Social Work Leadership: Identifying Core Attributes

This article argues that social work academics are educationally remiss for not defining the concepts touted as important for the profession and for our students. Through a content analysis of published literature, the author distilled five core attributes of social work leadership that underpin all other knowledge, personal, and skilled capacities. These core attributes are defined and how they have been used to date is described. This work is aspirational, and the author hopes that other academics and social work professionals may add to its thinking and application.     

Etiology of School Shootings: Utilizing a Purposive,Non-Impulsive Model for Social Work Practice

Many schools have introduced violence prevention measures that aim to combat acts such as bullying and carrying weapons on school premises. Despite these attempts, students and faculty live in fear of a school shooting happening in their community. This article reviews the factors that are most prevalent in those who follow through with school violence and the most prevalent cluster of variables seen in cases of school shootings. Next, the etiology of school shootings and the stages-of-change model, applied to school violence, is discussed. The analyses are then followed by implications for social work and how to augment existing practices through practice and policy changes.     

Feasibility of a Telephone Follow-Up on Use of Emergency Contraceptive Pills in a College Health Center

Abstract

The authors examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a telephone follow-up procedure on use of emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) at a college health center. They made 264 telephone calls to the 97 women who had received ECPs during one 16-week academic semester and were successful in reaching 65 (67%) of the women, who responded with information about their experiences with ECPs. The women demonstrated a high rate of adherence to the medical regimen and reported very few side effects from ECPs; a majority said that ECPs did not affect their ability to carry out daily activities. On weighing the relative absence of problems following ECP distribution against the time, effort, and cost required to reach just over two thirds of the women, the researchers concluded that an ECP telephone follow-up procedure was neither cost-effective nor particularly useful.     

Heart Disease Risk Perception in College Men and Women

Abstract

The authors sought to assess the perception of risks for coronary heart disease (CHD) in college men and women. They surveyed 470 undergraduates from 2 major 4-year institutions who completed a questionnaire that measured perceived risks for heart disease. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents rated their risks as lower or much lower than those of their peers, indicating a clear optimistic bias. The research also revealed that the students who exercised regularly rated their risk of coronary disease lower than those who did not do so. In addition, women perceived a number of risk markers to be more potent or causative factors than men did. A significant number of participants did not comprehend commonly understood causal relationships associated with heart disease risk. The findings in this preliminary investigation suggest that college men and women do not accurately perceive their risks for developing heart disease.     

A Differential Analysis of Criminal Behavior among African-American and Caucasian Female Juvenile Delinquents

ABSTRACT

This study examined how social control factors might contribute to criminal offenses among African-American and Caucasian adolescent females using Hirschi's 1969 model of social control. Secondary data was used from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). Data were used for African-American and Caucasian girls from Wave I, resulting in a sample of 837. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship for attachment and commitment even though it was not in the predicted direction. Involvement and belief were the only statistically significant variables in the predicted negative direction. An interaction was detected between race-by-belief, race-by-involvement, and race-by-commitment, but only race-by-involvement was in the predicted direction. Further research is needed testing this model.     

Nonprofit Service Organizations: Fidelity with Strategic Plans for Financial Survival—Critical Roles for Chief Executive Officers

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on two nonprofit health education-advocacy organizations and the impetus and goals for initiating and implementing a strategic plan for financial survival. The study addressed the similarities and differences in implementation processes and the degree of fidelity (adherence) to the plan once implemented. On-site interviews in two different geographic areas were conducted. Content analysis revealed a sense of optimism about the future tempered by sharpened awareness of the need for following a strategic plan for survival driven by the difficulties of fund raising in today's increasingly financially competitive environment. Findings of the study indicate that poststrategic plan fidelity after implementation did exist. Communication between and among chief executive officers and volunteer board members reflects an area for further exploration. The study has important applied implications for the small, financially challenged nonprofit organization.