Psychometrics of a Child Report Measure of Maternal Support following Disclosure of Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

The study examined a new child report measure of maternal support following child sexual abuse. One hundred and forty-six mother–child dyads presenting for a forensic evaluation completed assessments including standardized measures of adjustment. Child participants also responded to 32 items considered for inclusion in a new measure, the Maternal Support Questionnaire–Child Report (MSQ-CR). Exploratory factor analysis of the Maternal Support Questionnaire–Child Report resulted in a three factor, 20-item solution: Emotional Support (9 items), Skeptical Preoccupation (5 items), and Protection/Retaliation (6 items). Each factor demonstrated adequate internal consistency. Construct and concurrent validity of the new measure were supported in comparison to other trauma-specific measures. The Maternal Support Questionnaire–Child Report demonstrated sound psychometric properties. Future research is needed to determine whether the Maternal Support Questionnaire–Child Report provides a more sensitive approximation of maternal support following disclosure of sexual abuse, relative to measures of global parent–child relations and to contextualize discrepancies between mother and child ratings of maternal support.     

Who's the fairest of them all? Television ads for skin-whitening cosmetics in Hong Kong

This paper explores the notion of fair skin and its relationship to the construction of a Hong Kong ‘racial’ identity by Hong Kongers. It examines a local television advertisement for a cosmetic product named ‘UVWhite whitening softener’. Based on the interpretations of focus-group participants in Hong Kong and the UK, and his own in the role of analyst, the author explores three different perspectives on the advertisement. A triangulation of these three perspectives reveals a number of possible meanings and symbolic functions of fair skin in forming identities of ‘self’ and ‘other’, and their relationships with class, gender and, above all, race in various sociocultural contexts. These perspectives, and the differences between them, also closely reflect the sociocultural backgrounds of the participants and provide clues to an understanding of the ways in which skin colour operates as a visual agent in defining the boundaries of cultural identity, and in identifying a person's place in a local social hierarchy, if not an increasingly global one.     

Transform ing Teacher Education for an Antiracism Pedagogy*

It est question dans le présent article de recherches sur la pédagogie antiraciste, plus précisément de saisir comment cette dernière est perçue par les enseignants d'expérience et les étudiants en éducation, et comment elle est mise en pratique. Les avis exprimés font ressortir un large éventail de partis pris pédagogiques et idéologiques, dont celui qui voudrait que l'engagement des élèves à leur cheminement scolaire soit tributaire de l'appartenance à tel ou tel groupe racial ou ethnique, et celui qui reflète la peur d'abandonner une présumée norme pédagogique canadienne. Afin de mettre au défi la pensée des enseignants sur la pratique de l'anti-racisme, les auteurs tracent les grandes lignes d'un nouveau modèle de formation pédagogique conçu dans le but d'intégrer à la théorie l'enseignement des mouvements sociaux qui visent la justice sociale. Les auteurs proposent que l'analyse des problèmes engendrés par la diversité sociale, les différences raciales et les politiques d'antiracisme figure au programme de formation afin d'assurer l'engagement social du corps enseignant et de favoriser une réflexion personnelle cohérente. This paper reports on research examining prospective and established teachers' conceptualization and practice of antiracism pedagogy. Views reveal great variability in pedagogical and ideological positions that include unexamined assumptions about students' differential commitments to education across racial and ethnic groups, and fear of abandoning an unnamed Canadian norm. To challenge teachers' conceptualization and practice of antiracism, this study systematically develops transformative possibilities for a teacher education praxis designed to link other social movements for social justice issues. The authors suggest moving the issues of social difference, race and antiracism into mainstream scholarship, ensuring teacher commitment to the cause of social justice and engaging participants in critical reflective practice.     

Segmentation and Communications to Solve the Blood Shortage: An Exploration of the Problem with Recommendations

This report summarizes the dire straits of the current blood supply and identifies a number of factors which contribute to this situation (low percentage of the population who donate regularly, increasing number of factors which preclude a willing donor from donating, short shelf life of donated blood, lack of a synthetic substitute). The current situation is gleaned from a literature review and the results suggested that a new source of donors (people aged 17–25) be examined to see if they might provide a way to end the shortage. A pilot survey was conducted with undergraduate students at East Carolina University and the results were surprising and encouraging. Students reported that they are donating at from 3 to 5 times the rate of all age groups. Developing an effective way to communicate with people as they reach the age to donate may be the critical step to be taken.     

Jury size and jury verdicts

The analysis of jury size and jury verdicts in criminal m a t t e r s now has along , though interrupted , history . Work In this subject in the 18th and 19th centuries by Condorcet arid Laplace is discussed and the Poisson model of the 1830's is highighted . The latter is modified t o analyze the America1 jury experience of the 20th century. Recent U. S. Supreme Court decis on sin the 1970's on jury size and jury decisiol - making have created a resurgence of interest especially on a comparison of six member and twelve member juries . Some comparisons of size in terms of probabilities of errors invericts are presented.     

On matrix variate skew-normal distributions

Two new families of matrix variate distributions are introduced. They are based on matrix normal distribution and yet can be used to model data involving skewness. The properties of the two families are investigated. Among others, the marginals, conditionals, stochastic representation, linear and quadratic forms are studied.     

Decision Making Under Uncertainty—An Example for Seismic Risk Management

Decision-making techniques are used to select the "best" alternatives under multiple and often conflicting criteria. Multicriteria decision making (MCDM) necessitates to incorporate uncertainties in the decision-making process. The major thrust of this article is to extend the framework proposed by Yager^{( 1 )} for multiple decisionmakers and fuzzy utilities (payoffs). In addition, the concept of expert credibility factor is introduced. The proposed approach is demonstrated for an example of seismic risk management using a heuristic hierarchical structure. A step-by-step formulation of the proposed approach is illustrated using a hypothetical example and a three-story reinforced concrete building.