A configurational approach to transnational families: Who and where is one's family in the case of mobile older adults?

This article introduces a novel transnational family configuration (TNFC) approach to study the diversity of family forms across kinship and geographical boundaries. Integrating theoretical insights from family sociology and transnational family research, it examines contemporary families as personal networks that encompass both subjectively identified and potentially transnationally dispersed kin and non-kin members. Drawing on original survey data and in-depth interviews with adults aged 55+ living in Switzerland, it compares migrants’ and non-migrants’ personal family networks. The results indicate that these networks are both diverse and transnational. Although there is a strong correlation between transnationality and migration background, other life-course factors also contribute to the development of transnational family networks beyond the scope of migrant ‘exceptionalism’. By advocating the adoption of a TNFC approach to the study of contemporary families, in diverse population groups and various cultural contexts, this study paves the way for future research in this area.     

Alliance governance choices: Disentangling the effects of uncertainty and alliance experience

This article analyses the interaction between alliance experience and behavioural uncertainty to improve our understanding of alliance governance. We investigate the extent to which the effect of alliance experience on governance choices is explained by a reduction in “mundane” transaction costs or by a reduction in “opportunistic” transaction costs. Based on more than 12,000 firm experiences with equity and non-equity alliances, we demonstrate a reduction in mundane transaction costs over time by firms reusing the same governance structure in successive alliances. We also find that in high behavioural uncertainty alliances, firms rely on their experience as a substitute for equity governance to reduce opportunistic transaction costs.     

Should I stay or should I go now? Exploring Polish women's returns “home”

At a time when there are more people on the move than ever before, it is pivotal to explore people's motivations and experiences of return migration. Whilst motivations for migration are comparatively well explored, return migrants' experiences are less well‐known and migrants' gender is rarely considered. This article addresses these gaps. It is based on qualitative research and in‐depth interviews with 32 Polish women: 16 migrants and 16 return migrants. Considered through the lens of agency and structure, this research uncovers how fluid the process of migration has become; migration motivations and patterns are blurred and interlinked with one another while classic migration theories seem outdated. The study uses an “intersection of motivations” to show how inseparable migration‐related motivations have become. This article contributes to the growing literature on East–West return migration and highlights women as migrants and the gendered nature of their mobility.     

The Diagnostic Utility of the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory for Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review

Children with alleged child sexual abuse (CSA) need to be assessed systematically. The use of validated instruments during the assessment, like the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI), could add diagnostic value. We aim to assess the diagnostic utility of the CSBI to differentiate between sexually abused and non-abused children. We conducted a systematic review. We searched the electronic databases MEDLINE and PsychInfo for studies comparing CSBI scores in sexually abused children and non-abused children (2–12 years old). Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the methodological quality. We included 7 (out of 1048) articles. The CSBI total scores were significantly higher in CSA-victims compared with non-abused children (in case–control settings). However, in children with suspected CSA, the results were ambiguous. One study reported significant differences. Another study reported weak diagnostic ability for the CSBI-3 in children with suspected CSA (a sensitivity and specificity of 0.50, with a positive predictive value of 0.28, and a negative predictive value of 0.72). Research on the diagnostic utility of the CSBI for suspected CSA is limited and shows disappointing results. Until more research is done, the CSBI should not be used on its own to differentiate between sexually abused and non-abused children.     

Intergenerational effects of further vocational training in Germany

ABSTRACT

This article analyses the influence of unemployed parents’ further vocational training on their children’s future apprenticeship and employment opportunities. We focus on households receiving means-tested benefits in Germany and investigate whether parents’ further vocational training helps avoid an intergenerational transmission of unemployment. Parents’ further vocational training can affect children’s future apprenticeship and employment opportunities directly, for instance by raising the value attributed to education and training within the family. Indirect effects via parents’ improved employment opportunities are possible as well. The sample consists of adolescents who were 14–17 years old when their parents participated in a further vocational training programme. We evaluate apprenticeship and employment outcomes for the young adults at ages 17–23 using entropy balancing methods on the basis of rich large-scale register data. Our findings indicate significantly positive effects of parents’ further vocational training on children’s apprenticeship enrolment but non-significant or negative effects on children’s regular employment at young ages. Moreover, mediation analysis gives evidence that these effects are partly mediated via an increase in parents’ own employment opportunities. Overall, our analyses indicate that parents’ further vocational training improves the qualifications of the next generation as well.     

The impact of parenting style on fear of crime among adolescent girls and boys

Research on adolescent fear of crime is still relatively limited and often simply applies theoretical explanations proposed for adults. This study strives to extend current knowledge in this field by analyzing the impact of parenting style on fear of crime, namely parental attachment, parental supervision, and parental support of adolescent autonomy, while also considering possible gender differences. Using data from a self-report survey of approximately 1500 Czech adolescents, a hierarchical regression analysis is employed to examine these relationships while controlling for socio-demographic variables, environmental disorder, leisure time indicators, as well as victimization experience. The results suggest that higher parental supervision and lower parental support of adolescent autonomy are associated with increased fear of crime among adolescents. In addition, a gender-specific effect is found for parental attachment which somewhat decreases fear of crime for boys and increases it for girls. Nevertheless, the overall impact of parental indicators on fear of crime is relatively low. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.     

Early Sexual Initiation and Mental Health: A Fleeting Association or Enduring Change?

The present research examined how the within‐person association between sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms decays over time, using data with annual measurement occasions across adolescence (N = 1,789) and statistical models of within‐person change. Sexual initiation was associated with increased levels of internalizing symptoms for early‐initiating girls (ninth grade, approximately age 15), but not for on‐time‐initiating girls or for boys. The association between girls' early sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms declined precipitously over time. Indeed, 1 year after sexual debut, early‐initiating girls were similar to on‐time or noninitiating girls on internalizing symptoms, suggesting early sexual initiation does not produce lasting detriments to girls' mental health. Findings inform how researchers perceive sexual initiation, both as a developmental milestone and as a prevention target.     

Where does time spent on the Internet come from? Tracing the influence of information and communications technology use on daily activities

We explore from a time-use perspective how private use of computers and the Internet [information and communications technologies (ICTs)] is transforming everyday life. Data from the Swedish 2010–2011 Time-Use Survey reflect a situation in which Internet use has spread widely and become routine for many. Using covariate analysis, we analyse differences in general time use between four groups of ICT users ranging from non-users to heavy users. The theoretical departure point is a nuanced discussion of the time-displacement concept. Results indicate that private time spent using ICTs is associated primarily with individuals’ available free time, that is, elastic relative to time for paid work (i.e. contracted time). Heavy ICT users spend more time on activities carried out alone, are more home centred, and less mobile. Heavy use is associated with somewhat less committed time spent, for example, on maintenance work or taking care of children. Regarding personal time, time for meals is negatively related to heavy use, while night-time sleep is unaffected. Concerning free time, heavy use takes time from sports and outdoor recreation, but has no effect on offline media use, entertainment and cultural activities, or reading. Heavy use does not affect time spent on social activities, for example, for social interaction with family and friends or time spent on voluntary associations. Observed differences become significant at certain thresholds of ICT-related time use, involving heavy users who spend one hour or more on computers and the Internet every day.     

Hiring subsidies for people with a disability: Evidence from a small‐scale social field experiment

The effectiveness of hiring subsidies for people with disabilities remains unclear due to potential free‐rider, substitution and signalling effects. The authors propose a novel evaluation approach wherein it is randomly decided whether or not job applications disclose the subsidy to potential employers. Based on call‐back rates for interviews, the subsidy is found to be ineffective or even counterproductive in a group of adolescents having completed their vocational training programme. However, the negative signalling effect seems to be much weaker in a group of clients of job‐coaching services who acquired their disability during their working life.