Student Research, Jessica Tyree
Jessica Tyree is working on her senior honors thesis under the supervision of Karen Dillon O’Neil and will explore mental health issues experienced by young people who are constantly exposed to violence. Jessica was inspired to work on this project when she began to think about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder issues in youth while working with Dr. O’Neil on a project about urban policing. Jessica is planning ethnographic research in her home town of Schenectady, New York, where she will be interviewing teachers, counselors, and other mental health professionals who have worked with students at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels. The question she’s pursuing is why some children seem more resilient after witnessing violence, while other children struggle with many manifestations of stress (or ) having witnessed violent acts. She plans on being in the Albany schools, and talking to as many mental health care professionals as is possible.
Jessica plans to pursue a Masters in social work and this research will provide a foundation to her intended career goals of working with children-at-risk.