Assessing the role of hope in processes of transitional justice: mobilizing and disciplining victims in Sierra Leone’s truth commission and reparations programme

Existing studies have not been able to take the role of hope in processes of transitional justice (TJ) into account, as they focus on how TJ changes institutions and the relationships between individuals and therefore conclude that failed processes of TJ have no effect. In contrast to this approach, a different understanding of power as productive helps to understand how TJ-instruments create hope and which effects this has on how people conceive of themselves and the world they live in. A framework for analysing such processes is introduced that brings together individual meaning-making of hope and hopelessness with the role of the state in the provision of hope in the context of uncertainty. Transitional justice is therefore discussed as a performative project that aims at triggering specific emotions among the persons taking part in it and the broader society and at creating a vision of a better future based on social equality through the protection and fulfilment of human rights. By applying this framework to the case of the Sierra Leone truth and reconciliation commission and the reparations programme, it is argued that hope had a mobilizing as well as a disciplining function in these instruments. The promise of support mobilized victims to provide statements to the truth commission, and therefore enabled the commission to work in the first place. However, it failed in its attempt to discipline victims in their feelings about the past violence. The reparations programme constituted the embodiment of these promises, but victims interpreted its inadequate benefits and bad management as a proof that the state still does not care for them and competition over benefits is the norm despite their entitlement to support. This experience destroyed the hopes of many victims and created social envy among them, preventing the development of solidarity among victims and the chance for resistance against this policy.     

Understanding child neglect in Aboriginal families and communities in the context of trauma

Child neglect is a significant concern for Aboriginal families and communities both in Australia and internationally. Service responses to child neglect are largely informed by child neglect theories, which explain the nature and causes of child neglect. However, child neglect is a problem that is worsening for Aboriginal children, suggesting that these theories are not appropriate. This paper argues that to meet the needs of Aboriginal families and communities where there is child neglect, policy and practice needs to acknowledge and address the impact of trauma in shaping the lived experiences of Aboriginal people. International literature discusses the impact and consequence of historical trauma within Indigenous families and communities, and separately, child maltreatment theorists have discussed the ecological nature of child neglect. However, the literature and evidence‐base linking the two, child neglect and historical trauma in Indigenous contexts, are very scant. This paper aims to fill this gap and emphasize the importance of addressing child neglect within Aboriginal families and communities in the context of historical trauma. Although this paper focuses on the post‐colonial experiences of Aboriginal people in Australia, the arguments can extend to many Indigenous cultures universally where child welfare interventions have resulted in significant and ongoing trauma.     

Challenges of operationalizing trauma‐informed practice in child protection services in New Zealand

New Zealand is undergoing major change in service delivery to children and families. A new Ministry for Children Oranga Tamariki has been established to oversee 5 work streams, one of which provides intensive intervention with families requiring a statutory response to child protection concerns. The government minister responsible promised that the service would be child‐centred and trauma‐informed. To date, these terms remain undefined, and there is no shared understanding of their meaning. Practice frameworks to support the work of the new ministry are still being developed, creating something of a vacuum in the meantime. The focus of this paper is the challenge of implementing trauma‐informed practice in the child protection service provided by the Intensive Intervention work stream. Limited research or commentary on trauma‐informed practice in this context currently exists. Drawing on the relevant available literature, the concept and its application in child protection social work is explored. An ecological framework is used to discuss the changes needed to achieve this. Particular attention is paid to the impact of historical trauma for indigenous people due to New Zealand's colonial history and their over‐representation in care and protection services.     

Work-related factors associated with psychological distress among social workers

The current study assesses the association between several work-related factors and psychological distress among social workers (SWs) in Israel. The data were collected through structured questionnaires, administered to a sample of 494 SWs. The findings suggest that most of the examined work-related factors (namely, years of professional experience, personal work-related subjection to violence, burnout, compassion fatigue, and sense of coherence), with the exception of compassion satisfaction, significantly predicted psychological distress among SWs. The conclusion is that it is important to embed within the social work practice strategies for reducing sources of psychological distress (job demands) and increasing material, professional, and personal resources. Reducing the levels of psychological distress experienced by SWs will benefit not only themselves, but also their families and colleagues, as well as their clients. Moreover, this has potential benefits for the social work profession and for the general community.     

基于心理咨询开展的在校大学生心理问题质化研究

在校大学生心理健康问题一直受到学界广泛的关注,但以往的研究大多采用的是量化研究,只从数据分析的角度,对大学生的心理健康指数进行实证分析,一般难于针对个体提出具体的实践层面的措施。质化研究为解决这一问题提出了新的研究思路。通过心理咨询资料收集,对在校大学生的心理问题进行分析,发现在校大学生心理问题主要集中在人际交往、自我意识、耐挫能力及学业压力上。开展心理健康教育应侧重对上述四个方面的关注,以提高在校大学生的心理健康指数。     

高校师资管理改革中的心理契约违背问题分析

心理契约违背是个体在组织忽视其心理期望、未能履行承诺与责任时所产生的一系列消极情绪和行为。高校师资管理改革在促进教育发展的同时,也增加了教师心理契约违背的可能性。单一、量化的绩效考评机制、教师职业特性的调整和聘用制的不完善实施所带来的心理压力是导致高校教师心理契约违背的主要原因,管理者需通过建立科学的绩效考评体系、完善激励制度、加强沟通等措施重构高校与教师之间的心理契约,去除心理契约违背产生的消极影响,近而激发教师的工作潜能,提高高校整体的师资管理水平。     

论高校思想政治教育与心理咨询的契合

高校思想政治教育与心理咨询虽属两个不同的学科,但二者之间的密切联系与内在统一,成为彼此有机融合的基本依据。以大学生全面发展为目标,实现思想政治教育与心理咨询的契合,是推进素质教育和构建和谐社会的重要体现,也是新形势下进一步加强和改进高校思想政治教育的迫切需要。     

心理资本:组织竞争优势之源

从心理资本的概念与构成维度、心理资本的测量与干预、心理资本的影响效应研究三个方面对心理资本做了阐述。在对国内外现有文献进行回顾和评述的基础上,指出现有研究的不足,提出了对未来的展望。     

大学生恋爱心理健康引导刍议

伴随着当代大学生恋爱心理的不断发展与变化,大学生恋爱心理健康引导的形式与方法也呈现出多样化与差异性;但在对大学生恋爱心理健康引导内容的分析上,仍存有与大学生恋爱时序基本吻合的共同要点。     

构建基于突发公共卫生事件的社会心理支持体系

文章重点阐述了突发公共卫生事件的概念及特点．分析了突发公共卫生事件期间社会公众疑病、恐慌、焦虑、抑郁、强迫、盲从等社会心理特点,最后提出构建突发公共卫生事件的社会心理支持体系,包括建立良好的风险沟通机制、发挥主流媒体功能、建立应急处理机制、改善认知模式、增进人际交往。