Policastro presents elder abuse webinar
Dr. Christina Policastro presented her research entitled, “Educating and Preparing Preprofessional Students on Adult and Elder Abuse: Implications for University Curriculum and Insights,” in a webinar for the National Adult Protective Services Association. The presentation focused on the results of a study conducted by Dr. Policastro and Dr. Brian K. Payne (Old Dominion University) that assessed levels of elder abuse awareness among social work, nursing, health professions, and criminal justice students. The results of the study indicated that students, regardless of discipline, report a lack of awareness and knowledge of elder abuse issues.
In addition, The Journal of Criminal Justice Education recently accepted the work of Dr. Christina Policastro and colleagues Sadie Mummert (Indiana University Pennsylvania) and Brian K. Payne (Old Dominion University). This research explored how learning about victimization in the college classroom affects students and found that a sizeable proportion of students realize they have been victimized as a result of exposure to course material. In addition, Dr. Policastro’s recent research collaboration with colleague Helen Eigenberg (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) exploring college students’ views of justification and blame in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) was accepted for publication in Women & Criminal Justice. They found that variables assessing negative attitudes toward women, a general tendency to blame victims, and views of relationship violence as justifiable were associated with victim blaming within the context of IPV.
