Priority Topics in the Study of Environmental Risk in Developing Countries: Report on a Workshop Held at the East–West Center, August, 1988

The rapid industrialization occurring in developing regions of the world brings not only economic benefits, but changes in the types and severity of health and environmental problems that each region experiences. As the industrialized world moves toward the use of risk assessment methodologies to aid in problem evaluation and regulatory and policy decision analysis, it seems inevitable that these methodologies will be applied globally. The changes brought about by rapid industrialization, however, must be viewed within the context of societies that are still struggling with the more traditional and basic environmental problems associated with urban and rural poverty. The urgency of development and the lack of adequate resources for characterizing health and environmental changes, often present under these circumstances, offer special challenges to the application of risk assessment methodologies.     

Citizens Advice Bureaux: Problems of an Emerging Service in Rural Areas

Nineteen eighty nine marked the Golden Jubilee of the CABx in the UK. Over the past 50 years it has established itself nationally as the prime provider of generalist advice, but there are special problems associated with delivering the service in rural areas. These include: the logistical difficulties of serving remote communities with small and scattered populations; maintaining the independence of bureau, especially from the local authorities that mainly fund them; and matching the professional standards now demanded by NACAB. These issues are examined with reference to a questionnaire survey of bureaux managers in Cornwall and Devon carried out as part of the AJRBP project at the University of Exeter.     

An application of attribution and equity theories to tax evasion behavior

Traditional economic theory often has been utilized in an attempt to explain tax evasion behavior. Although economic consequences are important factors in the understanding of tax evasion behavior, they alone do not appear adequate to describe and predict the phenomenon. The results of two experiments which apply two social psychological theories, attribution theory and equity theory, to tax evasion judgments are reported. In the first experiment, the effects of personal need and degree of societal consensus were investigated. Both variables significantly affected recommended penalty judgments. In the second experiment, the effects of societal need and distinctiveness were studied. Neither societal need nor distinctiveness affected recommended penalty judgments. However, a significant interaction effect was found concerning subjects' behavioral intentions to evade. The present research suggests that both attribution theory and equity theory may be helpful in formulating hypotheses and enhancing our understanding of tax evasion behavior.     

Acute stress reactions to everyday stressful life events among sexual abuse survivors with PTSD

This study examined symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), which is often thought of as a precursor to PTSD, among 54 women who already had PTSD for childhood sexual abuse for which they were seeking treatment. We examined the prevalence of ASD symptoms as well as their relationships to trauma symptoms measured by the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40. The ASD diagnosis requires the occurrence of a traumatic life event as well as meeting specific symptoms criteria. We found that fourty-four percent of participants met all symptom criteria for ASD, but only three of these 24 participants described a traumatic life event. Moreover, ASD symptoms were significantly related to trauma symptom scores. These findings suggest that a significant proportion of women with PTSD for childhood sexual abuse may be highly symptomatic for everyday stressful events that would not be experienced as traumatizing to others. Thus, these individuals need assistance in coping with everyday life stressors that do not involve a serious threat or injury in addition to needing help to alleviate their trauma symptoms.     

When the rehabilitation ideal fails: a study of parental rights termination

This study explored the circumstances of parents whose extreme neglect and abuse of their young children justified the drastic state action of termination of their parental rights. Records of 97 children age 6 and under whose parental rights were terminated between 1991 and 1997 in Minnesota were reviewed. Profiles of parents and children were drawn from these data, and a "risk pool" of parents whose children became wards of the state was identified. Guidelines are drawn from this "risk pool" that may help alert practitioners to those parents who are unlikely to safely maintain their children. Questions and implications for policy and practice are highlighted.     

Using focus group interviews to understand staff perceptions from training in the therapeutic community model

The current article is concerned with the use of focus group interviews in understanding staff perceptions of training to work with drug users during the different stages of change from addiction to rehabilitation in the Therapeutic Community model. The article discusses the use of the focus group interview as the most appropriate method for the scope of this study, based on the assumption that trainees are aware of their own needs and demands from training. Methodological issues relevant to the use of focus groups and the individual responses to the training program are discussed. The content and structure of the training program are also discussed. The article concludes that gaining information on people's own perceptions and experiences from the training process can contribute significantly to program improvement.     

Contents to Volume 15, 2002

Volume Contents

Contents to Volume 15, 2002