Dulce Whitaker
Biographic Data
| ID | 271659 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Dulce Whitaker |
| GIVEN NAMES | Dulce |
| FAMILY NAME | Whitaker |
| SIGNATURE | WHITAKER D |
| AFFILIATIONS | Georgia State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0229-0016 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 45 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 186 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 45 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Analyzing the Discursive Framing of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (Mouds) in U.S. News Media
Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) offer substantial benefits but are underutilized. Media representations of MOUD benefits potentially shape public and policymaker attitudes toward these treatments. This study examines how MOUD benefits are portrayed in the news media, exploring variations by medication type, publication period, news source, and persuasion approach. We analyzed 81 articles from the New York Times, USA Today, and Fox New…
Navigating Cultural Adaptation
As the number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide increases, the number of children either forcibly displaced or born as refugees also multiplies. In addition to struggling with basic needs upon resettlement, disruption of daily life can lead to numerous stressors for forcibly displaced parents that may cause friction in the relationship between parent and child. Evidence-based parenting programs may help forcibly displaced parents reconceptu…
Historical Redlining and Covid-19 Outcomes in Atlanta, Georgia
Consortium for violence prevention research, leadership training, and implementation for excellence (Converge)
Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against children (VAC) are two prevalent and highly interconnected global health challenges, yet data and research capacities to study these forms of violence and to generate evidence-based policies and programs remain limited. To address critical shortages in research capacity in Vietnam and to establish a model for other Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), we are establishing CONVERGE-t…
It’s hard because it’s something new”
Purpose Parent–child relationships formed in early childhood have profound implications for a child’s development and serve as a determinant for bio-social outcomes in adulthood. Positive parenting behaviors play a strong role in this development and are especially impactful during times of crisis because they buffer stressors that may lead to externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Children of forced migrants experience numerous extreme stres…
Findings from a Structured Adaptation Process for the SafeCare Parenting Program to Address Family Needs in a Diverse Refugee Community
Social workers can promote resiliency among refugee families by referring them to evidence-based programs to reduce the stressors of resettlement. The purpose of this study was to complete a structured adaptation process with the SafeCare® program for implementation in a refugee resettlement community. Participants included 21 members of an adaptation team made up of administrators, supervisors, and family service providers from three community a…
Evaluating child maltreatment and family violence risk during the Covid‐19 Pandemic
The COVID‐19 pandemic has affected many child maltreatment risk factors and may have affected maltreatment among vulnerable families. We surveyed 258 certified providers of an evidence‐based home visiting program, SafeCare, about their perception of the impact of the pandemic on the families they serve. We examined if the providers perceived an overall change in child maltreatment and family violence risk among the families with young children th…
Investigating the Impact of the SafeCare Program on Parenting Behaviours in Child Welfare-Involved Families
Parent and Child Reports of Parenting Behaviors
Identifying ways to support children of parents with substance use disorder is a critical public health issue. This study focused on the parent-child relationship as a critical catalyst in child resilience. Using data from a longitudinal cohort study, the aims of this study were to: (1 ) examine the agreement between parent and child reports of parenting behaviors and (2 ) describe the association between agreement and child mental health. Partic…
Adaptation and implementation of a parenting curriculum in a refugee/immigrant community using a task-shifting approach
The need for adapting of evidence-based programs and delivery methods for specific populations continues to be an important research question in implementation science. The goal of this study is to better understand an adaptation process and delivery method for three unique populations. We hope the study will inform other efforts to deliver health intervention to refugee communities and ultimately improve refugee health
Comparing fidelity monitoring methods in an evidence-based parenting intervention
Purpose Two common methods in community settings of assessing program fidelity, a critical implementation component for program effectiveness, are video and audio recordings of sessions. This paper aims to examine how these two methods compared when used for a home-based behavioral parenting-training model (SafeCare®). Design/methodology/approach Twenty-five SafeCare video-recorded sessions between home visitors and parents were scored by trained…
Bringing a health systems modelling approach to complex evaluations
INTRODUCTION: Understanding how to deliver interventions more effectively is a growing emphasis in Global Health. Simultaneously, health system strengthening is a key component to improving delivery. As a result, it is challenging to evaluate programme implementation while reflecting real-world complexity. We present our experience in using a health systems modelling approach as part of a mixed-methods evaluation and describe applications of thes…
Drug Court as an Intervention Point to Affect the Well-Being of Families of Parents with Substance Use Disorders
Background: A high proportion of justice-involved individuals have a substance use disorder and many of those individuals serve in a caregiving role to a child under 18. Given the negative impact of substance use and justice-involvement on the wellbeing of children, the criminal justice system may offer a unique intervention point with high public health impact. This study describes characteristics of adult drug court participants (DCP) that affe…
The Impact of Covid-19 on the Delivery of an Evidence-Based Child Maltreatment Prevention Program
Behavior change across implementations of the SafeCare model in real world settings
Does adoption of an evidence‐based practice lead to job turnover? Results from a randomized trial
It is important to understand the impact of implementation of evidence‐based practices (EBPs) on the workforce. EBP implementation can increase job demands, stress, and burnout, and may thereby exacerbate turnover. This study examined the effects of implementation of an EBP on turnover among staff at nine child welfare agencies. A total of 102 providers were randomized to either adopt an EBP, SafeCare © , or continue providing services as usual. …
Associations of lifetime prevalence of homelessness with risky sex, sexual victimization, depressive symptoms, and suicidality among youth in Kampala, Uganda
Homelessness poses serious health risks, and those risks may be exacerbated among slum-dwelling youth in the developing world. We administered a cross-sectional survey to youth receiving services from a community organization in Kampala, Uganda. This secondary analysis explores the relationships between homelessness and various health outcomes. We also explored possible moderating relationships between neighborhood support, homelessness, and heal…
Implementing a braided home-based parent-support curriculum
A singular parent-support program is limited in its ability to address multiple child and family needs. One innovative solution is braiding, a process in which two evidence-based programs are systematically combined as a newly tailored, cohesive curriculum. In this paper we describe the systematic braiding of two parent-support curricula, Parents as Teachers ® and SafeCare ® . We highlight implementation challenges to inform future planning and b…
Systematic Braiding of 2 Evidence-Based Parent Training Programs
An effective approach in early intervention for children and families, including child maltreatment prevention, is home-based services. Although several evidence-based programs exist, they are often grouped or delivered together, despite having different foci and approaches. This article describes the development and pilot phases of a trial evaluating the systematic braiding of 2 evidence-based home-based models, SafeCare and Parents as Teachers.…
Public child welfare staff knowledge, attitudes, and referral behaviors for an evidence based parenting program
Little is known about how the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the public child welfare work force influence implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) as most research has focused on the private workforce. This paper reports on public child welfare staff knowledge, attitudes, and practices in a state implementing the EBP, SafeCare®. A survey of public child welfare staff (N = 222) was conducted to assess knowledge, familiarity, and re…
Technology-Based Innovations in Child Maltreatment Prevention Programs
Each year, hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. are victims of child maltreatment. Experts recommend behavioral, skill-based parent training programs as a strategy for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. These programs can be enhanced using innovative technology strategies. This paper presents a brief history of the use of technology in SafeCare®, a home visiting program shown to prevent child neglect and physical abuse, and highl…
The Effectiveness of Intervention Programs for Perpetrators and Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
In this review, we provide a descriptive and detailed review of intervention programs for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators and survivor-victims. Given the extensive personal, interpersonal, and societal costs associated with IPV, it is essential that services being offered by the criminal justice, mental health, and medical communities have requisite empirical support to justify their implementation. The review involved a detailed sum…
Educação, sociologia e cursinhos populares
Entrevista com Dulce Whitaker coordenada por Danilo Seithi Kato (UFTM). Whitaker é professora da Faculdade de Ciências e Letras de Araraquara (FCLAr-Unesp). Graduada em Ciências Sociais (Unesp), ela realizou estudos de mestrado e doutorado em Sociologia na USP, além do pós-doutorado na Universidade de Oxford (Inglaterra). Autora de váriose studos e pesquisas (livros, artigos, capítulos), Whitaker trabalha, basicamente,com temas relacionados a cul…
Dynamic adaptation process to implement an evidence-based child maltreatment intervention
BACKGROUND: Adaptations are often made to evidence-based practices (EBPs) by systems, organizations, and/or service providers in the implementation process. The degree to which core elements of an EBP can be maintained while allowing for local adaptation is unclear. In addition, adaptations may also be needed at the system, policy, or organizational levels to facilitate EBP implementation and sustainment. This paper describes a study of the feasi…
SafeCare®
SafeCare is an evidence-based parent-training program that reduces child maltreatment, particularly neglect. The risk of child maltreatment, a public health issue affecting millions of U.S. children each year, can be markedly reduced by interventions such as SafeCare that deliver in-home services. Drawing from applied behavioral analysis roots, SafeCare focuses on providing parents with concrete skills in three areas: health, home safety, and par…
Parent-Adolescent Discussions about Sex and Condoms
This research examined how parent-adolescent communication about initiating sex and condoms influenced the relationship between peer norms and behavior. African American and Hispanic adolescents reported on parent-adolescent discussions about initiating sex and condoms, perceived peer norms about sex and condom use, and their own behavior. Communication about sex and perceived peer norms about sex were each related to sexual behavior, and communi…
Differences in Frequency of Violence and Reported Injury Between Relationships With Reciprocal and Nonreciprocal Intimate Partner Violence
Objectives. We sought to examine the prevalence of reciprocal (i.e., perpetrated by both partners) and nonreciprocal intimate partner violence and to determine whether reciprocity is related to violence frequency and injury. Methods. We analyzed data on young US adults aged 18 to 28 years from the 2001 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which contained information about partner violence and injury reported by 11 370 respondents on …
Pleasure and pain in doing well, together
In a series of four studies, the self-evaluation maintenance (SEM) model is used to predict peoples' self-reported affective responses to doing better or worse than their partners. Both self-protective reactions to comparison (i.e., those predicted by the original SEM model) and empathic reactions to the partner's response (i.e., those predicted by the extended SEM model) were obtained. In addition, as predicted on the basis of both models, compa…
Concordance Between Self-Reported Maltreatment and Court Records of Abuse or Neglect Among High-Risk Youths
Objectives. We examined the concordance between measures of self-reported maltreatment and court records of abuse or neglect in a sample of detained youths. Methods. Data were collected by the Northwestern Juvenile Project and include interviews from 1829 youths aged 10–18 years. Participants were newly detained youths in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Illinois between 1995 and 1998. Self-reported cases of child maltreatme…
The Impact of Covid-19 on the Delivery of an Evidence-Based Child Maltreatment Prevention Program
Effect of an In-Clinic IPV Advocate Intervention to Increase Help Seeking, Reduce Violence, and Improve Well-Being
This quasi-experimental study investigated the efficacy of clinic-based advocacy for intimate partner violence (IPV) to increase help seeking, reduce violence, and improve women's well-being. Eligible and consenting women attending one of six selected clinics in the rural Southern United States were assessed for IPV. Consenting women disclosing IPV were offered either an in-clinic advocate intervention or usual care, depending on the clinic they …
Examining the need for cultural adaptations to an evidence-based parent training program targeting the prevention of child maltreatment
Does adoption of an evidence‐based practice lead to job turnover? Results from a randomized trial
It is important to understand the impact of implementation of evidence‐based practices (EBPs) on the workforce. EBP implementation can increase job demands, stress, and burnout, and may thereby exacerbate turnover. This study examined the effects of implementation of an EBP on turnover among staff at nine child welfare agencies. A total of 102 providers were randomized to either adopt an EBP, SafeCare © , or continue providing services as usual. …
Using iPhonesTM to Enhance and Reduce Face-to-face Home Safety Sessions within SafeCare®
Physical and Sexual Violence During Pregnancy and After Delivery
Objectives. We sought to describe and compare prevalence rates of and risk factors for violence against women during pregnancy and postpartum. Methods. Physical and sexual violence and violence risk factors were assessed during late pregnancy and 6 months postpartum in a prospective study of pregnant women with (n=336) and without (n=298) HIV in 4 US states. Results. Overall, 10.6% of women reported having experienced violence, 8.9% during pregna…
It’s hard because it’s something new”
Purpose Parent–child relationships formed in early childhood have profound implications for a child’s development and serve as a determinant for bio-social outcomes in adulthood. Positive parenting behaviors play a strong role in this development and are especially impactful during times of crisis because they buffer stressors that may lead to externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Children of forced migrants experience numerous extreme stres…
Findings from a Structured Adaptation Process for the SafeCare Parenting Program to Address Family Needs in a Diverse Refugee Community
Social workers can promote resiliency among refugee families by referring them to evidence-based programs to reduce the stressors of resettlement. The purpose of this study was to complete a structured adaptation process with the SafeCare® program for implementation in a refugee resettlement community. Participants included 21 members of an adaptation team made up of administrators, supervisors, and family service providers from three community a…
Behavior change across implementations of the SafeCare model in real world settings
Associations of lifetime prevalence of homelessness with risky sex, sexual victimization, depressive symptoms, and suicidality among youth in Kampala, Uganda
Homelessness poses serious health risks, and those risks may be exacerbated among slum-dwelling youth in the developing world. We administered a cross-sectional survey to youth receiving services from a community organization in Kampala, Uganda. This secondary analysis explores the relationships between homelessness and various health outcomes. We also explored possible moderating relationships between neighborhood support, homelessness, and heal…
Whitaker Et Al. Respond
Two central points made by Reed are: (1) female perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) is not a public health concern and (2) there is no framework for understanding female-to-male IPV. Our perspective is that IPV is an important public health problem regardless of perpetrator and victim gender and that IPV can be addressed within a public health framework. It is indisputable that women are more affected by male IPV perpetration than are…
A Network Model for Providing Culturally Competent Services for Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health implemented the Collaborative for Abuse Prevention in Racial and Ethnic Communities (CARE) project in two Latino communities, in the city of Chelsea and in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. One goal of CARE was to build collaborative networks of service providers to provide culturally competent services. Networks of existing community-based agencies that provide a variety of different services regardin…
Violence During Pregnancy Among Women With or at Risk for HIV Infection
Objectives. This study estimated the prevalence of violence during pregnancy in relation to HIV infection. Methods. Violence, current partnerships, and HIV risk behaviors were assessed among 336 HIV-seropositive and 298 HIV-seronegative at-risk pregnant women. Results. Overall, 8.9% of women experienced recent violence; 21.5% currently had abusive partners. Violence was experienced by women in all partnership categories (range = 3.8% with nonabus…
Pleasure and pain in doing well, together
In a series of four studies, the self-evaluation maintenance (SEM) model is used to predict peoples' self-reported affective responses to doing better or worse than their partners. Both self-protective reactions to comparison (i.e., those predicted by the original SEM model) and empathic reactions to the partner's response (i.e., those predicted by the extended SEM model) were obtained. In addition, as predicted on the basis of both models, compa…
Teenage Partners' Communication About Sexual Risk and Condom Use
CONTEXT: Teenagers' communication with their partners about sex and their use of condoms may be influenced by the discussions teenagers have with their parents about sex. However, little is known about the process of parent-teenager communication on this topic. Understanding both what parents discuss with their children and how they discuss it may lead to a greater understanding of teenagers' sexual behavior. METHODS: Interviews were conducted wi…
Attachment and expectations about future relationships
This article examined the relationship between internal working models of self and other (Bowlby, 1969) and expectations for satisfaction in a future relationship, and how that relationship is moderated by the accessibility of one's internal models. Study one showed that the model of self was predictive of expected satisfaction, but the model of other was not. In study two, the results of study one were replicated. However, using a reaction time …
Reconceptualizing Adolescent Sexual Behavior
CONTEXT: Adolescent sexual behavior is typically studied as a dichotomy: Adolescents have had sex or they have not. Broadening this view would lead to a greater understanding of teenagers' sexual behavior. METHODS: Interview data from 907 high school students in Alabama, New York and Puerto Rico were used to examine the relationships between sexual experience and a variety of social, psychological and behavioral variables. Four groups of teenager…
Parent-Adolescent Discussions about Sex and Condoms
This research examined how parent-adolescent communication about initiating sex and condoms influenced the relationship between peer norms and behavior. African American and Hispanic adolescents reported on parent-adolescent discussions about initiating sex and condoms, perceived peer norms about sex and condom use, and their own behavior. Communication about sex and perceived peer norms about sex were each related to sexual behavior, and communi…
When does performance feedback prompt complementarity in romantic relationships
Two studies addressed five issues concerning complementarity in romantic relationships and suggest that complementarity deserves a new look. Dating couples ( N = 28 couples) and married couples ( N = 43). were given performance feedback to assess effects on self and perceived partner relevance. We found that comparison with a partner but not comparison with a stranger prompted complementarity (Study 1). Comparison resulted in complementarity and …
Violence During Pregnancy Among Women With or at Risk for HIV Infection
Objectives. This study estimated the prevalence of violence during pregnancy in relation to HIV infection. Methods. Violence, current partnerships, and HIV risk behaviors were assessed among 336 HIV-seropositive and 298 HIV-seronegative at-risk pregnant women. Results. Overall, 8.9% of women experienced recent violence; 21.5% currently had abusive partners. Violence was experienced by women in all partnership categories (range = 3.8% with nonabus…
A critical review of interventions for the primary prevention of perpetration of partner violence
Concordance Between Self-Reported Maltreatment and Court Records of Abuse or Neglect Among High-Risk Youths
Objectives. We examined the concordance between measures of self-reported maltreatment and court records of abuse or neglect in a sample of detained youths. Methods. Data were collected by the Northwestern Juvenile Project and include interviews from 1829 youths aged 10–18 years. Participants were newly detained youths in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Illinois between 1995 and 1998. Self-reported cases of child maltreatme…
Physical and Sexual Violence During Pregnancy and After Delivery
Objectives. We sought to describe and compare prevalence rates of and risk factors for violence against women during pregnancy and postpartum. Methods. Physical and sexual violence and violence risk factors were assessed during late pregnancy and 6 months postpartum in a prospective study of pregnant women with (n=336) and without (n=298) HIV in 4 US states. Results. Overall, 10.6% of women reported having experienced violence, 8.9% during pregna…
A Network Model for Providing Culturally Competent Services for Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health implemented the Collaborative for Abuse Prevention in Racial and Ethnic Communities (CARE) project in two Latino communities, in the city of Chelsea and in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. One goal of CARE was to build collaborative networks of service providers to provide culturally competent services. Networks of existing community-based agencies that provide a variety of different services regardin…
Differences in Frequency of Violence and Reported Injury Between Relationships With Reciprocal and Nonreciprocal Intimate Partner Violence
Objectives. We sought to examine the prevalence of reciprocal (i.e., perpetrated by both partners) and nonreciprocal intimate partner violence and to determine whether reciprocity is related to violence frequency and injury. Methods. We analyzed data on young US adults aged 18 to 28 years from the 2001 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which contained information about partner violence and injury reported by 11 370 respondents on …
Partner Violence Screening in Rural Health Care Clinics
Objectives. We sought to determine the frequency of intimate partner violence by type in a large, clinic-based, nurse-administered screening and services intervention project. Methods. A brief intimate partner violence screen, which included items to measure sexual and physical assaults and psychological battering (using the Women’s Experience With Battering scale) was administered to consenting women receiving care at 1 of 8 rural clinics in Sou…
Pediatricians’ Role and Practices Regarding Provision of Guidance about Sexual Risk Reduction to Parents
Whitaker Et Al. Respond
Two central points made by Reed are: (1) female perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) is not a public health concern and (2) there is no framework for understanding female-to-male IPV. Our perspective is that IPV is an important public health problem regardless of perpetrator and victim gender and that IPV can be addressed within a public health framework. It is indisputable that women are more affected by male IPV perpetration than are…
Population-Based Prevention of Child Maltreatment
The prevention of child maltreatment necessitates a public health approach. In the U.S. Triple P System Population Trial, 18 counties were randomly assigned to either dissemination of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program system or to the services-as-usual control condition. Dissemination involved Triple P professional training for the existing workforce (over 600 service providers), as well as universal media and communication strategies. Larg…
An Analysis of Training, Generalization, and Maintenance Effects of Primary Care Triple P for Parents of Preschool-Aged Children with Disruptive Behavior
Using iPhonesTM to Enhance and Reduce Face-to-face Home Safety Sessions within SafeCare®
Examining the need for cultural adaptations to an evidence-based parent training program targeting the prevention of child maltreatment
Dynamic adaptation process to implement an evidence-based child maltreatment intervention
BACKGROUND: Adaptations are often made to evidence-based practices (EBPs) by systems, organizations, and/or service providers in the implementation process. The degree to which core elements of an EBP can be maintained while allowing for local adaptation is unclear. In addition, adaptations may also be needed at the system, policy, or organizational levels to facilitate EBP implementation and sustainment. This paper describes a study of the feasi…
SafeCare®
SafeCare is an evidence-based parent-training program that reduces child maltreatment, particularly neglect. The risk of child maltreatment, a public health issue affecting millions of U.S. children each year, can be markedly reduced by interventions such as SafeCare that deliver in-home services. Drawing from applied behavioral analysis roots, SafeCare focuses on providing parents with concrete skills in three areas: health, home safety, and par…
Effect of an In-Clinic IPV Advocate Intervention to Increase Help Seeking, Reduce Violence, and Improve Well-Being
This quasi-experimental study investigated the efficacy of clinic-based advocacy for intimate partner violence (IPV) to increase help seeking, reduce violence, and improve women's well-being. Eligible and consenting women attending one of six selected clinics in the rural Southern United States were assessed for IPV. Consenting women disclosing IPV were offered either an in-clinic advocate intervention or usual care, depending on the clinic they …
The Effectiveness of Intervention Programs for Perpetrators and Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
In this review, we provide a descriptive and detailed review of intervention programs for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators and survivor-victims. Given the extensive personal, interpersonal, and societal costs associated with IPV, it is essential that services being offered by the criminal justice, mental health, and medical communities have requisite empirical support to justify their implementation. The review involved a detailed sum…
Educação, sociologia e cursinhos populares
Entrevista com Dulce Whitaker coordenada por Danilo Seithi Kato (UFTM). Whitaker é professora da Faculdade de Ciências e Letras de Araraquara (FCLAr-Unesp). Graduada em Ciências Sociais (Unesp), ela realizou estudos de mestrado e doutorado em Sociologia na USP, além do pós-doutorado na Universidade de Oxford (Inglaterra). Autora de váriose studos e pesquisas (livros, artigos, capítulos), Whitaker trabalha, basicamente,com temas relacionados a cul…
Technology-Based Innovations in Child Maltreatment Prevention Programs
Each year, hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. are victims of child maltreatment. Experts recommend behavioral, skill-based parent training programs as a strategy for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. These programs can be enhanced using innovative technology strategies. This paper presents a brief history of the use of technology in SafeCare®, a home visiting program shown to prevent child neglect and physical abuse, and highl…
Psychology (36 works) · Medicine (34 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (21 works) · Poison control (16 works) · Psychiatry (15 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · Computer Science (13 works) · Developmental psychology (13 works) · Suicide prevention (13 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (12 works)