Situational life changes: A model for coping with stress in adolescence

A health-oriented interactional model of adolescent change in times of transition is presented. Four factors are discussed: 1. the effect of individuals and the environments on each other; 2. the interactive flow between regression and growth, vulnerabilites and competencies, crisis and equilibrium; and 3. the interactive effects of psychological, social and physical factors. A social work assessment and intervention model is built on this framework.Ms. Lammert is an Associate Professor, National Catholic School of Social Service, a consultant to the American Digestive Disease Society and to the Christ Child Society School Counseling Program and in private practice.     

A typology of adolescent runaways

No single program seems adequate to serve a highly complex adolescent runaway and homeless youth population. A service program must have many components with each part addressing the needs of a specific and different population. This paper presents a typology of runaway behavior which has three categories. These categories distinguish among runaway and homeless youth by reference to their family situation, psychological characteristics, and length of time out of home. The implications for intervention that follow from these categories are discussed.former Bush fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles.     

Social Movement Radicalization: the Case of the People's Democracy in Northern Ireland*

Most of existing literature assumes that social movement organizations will inevitably become more ideologically and tactically conservative over time. This paper presents a couterargument to this position, suggesting that many movement organizations can be shown to have grown more radical as they have developed. A definition of movement radicalization is constructed, and eight propositions concerning factors which seem to increase the likelihood that a movement organization will radicalize are presented. These factors include repressive action by the agents of social control, changes in the ideological and tactical orientations of the movement organization's constituency, codification of a radicalizing movement's ideology, a reduced likelihood of co-optation, certain aspects of the structural character of the larger society, weak internal controls over the group's members, and the presence of individual radical leaders. Each proposition is illustrated by reference to the career of a North Irish group known as the People's Democracy.     

Drugs, delinquency and "nerds": are loners deviant?

Many studies have focused on the influence of peers on delinquency and drug use. But what about adolescents who are not part of the peer culture--the loners, or nerds? This study focuses on drug use, delinquency and lifestyle correlates of LONERS and SOCIALS. Data for a nine-year period (1976 through 1984) from the Monitoring the Future data set of high school seniors across the United States are analyzed. The lack of peer influence on the LONERS seems to contribute to less delinquency and drug use and more conventional lifestyle activities than is found among SOCIALS.     

A meta-analysis of the California school-based risk reduction program

Prominent nonquantitative reviews of research evaluating school-based interventions designed to deter adolescents from the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs found the methodology to be flawed and thus little evidence existed that the interventions had the desired impact. Recent meta-analytic reviews indicate that information-focused interventions have more impact upon knowledge but less upon attitudes and behavior whereas alternative interventions have less impact upon knowledge but more upon attitudes and behavior. This result is replicated by the current meta-analysis performed upon eight risk-reduction programs meeting six standard methodological requirements for evaluation research.     

Inclusions and exclusions in law: experiences of women with disability in rural and war-affected areas in Sri Lanka

Broad and inter-disciplinary inquiry into disability is at a nascent stage in Sri Lanka. This paper looks at the intersectionality of disability and gender in the specific contexts of ‘the rural’ and the armed conflict-affected areas of the country, particularly the interaction with the law. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among rural women with disabilities in the North Central and Eastern provinces, including women who acquired disabilities resulting from the internal conflict. Legal literacy, administrative discretion in disability-related welfare programmes, and transitional justice and reconciliation emerged as the most prominent themes in the interviews. We analyse these issues using a rights framework in an attempt to highlight some of the vulnerabilities of women with disability in the rural and war-affected contexts. The paper also reflects on a few instances where those vulnerabilities have been overcome through collective action.     

Is Autism a Preventable Disorder of Verbal Behavior? A Response to Five Commentaries

The Analysis of Verbal Behavior - This paper presents a response to five commentaries on our article An Analysis of Autism as a Contingency-Shaped Disorder of Verbal Behavior (Drash &...     

Learning about restoration of urban ecosystems: a case study integrating public participation,stormwater management,and ecological research

Restoration of ecosystem functions in urban environments is made challenging by 1) a public that often lacks understanding of ecological principles, 2) inadequate evidence of the effectiveness of restoration practices, and 3) difficulty integrating social and biophysical factors in studies of urban ecosystems. This paper describes a case study in which potential solutions to these challenges were explored. We facilitated collaborative learning through public participation in the design and implementation of an urban riparian buffer along a headwater stream in a neighborhood park, a process that was informed by ecological research. Learning outcomes were evaluated using surveys and qualitative assessment of discussion. Results indicated that participants’ knowledge about water quality problems associated with urbanization, stormwater, and nonpoint-source pollution increased, familiarity with stormwater management practices increased, and perceptions about the importance of stream ecosystem functions changed. In-stream monitoring of sediment delivery, as well as direct measurements of buffer infiltration capacity, provided early evidence of buffer effectiveness in prevention of sediment inputs to the stream and absorption of runoff from surrounding surfaces. This study provides a useful model for integration of collaborative learning through participation, ecological restoration, and ecological research in an urban setting. Elements deemed essential to success of this model included an opportunity for dialog focused on a specific natural feature, sustained interaction between participants and researchers, opportunities for hands-on participation by urban residents, and flexibility in restoration practice installation.     

Trends in marriage and divorce in Peninsular Malaysia

Summary Median age at marriage for women has risen sharply for each of the three major ethnic groups - Malays, Chinese and Indians, in Peninsular Malaysia since 1957. The sharpest rise has been recorded for Malays and Indians, whose median age at marriage was barely over 17 in 1957. A shortage of potential husbands in the traditionally sanctioned ages contributed to the rise for Malays and Indians, but was probably not the paramount reason; average age differences between the spouses narrowed, but median age at marriage for men actually rose. During the same period, the previously extremely high divorce rates amongst Malays have fallen sharply, though wide inter-state differences remain. The sharp changes in marriage patterns reflect, and in turn are partly responsible for, far-reaching social and economic changes. They have profoundly affected fertility levels and patterns, as well as intra-familial relationships.     

Comparing MCDA Aggregation Methods in Constructing Composite Indicators Using the Shannon-Spearman Measure

Composite indicators have been increasingly recognized as a useful tool for performance monitoring, benchmarking comparisons and public communication in a wide range of fields. The usefulness of a composite indicator depends heavily on the underlying data aggregation scheme where multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is commonly used. A problem in this application is the determination of an appropriate MCDA aggregation method. Of the many criteria for comparing MCDA methods, the Shannon-Spearman measure (SSM) is one that compares alternative MCDA aggregation methods in constructing composite indicators based on the information loss concept. This paper assesses the effectiveness of the SSM using Monte Carlo approach-based uncertain analysis and variance-based sensitivity analysis techniques. It is found that most of the variation in the SSM arises from the uncertainty in choosing an aggregation method. Therefore, the SSM can be considered as an effective measure for comparing MCDA aggregation methods in constructing composite indicators. We also use the SSM to evaluate five MCDA aggregation methods in constructing composite indicators and present the findings.