Sibling coalitions in the context of parental child maltreatment

Child maltreatment (CM) is a social and public health issue with a high global prevalence. However, sibling dynamics in the context of CM remain understudied. The present study aims to shed light on sibling relationships in the context of parental CM. The sample included 20 Israeli adult CM survivors who grew up with at least one sibling. In-depth interviews explored their experiences as children, with a focus on their relationship with their siblings. A thematic analysis identified the main theme of the formation, or lack thereof, of sibling coalitions in childhood and adulthood. Some participants described comforting and protective sibling relationships in childhood, whereas others told of conflictual or distant childhood relationships that developed into adulthood alliances. Others described perpetrating parents who attempted to disrupt the sibling relationship. The sibling relationship comprises complex dynamics and emotions, which can vary within a single sibling subsystem. The findings highlight the need to examine sibling dynamics throughout the lifespan and their relation to CM survivors' wellbeing. Regarding the spillover and compensation hypotheses, there is a need to explore the role of the perpetrating parent and their attempts to sabotage the sibling dynamic.     

The Vital Role of Social Workers in Community Partnerships: The Alliance for Gay,Lesbian, Bisexual,Transgender and Questioning Youth

The account of The Alliance for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (GLBTQ) Youth formation offers a model for developing community-based partnerships. Based in a major urban area, this university-community collaboration was spearheaded by social workers who were responsible for its original conceptualization, for generating community support, and for eventual staffing, administration, direct service provision, and program evaluation design. This article presents the strategic development and evolution of this community-based service partnership, highlighting the roles of schools of social work, academics, and social work students in concert with community funders, practitioners and youth, in responding to the needs of a vulnerable population.     

Bandwagon Effects and Two-Party Majority Voting

Empirical studies of voting behavior provide evidence of bandwagon effects. Some voters, believing that a particular candidate will win, vote for this candidate even though they prefer the alternative. This paper provides a non-expected utility explanation of such behavior by positing that voters may be averse to the uncertainty associated with an election.     

Empowering Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Youth: Lessons Learned From a Safe Schools Summit

ABSTRACT

The bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in schools is a significant problem in the United States. This study examined responses of youth participants at a statewide Safe Schools Summit to a survey of their experiences with school-based violence, harassment, and discrimination, and of the effects of their attendance at the Summit. Quantitative analyses found that 92% of respondents felt “more empowered” following participation in the Summit. Qualitative analyses found several emerging themes related to respondents' experiences with victimization (leading to a sense of powerlessness and attempts at self-protection) and to their experiences at the Summit itself (leading to catharsis, strengthened skills, and a commitment to confront bullies and to make schools safer). A conceptual model of the interaction of these factors is presented and implications for further research and practice are discussed.     

Demonstrating LGBTQ+ Affirmative Practice in Groups:: Developing Competence through Simulation-Based Learning

Clinical Social Work Journal - Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and/or gender minority (LGBTQ+) populations experience significant mental and behavioral health...     

Telling your own bad news: Eliot Spitzer and a test of the stealing thunder strategy

This study explored the concept of stealing thunder, or telling your own bad news. Unlike previous research which used surveys and experiments, this study examined actual news coverage following crises that involved individuals. One case study compared media coverage of two New York governors while the second case study compared media coverage of a high profile athlete and a late night talk show host. In each of the two studies, one of the individuals in crisis stole thunder from reporters by revealing negative information before the media did; while the other person in crisis engaged in silence and allowed the media to break the story. Results indicate there may be an association between stealing thunder and the amount of news coverage one receives. Both studies found that the source who stole thunder received considerably less news coverage than the source who did not. Additionally, results from both studies showed that stealing thunder was associated with more positively framed stories and headlines and fewer negative media frames.     

Generalized Reduced‐Form Auctions: A Network‐Flow Approach

We develop a network‐flow approach for characterizing interim‐allocation rules that can be implemented by ex post allocations. Our method can be used to characterize feasible interim allocations in general multi‐unit auctions where agents face capacity constraints, both ceilings and floors. Applications include a variety of settings of practical interest, ranging from individual and group‐specific capacity constraints, set‐aside sale, partnership dissolution, and government license reallocation.     

Health and Cultural Determinants of Voluntary HIV Testing and Counseling Among Middle-Aged and Older Latina Women

The rate of cases of HIV/AIDS in older people is increasing; indeed one out of every four people with HIV/AIDS is over age 50. This study describes the correlates of HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) using structural equation modeling techniques for a sample of 135 middle-aged and middle-aged and older Latinas in South Florida. Over 60% of participants had been tested for HIV. Provider endorsement was found to be the strongest predictor of VCT (odds ratio [OR] = 6. 38), followed by having a clinic as a regular source of healthcare (OR = 3.88). Social work implications are provided.     

The Gender Gap in Fear: Assessing the Interactive Effects of Gender and Perceived Risk on Fear of Crime

In this research we explore the interaction between gender and perceived risk of victimization on levels of fear of crime. Much of the previous research on the effects of gender on fear of crime assumes that crimes are not gendered and that the effects of gender would operate the same regardless of type of crime. Challenging this assumption, we examine crimes that disproportionately victimize women or men. We find that there is greater nuance in both fear of crime and perception of risk when explored in this way. In fact, men's fear of crime actually surpasses women's fear at high levels of perceived risk for those crimes in which men are more likely to be victimized. We offer explanations for this finding, concluding that gendered perceptions of crime and victimization may drive these differences. In sum, our study indicates that future research on fear of crime must be even further attuned to the gender gap in fear.