SexEd.com: Values and norms in web‐based sexuality education

The sexual values and norms transmitted to adolescents through school‐based sexuality education programs have been noted and critiqued by an interdisciplinary pool of researchers. With the increasing availability of the Internet to many American adolescents, the opportunities it provides for discreet and independent exploration, and the virtual lack of regulation of information provided by web sites, the Internet is emerging as a unique and critical site of sexuality education. This work analyzes the values and norms transmitted to adolescents via 52 sexuality education web sites, drawing parallels to its school‐based counterpart and interrogating the reliance of all forms of sexuality education on a problem‐focused, gendered, and narrowly‐bounded discourse of adolescent sexuality.     

Ridge regression: A multivariate analysis of criminal activity

The objective of the paper is to apply the statistical procedure of ridge regression to a multivariate model of criminal activity. The explanatory variables are of an economic, apprehension, and seasonal nature. The Time Shared Reactive On Line Laboratory (TROLL) computer package was used in estimating all regression coefficients and other pertinent statistics. The economic variables, which included per capita personal income, hours worked, and plant closing dummy variable, were found to be statistically related to criminal activity. In addition, police expenditures as well as the three seasonal dummy variables were statistically associated with the dependent variable. A comparison is made between the results obtained from the ordinary least squares procedure and the ridge regression approach.     

Child custody issues and co‐occurrence of intimate partner violence and child maltreatment: controversies and points of agreement amongst practitioners

The situation of families undergoing separation in a context of co‐occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment raises certain issues related to child custody. The results presented in this paper were collected and analysed within the framework of a qualitative study aiming to identify the principal points of agreement and the main controversies amongst practitioners in several different types of organizations. Focus groups were held with a total of 43 practitioners from six different settings concerned with child custody in cases of co‐occurrence of IPV and child maltreatment. Although they agreed on the importance of ensuring the safety of victims of violence, their views diverged on three points: (1) the importance of preserving the father–child relationship; (2) collaboration between voluntary organizations and semi‐voluntary or legal agencies; and (3) consideration of cultural differences.     

Understanding heterosexual Chinese college students' intention to adopt safer sex behaviors

This study aimed to examine Chinese college students' safer sex behaviors and to explore whether or not the Theory of Reasoned Action would be useful in understanding AIDS/HIV‐prevention behaviors of Chinese students. A total of 455 Chinese college students (161 males and 267 females) in Hong Kong participated in the study. Results revealed that 24% of the students were sexually active during the surveyed year, with only 38.2% of them reporting regular condom use. About one third of the students intended to experiment with casual sex in the future, but only 64% would use condoms regularly if they were to have future casual sexual encounters. Results indicated that the Theory of Reasoned Action was most applicable in understanding Chinese college students’ intention to use condoms in future casual sexual encounters, rather than in current and future regular sexual activities. Specifically, students who intended‐to use condoms in future casual sex encounters tended to have accurate AIDS/HIV information, show little prejudice against people with AIDS/HIV, demonstrate greater concern about contracting AIDS/HIV, feel confident in condom use, and have positive attitudes toward safer sex behaviors. Gender disparity was also noted in the pattern of associations between safer sex behaviors and various psychological variables. Limitations of the present study and implications for future research were also discussed.     

Picture Perception in Infants: Generalization From Two‐Dimensional to Three‐Dimensional Displays

Two experiments investigated 9‐month‐old infants’ abilities to recognize the correspondence between an actual three‐dimensional (3D) object and its two‐dimensional (2D) representation, looking specifically at representations that did not literally depict the actual object: schematic line drawings. In Experiment 1 , infants habituated to a line drawing of either a doll or a sheep and were then tested with the actual objects themselves. Infants habituated to the sheep drawing recovered to the unfamiliar but not the familiar object, showing a novelty preference. Infants habituated to the doll drawing, however, recovered to both familiar and unfamiliar objects, failing to show any preference between the two. In Experiment 2 , infants habituated to the 3D objects and were then tested with the 2D line drawings. In this case, both groups of infants showed a preference only for the novel displays. Together these findings demonstrate that 9‐month‐old infants recognize the correspondence between 3D objects and their 2D representations, even when these representations are not literal copies of the objects themselves.     

School Provision for Roma Children: a European perspective

The current period is a pivotal one: European institutions started taking the schooling of Roma children into account in the early 1980s. Important texts have been adopted and wide‐reaching projects have been implemented. As European programmes are intensifying and are gradually opening up to all the States of Europe, we are faced with the necessity of defining the work in this field — both in terms of objectives, and in terms of organisation — more clearly. Even if part of the road is now being travelled, and the jigsaw of projects and programmes in diverse and essential domains is gradually taking shape, a great deal none the less remains to be done. Within our present social context rendering all progress appears to be fragile and uncertain. All efforts must be combined to consolidate achievements and advance towards the dynamic cultural affirmation and development made possible in the mutual respect of an intercultural approach. The set of activities presently under way can continue to be seen as an essential driving force, as a reference model, and as a demonstration that cultural diversity and action geared towards respecting diversity are a source of enrichment for all pupils, and for European society as a whole.     

Directional mixture models and optimal estimation of the mixing density

The authors develop consistent nonparametric estimation techniques for the directional mixing density. Classical spherical harmonics are used to adapt Euclidean techniques to this directional environment. Minimax rates of convergence are obtained for rotation ally invariant densities verifying various smoothness conditions. It is found that the differences in smoothness between the Laplace, the Gaussian and the von Mises‐Fisher distributions lead to contrasting inferential conclusions.     

Infant Nutrition and 12 and 18 Months Secure Base Behavior: An Exploratory Study

A notable omission in studies of developmental links to early nutritional deficiencies is infant attachment. In those few studies investigating associations between infant nutrition and attachment, nutrition was defined solely by physical growth, and infants had moderate–severe growth retardation. In this study, we utilized multiple markers of infant nutrition. Our sample consisted of 172 12‐month‐old Peruvian infants and their mothers from low‐income families, with a follow‐up assessment on 77 infants at 18 months. Infants were not severely malnourished, but did have micronutrient deficiencies. Anthropometry, dietary intake, and iron status were used as measures of infant nutrition. Based on infant behavior in a structured laboratory situation, Q‐sort techniques were used to rate three attachment markers: infant secure base behavior, interaction quality, and negative emotionality with mother. At 12 months, infant weight was positively related to interaction quality. At 18 months, infant iron status was positively related to secure base behavior. This pattern of findings remained even after statistically controlling for family socioeconomic status and maternal education. Our findings indicate that infant nutritional status is associated with markers of infant attachment and these associations are not restricted just to severely malnourished infants.     

Variation in part‐time job quality within the nonprofit human service sector

This article extends the growing literature on the quality of part‐time employment to the domain of nonprofit human services, specifically grassroots organizations in which paid work is itself a relatively new reality. It addresses three central questions: How do part‐time and full‐time workers differ in their personal and household characteristics? How do part‐time jobs differ in access to employment benefits from their full‐time counterparts; and finally, How does benefits access vary among part‐time job titles? These lines of inquiry are examined using data from the populations of nonprofit domestic violence programs and their employees in a large midwestern metropolitan area. Analyses of worker‐level data reveal that part‐time workers in these settings disproportionately live with children, are in committed relationships, and report a strong preference for employment that facilitates work‐life balance; they are also less likely to be primary household wage earners. Analyses at the level of jobs suggest that employment benefits extended to part‐time jobs are minimal compared to their full‐time equivalents, but there are also striking variations among different part‐time titles. The results offer insights into the nature of part‐time work in these nonprofit human service settings and potential challenges for effective management.