Predictors of Clinical Outcomes in Sexually Abused Adolescents

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional, case control study examines the association between child sexual abuse and interpersonal and intrapersonal outcomes among 54 adolescents, examining specific clinical measures (depression, anxiety, dissociation, and posttraumatic stress disorder, attachment patterns, self-esteem, self-disclosure, and family environment characteristics). The research results point to a correlation between sexual abuse and higher levels of the clinical measures. In addition, a correlation was found between sexual abuse and level of avoidant attachment, self-esteem, and family environment characteristics. Stepwise hierarchical regressions were conducted to examine how adolescent attributes predicted depression, anxiety, and dissociation beyond the prediction based on sexual abuse. A combination of self-esteem, anxiety attachment, and family cohesiveness made sexual abuse insignificant when predicting levels of depression, anxiety, and dissociation. This study contributes to characterizing the emotional, personal, and family attributes of adolescents who experienced sexual abuse. It also raises questions about the clinical outcomes usually associated with sexual abuse.     

Home Visitor Relationship Security: Association With Perceptions of Work,Satisfaction, and Turnover

Home visiting is widely used to improve outcomes in families at risk for poor parenting. Impact is modest and variable, owing in part to poor fidelity. Attachment theory suggests that home visitors' relationship security influences fidelity because establishing a trusting relationship with parents is central to service delivery. This study describes paraprofessional home visitors' relationship security and relates it to demographics, psychological attributes, and work perceptions and intentions. Home visitors (n = 62) varied widely on the two major domains of relationship security: anxiety and avoidance. Relationship security was stable over time. Relationship anxiety and avoidance were associated with psychological and work constructs in theoretically predicted ways. Relationship anxiety was negatively associated with self-efficacy and positively associated with negative affect and indicators of burnout. Relationship avoidance was negatively associated with self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and tenure as a home visitor. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Managing Special Needs and Treatment Approaches of Intercountry Adoptees and Families

This article examines the contemporary context of intercountry placement to the United States and the special needs of internationally adopted children. Families who adopt internationally may face tremendous challenges in meeting the needs of their children. Treatment models adapted for intercountry adoptees and their families are discussed. Finally, policy and practice recommendations are presented.     

It is not just scale that matters: Political trust in Utah

While the traditional assumption is residents have more confidence in governments that are closest to them, empirical studies supporting this claim remain limited. In this study, we test the claim that ‘small is beautiful’ by comparing citizen reactions to similar types of decisions affecting Utah residents made by political leaders at different levels of governance. Our primary goal is to test the claim that trust is higher for local governments. Our secondary goal is to examine potential determinants of trust and whether they vary across levels of governance. The central finding from this study is that, despite claims to the contrary, citizens are not necessarily more trusting of government closer to the people and higher levels of government can engender as much trust as more local levels of government. Our findings also emphasize that regardless of the level of governance considered, interrelations exist between residents’ views of procedural justice and trust in these officials.     

A Retrospective,Empirical Study of Grief-Related Beliefs in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center

This article reports on the findings of a retrospective, empirical study that explores and describes grief-related beliefs of a convenience sample of 312 persons in a Veterans hospital. These beliefs may facilitate bereaved individuals’ emotional regulation and adaptive responses to loss conceptualized in the dual process model. The study addresses the question: Do gender, employment status, and loss burden contribute to differences in grief-related beliefs? The findings reveal significant gender differences, and also that grief-related beliefs are reality rather than myth-oriented. Study limitations and implications for social work practice in bereavement care and hospice settings are discussed.     

Attachment and adaptive skills in children of international adoption

The attachment pattern of a sample of 168 internationally adopted children was explored in this study using the semi‐structured Friends and Family Interview. The pattern was analysed in relation to the development of adaptive skills as an expression of the children's resilience. The secure attachment pattern rates were slightly lower and the insecure attachment patterns were considerably higher than those of normative samples from the previous studies. The children from Eastern Europe demonstrated a more insecure attachment pattern (odds ratio [OR]= 2.46; confidence interval [CI]= 1.23–3.94), and their scores on the adaptive skills scales were lower than the scores of children from other countries (OR = 2.62; 95% CI = 1.02–6.72). These results help to identify the groups at risk of failing to develop secure attachment patterns and appropriate adaptive skills, and should provide valuable information for designing effective interventions.     

Better together? Learning lessons for group decision‐making practice from a study of secure accommodation in Scotland

This paper draws on the findings of a research study that examined the factors that influence local decision‐making in cases where a child or young person is being considered by residential workers, social workers and senior managers for placement in a secure unit. After outlining the research problem and case study approach taken, the paper focuses on explicating the findings of the study that relate to the impact of group membership, goals, roles and norms on group performance in such cases. The paper illustrates how attending to these four areas, and the way in which power relations impact on them, may help those developing and managing groups to improve decision‐making practice.     

从庾信仕进与归隐间的徘徊论其人格的矛盾性

庾信后期的情感、思想与行为充满了矛盾,为寻求心灵的宁静,庾信从入北始到晚年一直存有归隐之念,然而他欲隐还仕,徘徊于仕隐出处之间。庾信后期道德崇奉与现实行为的矛盾相悖状态体现了他矛盾分裂的人格特点。     

张荫桓与中日《通商行船条约》

张荫桓,晚清著名政治家、外交家,光绪宠臣,一代才杰,动关晚清时局。１８９６年受命与日本代表签订中日《通商行船条约》,为挽回利权,曾作个人努力。     

中国企业情景下品牌依恋形成机理研究——基于消费者与品牌个性匹配的视角

中国企业营销与品牌管理实践中,构建品牌依恋是企业塑造忠诚客户的重要使命,其关键在于使企业的品牌人格与消费者个性相匹配。中国企业品牌化情景与品牌管理实践的实证研究发现:形成品牌依恋的消费者个性与品牌人格匹配度是非常复杂的,受到消费者参与、消费者个体差异及消费者个性匹配度(现实个性匹配度与理想个性匹配度)类型的影响。统计检验表明:现实个性匹配度对品牌依恋的影响效应显著强于理想个性匹配度,而且消费者参与、自尊感和消费者形象会强化现实个性匹配度对品牌依恋的正向效应,同时弱化消费者理想个性匹配度对品牌依恋的影响,从而具有调节作用。研究发现:中国企业应该通过对消费者个性的研究与挖掘来建立消费者与品牌之间的品牌依恋,并且应该注重品牌的人格培育及其与消费者现实个性的匹配。