Caring is not enough: the importance of Internet skills for online privacy protection

This article explains Internet users’ self-help activities in protecting their privacy online using structural equation modeling. Based on a representative survey of Swiss Internet users, it reveals past experiences with privacy breaches as a strong predictor of current protective behavior. Further, in line with the ‘privacy paradox’ argument, caring about privacy (privacy attitudes) alone does not necessarily result in substantial self-protection. Most strikingly, however, general Internet skills are key in explaining users’ privacy behavior. These skills enable users to reduce risks of privacy loss while obtaining the benefits from online activities that increasingly depend on the revelation of personal data. Consequently, Internet skills are an essential starting point for public policies regarding users’ self-help in privacy protection.     

The role of empathy in training social work students in motivational interviewing

Motivational interviewing (MI), an evidence-based approach with empathy as a key principle, effectively addresses client concerns found in the child welfare population. Training social workers in MI, and to be empathic, would increase the likelihood of better service delivery. Live supervision (LS) is a form of training that provides real-time feedback by clinical supervisors. This randomized comparison trial compared the effectiveness of LS or Teaching as Usual (TAU) on empathy in 54 MSW and BSW social work students. TAU involved students receiving online modules and assigned readings. Data were collected at baseline, after the interventions, and at five months follow-up. Differences in perceived empathy and empathic behaviors were measured by the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) and Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ). The study also assessed whether demographic variables or perceived empathy (TEQ) predicted empathic behaviors (MITI). Results indicate that, while both groups improved on empathy as measured by the MITI and TEQ, the LS group demonstrated more improvement. Demographic variables had no impact on empathy. The TEQ and MITI also did not demonstrate predictability suggesting the complexity of measuring empathy. The implications for social work education and future training are discussed.     

‘You Feel It in Your Body’: How Australian Children and Young People Think about and Experience Feeling and Being Safe

In 2012, the Australian Government announced the establishment of a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The aim of the Royal Commission is to understand how and why sexual abuse occurred within Australian institutions and to provide guidance as to how future abuse might be prevented. The Royal Commission commissioned a mixed methods study to explore what children need to be safe and to feel safe, to explore how they determine their level of safety, and their observations about how institutions act to prevent and respond to safety issues. This article reports on the findings from the first phase of the study that involved focus groups carried out with children aged 4–17 years from different types of institutions. The discussion focused particularly on how children conceptualise safety and how they make judgments about their levels of safety. Children and young people's conceptualisation of safety had multiple dimensions, which include the idea that being safe and feeling safe are two distinct, interrelated but sometimes non‐concurrent experiences; that safety is identified and experienced as a set of feelings; trusting relationships are the foundation of safety; familiarity helps children feel safe; and safe environments are those that are ordered and orderly.     

Fuites,droit et liberté d'expression: la loi peut‐elle promouvoir les dénonciations dans l'intérêt général?

Les auteurs examinent la différence entre fuites et alertes, ou dénonciations, notamment quant à la protection de leurs initiateurs. A ce propos, ils étudient les dispositions des conventions internationales sur les droits de l'homme et la corruption, ainsi que les textes en vigueur en Allemagne, aux Etats‐Unis, en France et au Royaume‐Uni. Leurs résultats mettent en évidence la complexité et les contradictions des questions en jeu: intérêt général et intérêts individuels, commerciaux et financiers; abus de pouvoir; sécurité et confidentialité face à la communication électronique; place de l'individu dans l'application de la loi; relations d'emploi.     

发达国家和地区弱势群体福利照顾模式及其对我国的启示

在界定弱势群体福利照顾模式的基础上,归纳出发达国家和地区弱势群体福利照顾的四大特征:完善的社会保障制度是弱势群体福利供给的基础;社区照顾是弱势群体福利供给的依托;非营利组织是弱势群体福利照顾的主力;自助取向成为弱势群体福利供给的目标。与其相对比,目前我国弱势群体福利照顾体系社会保障制度尚不健全,社区服务和非营利组织参与刚刚起步,自助取向尚不明显,笔者据此提出相关建议。     

论金融危机下的新贸易保护主义

金融危机下,全球贸易保护主义再度兴起且愈演愈烈,尤其是中国频遭贸易保护主义侵扰,如何应对贸易保护主义的回归是后危机时代我国经济战略调整的当务之急。我们应坚持＂互利共赢＂的开放战略并坚决反对贸易保护主义;建立预警机制,实现对外贸易保护前置化;充分发挥政府、行业协会的作用应对贸易摩擦;推进自主创新,鼓励企业牢固树立以质取胜的战略意识;积极扩大内需且转出口为内销;进一步调整地方补贴政策;加强国际合作,加快与国际接轨的步伐;加快区域经济一体化建设。     

WTO环保例外条款解读

贸易与环境问题是一个涉及国际社会多层面、多领域的复杂而重大的问题,已成为WTO新一轮多哈回合谈判的重要议题。WTO环保例外条款承认了各国国内环境政策的合法性,但运用不当易演变成贸易保护手段,从而阻碍国际贸易的发展。