Awareness of Gambling-Related Problems, Policies and Educational Programs Among High School and College Administrators

This brief report summarizes a survey of high school and college representatives and their awareness toward gambling-related problems. The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling developed a survey instrument to review the policies and training programs of 20 high schools and 10 colleges that were located within the catchment areas of Massachusetts Department of Public Health state-sponsored gambling treatment programs. The results revealed that there is an important discrepancy between the prevalence of gambling-related problems among young people and the awareness of these problems among educators. High school and colleges evidence a paucity of existing gambling-related regulations or policies. There is little opportunity for students and educators to learn within the school setting about gambling and its potential hazards. Without sufficient in-service education and training for faculty and staff, there is little likelihood that this group of educators can engage in the early identification or prevention efforts that are so vital to advancing the health and welfare of young people.     

Leaving home: Living arrangements of young people in six west-European countries

The timing with which young people leave their parents' home is a critical element in household formation rates. Direct data on this transition are scarce. Information on the current living arrangements of 16–24 year-olds collected in a 1982 EEC Survey provides some insights. The data suggest quite large cross-national variations in the timing of leaving home and particularly marked differences in the living arrangements of young people. Reasons for the variation, particularly housing-market differences, are postulated.     

Returning to school after marriage: Results for whites and blacks

We investigate the impact of various family background, socioeconomic, and life-course factors on the likelihood of white and black women returning to school after marriage. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972, results indicate the following: (a) many married women return to two-year schools rather than four-year schools, (b) blacks are more likely than whites to return to school after marriage, (c) fewer measured predictors are significant in models for blacks and for two-year schools, and (d) changing life-course position affects the likelihood of returning to school.     

Moving beyond poverty: neighborhood structure, social processes, and health

We investigate the impact of neighborhood structural characteristics, social organization, and culture on self-rated health in a large, cross-sectional sample of urban adults. Findings indicate that neighborhood affluence is a more powerful predictor of health status than poverty, above and beyond individual demographic background, socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and insurance coverage. Moreover, neighborhood affluence and residential stability interact in their association with health. When the prevalence of affluence is low, residential stability is negatively associated with health. Neighborhood affluence also accounts for a substantial proportion of the racial gap in health status. Finally, collective efficacy is a significant positive predictor of health but does not mediate the effects of structural factors.     

EXPERIENCING OCCUPATIONAL REHABILITATION IN NSW: NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING BACKGROUND WOMEN'S VIEWS

Research suggests that work-related disabilities suffered by women from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) are disproportionate to their representation in the population. This paper presents data from a preliminary investigation into the experiences of work-injured NESB women in the NSW workers' compensation system since 1987. It argues that NESB women are, and perceive themselves to be, disadvantaged by the present workers' compensation system particularly in regards to occupational rehabilitation. This is largely because the higher rates of chronic work-related injury make the rehabilitation of NESB women less cost effective for rehabilitation providers. As a result both the quality of life and future productivity of these women are substantially degraded. The article concludes that changes at the organisational level, including improved data collection are required in order to meet the needs of this group of high injury-risk workers more adequately and more equitably.     

A Different Sort of Doctor: The Police Surgeon in England and Wales

Police surgeons occupy a neglected and potentially influential role in the criminal justice system, falling between medical and legal functions. This article considers the implications of this role which operates at the interface of two major areas of social policy concern. Drawing evidence from a unique survey of police surgeons in England and Wales, it considers specifically, the professional background of police surgeons, the administration and management of the police surgeon service, surgeons' attitudes to aspects of their professional practice and the impact of this role on civil liberties. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the possibilities for the reform of the police surgeon service.     

On Childcare as a Support for Maternal Employment Wages and Hours

Data from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, a stratified random sample of 1,364 children and their families from birth through first grade, were used to examine whether mothers' use of early childcare for their children predicted later maternal employment. Children's total number of hours in childcare was associated with higher maternal wages and more hours of employment when children were in first grade. The association between maternal hourly wages and hours in childcare was greater for mothers who were more educated. In addition, the effect of hours in childcare on employment hours was greater for non-poor mothers.     

Language as an Exclusive or Inclusive Concept: Reaching beyond the verbal

Language is a primary means by which practices of inclusion and exclusion are determined in our society. As language is also the primary medium of most narrative family therapies, the politics of our practices with regard to inclusion and exclusion require examination, particularly when working with children for whom language is neither a strength nor a preferred processing mode. In this paper, some young people showing language-based learning difficulties will be introduced. Children's experiences with oppression and colonization will then be briefly considered, followed by the particular experiences of children showing language-based learning difficulties. The interrelationship between language, social-emotional development and social competence will be considered and ways to ‘scaffold’ these children during the therapy process to facilitate their inclusion will be addressed. Throughout the discussion, the implications for narrative family therapists will be explored as we consider whether our fascination with language is wielded in inclusive or exclusive ways and whether we can competently reach beyond the verbal in our practice.