to criticism. In this research, frontline workers in the violence against women movement responded to critiques of the feminist model. The project used a focus group and a modified grounded theory analysis. Participants agreed with some cr...

This study examined the successes and challenges of refugee entrepreneurs by interviewing 50 refugees, service providers, and technical assistance providers. Qualitative data analyses revealed that successes and challenges occurred both at the individual and family levels as well as at the community and agency levels. The findings underscore the ne...

Social science, medical, and legal researchers often study sensitive or controversial topics and behaviors. This research raises methodological and ethical issues. Using examples from the literature and a recent statewide telephone prevalence survey on sexual assault, we focus on the relative merits of various survey methods, especially those emplo...

Spirituality is increasingly recognized as an important resource for clients coping with trauma and crises. Though more limited, research on the use of spirituality by practitioners has also expanded. This qualitative study involves in-depth interviews with 30 counselors about their work with domestic violence survivors. It focuses on the role and...

This article presents a feminist model for collaboration by researchers, practitioners, and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault that focuses on balancing power and building community. Thirty-eight university researchers, survivors, and practitioners met to define and prioritize a research agenda on domestic violence and sexual assault...

This study investigated the level of moral reasoning of battered and non-battered women. This article reports the findings from a comparison group of battered and non-battered women (N=92) on the Defining Issues Test. The study examined the relationships between a dependent variable—level of moral development—and two independent variables—history o...

This study explores the underlyingstructure of the perceptions of 1,342 men arrested for tryingto hire a prostituted woman on the street. The analysis identified eight structural dimensions that accounted for 47% of the explained variance. Three factors contained items reflectingpatriarchal views of women and perceived entitlement to power and cont...

Recent attention has been given to the challenges and unintended negative consequences of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 on the economic well-being and safety of battered women and their children. This study focused on battered women's perceptions and experiences of disclosing their abuse histories to welfare-to-work c...

During the past two decades, empowerment theory has gained popularity as a way to develop social policy reforms, programs, and practices related to oppressed and disenfranchised populations. This article applies the principles of empowerment practice to address the needs of battered women, and it discusses the implications for social work practice.

Since the late 1970s, courts throughout the United States have admitted testimony about intimate partner violence (IPV) to help judges and juries interpret evidence and understand the experiences of people involved in abusive intimate relationships (Dutton, 1992; Osthoff & Maguigan, 2005; Schneider, 2000; Stark, 2007). The use of expert testimony h...

Human trafficking is an international crime affecting all countries that continues to grow. The crime operates as part of an illicit underground network, starting with traffickers who manipulate, deceive, and exploit victims. Victims are both male and female, but the crime disproportionally affects women more than men. Latin American women are espe...