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Juvenile delinquency statistics, risk factors, and resources for helping American youth

October 14, 2020 

Young people who commit a crime in the U.S. risk entering the largest prison system in the world. Almost 1.5 million people were imprisoned in the U.S. at the end of 2018, according to data released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in 2020. Between 1978 and 2018, the U.S. prison population jumped by more than 375%. More recently, prison populations in the U.S. have fallen slightly. There have been small declines each year since 2010, including a 1.6% decline from 2017 to 2018, according to the BJS. However, the U.S. still has the largest incarcerated population in the […]

How to Make a Career Comeback

October 8, 2020 

Lots of people take career breaks. Whether you took time off to start a family, care for a loved one, or travel the world, you may be wondering how that fits into a resume. Job hunting is daunting, and we understand that beginning the search after taking one, two, or even 10 years off can be stressful. The good news is that most employers are understanding of employment gaps, and many hiring managers may have taken similar breaks themselves. Remember — everyone has their own career path and moves along it at their own pace. Why People Have Resume Gaps […]

Nature vs. Nurture Child Development: Exploring Key Differences

October 8, 2020 

Whether a child’s personality traits and behavioral tendencies are the sole result of heredity or a consequence of their upbringing is an age-old debate. Much of the controversy in nature vs. nurture child development is the result of a misunderstanding about genetics: the mistaken belief that fate and genetics are synonymous. Epigenetics and related fields in child development promise to give parents and educators new insights into how and why certain genes are expressed and others aren’t. Degree programs such as Maryville University’s online Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Family Studies explore these areas to prepare students for careers that […]

How to Prepare for a Layoff Before It Happens

October 7, 2020 

The job market is rapidly evolving. Changes in the economy spur companies to adjust their workforce, and while automation and technology have made it easier for businesses to operate, sometimes they’ve prompted companies to eliminate positions. Not surprisingly, many workers say they’re concerned about losing their jobs. For example, in a 2019 Harris Poll, almost half of employed Americans said they suffered from layoff anxiety. A third of respondents said they were concerned about a pending recession, 32% said they were concerned about a layoff due to rumors at the office, and 30% said their fears were linked to recent layoffs […]

BSW vs. MSW: Exploring Two Social Work Degrees

September 28, 2020 

Advocating for social justice and change, helping to mitigate people’s suffering, and improving communities are just a few examples of what a social worker does. Enhancing people’s well-being, specifically vulnerable, oppressed individuals, is the profession’s key mission, according to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Social work is characterized by meaning, action, and diversity. Social workers’ responsibilities — relating to the interactions between people and various socioeconomic constructs — can lead to the enhanced well-being of marginalized individuals and communities. For example, social workers address oppression in vulnerable communities, ensuring equal access to opportunity. Social workers also advocate for […]

What Is the Difference Between Hospice Care and Palliative Care?

September 21, 2020 

To those who are not specialists, working in hospice care and palliative care may seem like the same thing. Both deal with the needs of terminal patients and depend heavily on nursing and managerial skills. However, there are distinct differences between the professions. While hospice and palliative care professionals perform many of the same functions, the settings and patient outlook differ. For students who are embarking on elderly care as a profession, understanding the differences between these two specialties will help them choose the best path. A Rapidly Aging Population The elderly population in the United States is growing, and […]

Interpreting Analyst Careers: Comparing Business and Data Analysts

September 21, 2020 

For students with an aptitude for numbers, a love of digging into data to discover patterns, and the ability to recognize trends that others miss, a data-related degree may be a worthwhile pursuit on the path to a career as a business analyst or a data analyst. Business analysts use data to help companies make the best decisions for efficiency and returns. While data analysts may work for businesses, they don’t necessarily bring a business perspective to their work; instead, they gather, analyze, and share data, leaving the resulting decision-making to others. Let’s unpack some other differences between a business […]

The Impact of COVID-19 on Data Analytics

September 17, 2020 

Transcript Professor Gabriel Attoun: Hi, my name’s Gabriel Attoun, and I’m an Instructor at Maryville University here in St. Louis. I teach courses in the Information Systems program, as well as, the Data Analytics programs. The job outlook for graduates in these fields has pretty much always been excellent. But, the recent global COVID-19 pandemic has really illuminated the value of data, and data analysis, and data visualization on a scale that we previously hadn’t really thought of. As somebody who studies the history of data visualization, I often find that it parallels the history of epidemiology. And today we’re […]

5 Questions To Ask Before Enrolling in an Online Program

September 15, 2020 

Many adult learners juggle a variety of responsibilities, from professional obligations to carving out time for their families. As a result, adults interested in going back to school often find that online learning works best for them. In addition to having the flexibility to finish coursework on their time (and from the comfort of home), students enrolled in online bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs can advance their education without spending hours in a physical lecture hall. Still, some people feel that taking the plunge into online learning may feel like venturing into the unknown. Beyond not knowing what to expect, […]

Listen Up: 9 Podcasts to Add to Your Playlist

September 9, 2020 

In the mid-2000s, almost no one knew what a podcast was. Fast-forward to today, when some estimates say more than 1 million podcasts are in production around the globe. To put that number into greater perspective, more than 30 million podcast episodes were available for download in April 2020. Podcasts cover everything from breaking news to advice on how to get financially fit. They also offer lighter content, such as cooking tutorials, standup comedy sets, and kid-friendly discussions on fairy tales, science, and adventure. Whether they’re casual subscribers or die-hard followers, listeners can agree on at least one thing: Podcasts […]