Heterogeneous Perspectives in Coalitions and Community-Based Responses to Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Implications for Practice

ABSTRACT

Despite increases in community-based coalitions to address sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), and the coinciding ideological debates surrounding sexual commerce, few studies have examined the dynamics between and perspectives among coalition members. This paper aims to explore 1) coalition members' perspectives on religion, politics, feminism, sex trafficking/sex work, neoliberalism/neo-abolitionism and 2) the impacts of such perspectives on coalition members' anti-trafficking/CSE work. Drawing from a larger qualitative study, 24 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with current and former coalition members in an urban Midwestern city. Findings suggest varied religious identities, which challenged some providers in coordinating services for the lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community or women with a history of or considering abortions. Providers generally identified as democrat as well as feminist in some way, but had conflicting views of sexual commerce. These competing ideologies created challenges for cohesive coalition action. Consequently, it may be essential to facilitate intergroup dialogues addressing diverse perspectives, come to consensus on goals, or develop subgroup goals in order to create a functioning inter-agency response. Future studies should explore such dynamics across multiple coalitions nationwide and the impact such perspectives may have on survivors engaging in services.     

Time as a limited resource: Communication strategy in mobile phone networks

We used a large database of 9 billion calls from 20 million mobile users to examine the relationships between aggregated time spent on the phone, personal network size, tie strength and the way in which users distributed their limited time across their network (disparity). Compared to those with smaller networks, those with large networks did not devote proportionally more time to communication and had on average weaker ties (as measured by time spent communicating). Further, there were not substantially different levels of disparity between individuals, in that mobile users tend to distribute their time very unevenly across their network, with a large proportion of calls going to a small number of individuals. Together, these results suggest that there are time constraints which limit tie strength in large personal networks, and that even high levels of mobile communication do not fundamentally alter the disparity of time allocation across networks.     

First Comes Marriage,Then Comes Divorce: A Perspective on the Process

This article discusses the process of dissolving marital relationships from an individual developmental perspective. The focus remains on divorce as currently practiced in the United States. A historical review of divorce as practiced in Western culture is included.     

Comparing Pansexual- and Bisexual-Identified Participants on Demographics,Psychological Well-Being,and Political Ideology in a New Zealand National Sample

Pansexuality, characterized by attraction to people regardless of their gender, is an emerging sexual identity. Research has started to explore the differences between those who identify as pansexual and those who identify as bisexual, typically defined as being attracted to both men and women. This article extends past research by testing for differences between those who identify as pansexual (n = 52) and bisexual (n = 497) in a nationally representative sample. We used the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS) to test for differences in demographic variables, psychological well-being, and political ideology. We found that pansexual participants were younger, more likely to be gender diverse (transgender or nonbinary), and more likely to be from the indigenous Māori ethnic group than bisexual participants. Pansexual participants also reported higher psychological distress and were more politically liberal than bisexual participants. These results suggest that people who identify as pansexual are, on average, quantifiably different from those who identify as bisexual; this study adds to a new but growing body of research on emerging plurisexual identities.     

Seeking Ideas for Special Issues of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work

Two misconceptions-one having to do with "the low level of functional utility of the family" of today and the other with the particularly isolated situation of the old person-are challenged. Study findings in support of the challenge are presented, and then knowledge gaps are identified, with particular emphasis on the need for systematic studies of the relationships between formal and informal support systems and impact studies of family incentive programs.     

Tightening income documentation in a means-tested program: who stays away?

Programs using means tests to identify low-income households face a trade-off between promoting access and ensuring program integrity. The authors use a comparison-district design to estimate the effects of a pilot program to improve the accuracy of the process of certifying students for free or reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch Program. This pilot program required households to provide income documentation with their applications for these benefits. Requiring income documentation did not reduce the proportion of ineligible households getting free or reduced-price meals. Furthermore, this requirement did reduce access to the program among eligible households.     

Age differences in IDA savings outcomes: findings from the American Dream Demonstration

This study aims to develop a greater understanding of age differences in savings outcomes within Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). Participant data from the American Dream Demonstration (ADD) are examined for age differences in accumulated net deposits, average monthly net deposits, and deposit frequency. ADDprogram data are examined for savings match rates, monthly savings targets, direct deposit, and hours of financial education offered. Results indicate that, on average, older IDA participants have better savings outcomes than younger participants. Findings from this study suggest that impoverished middleaged and older adults can save if provided an opportunity and incentives. However, success will depend on the characteristics of the programs.