Toward a Sociology of “Security”

Security as a phenomenon has come to occupy increasing social energy and thus merits sociological attention. But the question of how to go about studying “security” is somewhat vexing, because the concept of “security” is both highly polysemous (Ranasinghe 2013) and one that can potentially be located within a wide spectrum of social sites, ranging from the feelings of individuals to the practices of states. I suggest that we must first clarify what we are talking about when we talk about “security.” Here, I present several ideas for fully articulating the concept.     

Preface

Four children from three families in which the mother had a bipolar disorder were interviewed to understand their perspectives on their mothers' parenting. Children identified strengths in their mother's parenting, such as helping them with homework and moods and providing for their wants. They also identified challenges, such as mothers sleeping well into the day and displaying anger. Two children were worried over the possibility of having a bipolar disorder themselves. Implications of these findings for social work practice include acknowledging and supporting mothers' strengths in parenting, providing appropriate services to manage mothers' sleep and anger, and psychoeducation for children.     

Parenting a Child With an Autism Spectrum Disorder: Public Perceptions and Parental Conceptualizations

In the middle part of the 20th century, parents were frequently blamed for causing autism. Although this idea is no longer prevalent in professional circles, this qualitative study indicates that parents still experience blame from community members and extended family. Eleven parents of children with autism participated in two focus groups. This qualitative study examined themes of parent blame as well as parents' own conceptualizations of autism. Results indicate that parents experienced blame for their children's autism-related behavior from the public and extended family, but most parents viewed the child with autism in positive ways.     

Impact of Traumatic Events on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Danish Survivors of Sexual Abuse in Childhood

Childhood sexual abuse can be extremely traumatic and lead to lifelong symptomatology. The present study examined the impact of several demographic, abuse, and psychosocial variables on posttraumatic stress disorder severity among a consecutive sample of treatment-seeking, adult child sexual abuse survivors (N = 480). The child sexual abuse sample was characterized by severe trauma exposure, insecure attachment, and significant traumatization, with an estimated 77% suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, more than twice the level of the comparison group. Regression analyses revealed risk factors associated with the development of posttraumatic stress disorder in which the strongest predictors being additional traumas, negative affectivity, and somatization. The findings add to existing research confirming the stressful nature of child sexual abuse and the variables that contribute to the development and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder.     

Response to Ross’s “Commentary: Problems with the Sexual Disorders Sections of DSM-5”

The recent commentary by Ross (2015) addresses concerns regarding the newly created Paraphilic Disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, and “inconsistencies.” The author’s statements reflect notable confusion regarding issues related to human sexuality and the categories thereof in the DSM-5 (e.g., gender dysphoria and pedophilic disorder). This is a response to Ross’s commentary.     

Current trends of Internet Addiction Disorder research: a review of 2000–2008 Korean academic journal articles

This article reviewed various Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) studies in Korea. The study showed that the symptoms of IAD have been reported by many Korean scholars, but the current Korean literature shows that IAD has yet to have a universally accepted theoretical framework. Internet addictions have been studied in various disciplines, and a multimodal approach that uses a combination of interactivity between psychotherapies and other intervention skills has been suggested by various authors, but has yet to be formed. A further study is required to explore a structural map based on the interrelations between IAD risk factors and to establish its treatment modalities.     

基于小波模极大值求取多重分形谱多重分形克里格算法探究

提出了将小波变换模极大原理求取的多重分形谱应用到多重分形克里格中的方法,利用小波变换后的系数模极大值构造配分函数求取分型谱,使得求取的分形谱更加符合实际．     

Crack ‘Hos and Skeezers: Traumatic experiences of women crack users

The involvement of women in crack cocaine abuse has had a severe impact on their health, the health of their children and the stability of their communities. Of particular concern has been the development of a system of barter in which crack‐for‐sex exchanges are the means through which women obtain the drug. Earlier studies have suggested that drug abuse may be related to and exacerbated by trauma. In the project described herein, we interviewed women crack users in Harlem to study the relationship between trauma, crack use, and crack‐related sexual behavior. Results suggested the existence of three types of trauma: (1) traumas that predate the respondent's onset of crack use; (2) traumas that were the direct sequelae of crack use; and (3) stigma trauma, that is, trauma that results from membership in a despised or oppressed group. We observed a complex inter‐relationship involving crack use, crack‐for‐sex transactions, and these three types of trauma. Treatment of the eventual co‐morbidity of trauma and addiction is an urgent challenge.     

Limit your time,gamble responsibly: setting a time limit (via pop-up message) on an electronic gaming machine reduces time on device

In the current study, we assessed whether undergraduate electronic gaming machine (EGM) gamblers would be more apt to set a time limit and spend less time gambling when asked to consider setting an explicit time limit prior to their gambling session. To this end, participants (N = 43) were randomly assigned to a time limit pop-up condition or control condition, both of which involved gambling on an EGM in a virtual reality (VR) casino. In the time limit pop-up condition, participants were asked (via pop-up message) to consider setting a time limit on play and entering that limit in an available text box prior to commencing play. In the no time limit pop-up condition, participants engaged in play immediately upon accessing the EGM in the VR casino (i.e. they were not exposed to a time limit pop-up message). As predicted, participants who were explicitly asked to consider setting a time limit on their EGM play were significantly more likely to do so and spent less time gambling than those who were not given such instructions. The results provide preliminary support for the contention that setting a time limit on EGM play is an effective responsible gambling strategy.     

Do the DSM-5 diagnostic revisions affect the psychometric properties of the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen?

Several significant changes in the diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder occurred with the newest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The changes aim to simplify and streamline the diagnosis without compromising its validity. Yet many of the tools used to screen and diagnose the disorder are based upon the prior fourth edition of the DSM, and it is unclear how they perform with the revised diagnostic criteria. The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of a common pathological gambling screen, the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS; Gebauer, LaBrie, & Shaffer, 2010), in the context of DSM-5 criteria within a help-seeking sample. Gamblers calling a helpline (N = 2750) completed a semi-structured interview assessing DSM-IV past-year pathological gambling criteria with a trained clinician. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and differences by sex were examined. The BBGS had high sensitivity as well as positive and negative predictive values. In light of the revisions made to the diagnostic criteria in DSM-5, the BBGS remains a psychometrically supported instrument for gambling disorder.