Objective: To examine patterns and predictors of trends in "DSM-IV" serious emotional disturbance (SED) among youths exposed to Hurricane Katrina. Method: A probability sample of adult pre-hurricane residents of the areas affected by Katrina completed baseline and follow-up telephone surveys 18 to 27 months post-hurricane and 12 to 18…

Five years after hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans is now implementing a far-reaching plan for the systemic renovation and rebuilding of community programmes and infrastructure. A total of USD 3 billion has now been allocated to public building projects. With the student population down to nearly half of pre-storm totals, a recently…

The study examines group and individual differences in psychological functioning and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity among adolescents displaced by Hurricane Katrina and living in a U.S. government relocation camp (n = 62, ages 12-19 years) 2 months postdisaster. Levels of salivary cortisol, salivary…

In the Summer of 2008, the state of Iowa suffered from a series of disasters that left 84 of the state's 99 counties as declared disaster areas. The Iowa College Student Aid Commission and the Governor of Iowa responded to the disasters by providing special grants to individuals who were affected by tornadoes and floods of the summer. This report…

Project Fleur-de-lis was designed only days after Hurricane Katrina to address the intermediate and long-term mental health issues of students as they re-entered school. This article describes the creation, design, impact, and "lessons learned" of this innovative school-based mental health system. (Contains 1 figure.)

The impression given in some textbooks is that a landslide can be generated by increasing the weight of an unstable block or adding water to a potential slip plane. This demonstration, which might easily be adapted as a student investigation in physics at advanced level, was an attempt to rectify such oversimplifications and explain to students…

This article identifies and articulates the varying funding streams for community technical colleges. In describing the funding issues resulting from Hurricane Katrina's destructive forces, the challenges inherent in complying with funding regulations juxtaposed with the need for fiscal flexibility in a postdisaster recovery environment are…

School leadership is synonymous with challenge. However, some school leaders face true crises--situations threatening the continuing existence of their school. "Leading Schools During Crisis" analyzes leadership and behaviors of principals in these extraordinary circumstances. A simultaneously scholarly and practice-oriented book,…

The purpose of this study is to explore systems users' behavior on IS under the various circumstances (e.g., email usage and malware threats, online communication at the individual level, and IS usage in organizations). Specifically, the first essay develops a method for analyzing and predicting the impact category of malicious code, particularly…

We introduce a method for measuring effective government and modeling its consequences for social welfare at the individual level. Our focus is on the experiences of citizens living in African countries where famine remains a serious threat. If a government is effective, it will be able to deliver goods that individuals need to improve their…

This multiple-case qualitative study was conducted to examine the perceptions of community members, students, and staff regarding school crisis management following a 2006 tornado and 2010 bus accident in a small rural school district in Missouri. Online surveys were collected from 66 participants, and 10 follow-up interviews were completed with…

One of the deadliest and most destructive tornadoes in the history of the United States ripped through the southeast Missouri town of Joplin on May 22, 2011. As it traveled along a 13-mile path it claimed 161 lives and caused more than $151 million in damages. Ten schools were damaged or destroyed and Joplin High School was a total loss. Just 48…

Emergency shelters for disaster relief are an ever present necessity. Anyone who has ever camped in a tent will understand that finding the perfect design, that will be simple and quick to erect, be stable in a variety of weather conditions, and will accommodate a number of people sleeping, sitting or even standing is not straightforward and…

This study was prompted by the continual exposure of youth to disasters (e.g., 9/11, Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, school violence) and the call for revisions in fear assessments to reflect contemporary fears. Fears of 1,033 students in Grades 2-12 were examined using the American Fear Survey Schedule for Children (J. J. Burnham, 2005). Results…

In August 2005, the world witnessed one of the most destructive natural disasters on America's mainland. Hurricane Katrina, followed a month later by Hurricane Rita, brought more than broken levees, flooded streets and homes, and destroyed businesses. It caused changes in the dynamics and the demographic and cultural makeup of the region. One of…