Comprehending and Rehabilitating Roman Catholic Clergy Offenders of Child Sexual Abuse

Many have studied Roman Catholic clergy who have sexually abused children, but the range of investigations remains disconnected. This article brings together various disciplinary perspectives to form a comprehensive view. A review of the literature is first undertaken to comprehend how clergy offenders have been conceptualized in psychosocial, sociocultural, and moral-religious studies. These perspectives are then used as a foundation for examining how these clergy can be rehabilitated. Three rehabilitative modalities—psychological treatment, rehabilitation through restorative justice, and ritual healing—are explored. The article concludes with a discussion of the insights gained from the literature review and how the modalities can be advanced in an interdependent and considered approach.     

Many Faces of Openness in Adoption: Perspectives of Adopted Adolescents and Their Parents

Parents and adolescents (mean age, 15.7 years) from 177 adoptive families participating in the second wave of the Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project were interviewed about their post-adoption contact arrangements. The sample included families with no contact, stopped contact, contact without meetings, and contact with face-to-face meetings between the adolescent and birth mother. Openness arrangements were dynamic, and different openness arrangements were associated with different experiences and feelings. Adoptive families with contact reported having higher levels of satisfaction about their openness arrangements, experiencing more positive feelings about the birth mother, and possessing more factual and personal knowledge about the birth mother than did families without contact. Adolescents and adoptive mothers in the contact with meetings group reported the greatest satisfaction with their openness arrangements; those with no contact or stopped contact reported the least satisfaction with their arrangements. Participants having no contact were more likely to want the intensity of contact to increase in the future rather than stay the same. Many participants already having contact wanted it to increase in the future. Fewer than 1 percent of all participants wanted to see the intensity of contact decrease.     

Analysing the Gendered Insecurities of Migration

This article examines the experiences of female migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa aiming to reach Europe via Morocco. The article argues that European immigration policies and policies of co-operation with neighbouring countries on the other side of the Mediterranean, have increased the sources of insecurity for migrants attempting to reach Europe, and shows how these insecurities are gendered.     

Sexual Rehabilitation After Prostate Cancer Through Assistive Aids: A Comparison of Gay/Bisexual and Heterosexual Men

The use of assistive aids in sexual rehabilitation after prostate cancer (PCa) was examined in 124 gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) and 225 heterosexual men. GBM were significantly more likely to use assistive aids (79% versus 56%), to try multiple assistive aids (M = 1.65 versus M = 0.83) including medication, penile injection, penile implant, vacuum pump, and nonmedical sex aids, and to seek information about sexual rehabilitation on the Internet, through counseling, or in a support group. There were no differences between the groups in satisfaction with the use of assistive aids. However, use of aids was a significant negative predictor of sexual functioning for GBM and a significant positive predictor for heterosexual men. Interview accounts described satisfaction with assistive aids in terms of maintaining erectile functioning and relationships. The majority of men in the study also described hindrances, both physical and social, resulting in discontinuation of assistive aids, including perceived artificiality, loss of sexual spontaneity, side effects, failure to achieve erectile response, cost, and lack of access to information and support. It is concluded that the specific needs and concerns of GBM and heterosexual men regarding sexual rehabilitation after PCa need to be addressed by clinicians.     

Adolescent Independence across Immigrant Generations: Age and Ethnic Variations

Abstract

This study examines differences in the level of independence in decision-making experienced by three generations of immigrants and the moderating effects of age, sex, and ethnicity. Data for this study were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results indicate generally less independence in decision-making among first-generation immigrants relative to their higher-generation counterparts; however, the relationship varies significantly with ethnicity and age. Among Latinos, adolescents' level of independence increases across successive immigrant generations to a much greater degree than among other ethnic groups. Age further contributes to this interaction, with evidence of greater increases in independence with age among first-generation immigrant Latinos. Findings demonstrate that cultural traditions with regard to parenting and adolescent socialization are important not only within ethnic groups but also within immigrant generations.     

Life's a Gas? The Training Needs of Practitioners and Carers Working with Young People Misusing Volatile Substances

Volatile substance abuse (the deliberate inhalation of substances such as gas fuels, glues, aerosols or other solvent‐based products) by young people does not attract high level attention within the broader arena of drugs education and prevention programmes. Given the prevalence of volatile substances in the lives of vulnerable groups of young people, however, and the risks associated with their misuse, social work education and training might justifiably give a higher profile to the associated needs of young people in need and/or in public care. This paper reports on the findings from a study in England of the training needs of social workers, residential and foster carers in relation to volatile substance abuse by young people, and identifies the implications for further development of training materials and resources.     

The Impact of Emotions on Practicum Learning

Nine mature aged, experienced practitioners enrolled to gain a BSW qualification in social work were interviewed regarding a course requirement to complete the first placement. At the time of interview no recognition of prior learning for previous experience in the field was made possible for these students. As educators we had experienced considerable hostility from students who believed they should be exempt from completing this course requirement. This paper reports on interviews with the nine students, where we consider how student sentiment about completing the practice learning component might impact upon their learning experience. As anticipated, some students expressed strong negative views about being on placement. However, others were much more positive about the experience. These mixed views prompted us to explore further the relationship between emotion and practice learning. The article begins with a review of the literature concerning mature student engagement with tertiary education, followed by an overview of theory and research related to the ways feelings and emotion influence learning. Using passages from the interviews, expressions of participant anxiety, anger and excitement about the practicum are discussed with the view to extending discourse about practicum learning to include consideration of emotional intelligence and investment.