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Giannina Cabral
Department: Ecological Community Psychology

Student Affliates > Giannina Cabral

I am currently interested in understanding adolescents experience with sexual assault. Specifically, what are the unique developmental experiences of young female teens during a sexual assault and subsequent help-seeking behavior. Other research interests include adult sexual assault survivors’ experience with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Programs (SANE’s), dating violence prevention for adolescents, attribution and coping styles among adult rape survivors, and the impact of social reactions to adult rape survivors.

Research and Consulting Experience
Adolescent Sexual Assault Victims’ Experiences with SANE-SARTs and the Criminal Justice System
2007- present Graduate Research Assistant, Michigan State University, Lansing.(Dr. Rebecca Campbell, Principal Investigator)
Violence Free Communities by Design Consortium
2007- present Evaluation Consultant, Michigan State University, Lansing.
Haven House
Fall 2008 Program Evaluator, Haven House, East Lansing, MI. (Dr. Rebecca Campbell, Project Supervisor)
Turning Point Inc., Prevention Education. Dating Secrets: Abuse in Relationships Program.
2007- 2008 Program Evaluator
A Systems Change Analysis of SANE Programs: Identifying the Mediating Mechanisms of Criminal Justice System Impact
2006- 2008 Graduate Research Assistant, Michigan State University, Lansing. (Dr. Rebecca Campbell, Principal Investigator)
Legacy Youth Scholar Photovoice! Research Project
Spring 2007 Focus Group Facilitator, Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek, MI.(Dr. Pennie Foster-Fishman, Principal Investigator)
IMPACT Program Evaluation Research Project, Extended Learning Program Evaluation Project, and Modified Consent Decree Project
2005-2006 Research Assistant, Los Angeles Unified School District, Program Evaluation and Research Branch.
Extended Learning Program Evaluation Project
2005-2006 Research Assistant, Los Angeles Unified School District, Program Evaluation and Research Branch. (Cheri Hodson, M.A. & Dr. Jessica Howie, Project Directors)
Graduate Research Assistant
2002-2006 Graduate Research Assistant, California State University, Long Beach, California (Dr. Courtney Ahrens, Principal Investigator)
Community Involvement

I am currently working in an evaluation sub-committee for Violence Free Community by Design at MSU. This committee’s goal is to create campus wide prevention efforts to create a safe MSU campus, free of sexual and dating violence. After conducting in-depth focus groups with MSU students, an on-line survey was created and will be implemented Spring 2009 to understand students knowledge and beliefs on sexual assault, dating violence and stalking on campus. These initial results will help guide the development of prevention strategies.

Publications and Presentations
Ahrens, C., Cabral, G. & Abeling, S. (in press)
Healing or Hurtful: Rape Survivors' Interpretations of Reactions from Different Support Providers.
Campbell, R., Dworkin, E., & Cabral, G. (in press)
An ecological model of the impact of sexual assault on women's mental health. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse.
Cabral, G. & Ahrens, C. (in progress)
Self-Blame as a Mediator of Avoidance Coping Among Stranger and Non-stranger Rape Survivors: Impact on Health.
Campbell, R., Greeson, M., Cabral, G. (2009, June)
Feminist Interviewing: Research with traumatized populations across the lifespan. Roundtable to be presented at the Society for Community Research and Action 12th Biennial Conference, New Jersey.
Cabral, G (2009, June)
The Process of Help-Seeking and Reporting among Adolescent Sexual Assault Survivors (Symposium Chair: Megan Greeson; Using Qualitative Approaches to Understand Violence Against Women Survivors’ Interactions with Social Systems). Symposium to be presented at the Society for Community Research and Action 12th Biennial Conference, New Jersey.
Campbell, R., Drworkin, E., & Cabral, G. (2008, June)
An ecological model of the impact of sexual assault on women’s mental health. Paper presented at the National Scientific Meeting on the Mental Health Implications of Violence Against Women, University of Kentucky.
Patterson, D., Campbell, R., & Cabral, G. (2007, October)
The humanizing effect: How SANE programs are helpful to victims throughout the stages of the legal system. Paper presented at the International Forensic Nursing Scientific Assembly, Salt Lake City, UT.
Abeling, S. Cabral, G., Ahrens, A. (2006, June)
Healing or Hurtful? Rape Survivors' ratings of Social Reactions. Poster presented at the Society for the Psychological Studies of Social Issues Biennial Convention, Long Beach, California.
Cabral, G. & Ahrens, C. (2006, April)
Self-blame as a Mediator of Avoidance Coping Among Rape Survivors. Poster presented at the 85th Annual Western Psychological Association, Palm Springs, California.
Cabral, G. (2006, April)
Co-Authoring Research Publications: A Masters Student's Perspective. (Symposium Chair: Courtney Ahrens. Students as Co-Authors on Research Publications) Symposium presented at the 85th Annual Western Psychological Association, Palm Springs, California.
Ahrens, C. Cabral, G., Abeling, S., Jennings, A., Ahmad, S., Stansell, J. & Hinman, J. (2005, November)
Women Speaking out About Violence Project: Preliminary Results. Poster presented at the 16th Annual Long Beach Research Symposium, Long Beach, California.
Cabral, G. (2005, April)
Self-blame as a Mediator of Avoidance Coping Among Rape Survivors-Preliminary Results. Poster presented at Psych Day, California State University, Long Beach, California.
Technical Reports
Bean, E., Cabral, G., Campbell, C., Droege, E., Forney, J., Greeson, M., Hubbard, P., Welker, H. & Campbell, R. (2008)
Haven House Evaluation Project. Haven House. East Lansing, MI.
Cabral, G. (2008)
Turning Point’s “Dating Secrets” Dating Violence Education Program Evaluation Report. Turning Point Inc. Macomb County, MI
Cabral, G. & Kobes, S. (2008)
Violence Free Communities by Design Consortium focus group report. Michigan State University, Lansing, MI.
Cabral, G., Patterson, D. & Campbell, R. (2007)
Sexual Assault Patient Experiences with Turning Point’s Forensic Nurse Examiner Program (FNEP). Turning Point Inc., Macomb County, MI.