Melanie Sonsteng-Person
Biographic Data
| ID | 319494 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Melanie Sonsteng-Person |
| GIVEN NAMES | Melanie |
| FAMILY NAME | Sonsteng-Person |
| SIGNATURE | SONSTENG-PERSON M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Florida |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7395-4193 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 14 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 14 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Association between Violent Behavior and Longitudinal Patterns of Health Services Use
This study used a person-centered approach to determine the relationship between violent behavior and health services use in a nationally representative cohort. This longitudinal analysis used data from Waves 1–3 (n = 5,114) of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Data, including social, familial, and behavioral health survey variables. This study used variables indicating the participant had or had not received counseli…
Glimpses into the Heart of Motherhood
“The trauma of system failure
Social workers are frequently exposed to the suffering of clients and communities they partner with while navigating multiple institutional factors exacerbating their and their clients’ trauma. While significant research has identified high levels of trauma exposure response and burnout among master’s level social workers, limited work explicitly examines what influences the impact of trauma exposure response among MSW interns. As such, a Grounde…
Addressing Anti-Black Racism in Social Work Education
Black students’ experiences of racism and microaggressions in college are widespread and often met by a lack of university response. Social work programs are not immune, as experiences of racism within social work programs lead to poor mental health and academic outcomes for Black students. Of concern, increasing legislation across the United States has been enacted to restrict and weaken university diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. This…
Resisting Political Backlash and Advancing Critical Scholarship Through Collaborative Autoethnography
“At What Point Do You Ask a Suicidal Teen to Do Their Math Homework?”
Racism, violence exposure, trauma, and education are inextricably linked, impacting adolescents’ current and future well-being. Although trauma-informed care models are being adopted in schools, research is unclear about what individual and institutional factors influence teachers’ responses to students exposed to violence-related trauma. Findings from this qualitative convergent mixed-methods study highlight how teachers’ personal attributes, i…
Unfortunately what’s right isn’t always what’s best”
Mandated reporting is the current system in place for school personnel to support youth whom they suspect have experienced maltreatment. However, limited research details the experiences of mandated reporters. Thus, the current study utilizes reflexive thematic analysis to explore how school personnel identify and respond to suspected abuse. Analysis of interviews with 14 school personnel who made reports resulted in three themes: (1) the subject…
We are not ok’
Experiences of individual and institutional racism within education hinders the ability of Black students to study safely, negatively impacting their mental health and academic outcomes. However, universities continuously fail to respond, ultimately silencing Black students. Despite persistent educational violence, Black students continue to thrive through radical resistance. To highlight both experiences of oppression and resistance, the current…
Academic Achievement After Violence Exposure
For the institution or for the community
Participatory action research has the goal of democratizing knowledge to inform individual and collective action. Photovoice, an arts-based method within the broader PAR landscape, provides a lens for exploring community strengths and needs with the purpose of social change. Research demonstrates photovoice's utility in inciting social change with and for communities, yet concerns arise over the lack of participant voices in the analysis, writing…
What I Would Do to Take Away Your Pain
Research identifies that families of children with medical complexities in the United States have diverse and complex needs. Despite research emphasizing that families demonstrate higher needs that are not being met, limited research focuses solely on mothers of children with medical complexities. Specifically, how mothers understand and identify themselves, understand and define their role in coordinating care, and how they view their own mental…
“Any Alternative Is Great If I’m Incarcerated”
California courts increasingly order community service for those convicted of nonviolent and minor misdemeanors or infractions, assigning unpaid work to be performed. While court-ordered community service has been used as an alternative to incarceration and the payment of fines, little is known about the monetary and personal costs for those completing it. A case study design is used to examine court-ordered community service performed in Southea…
The Role of Trauma-Informed Training in Helping Los Angeles Teachers Manage the Effects of Student Exposure to Violence and Trauma
Behavioral Problems and Psychological Distress Among Seriously Delinquent Youth
The onset of behavioral problems in early childhood is associated with an increased frequency of delinquent behavior. A significant amount of youth in the juvenile justice system have histories of mental illness and psychological distress. However, little is known about what factors mediate the relationship between early onset behavioral problems and psychological distress. The present study tested the mediating effect of parental monitoring, ant…
For the institution or for the community
Participatory action research has the goal of democratizing knowledge to inform individual and collective action. Photovoice, an arts-based method within the broader PAR landscape, provides a lens for exploring community strengths and needs with the purpose of social change. Research demonstrates photovoice's utility in inciting social change with and for communities, yet concerns arise over the lack of participant voices in the analysis, writing…
What I Would Do to Take Away Your Pain
Research identifies that families of children with medical complexities in the United States have diverse and complex needs. Despite research emphasizing that families demonstrate higher needs that are not being met, limited research focuses solely on mothers of children with medical complexities. Specifically, how mothers understand and identify themselves, understand and define their role in coordinating care, and how they view their own mental…
Unfortunately what’s right isn’t always what’s best”
Mandated reporting is the current system in place for school personnel to support youth whom they suspect have experienced maltreatment. However, limited research details the experiences of mandated reporters. Thus, the current study utilizes reflexive thematic analysis to explore how school personnel identify and respond to suspected abuse. Analysis of interviews with 14 school personnel who made reports resulted in three themes: (1) the subject…
We are not ok’
Experiences of individual and institutional racism within education hinders the ability of Black students to study safely, negatively impacting their mental health and academic outcomes. However, universities continuously fail to respond, ultimately silencing Black students. Despite persistent educational violence, Black students continue to thrive through radical resistance. To highlight both experiences of oppression and resistance, the current…
“Any Alternative Is Great If I’m Incarcerated”
California courts increasingly order community service for those convicted of nonviolent and minor misdemeanors or infractions, assigning unpaid work to be performed. While court-ordered community service has been used as an alternative to incarceration and the payment of fines, little is known about the monetary and personal costs for those completing it. A case study design is used to examine court-ordered community service performed in Southea…
The Role of Trauma-Informed Training in Helping Los Angeles Teachers Manage the Effects of Student Exposure to Violence and Trauma
Behavioral Problems and Psychological Distress Among Seriously Delinquent Youth
The onset of behavioral problems in early childhood is associated with an increased frequency of delinquent behavior. A significant amount of youth in the juvenile justice system have histories of mental illness and psychological distress. However, little is known about what factors mediate the relationship between early onset behavioral problems and psychological distress. The present study tested the mediating effect of parental monitoring, ant…
Academic Achievement After Violence Exposure
For the institution or for the community
Participatory action research has the goal of democratizing knowledge to inform individual and collective action. Photovoice, an arts-based method within the broader PAR landscape, provides a lens for exploring community strengths and needs with the purpose of social change. Research demonstrates photovoice's utility in inciting social change with and for communities, yet concerns arise over the lack of participant voices in the analysis, writing…
What I Would Do to Take Away Your Pain
Research identifies that families of children with medical complexities in the United States have diverse and complex needs. Despite research emphasizing that families demonstrate higher needs that are not being met, limited research focuses solely on mothers of children with medical complexities. Specifically, how mothers understand and identify themselves, understand and define their role in coordinating care, and how they view their own mental…
“At What Point Do You Ask a Suicidal Teen to Do Their Math Homework?”
Racism, violence exposure, trauma, and education are inextricably linked, impacting adolescents’ current and future well-being. Although trauma-informed care models are being adopted in schools, research is unclear about what individual and institutional factors influence teachers’ responses to students exposed to violence-related trauma. Findings from this qualitative convergent mixed-methods study highlight how teachers’ personal attributes, i…
Unfortunately what’s right isn’t always what’s best”
Mandated reporting is the current system in place for school personnel to support youth whom they suspect have experienced maltreatment. However, limited research details the experiences of mandated reporters. Thus, the current study utilizes reflexive thematic analysis to explore how school personnel identify and respond to suspected abuse. Analysis of interviews with 14 school personnel who made reports resulted in three themes: (1) the subject…
We are not ok’
Experiences of individual and institutional racism within education hinders the ability of Black students to study safely, negatively impacting their mental health and academic outcomes. However, universities continuously fail to respond, ultimately silencing Black students. Despite persistent educational violence, Black students continue to thrive through radical resistance. To highlight both experiences of oppression and resistance, the current…
“The trauma of system failure
Social workers are frequently exposed to the suffering of clients and communities they partner with while navigating multiple institutional factors exacerbating their and their clients’ trauma. While significant research has identified high levels of trauma exposure response and burnout among master’s level social workers, limited work explicitly examines what influences the impact of trauma exposure response among MSW interns. As such, a Grounde…
Addressing Anti-Black Racism in Social Work Education
Black students’ experiences of racism and microaggressions in college are widespread and often met by a lack of university response. Social work programs are not immune, as experiences of racism within social work programs lead to poor mental health and academic outcomes for Black students. Of concern, increasing legislation across the United States has been enacted to restrict and weaken university diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. This…
Resisting Political Backlash and Advancing Critical Scholarship Through Collaborative Autoethnography
Association between Violent Behavior and Longitudinal Patterns of Health Services Use
This study used a person-centered approach to determine the relationship between violent behavior and health services use in a nationally representative cohort. This longitudinal analysis used data from Waves 1–3 (n = 5,114) of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Data, including social, familial, and behavioral health survey variables. This study used variables indicating the participant had or had not received counseli…
Glimpses into the Heart of Motherhood
Psychology (8 works) · Political science (6 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Medicine (5 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (4 works) · Clinical Psychology (4 works) · Criminology (4 works) · Participatory Visual Research Methods (4 works) · Photovoice (4 works) · Poison control (4 works)