Assessing Family Caregiving: A Comparison of Three Retrospective Parentification Measures

Despite the frequent use of the Parentification Questionnaire (PQ) and the Parentification Scale (PS) in research studies, scant attention has been directed toward the psychometric properties of the scores derived from these measures. Moreover, given the importance of parentification as a clinical topic for treatment, it is surprising that more attention has not been paid to the accuracy and psychometric properties of parentification instruments. The current study was the first to compare the psychometric properties of these two commonly used parentification instruments (i.e., PQ and PS). This study also examined another parentification instrument, newly developed: the Parentification Inventory (PI). More specifically, the psychometric properties of the PI were compared comprehensively with those of the PQ and PS in a sample of college students (N = 787). Scores derived from the three measures were found to be comparable, valid, and reliable. Implications for couple and family system practice, and directions for future research are proffered.     

Documents as ‘risky’ sources of data: a reflection on social and emotional positioning – a research note

As units of analysis, documents are often seen as unproblematic, easily accessed sources of data. This research note discusses and reflects on a research project where documents were not easy to access and instead prompted significant negotiation, contained disturbing information and images and had an emotional impact on the researcher. A reflexive account is provided in this paper, which draws upon feminist methodological theory and explores the researcher’s experiences of using documents in research. The paper concludes that documents should not always be categorised as a low risk data source, rather issues such as access difficulties, ethical dilemmas and potential emotional harm, should also be considered.     

Sexual Cognition Guides Viewing Strategies to Human Figures

Gaze patterns to figure images have been proposed to reflect the observer's sexual interest, particularly for men. This eye-tracking study investigated how individual differences in sexual motivation tendencies are manifested in naturalistic gaze patterns. Heterosexual men and women (M = 21.0 years, SD = 2.1) free-viewed plain-clothed male and female figures, aged 10, 20, and 40 years old, while their eye movements were recorded. Questionnaires were used to measure sexual cognitions, including sensation seeking and sexual compulsivity, sexual inhibition and excitation, and approach and avoidance responses to sexual stimuli. Our analysis showed a clear role of sexual cognitions in influencing gaze strategies for men. Specifically, men who scored higher on sexual compulsivity dedicated more gaze to the waist–hip region when viewing figures of their preferred sexual partners than men who scored lower on sexual compulsivity. Women's sexual cognitions showed no clear effect on the gaze pattern in viewing figures of their preferred age and gender of sexual partners, suggesting women's gaze is unlikely to be a straightforward reflection of their sexual preferences. The findings further suggest that men's gaze allocation is driven by sexual preferences and supports the utility of eye tracking in the assessment of male sexual interest.     

The Social Worker's Role in Serving Vulnerable Athletes

Athletes are a population group with unique vulnerabilities whose social work-related needs are often not met. Because of the perception that they are young and healthy, athletes are seen as free from mental health challenges and social problems. Yet athletes are at high risk for distress due to pressures to perform, avoid showing pain, hide physical injuries and substance abuse problems, eating disorders and burnout. At the same time, they may have false support systems that are interested in the athlete for social or monetary status. Social workers are broad systems practitioners who can focus on how the environment and other influences affect an athlete's mental health and well-being. Because social workers are strengths-based, they can assist athletes in achieving their highest level of functioning on and off the playing field.     

The Governance of Public–Nonprofit Service Networks: A Comparison Between Three Types of Governance Roles

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - In this research, we focus on the governance role of the coordinator affiliated to the leading agency in...     

Knowing Your Adversary: Israeli Structure of Political Opportunity and the Inception of the Palestinian Intifada

Social movement scholars have suggested that opportunity structures are not objective features of the world but must be constructed by social forces, including social movements. Here, we attempt to analyze how Palestinians living in the occupied territories constructed political opportunity during the run-up to the 1987 first Intifada. We analyze how the changing Israeli political opportunity structure affected Palestinians’ framing of the structural conditions they faced. In particular, we examine (1) how the consolidating Palestinian movement within the occupied territories built the capacity for a shared, collective framing of events, and (2) how the movement adapted a strategy based on its understanding of the opportunity presented by divisions in Israeli society concerning the occupation. Based on the analysis, we offer several insights into the Intifada's dynamics and trajectories.

A qualitative study of the practices and experiences of staff in multidisciplinary child sexual exploitation partnerships in three English coastal towns

This article presents findings from a qualitative study of the practices and experiences of people working in multidisciplinary child sexual exploitation (CSE) partnerships in three coastal towns in England. The study is based on focus groups conducted with 36 practitioners from a range of professional groups, including police, social work, substance misuse, education, specialist youth workers, sexual health, and statutory and non-statutory children's services. The article begins with an overview of the three towns and the structure of their responses to CSE. It goes on to explore a range of factors, which contribute to the local issues around CSE and which affect and direct multiagency working. These include practitioner perspectives on CSE vulnerability, the discrepancy between young peoples' and practitioners' views about “exploitation”, a discussion of how CSE perpetrators initiate and develop contact with young people and the role of incentives—including drugs and alcohol—as part of CSE exploitation. We finish by drawing out some general conclusions.     

Neurodevelopmental biology associated with childhood sexual abuse

Child maltreatment appears to be the single most preventable cause of mental illness and behavioral dysfunction in the United States. Few published studies examine the developmental and the psychobiological consequences of sexual abuse. There are multiple mechanisms through which sexual abuse can cause post-traumatic stress disorder, activate biological stress response systems, and contribute to adverse brain development. This article will critically review the psychiatric problems associated with maltreatment and the emerging biologic stress system research with a special emphasis on what is known about victimization by sexual abuse.