Family abductions: An examination of the role of offender gender

Utilizing data from a national study of missing children, this article compares family abductions perpetrated by men and women. Comparisons focus on the incidence, outcomes, and institutional responses to the abductions. Also, the relationship between the abductor and child(ren), harm to the child(ren), the use of concealment, and the characteristics of abductors and children are examined. Women perpetrated approximately one third of the abductions in the study. Female perpetrated abductions were more likely to involve concealment of the child, and were of longer duration. The relationship between these patterns and patterns of custody and societal expectations regarding parental roles of men and women are discussed. Broader implications for the understanding of female criminality are also explored. Some of the data in this paper were presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Criminology in Miami, Florida in November, 1994. Her research focuses on domestic violence, rape, and media images of crime. Her research interests are in the areas of the criminal victimization of children and adolescents, domestic violence, and corrections.     

Don't get bugged: practical strategies for managing bedbug infestation in psychiatric rehabilitation programs

Bedbug infestation has become a major problem in the United States. Infestations can be frightening and expensive and appear to be more prevalent in urban settings and low-income housing such as homeless shelters, public housing, and single-room occupancy apartments. This exposes consumers and staff of psychiatric rehabilitation agencies to higher risk of infestation. This brief report outlines practical suggestions for managing bedbug infestation in such agencies. Drawing on resources readily available on the Internet and the experience of Thresholds, a large provider of psychiatric rehabilitation services based in Chicago, this report describes strategies for responding to infestation. Providers need to assume that bedbug infestation is a significant risk and prepare accordingly. Assertive, persistent, and calm response is recommended.     

Impact of a Group Prenatal Program for Pregnant Adolescents on Perceived Partner Support

This quasi-experimental study compared family formation and perceived partner support among pregnant adolescents in a prenatal care program. Participants were assigned to either an intervention group utilizing centering pregnancy (CP) prenatal care and case management, or to a comparison group receiving case management only. Partners were invited to participate in CP group sessions. This study included 173 predominantly minority pregnant adolescents ages 15–18 years who were enrolled in a prenatal program and followed one month postpartum. Family formation included living and relationship arrangements. Perceived partner support included six domains of perceived social provisions. Data were collected through participants’ self-reports using computer-assisted self-interviews. Changes in family formation and perceptions of partner support from baseline to postpartum did not differ between intervention and comparison groups. Male partners who attended at least one CP session were perceived as more supportive at both the beginning and end of the program than partners who did not attend any sessions. After combining groups, pregnant adolescents reported a significant shift in family formation and increased monetary support from partners from baseline to postpartum. Partner support is important for ensuring positive pregnancy outcomes. Additional strategies are needed to engage young fathers who do not readily provide support during pregnancy.     

Sexual orientation identification of men who have sex with men in public settings in Canada

The present study attempts to determine how men who have sex with men (MSM) identify in terms of their sexual orientation. The sexual identity of MSM has important implications for the spread of HIV. The literature suggests that gay or bisexual identifying MSM are more likely to practice safer sex than heterosexually-identified MSM. A significant number of the MSM in public settings, such as parks, are believed to be heterosexual identifying. MSM in bathhouses are presumed to be gay or bisexual identifying. Parks have been the focus of safer sex outreach efforts targeted towards heterosexually-identified MSM. Sexual orientation self-identification was ascertained from park and bathhouse users via one-on-one interactions with outreach workers from 1996 to 1998. Chi-square analysis revealed no significant difference in the expressed sexual orientation of bath and park users, with both populations consisting mostly of gay-identified men. Heterosexually-identified MSM are not found in significant numbers in public settings. The current micro educational approach used to target these men may not be cost-effective. Alternative strategies are discussed.     

Adolescents' Gender Mistrust: Variations and Implications for the Quality of Romantic Relationships

Recent research demonstrates that perceptions of gender mistrust are implicated in lower marriage rates among low-income populations. Yet few quantitative studies have examined the factors predicting gender mistrust during adolescence and whether it influences the quality of subsequent nonmarital romantic relationships. Analysis of three waves of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (N = 1,106) indicates that in addition to neighborhood poverty rates, parents' own gender mistrust and parent-child relationship quality are related to adolescents' gender mistrust, suggesting that parents play an important role in influencing adolescents' developing feelings of gender mistrust. Perceptions of gender mistrust are not related to whether adolescents are involved in dating relationships, but are linked to higher levels of jealousy and verbal conflict in adolescents' subsequent romantic relationships, albeit only for male adolescents.     

Screening for trauma exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms among mothers receiving child welfare preventive services

The role of parental trauma exposure and related mental health symptoms as risk factors for child maltreatment for parents involved with the child welfare (CW) system has received limited attention. In particular, little is known about the extent to which mothers receiving CW services to prevent maltreatment have experienced trauma and suffered trauma-related psychopathology. This study examined screening data collected from 127 mothers receiving CW preventive services. There were high levels of trauma exposure among screened mothers and their young children. Among mothers, 91.6% experienced at least one traumatic event (M = 2.60) and 92.2% reported their children had been exposed to one or more traumas (M = 4.85). Mothers reported high levels of trauma-related symptoms: 54.3% met probable criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression (61.7%). Nearly half (48.8%) met criteria for co-morbid PTSD and depression. The large majority of the clients with trauma-related disorders were not receiving mental health services. Latina women had significantly more severe PTSD symptoms than African American women. Case planners reported that the screening process was useful and feasible. These findings underscore the feasibility and importance of trauma screening among parents receiving CW preventive services.     

A Real Options Reasoning Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Integrating Real Option Sensemaking and CSR Orientation

In this article we explore the conceptual relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientation and real option reasoning. We argue that the firm's attitude, communication, and behavior toward CSR will act as significant determinants to the firm's sensemaking approach to real options; that is, if and how it (the firm) acknowledges, receives, and manages strategic real options. Integrating the previous work of Basu and Palazzo with Barnett, we propose a new model that extends the influence of CSR orientation/character to general strategic decision making while simultaneously developing the attention‐based view to real options.     

Validation of the Chinese Version of Differentiation of Self Inventory (C‐DSI)

Although the need to develop objective assessment tools in different cultures is well‐recognized, there is a severe lack of objective measures about emotional functioning in the Chinese context. This project conducted three studies to validate the Chinese version of the Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI). Study 1 looked at the factor structure, internal consistency, concurrent validity, and construct validity of the C‐DSI. Study 2 examined the test–retest reliability of the C‐DSI. Study 3 tested the discriminant validity of the C‐DSI in a clinical sample and in a nonclinical sample and examined its correlations with the General Contentment Scale (GCS). The study results suggested that the C‐DSI possesses good psychometric properties. Findings also indicated implications of divergent cultures and hinted at treatment implications—taking the familistic orientation and the Chinese meaning of self into consideration to understand the differentiation of self in the Chinese culture context.