Postconflict Reconciliation: Intergroup Forgiveness and Implicit Biases in Northern Ireland

Even after a conflict has formally ended, there is still a need for postconflict reconciliation and the building of mutual forgiveness and trust between communities. This article addresses psychological processes crucial to moving beyond a history of violent sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. We investigated the predictors of intergroup forgiveness, in terms of intergroup emotions, infrahumanization, empathy, and intergroup contact. Intergroup trust and measures of implicit intergroup bias were also explored in this area of real intergroup conflict. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for postconflict reconciliation in Northern Ireland and other conflict areas.     

Food and Poverty in Britain: Rights and Responsibilities

Social policy and food/nutrition are both to some extent contested disciplines and areas for intervention. The role of food in poverty definition and measurement by experts and within the lived experience by those defined poor, has been a neglected component of disciplinary study and focused policy response in Britain in the latter half of the twentieth century. This paper explores the historical and contemporary complementarities and challenges, and examines some of the consequences poor people face because society has ignored the social aspects of nutritional needs, and the nutritional contributions to poverty definition and interventions. Current policy initiatives in the health, food and social sectors in Britain are briefly reviewed and their potential shortcomings discussed.     

Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Shame: Three Key Variables in Reducing School Bullying

This study examined the relationships between forgiveness, reconciliation, shame and school bullying. The sample consisted of 1,875 Bangladeshi adolescents (60% girls) in grades 7 to 10 ( M = 8.28). In a structural equation model, both forgiveness and reconciliation directly predicted less bullying. In addition to the direct effect, an indirect pathway showed reconciliation reduced bullying via adaptive shame management. Shame acknowledgment predicted less bullying whereas shame displacement predicted more in accord with the shame management theory. An alternative model was also tested, which demonstrated that parental forgiveness eroded when children displaced their shame. The nature of the intersection between these two theoretically viable psychological models has implications for both restorative justice theory and practice.     

Social Work Students’ Perceptions of Themselves and Others: Self-Esteem,Empathy, and Forgiveness

ABSTRACT

This study examined how 86 social work students attending a university in Florida viewed themselves and others in relation to self-esteem, empathy, and forgiveness. The study used a cross-sectional, self-administered survey. Results indicated female students reported a higher level of emotional empathy than that reported by male students. Significant relationships were also noted between forgiveness of others and the age of the respondent and ethnicity. Self-esteem was a significant predictor of forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others; and empathy is a significant predictor of forgiveness of others. The study identified the need for social work educators to help students develop a strong sense of self and an understanding of others. Future research is suggested to explore how the timing of a transgression affects forgiveness of self and others.     

Group Work: A Lifeline for Isolated Elderly

This paper describes the transformation of a group for isolated elderly from psychoeducational to socialization to therapy. The international steps taken by the authors as well as crucial serendipitous contributions are identified. The authors candidly describe their own ageist stereotypes and biases that at first limited their expectations until challenged by the group members.     

Therapist Effects on Disparities Experienced by Minorities Receiving Services for Mental Illness

OBJECTIVES: The authors examine if some of the reason clients from racial and ethnic minority groups experience outcome disparities is explained by their therapists. METHOD: Data from 98 clients (19% minority) and 14 therapists at two community mental health agencies where clients from racial and ethnic minority groups were experiencing outcome disparities were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling with treatment outcomes at Level 1, client factors at Level 2, and therapists at Level 3. RESULTS: There were substantial therapist effects that moderated the relationship between clients' race and treatment outcomes (outcome disparities). Therapists accounted for 28.7% of the variability in outcome disparities. CONCLUSIONS: Therapists are linked to outcome disparities and appear to play a substantial role in why disparities occur.     

Enhancing Forgiveness: A Group Intervention for the Elderly

This article describes a therapeutic model of forgiveness (Enright, 2001 Enright, R. D. 2001. Forgiveness is a choice: A step-by-step process for resolving anger and restoring hope, Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association.  [Google Scholar]) and discusses its applicability to social work intervention with older adults. A total of 20 men and women, aged 57–82, participated in 2 different forgiveness groups, each of which met weekly for 8 sessions with a 4-month follow-up session. Measures of forgiveness, as well as biopsychosocial functioning, were collected before and after the group intervention. Results indicated that participants experienced long-term improvement with respect to forgiveness and depression, short-term improvement of physical health, and no change in relation to anxiety or social support. Clinical issues that emerged during the forgiveness group are discussed, and suggestions for gerontological social workers are offered.     

A Comparative Study of Child Abuse Risk Assessment in the United States and Korea

The perceptions and judgments of social workers who interview the child and family are especially significant factors in child abuse assessment process. The current study describes and compares child protection workers’ assessment processes in Korea and the USA through the use of case vignettes and in‐depth interview. The responses from social workers in these two countries were compared and discussed in the areas of: risk assessment; perception of the main problems; tolerance of corporal punishment; and judgments about appropriateness of interventions. Most revealing was that Korean social workers determined abuse based on their child abuse definition and the US Army FAP social workers determined abuse based on their definition, which was affected by legal standards and cultural differences. Korean social workers are more likely to remove a child from the home, even in mild cases, but US FAP social workers would recommend child removal from the home as a last option. The social workers that participated in this survey play a vital role in the safety of children in child protective services. Both countries can benefit from sharing information to improve the child protection services delivered. Social workers' professional judgment leads to objective and consistent outcomes and are less likely to compromise child safety in the decision making process.     

The Nature of Social Competence: A Theoretical Review

Consistent with much of the research literature, social competence is defined as effectiveness in social interaction. Effectiveness is broadly considered, and includes both self and other perspectives. Social competence is viewed as an organizing construct, with transactional, context-dependent, and goal-specific characteristics. Four general approaches to the operational definition of social competence are identified: social skills, sociometric status, relationships, and functional outcomes. A Prism Model of social competence is presented, based on theoretical, index and skills levels of analyses. The implications of the Prism Model for developmental, gender, cultural, assessment and intervention issues are also discussed.     

The Development of Intergroup Forgiveness in Northern Ireland

As societies like Northern Ireland, Israel, and South Africa strive to resolve social conflict, there is growing theoretical and empirical interest in the role of intergroup forgiveness. This study examined intergroup forgiveness among 340 young adults in Northern Ireland. A short form of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory explored possible influences on propensity to forgive. All participants were Catholic and female (mean age 17.36 years), and had experienced verbal or physical injury or bereavement due to the Northern Irish political violence. Overall forgiveness levels were low in comparison with previous studies of interpersonal forgiveness but similar to previous studies of intergroup forgiveness in Northern Ireland. The strongest (negative) predictor of forgiveness was the perceived degree of hurt caused by the injury .     

Some Dominant Perspectives in the Literature Relating to Multi-Racial Social Work

Summary This article represents an attempt to provide an overall frameworkfor the understanding of the social work literature relatingto racial minorities. It traces the main currents of socialwork thought from the earliest contributions of the late 1960sto the more recent work of the early 1980s. Four main themesare identified in the literature, which are referred to as theanthropological approach, liberal pluralism, cultural pluralismand the structuralist position. The conclusion attempts to tentativelydraw out the relationships between the literature, social workpractice and ultimate race relations goals.     

Psychometric and Rationalization Accounts of the Religion-Forgiveness Discrepancy

World events and psychological research often fail to support a relationship between religion and forgiveness. We suggest that the gap between general religious support of forgiveness and actual forgiveness by religious individuals (the religion-forgiveness discrepancy) described by McCullough and Worthington (1999) may be partly due to methodological shortcomings. We present three studies with 452 undergraduate participants to illustrate how psychometric weaknesses can obscure the relationship between religiousness and transgression-specific forgiveness. We also propose a rationalization explanation that describes how religion might justify unforgiveness. We present a pilot study of 38 undergraduate participants that demonstrates correlations between retributive and compassionate religious beliefs, and transgression-specific forgiveness. We discuss future research directions addressing the religion-forgiveness discrepancy on psychometric and theoretical levels.     

Clinical Research in Sexual Dysfunctions:

This article reviews the extent to which social workers have contributed to the empirical evaluation of behavioral therapy in the treatment of psychosexual dysfunctions. To better evaluate the social work contributions, an overview of the status of research and findings in the field of sex therapy is discussed, including recent questions which have been raised regarding effectiveness. Only three controlled outcome studies were located which hid at least one social work author. These studies are examined in terms of congruency with previous reports and overall quality of the contribution to knowledge development in behavioral sex therapy. Additional social work contributions in a variety of "non-traditional" sexual problem areas are briefly highlighted.     

Group work in mindfulness-based interventions with youth: a scoping review

ABSTRACT

Almost all mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are delivered in group format. Given the benefits of group work for children/youth, the authors wondered how researchers studying MBIs discussed and analyzed the group-work component of the MBI. The authors conducted a scoping study with the aims of analyzing relevant research regardless of design to explore the range of research activity, to summarize findings, and to identify gaps in knowledge. Our research questions asked, (1) How is group work described and discussed in the research literature that explores MBIs with children and youth? (2) When group work is discussed, what factors are the focus of discussion? and (3) Is group work considered an important aspect in the delivery of MBIs? Ultimately, the authors identified 94 articles that met their inclusion criteria. The researchers that discussed group work identified rationales for the group delivery, benefits of group work, the need for a cohesive and safe environment for learning, the relevant role of the group facilitator, cultural implications, and challenges associated with group delivery. Engagement of youth in an MBI and the importance of the group process were identified as main issues. The authors concluded that all of the factors contributing to change as a result of having participated in an MBI need to be better understood, and that group work should be given more attention in the delivery and study of MBIs. Thus, the facilitation of an MBI can be better understood as can the mechanisms of change.     

Forgiveness: A Cognitive‐Motivational Anatomy

This work aims to identify the constituents of forgiveness in terms of the forgiver's beliefs and motivating goals. After addressing the antecedents of forgiveness—a perceived wrong—and distinguishing the notion of mere harm from that of offense, we describe the victim's typical retributive reactions—revenge and resentment—and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Then we focus on the forgiver's mind‐set, pointing to the relationship between forgiveness and acceptance of the wrong, addressing the forgiver's motivating goals, and discussing both their self‐interested and altruistic implications. In so doing we also discuss the role of the forgiver's positive feelings towards the offender, arguing that, however important, they are unnecessary to forgiveness. We finally identify two kinds of forgiveness—conditional and unconditional—suggesting that they are grounded on different notions of “worth.”     

Clinical Social Workers Knowledge About Aging:

This study explores clinical social workers' knowledge about old age using Palmore's (1977) "Facts on Aging" quiz to measure knowledge about persons 65 years of age and older. Data are based on a mailed questionnaire completed by 200 MSW social workers from the state of Ohio who were listed in the NASW 1976 Register of Clinical Social Workers. Key findings are as follows: (1) the average number of corret responses on the facts quiz is 17 (68% correct); (2) examination of the items which 60% or less of the respondents answered correctly reveals five items that indicate a negative bias toward the elderly, three items a positive bias, and two which are neutral; and (3) rank order of the content areas in which items are most often missed indicates sociology of aging and demography of aging are the two areas where knowledge is most lacking. Implications for graduate education and in-service training for clinical social workers are discussed.     

From Racial Inequality to Social Justice: The Legacy of Brown v. Board and Lessons from South Africa

This article addresses the question of why racial inequality persists in the United States after over four centuries, while South Africa has extricated itself from racial Apartheid and launched a vigorous campaign for racial justice that appears to exceed the will and capacity of the United States. It discusses the legacy of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision and its role in reducing racial inequality and fueling both defense of and attacks on racial segregation. Social justice, it is argued, is a point of view that depends on the interpretative schemas and personal positions of its advocates for its definition. Several psychological and social-structural mechanisms are presented and their roles in continuing racial inequality are proposed. Key provisions of the new South African Constitution and the Truth and Reconciliation process for adjudicating atrocities of Apartheid argue for the critical role of forgiveness and the cultural concept of Ubuntu . A brief discussion of current research in the United States suggests some ways in which this principle promises to reduce intergroup conflict and racial inequality.