Articles by Andrea N Cimino
Victims & Offenders An International Journal of Evidence-based Research, Policy, and Practice , 2019
This study sought to understand differences in risks of indoor versus outdoor sex work and how pe... more This study sought to understand differences in risks of indoor versus outdoor sex work and how perceptions of risk influenced sex work- ers’ motivation to exit. Among the 19 indoor and outdoor sex work- ers included in this qualitative study, themes of risks included: violence versus death, discovery, romantic relationships, arrest, health risks, loss, and “the unknown”. Results of this study show that sex workers have a nuanced perception of risks and exiting motivations dependent upon the sex trade market. These results offer sugges- tions for policy and intervention practices uniquely tailored for indoor and outdoor sex workers.
Victims & Offenders An International Journal of Evidence-based Research, Policy, and Practice , 2019
Exiting prostitution is a process for which we have little empirical understanding. This study pr... more Exiting prostitution is a process for which we have little empirical understanding. This study provides evidence of a process-oriented theory of intentions to exit prostitution that operationalizes key aspects of exiting. Interviews from 16 persons formerly and actively selling sex helped define intentions to exit as a combination of glamorization and risk-recognition attitudes, stigma from significant others, one’s own resilient self-efficacy beliefs, and agency. Findings contribute to our understanding of the cognitive changes that occur when a person decides to leave prostitution, which can be used to inform a readiness to exit assessment and interventions that increase intentions to exit.
The effect of youth homelessness on age of entry into prostitution was tested, controlling for ot... more The effect of youth homelessness on age of entry into prostitution was tested, controlling for other known covariates using a multivariate model. Women (N = 96) who self-identified as having engaged in prostitution completed cross-sectional standardized questionnaires (M age = 42.6, SD = 9.18; 62% African American). Women with a history of youth homelessness entered prostitution nearly 8 years earlier than their peers without this history (at 18 vs. 25 years old). Lack of a high school degree or equivalent also predicted an earlier age of entry (at 20 vs. 28 years old). Findings highlight the poverty dynamics that underlie the relationship between early entry into prostitution and homelessness. Young women, living on the street or in shelters, with limited education and employment opportunities, are at high risk of entering prostitution when they are barely out of adolescence. Future research will be better able to design age-specific prevention strategies.
Street-level prostitution is notoriously difficult to escape and rarely do women exit prostitutio... more Street-level prostitution is notoriously difficult to escape and rarely do women exit prostitution on their first attempt or without experiencing serious negative consequences to their physical or mental health. Unfortunately, few theories exist that explain the exiting process and those that do exist are difficult to test quantitatively. This article applies the integrative model of behavioral prediction to examine intentions to exit prostitution through attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy beliefs that underlie a woman's intention to exit prostitution. Constructs unique prostitution-agency and societal context-enhance the model. This theory may explain and predict an exit from street-level prostitution.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sex work have been primarily constructed as mutually exclusiv... more Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sex work have been primarily constructed as mutually exclusive phenomena within scholarly literature, though both can be situated under the umbrella of gender-based violence and traced to male sexual proprietariness. Specialized research has resulted in deeper understanding of nuanced categorizations of sub-phenomena within both IPV and sex work, with parallel constructions along a spectrum of increasing danger. However, the scholarly construction of these continua as parallel—and thus unrelated—disguises the systemic nature of each form of violence and potentially pits victims against each other in the struggle for legitimacy. We propose a more systemic approach to understanding and researching IPV and sex work and provide examples of research already moving in this direction. Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sex work have been primarily constructed as mutually exclusive phenomena and disparate research interests within scholarly literature. Yet, both have been described as a consequence of male sexual propri-etariness—the perception that women are sexual and/or reproductive property to be
Despite the prevalence of agencies serving sex workers in the United States, there are few progra... more Despite the prevalence of agencies serving sex workers in the United States, there are few program evaluations of supportive services. Phenomenological methods were used to explore the lived experiences of 13 sex workers receiving supportive services in a major city in the American Southwest. Results from this study suggest that clients find the trusted and supportive community within the agency especially helpful. Length of time with the agency influenced respondents' perceptions of supportive services. Respondents, however, suggested improvements to services such as mentorship programs, opportunities for outreach participation, and services for male sex workers.
Women represent 26% of those arrested for serious crimes; many have posttraumatic stress and cooc... more Women represent 26% of those arrested for serious crimes; many have posttraumatic stress and cooccurring substance use disorders, which may influence recidivism. This study examined 57 women residing in a community re-entry program after exiting prison. Participants completed the Trauma Symptom Inventory and Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory. A discriminant function analysis accounted for 34% of between-group variability and provided a profile of women who recidivated. Women who recidivated had greater alcohol dependence and lower rates of sexual dysfunction and sexual concerns. Practitioners should consider potential links between substance abuse, trauma, and sexual behavior in treatment settings.
Social Work in Public Health, 2016
Black women with cumulative violence exposures (CVE) may have unique needs for health care and sa... more Black women with cumulative violence exposures (CVE) may have unique needs for health care and safety. Qualitative data was analyzed from interviews with nine Black women with CVE to explore factors that motivated women to leave abusive relationships, women's sources of strengths, and their responses to abuse. Quantitative data (N = 163) was analyzed to examine relationships between CVEs by intimate partner and health among Black women to further characterize the challenges these women face in making changes and finding their sources of strengths. Findings highlight the need to assess for CVE and identify multiple motivators for change, sources of strengths and coping strategies that could be potential points of intervention for women with CVE.
In a study to evaluate a collaborative police and social service intervention, researchers asked ... more In a study to evaluate a collaborative police and social service intervention, researchers asked police officers to recruit intimate partner violence victims at the scene of domestic violence incidents. This article reviews the process of building successful partnerships with police departments as well as the strategies developed with collaborating police departments to create successful recruitment methods and enhance officer and department engagement with recruitment procedures. Over a period of 298 days, 800 victims were referred to the research study. Of these referrals, we were unable to contact 41.3%; of those contacted (n = 471), we conducted interviews with 67.73%.
The principal purpose of this research was to gather evidence regarding the validity of scores on... more The principal purpose of this research was to gather evidence regarding the validity of scores on a multidimensional measure of empathy, the Interpersonal and Social Empathy Index (ISEI). A secondary purpose was to estimate the correlations between factors underlying scores on a measure of interpersonal empathy and scores on a measure of social empathy. An exploratory factor analysis was performed on half of the sample (n = 214) to establish the underlying factor structure. The 32-item measure yielded a 4-factor, 15-item solution. The other half of the sample (n = 236) underwent a confirmatory factor analysis to examine the subsample's psychometric properties by comparing 3 hypothesized measurement models, and correlations between factors. A correlated 4-factor model demonstrated the best fit of all models, 2 (84, N = 236) = 162.59, p < .001; CFI = .96; WRMR = .78; RMSEA = .06. This model suggests that key elements of interpersonal empathy are related to macro perspective-taking, which is a key component of social empathy. The findings suggest the full spectrum of social empathy includes elements of interpersonal empathy; however, additional research is needed to assess the extent of that relationship.
Background & Purpose: This study examined the relationship between acculturation and Latinos'... more Background & Purpose: This study examined the relationship between acculturation and Latinos' perceptions of health care treatment quality, discrimination, and access to information. Although the Affordable Care Act of 2010 attempts to provide insurance coverage to a greater number of individuals, minorities and individuals of lower socioeconomic status remain disadvantaged when it comes to access to quality health care services and health information. Factors such as gender, age, socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, and level of acculturation may impact perceptions of discrimination by health care providers and lower quality of treatment (Perez et al., 2008). Research Hypothesis It was hypothesized that less acculturated Latinos would report: 1) less discrimination in health care treatment; 2) a lower quality of health care treatment; 3) less confidence filling out health related forms; and 4) greater challenges understanding written information about their medical conditi...
This study examined the impact of enforcement of US immigration policies and perceived discrimina... more This study examined the impact of enforcement of US immigration policies and perceived discrimination on perceptions of quality of life for Latinos in the US. Data for this study were drawn from the 2007 Pew Hispanic Center survey of 2,000 Latino adults living in the US. Multinomial logistic regressions indicated that participants who had higher levels of perceived discrimination and who were personally affected by US immigration enforcement also perceived the following: (1) life was more difficult now for Latinos than in the past; (2) higher levels of fear of deportation for themselves or a loved one; (3) the lives of Latino children will be worse in the future; and (4) a lower quality of life for themselves. Female participants and participants with more years in the United States, and higher levels of linguistic acculturation generally had fewer issues regarding immigration policies or had a more positive outlook for Latinos in the United States.
Journal of Poverty, 2015
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of U.S. immigration enforcement on t... more ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of U.S. immigration enforcement on the lives of older Latinos in the United States. Data were drawn from the 2007 Pew Hispanic Center National Survey of Latinos. The sample consisted of 326 participants who were age 55 years or older. Multivariate ordinal logistic regressions indicated that participants who had greater hardships as a result of U.S. immigration enforcement (a) had lower use of government services, (b) perceived the situation for Latinos worse today, (c) had a greater fear of deportation, and (d) perceived a lower quality of life for themselves.
Latinos' perceptions of health care treatment quality, discrimination, and access to health infor... more Latinos' perceptions of health care treatment quality, discrimination, and access to health information. The results of this study indicated that participants who had lower levels of acculturation perceived: 1) greater discrimination in health care treatment; 2) a lower quality of health care treatment; 3) less confidence filling out health related forms; and 4) greater challenges understanding written information about their medical conditions. Participants who identified as immigrants also perceived that their poor quality of medical care was due to their inability to pay and to their race/ethnicity.
The NASW Code of Ethics (1996) guides social workers' professional conduct, but provides little i... more The NASW Code of Ethics (1996) guides social workers' professional conduct, but provides little instruction when one's own supervisor behaves unethically. Using student-collected interviews, we found six typologies of supervisors behaving badly, and used descriptive qualitative analysis to outline steps taken to navigate the situation. Results hold pedagogical relevance to social work practice.
Background: There is much concern regarding undisclosed corporate authorship (" ghostwriting ") i... more Background: There is much concern regarding undisclosed corporate authorship (" ghostwriting ") in the peer-reviewed medical literature. However, there are no studies of how disclosure of ghostwriting alone impacts the perceived credibility of research results.
Conference Abstracts by Andrea N Cimino
Background: Bibliometric indicators are increasingly used as measures of research productivity an... more Background: Bibliometric indicators are increasingly used as measures of research productivity and may be included as measurement criteria for promotion and tenure and/or funding decisions. The h-index, a bibliometric indicator used in many scientific fields, has only recently been used to measure the productivity of social work scholars. H-index values represent both the number of articles published and the rate of citation; a scholar with h-index=7 has published 7 articles that are cited 7 or more times per article. Norms for social work scholars are needed so that the h-index values of social work academics are not gauged using norms from other fields. Previous work has only reported h-index values for faculty at Top-10 institutions or members of elite editorial boards. Purpose: To estimate h-index values and related bibliometric statistics for a heterogenous group of social work faculty. Method: A probability cluster sample of Top-80 schools of social work according to the U.S. ...
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Articles by Andrea N Cimino
Conference Abstracts by Andrea N Cimino