Aboriginal Violence: Responding to the Tatz view

In the previous issue of AJSI (November, 1990), Colin Tatz proclaims his chagrin with Aboriginal affairs and the state of play in Aboriginal communities. I in turn am dismayed by the thrust of his ‘essay’. Although I broadly share Tatz's concerns regarding the way events have unraveled, and concur with his suggestion that current policy lacks a sense of history and that a number of realities need to be faced, I part company with him when it comes to the depiction and analysis of the ins and outs of the scene.     

发展:回归生活本体

实现我国现代化的科学发展面临一系列前所未有的理论和实践难题.在破解发展的理论难题中,从元理论上确立正确的发展本体论前提具有首要的意义.人类社会的起源及其发展告诉我们,生活是人特有的现实的生命活动的展开和生命存在形式,是社会的本体.并将是社会的终极形态;社会是为了人的生命、生活活动的展开而建立起来的组织结构,因此,社会以生活为本体,生活又以社会为场域和实现形式.基于生活本体是人类社会的自然形态和基本事实,我们要树立的社会观、发展观和认识感知世界的方式应是"生活本体论"的.马克思关于生活本体论的重要思想为社会发展研究设定了生命和生活、生活和社会、生活和生产、日常生活和非日常生活四大理论关系.依据生活本体论,我们可以把发展的本质内涵界定为在不断增进社会生产的基础上以社会的方式提升人的生活状态和生活文明的过程.以生活本体论界定发展的本质,对科学发展观的理论建构功能在于:科学发展观的第一要义是发展.但发展要用人民的生活福祉状态来衡量.而不能用GDP来定义;作为科学发展观核心的"以人为本"就是以人民为本,但基点是以"每个人"的个体生活需要为出发点和落脚点;基于生活本体论的科学发展.要从人的生命活动的特质出发,按照"美的规律"和"需要上升规律"实现社会生产的全面性、协调性和可持续性;从生活本体论的角度看发展,会看到在具体而细微、无比丰富的生活活动之中蕴含着巨大的社会发展动力,这种动力就是"生活力";由科学发展的本质内涵决定,为了在全社会形成良好的生活状态,必要条件就是充分发挥生活方式作为"软件系统"的资源配置作用.     

Aboriginal Drinking: A Case Study in Inequality and Disadvantage

This paper examines an aspect of social inequality experienced by Aboriginal people living in a remote Queensland mining town. We contend that non-Aboriginal perceptions and attitudes of Aboriginal drinking behaviour contribute directly to structural inequalities within the Mount Isa community. Social drinking in the township is, for reserve-dwelling Aborigines, restricted mainly to one bar in one hotel and adjoining park and river bank area. The restrictions are preserved through both overt and covert discrimination. Aboriginal inebriation and excessive drinking are therefore more visible to the wider community and more accessible to police prosecution than that of any other ethnic group in the town. Although White folk tales concerning Aboriginal drinking often contain fear about acts of violence and crime directed towards the White community, soundly documented incidents are rare. This paper argues that the persistence of such attitudes is at the heart of a symbolic differential between the White and Black community in Queensland. Moreover, problems within the Aboriginal community that can be directly related to the excessive consumption of alcohol must also be seen as a product of these White reactions and perceptions.     

Vulnerability to Violence: A Contextually-Sensitive, Developmental Perspective on African American Adolescents

Spencer's Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) is presented as a theoretical framework to analyze potential effects of being a victim or co-victim of a violent crime. Data are presented from a sample of African American adolescents residing in a Southeastern metropolitan area. Victims (n = 20) and non-victims (n = 332) are compared on their self-reporting of clinical symptoms normally associated with violent or traumatic experience during middle childhood and early adolescence. Results suggest that observed symptomatology may not be solely attributable to actual victimization. Discussion includes possible mechanisms by which factors such as cognitive developmental status, physical and social context, and previous victimization of the adolescent or a family member of the adolescent can influence symptomatology.     

Aboriginal Children Belong in the Aboriginal Community: Changing Practices in Adoption

The placement of aboriginal children has been the responsibility of white social workers attached to state welfare agencies. Many of these children have been fostered or adopted by white families and have had little or no contact with the aboriginal community. Aboriginal people are now voicing opposition to such practices and are calling for an end to inter-racial adoption. They want the placement of all aboriginal children to be in the hands of the aboriginal community and are seeking to establish aboriginal placement agencies. These, and other demands, were voiced by an aboriginal task group at the recent First Australian Conference on Adoption.     

Interpersonal Behaviour in Relation to Aboriginal Programs

Over recent years there has been increased concern for the health, education and welfare of aboriginal people. Many of the newer programs in these areas are worthwhile. As health, education and welfare services are directed at people, greater understanding of interpersonal behaviour is needed by administrators and fieldworkers if outcomes are to be improved. The importance of interpersonal behaviours such as looking, listening, talking and touching is noted. The distinctiveness of these behaviour patterns in aboriginal society is examined and their impact on programs discussed.     

Violence to Probation Staff: Patterns and Managerial Responses

This article examines the impact of violence perpetrated against probation officers. It presents empirical evidence based upon work carried out under the ESRC Violence Research Programme. It is argued that the managerial response to violence has been largely defensive and piecemeal. Professional responses to violence are context‐bound, while risk assessment is largely confined to the potential harm to the general public posed by offenders. The article concludes by arguing that more attention needs to be given to the evaluation of management responses to violence including appropriate training, and the greater organizational support for safety at work.     

Parent and Peer Effects on Delinquency-related Violence and Dating Violence: A Test of Two Mediational Models

Drawing on two complementary process models of violence, i.e., social cognitive theory and rejection sensitivity theory, the goal of the present study was (1) to examine the unique effects of parents and peers on boys’ violent behavior in delinquency‐related contexts and in dating relationships, (2) to assess the mediating processes underlying these links, and (3) to test whether these processes operate in the same way for delinquency‐related violence and dating violence. Based on a sample of 336 boys, results showed that problematic experiences with parents and with peers each predicted subsequent violence, both in delinquency‐related and in dating‐related contexts. However, the contributions of the social cognitive model and the rejection sensitivity model in explaining these links varied somewhat depending on the situational context of the violent behavior. The implications of the similarities and specificities in the risk factors and pathways leading to delinquency‐related violence and dating violence are discussed.     

Beyond the Bottle: Introducing Anthropological Debate to Research into Aboriginal Alcohol Use

This paper selectively identifies two recurring misconceptions of theory present in the existing research literature on Aboriginal alcohol use which may impede future research and prevention activities: the denial of contemporary Aboriginal cultures, particularly in urban areas, and the consequent failure to conceive of Aboriginal drinking as socially, culturally and politically meaningful behaviour; and an emphasis on rural/remote communities in research initiatives which reflects outdated conceptual paradigms which have been brought to bear on the prevention of alcohol-related problems and has hindered innovation in program design for urban areas. Evidence from recent anthropological studies of both Aboriginal society and culture and Aboriginal alcohol use is presented which conflicts with the identified misconceptions and a case is made for the value of such analyses. Following an examination of these conflicting viewpoints, suggestions are made with respect to future research.     

Animal Abuse as a Sentinel for Human Violence: A Critique

It has been suggested that acts of violence against human and nonhuman animals share commonalities, and that animal abuse is a sentinel for current or future violence toward people. The popular and professional acceptance of strong connections between types of violence is beginning to be used to justify social work interventions and to influence legal decision making, and so requires greater scrutiny. Examination of the limited pool of empirical data suggests that animal abuse is relatively common among men, with violent offenders having an increased probability of reporting prior animal abuse—with the majority of violent offenders not reporting any animal abuse. Causal explanations for "the link," such as empathy impairment or conduct disorder, suffer from a lack of validating research and, based on research into interhuman violence, the assumption that violence has a predominant, single underlying cause must be questioned. An (over)emphasis on the danger that animal abusers pose to humans serves to assist in achieving a consensus that animal abuse is a serious issue, but potentially at the cost of failing to focus on the most common types of abuse, and the most effective strategies for reducing its occurrence. Nothing in this review and discussion should be taken as minimizing the importance of animals as frequent victims of violence, or the co-occurrence of abuse types in "at-risk" households. However, given the weakness of the underlying data, emphasizing the indiscriminate dangerousness of all animal abusers may have unforeseen and unwanted consequences.     

Children and Violence: Nurturing Social-Emotional Development to Promote Mental Health

The absence of violence against children is a fundamental children's right and a major milestone of civilized society. Similarly, reports on incidences of violence by children and youth, including severe cases with devastating consequences, speak to the need that the trauma of exposure to violence in childhood needs to be addressed. While violence and its risk factors are generally understood, what is less clear are the essential protective factors, how we can identify those as early as possible, and how we can use them to prevent and address the trauma of violence exposure in children and youth. In this report, I review pathways of child and youth violence through the lens of social-emotional development as a central protective factor. Negative emotions of frustration and anger can underlie violence and aggression. Kind emotions, such as caring and our ability to connect with others emotionally, can serve as social-emotional protective factors. A brief review of the central social-emotional processes and their development is provided, including the human capacity to feel with others and express empathy, be emotionally aware and care about the effects of one's own actions on others, and be able to regulate the self and their emotions. Given the negative widespread and long-term impact of exposure to violence, I describe research-informed attempts to prevent violence exposure across development. Taking a humanistic, strength-based perspective, the focus is on social-emotional protective factors to address violence and nurture mental health in every child. I conclude with recommendations for practice and policy.     

Access to justice for Aboriginal People in the Northern Territory

This article discusses research in the Northern Territory on Aboriginal civil and family law needs. It is based on focus group discussions and interviews with legal services providers and other associated organisations. The article argues that key areas of legal need involve discrimination, housing, child protection, social security, credit/debt and consumer law problems. It further argues that welfare conditionality, particularly as embodied in the NT Intervention and subsequent Stronger Futures policies, has exacerbated the need for legal assistance and advocacy for Aboriginal people.