Historical Trauma's Impact on Dating Violence and Pregnancy Among Urban Native Americans

Historical Trauma’s Impact on Dating Violence and Pregnancy Among Urban Native Americans by Shannon Barnes MS, University of New Mexico, 2010 BA, University of New Mexico, 2008 Dissertation Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Walden University August 2017 Abstract Native Americans have high rates of teen births and intimate partner violence, though little is known about how historical trauma impacts these experiences. The research that has been conducted on teen pregnancy and violence has been among reservation-based Native Americans; little research has been conducted on the experiences of urban Native Americans. The research question for this study examined the potential impact ofNative Americans have high rates of teen births and intimate partner violence, though little is known about how historical trauma impacts these experiences. The research that has been conducted on teen pregnancy and violence has been among reservation-based Native Americans; little research has been conducted on the experiences of urban Native Americans. The research question for this study examined the potential impact of historical trauma on the lives of parenting urban Native Americans. This phenomenological study gathered the narrative lived experiences of participants via semistructured interviews. Purposeful random sampling was used to recruit 7 parenting urban Native American teens aged 18 to 25 residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Interview responses were transcribed and entered into NVivo11© to support the analysis. Nine themes were identified: chaos; trauma; violence; family, with the subcategory of negative family experiences; responsibility; altered life plans; historical trauma as defined by past events; traditions; and sense of belonging. It was not explicit how historical trauma as defined in the literature had impacted the lives of urban Native Americans and how they raised their children. However, the participants experienced violence and trauma, which impacted outcomes in their lives. The social implications of this study are that it supports the development of culturally sensitive interventions targeted towards urban Native Americans. The findings of this study identified gaps in services for urban Native Americans that community groups and other agencies can use to develop or expand targeted support services focused on urban Native American needs. Historical Trauma’s Impact on Dating Violence and Pregnancy Among Urban Native Americans by Shannon Barnes MS, University of New Mexico, 2010 BA, University of New Mexico, 2008 Dissertation Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Walden University August 2017 Dedication To name everyone who had a role in me reaching this milestone is difficult. I would like to thank my parents, Brian and Natalie Niebuhr, as they instilled in me the importance of education, though I don’t think they believed I would take it this far. My sister, Heather Schutte, has been my biggest role model in my life and she is now a great educator, both to me and the students she teaches. My grandmother, Adeline Schreiber, is one of the strongest and most independent women that I know, and I am glad I got those traits from her. Most importantly I would like to thank my husband, Jason Barnes. He has been with me since I started my journey in higher education, through all my struggles and successes. Through his unwavering support, I can achieve my crazy dreams. He has provided me the greatest gift in life, our son, Enzo. I am thankful my son came into my life as it motivated me to finish this. I am hopeful that our son will appreciate learning as