Grapes of Wrath: Discrimination in the Produce Aisle

Discrimination against minorities and people of lower social economic status is often hard to prove quantitatively. One way to measure discrimination concretely is to examine the quality of goods available to people of different races and socioeconomic status (SES). We investigated the quality of supermarket produce in neighborhoods of varying socioeconomic status (high, medium, and low SES). Fresh fruit was purchased from 3 different locations of 2 separate supermarket chains in a mid-sized southern city, for a total of 6 stores for comparison. Participants used 2 methods to record their perceptions of fruit quality in terms of both appearance and taste: a relative ranking of each fruit and a 9-point Likert scale. Results indicate that supermarkets in the lowest socioeconomic area had the poorest quality fruit and the markets in the highest SES had the best fruit. The results are discussed in terms of their potential implication on health and lifestyle factors for lower SES individuals.     

Self‐Mutilation and Homeless Youth: The Role of Family Abuse,Street Experiences,and Mental Disorders

Self‐mutilation, which is the act of deliberately harming oneself, has been overlooked in studies of homeless and runaway youth. Given their high rates of abuse and mental health disorders, which are associated with self‐mutilation, homeless and runaway youth provide an ideal sample in which to investigate factors associated with self‐mutilation among a nonclinical population. Based on interviews with 428 homeless and runaway youth aged 16 to 19 years in 4 Midwestern states, the current study revealed widespread prevalence of self‐mutilation among these young people. Multivariate analyses indicated that sexual abuse, ever having stayed on the street, deviant subsistence strategies, and meeting diagnostic criteria for depression were positively associated with self‐mutilation. The findings are interpreted using stress theory and affect‐regulation models.     

Treatment Strategies for Juvenile Delinquency: Alternative Solutions

Social workers involved in the treatment of adjudicated youth commonly encounter youth sentenced to traditional incarceration or parole as a path to rehabilitation. This article examines alternative treatment strategies for adjudicated youth, namely Victim Offender Reconciliation Programs (often called mediation), Boot Camps, and Wrap-Around Community-Based Care, to help these youth avoid reoffending. While popular with the media, policymakers, or the general public, an evaluation of the literature makes it clear that these programs do not necessarily guarantee lower recidivism rates for program participants. It is evident that further research and evaluation must be done in order to more fully understand the drawbacks and benefits of alternative strategies, and to more appropriately help adjudicated youth and their communities.     

Gambling as an emerging health problem on campus

OBJECTIVE: The authors documented the prevalence of gambling and correlates to health among undergraduates. METHODS: The authors analyzed data from a health-habit questionnaire (gambling questions included) given to students enrolled in a university-required course. RESULTS: Gambling and problems with gambling were more frequent among men than women regardless of venue. Athletes more frequently bet on sports and played games of chance, had gambling debt, and sought help for gambling than did nonathletes. More than 50% of fraternity members gambled and had a higher prevalence of gambling debt than did other men. Several gambling practices were correlated with failure to use seatbelts, driving or riding with someone under the influence, and using drugs (including cigarettes). Twice as many students who had gambling problems reported considering or attempting suicide than did those who did not report gambling problems, and gambling was correlated with depression. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that gambling is correlated with high-risk health behaviors and indicates the need for intervention for college students with gambling problems.     

Training and Supervision of Counselors at a Residential Grief Camp

Peer-based grief camps, utilizing a volunteer staff, represent one method of mutual aid support for children. Manitou Experience is an example of a week-long residential camp for grieving boys. The recruitment, training, and supervision of Manitou Experience’s camp counselors and clinical team members are explained as they relate to program development and facilitation of positive change in its campers. Strengths and challenges of group processes are explored and discussed.     

Violence Against Separated,Divorced, and Married Women in Canada, 2004

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine violence against separated, divorced, and married women using Statistics Canada's 2004 Statistics Canada. 2004. Divorces. The Daily, May 4: 1–5.  [Google Scholar] General Social Survey. Based on a subsample of 6,716 heterosexual women (429 separated; 614 divorced; 5,673 married), available risk markers were examined in the context of a nested ecological framework. Consistent with past research, the results indicated that there may be differences in the dynamics of violence across the 3 groups. Separated women reported 7 times the prevalence of violence and divorced women reported twice the prevalence of violence than married women in the year prior to the study. Young age was an important predictor of violence for separated and divorced women. Unemployment and the presence of children of the ex-partner were important predictors for divorced women. Patriarchal domineering and sexually proprietary behaviors were strong predictors of violence for married women. The results suggested the possibility that motives for postseparation violence tend to differ depending on whether one is separated or divorced. Future research is warranted to uncover these potentially differing dynamics of risk.     

Social and psychological resources among homeless youth: protection against risk for physical victimization?

ABSTRACT

This study examines child physical abuse, social and psychological resources, and street physical victimization among 150 homeless youth from the Midwest. Path analyses results show that males have higher self-efficacy than females, while older youth and those who experienced less child physical abuse reported higher self-esteem. Self-efficacy and self-esteem were positively associated with social support as was being younger and having experienced less child physical abuse. Younger respondents reported fewer difficulties obtaining basic necessities, and those who had less trouble finding these necessities experienced less street physical victimization. Females, younger youth, and those who experienced less child physical abuse reported lower rates of physical victimization. Agencies should be aware that many youth experiencing homelessness have trouble obtaining basic necessities, which increases risk for victimization. Moreover, the ability to obtain necessities appears to override the influential role of social support, further affirming the foundational importance of agencies helping youth meet their basic needs.     

Factors Affecting Attitudes Toward Juvenile Sex Offenders

ABSTRACT

This study investigated attitudes toward juvenile sex offenders and factors influencing those attitudes. Additionally, the influences of perpetrator characteristics such as age, gender, and ethnicity on societal attitudes towards intervention requirements were also investigated. Overall, attitudes toward juvenile sex offenders and their treatment amenability were negative. No differences in attitudes toward juvenile sex offenders were found between those who had been victims of sexual abuse and those that had not. Sex offenses committed by juvenile female sex offenders were viewed to be more serious and require more intervention than those committed by juvenile male sex offenders.