Date of Graduation
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Human Development, Family Sciences and Rural Sociology
Advisor/Mentor
Becnel, Jennifer
Committee Member
Terrell, Amanda
Second Committee Member
Timby, Donia
Abstract
The effects of childhood trauma are far-reaching and diverse, influencing physical, emotional, and mental health across a child’s entire lifetime. Research indicates that children who experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse or neglect are at an increased risk for various consequences and that the environments they encounter post-trauma play a significant role in shaping their experiences. Social services offices, where many traumatized children are taken for interviews or assessments after being removed from their homes, can often become places of additional distress. This project seeks to address this issue by proposing redesigns for social services offices to create safer, more welcoming environments for children. By incorporating trauma-informed design principles, this project aims to minimize the potential for further emotional turmoil caused by the physical environments children encounter.
To achieve this, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model has been developed and integrated into a free-access website. This website allows the user to upload images of their current office and receive AI-generated redesign suggestions that are backed by the literature. The AI tool, coupled with resources and other supplemental information provided in the website, is a complete and easy-to-use resource for offices seeking to make positive changes for the children and families they serve. This project draws inspiration from non-profit organizations such as LilyPad Inc., which has demonstrated the power of child-focused spaces in reducing trauma. The website is intended to be a free and accessible resource for social workers and other professionals in Northwest Arkansas and beyond, with the hope that it will inspire change both locally and nationwide. By offering a tangible solution to creating trauma-informed offices, this project aims to enhance the well-being of children and ensure that they are met with office spaces that support their healing, rather than spaces that could cause further distress or harm.
Keywords
social work; physical spaces; child development; AI; child abuse; social workers; CPS
Citation
Bryant, J. K. (2025). Redefining Children’s Experience in Social Services Offices. Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hdfsrsuht/21
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Counseling Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Development Studies Commons, Nonprofit Studies Commons, Organization Development Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Social Work Commons
