The Characteristics of Romantic Relationships Associated with Teen Dating Violence

Studies of teen dating violence have focused heavily on family and peer influences, but little research has been conducted on the relationship contexts within which violence occurs. The present study explores specific features of adolescent romantic relationships associated with the perpetration of physical violence. Relying on personal interviews with a sample of 956 adolescents, results indicate that respondents who self-report violence perpetration are significantly more likely than their non-violent counterparts to report higher levels of other problematic relationship dynamics and behaviors such as jealousy, verbal conflict, and cheating. However, we find no significant differences in levels of love, intimate self-disclosure, or perceived partner caring, and violent relationships are, on average, characterized by longer duration, more frequent contact, sexual intimacy and higher scores on the provision and receipt of instrumental support. Finally, violence is associated with the perception of a relatively less favorable power balance, particularly among male respondents. These findings complicate traditional views of the dynamics within violent relationships, add to our understanding of risk factors, and may also shed light on why some adolescents remain in physically abusive relationships.     

Self-Acceptance,Parental Self-Efficacy,and Impression Management in Lesbian and Gay Parents

The purpose of this study was to explore the hypothesis that lower levels of self-acceptance in lesbian and gay parents would account for a significant amount of variability in parental satisfaction and parental efficacy over and above that accounted for by demographics and impression management. A hierarchal regression (N = 324) indicated that negative identity was negatively correlated with parental satisfaction (β = –.34) and on parental efficacy (β = –.20). Results, limitations of the study, and clinical implications are discussed.     

Dating Relationship Dynamics,Mental Health,and Dating Victimization: A Longitudinal Path Analysis

The purpose of this study was to assess the longitudinal association between adolescent dating relationship dynamics (measures of intimacy and problem dynamics), mental health, and physical and/or sexual victimization by a dating partner. Gender‐stratified analyses were conducted in a sample of 261 adolescents, ages 10–18 at baseline, interviewed in three annual waves (2013–2015) of the nationally representative Survey on Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence (STRiV). Among male daters, better mental health at baseline was negatively associated with problem dynamics at follow‐up, and aspects of problem dynamics at baseline predicted worse mental health at follow‐up. However, unexpectedly, aspects of relationship intimacy at baseline were also negatively associated with mental health at follow‐up. Male daters’ victimization did not mediate longitudinal measures of mental health or of relationship dynamics, but did predict worse mental health at follow‐up. Among female daters, we found no longitudinal associations between mental health and intimacy or problem relationship dynamics, in either direction. However, victimization mediated aspects of female daters’ reported relationship dynamics. Dating violence prevention efforts should reflect that adolescent females reporting controlling behaviors and feelings of passionate love may be at increased risk for victimization. Positive youth development efforts should attend to the bidirectional associations of mental health and dating relationship dynamics over time, particularly for male adolescents.     

An examination of the impact of subject selection on hypothetical and self-reported taxpayer noncompliance

Understanding taxpayer noncompliance involves the use of government reported statistics as well as taxpayer self-reported data. Both sets of data are subject to biases, but both have information to offer tax researchers. The present study addressed whether self-reported compliance rates and hypothetical reporting decisions correspond to government reported compliance rates and whether self-reported compliance rates correspond to hypothetical reporting decisions. The relationships were found to be positively correlated, but the results were influenced by the method of sample selection for the subjects. The findings of this study provide additional insight to help researchers cautiously interpret results from behavioral tax studies.     

Learning from extraordinary lovers: lessons from the edge

This paper discusses lessons about sexuality and eroticism gleaned from those who engage in extraordinary sex, even though such relationships have typically been classified as pathological. What can clinicians learn from those who seek and attain uncommon sexual relations? Such individuals' sexual epistemology, goals, understanding of the nature and spectrum of sexual and erotic relations, communication strategies and "outcome" criteria can provide valuable lessons for those who treat sexual problems or aim to overcome sexual mediocrity. For example, while traditional sex therapy often focuses on what is on the surface, some SM participants are interested in the meanings that lie at a deeper level. Whereas conventional clinicians may focus on enabling particular sexual acts (especially heterosexual intercourse), SM participants are more apt to be concerned with the varied spectrum of underlying purposes motivating these acts. Whereas many couples are willing to settle for merely functional sex, SM practitioners may be more interested in contact that necessitates intense, erotic connection; sophisticated communication of subtle differences in intent; and eventuates in profound self-knowledge and transcendent levels of intimacy. Illustrative case examples are provided.     

Identification and Integration of Career Theory: Students’ Perspectives on the Process

In many counseling programs, while students are learning about career theory, they may be tasked in a separate course with identifying a theoretical approach to counseling. This may result in a dichotomous situation in which students lack an understanding of the relationship between career theory and counseling theory. Career counselors have long recognized the artificial distinction between career counseling and general counseling. However, counselor education programs generally lag, and there is a dearth of literature regarding the process of identifying and integrating career theory and counseling theory. This phenomenological study examined 6 students’ perceptions of the process of career theory identification and integration. Analysis of in‐depth interviews yielded 5 major themes: theory identification and integration, perceptions of career counseling, resources, personal dimensions, and application across the life span. Findings of this study have the potential to inform counselor education pedagogy regarding career theory identification and its application to the counseling context.     

Political Distrust and Social Capital in Europe and the USA

Levels of rising political distrust in the USA and parts of Europe attracted political scientists’ attention in the 1990s, and urged them to look at possible consequences of this phenomenon for the functioning of democracies and social life. Approximately during the same period, from a sociological viewpoint, social capital theorists started studying the effects of declining social capital on political and economic life. In this article, we looked at the relationship between political distrust and social capital from an interdisciplinary perspective. We studied the relationship in six European countries from three regions (North-West, South and East), and the USA, and we were interested in the question of whether this relationship varies over the regions, or whether it is approximately the same everywhere. We used ISPP data from the 2004 wave, which included a range of social capital indicators and political distrust items. Social capital was subdivided into four dimensions, namely, networks (membership of organizations), interpersonal or social trust, social norms (citizenship norms), and linking social capital (political activities). First we studied the effect of political distrust on these four dimensions of social capital, while controlling for other variables such as political efficacy, political interest and a set of socio-structural background variables. One of our main findings was that the only significant effect of political distrust we found throughout all countries was a negative effect on one dimension of social capital, namely, interpersonal trust: the more people distrust politicians and people in government, the less they trust other people in general, even when controlled for all other variables. The reverse relationship led us to the same conclusion: the more people tend to trust people in general, the less they distrust politics, a result we found in all countries. This finding refutes the claim that there is no or either only a very weak relationship between political and social trust, as some have strongly argued before. Other important political attitudes connected to social capital were political interest and political efficacy, and for political distrust it was external efficacy. Significant socio-economic factors were religiousness and educational level for membership of voluntary organizations, educational level for interpersonal trust, religiousness for citizenship norms, and educational level and age for political activities. The reciprocal relationship was strongest in the USA and North-Western Europe, as were the explained variances of our (more extensive) regression models. In Southern and Eastern Europe other factors appear to be at work which influence both social capital and political distrust.     

Constructing Critical Conversations in Social Work Supervision: Creating Change

Clinical social work supervision is not immune to enactments of racial and social injustice, prejudice, power and privilege rampant in our social environment and institutions. These dynamics are active in all social interactions. Most often felt on impact, these remain underground and unevenly experienced—though predominantly by people representing intersecting marginalized identities. Such real enactments can be misunderstood or avoided in social work supervision. Negative consequences not only impede learning for the supervisee and supervisor, and affect clinical understanding of client care they also perpetuate injustice based on power and social locations. Social work supervision provides space for critical analysis to identify and alter dynamics of power, privilege, and social oppression. The critical conversations (CC) model provides a framework to illuminate and examine power dynamics in order to produce change with parallel insight and action—supervisee, supervisor, and client care. Supervisee and supervisor gain capacity to engage in reflection, examine personal and professional values, hold tension and tolerate ambiguity, use one self critically, articulate ideas and insights thoughtfully and effectively, as well as inform clinical understanding of clients. The need for critical dialogue in social work supervision regarding dynamics of sameness, differences, intersectional identities, power and privilege is emphasized. Theoretical grounding is offered to elucidate how complex structural forces of oppression and privilege, cultural patterns and narratives are internalized. A definition of CC, its theoretical underpinnings and the CC model are presented with a case scenario to illuminate the application of the CC model in clinical supervision.     

Response to symposium on Artifacts and Allegiances: How Museums Put the Nation and the World on Display

The author responds to the contributions to this symposium, highlighting her ideas about diversity management regimes, the urban cultural armature, global museum assemblages, the cosmopolitan-nationalism continuum, and new methods for studying the global and for engaging in constructive critique.