Encouraging Safer Sex: Mediating and Moderating Effects on Condom Use Among Italian Girls

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The present study investigated the effects of condom availability, peer norms, and negotiation self-efficacy on girls’ perception of male condom use. Methods: Participants were presented with a vignette in which condom availability, peer norms, and negotiation self-efficacy were manipulated. Results: Condom availability and peer norms interacted in determining condom use, such that protected sex was more likely when a condom was available and when peer norms approved, rather than disapproved, of condom use. The effect of peer norms on condom use was mediated by intentions to use a condom and communication between partners about condom use. Condom communication, identified as a direct antecedent of condom use, was influenced by negotiation self-efficacy. Conclusions: These results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing risky sexual behavior should not only make condoms available but also address key psychosocial variables, such as peer norms. Condom communication should be taken into account as well, considering that it can be affected directly by negotiation self-efficacy and can be affected indirectly by peer norms.     

Runaway behavior among adolescents in residential care: The role of personal characteristics,victimization experiences while in care,social climate,and institutional factors

Existing research on runaway behavior among young people in care is severely limited, based mainly on small-scale samples, adult reports and administrative data. The research to date focuses mainly on children's characteristics and pre-care experiences rather than on placement-centered correlates. The present study examines the occurence and multilevel correlates of runaway behavior among Israeli Arab and Jewish adolescents aged 11 to 19 in residential care for at-risk children.     

The role of social relationships in the association between adolescents' depressive symptoms and academic achievement

While research has established that depression interferes with academic achievement, less is understood about the processes by which social relationships may buffer the relationship between depression and academic outcomes. In this study we examined the role of positive relationships in the school, family and peer contexts in the association between depressive symptoms and academic achievement among 894 adolescents aged 12–17 years living in Santiago, Chile. Depressive symptoms were associated with lower levels of academic achievement; parental monitoring, school belonging, positive mother relationships, and having academically inclined peers moderated this relationship, though some interactions differed by sex and age. Implications for promoting the academic success of adolescents experiencing depressive symptoms are discussed.     

Elder Abuse:

Perpetrator and incident characteristics were studied in regard to incidents of emotional, physical, and sexual mistreatment of older adults (age 60+) in a national sample of older men and women. Random digit dialing across geographic strata was used to compile a nationally representative sample; computer assisted telephone interviewing was used to standardize collection of demographic, mistreatment, and perpetrator and incident characteristics data. The final sample size consisted of 5,777 older adults. Approximately one in ten adults reported at least one form of mistreatment, and the majority of incidents were not reported to authorities. Perpetrators of physical mistreatment against men had more “pathological” characteristics compared to perpetrators of physical mistreatment against women. Perpetrators of physical mistreatment (compared to emotional and sexual mistreatment) also evidenced increased likelihood of legal problems, psychological treatment, substance use during incident, living with the victim, and being related to the victim. Implications for future research and social policy are discussed.     

Elderly in America: A Descriptive Study of Elder Abuse Examining National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Data, 2000–2005

Elder abuse is the newest form of intrafamilial violence to garner the attention of the public, policy makers, health officials, researchers, and the criminal justice system. Despite evidence that elder abuse is a growing problem, there is little known about the phenomenon because of persistent limitations in the extant empirical work. The present study examined a large cross-national sample of reported incidents (n = 87,422) collected as part of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), 2000–2005. Addressing limitations in prior works, this research employed a criminal justice oriented definition of elder abuse examining victim, offender, and incident characteristics using chi-square tests and logistic regression to establish baseline findings from a more comprehensive sample of data than previously existed. Results render a baseline profile of victims and abusers and suggest that gender differences prevail throughout elder abuse. This work both corroborates and contrasts past findings of elder abuse research, providing new insights and much needed baseline data.     

Social Policy Excellence – Peer Review or Metrics? Analyzing the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise in Social Work and Social Policy and Administration

A metrics‐based assessment can predict reasonably well the overall outcome of the Research Assessment Exercise 2008 for social work and social policy and administration in terms of research environment, but not in terms of research outputs. It is not possible to replicate peer review of the research outputs using existing data. It is sometimes argued that citation counts provide an alternative approach that might help research assessment, but it is one fraught with difficulties. Academics did not, in fact, routinely chose to submit their most cited work. At least in this subject, metrics are more suited as handmaiden to peer review than its replacement.     

低年级农民工子女团体社会工作介入的互动模式初探——以厦门市C小学社会工作实习为例

本文以在厦门市C小学的社会工作实习为例,探讨互动模式下的农民工子弟学校团体社会工作介入策略的有效性及其有待解决的困难。在此次团体介入的实践中发现互动模式下的低年级农民工子弟团体介入不仅有助于建立良好的专业关系,并且能够有效改善农民工子女间的同伴关系,对儿童后期的社会化起积极影响。     

大学生朋辈心理辅导的角色认知调查与分析

大学生对朋辈心理辅导的角色认知对正确开展朋辈辅导具有重要的意义。通过对大学生的调查,结果发现大学生认为保密是朋辈辅导的首要原则,真诚可信是辅导员第一素质,54.2%认为成为义务朋辈员是为了帮助别人,35.4%认同朋辈辅导比专业心理辅导有优势,39.7%认同朋辈辅导就是解决问题。大学生对朋辈辅导的角色认知很大程度上符合朋辈辅导的性质,这些认识为朋辈心理辅导员的培训和督导提供重要的参考。     

朋辈咨询员培养机制初探

朋辈咨询作为高校心理健康教育的必要补充,现阶段的理论性研究成果已经充分剖析其可行性与必要性。非专业的朋辈咨询员如何开展心理咨询,并保证咨询的效果呢,值得进一步探索,并付诸实践。笔者作为综合性大学的专职心理咨询老师,从2009年开始培养朋辈咨询员,经过两个学期的实践,得出一些实践效果与操作经验。     

To make and keep friends: The role of health status in adolescent network tie formation and persistence

Health status may shape network structure through network dynamics (tie formation and persistence) and direction (sent and received ties), net of typical network processes. We apply Separable Temporal Exponential Random Graph Models (STERGMs) to National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health survey data (n = 1779) to differentiate how health status shapes network sent and received tie formation and persistence. Results indicate that networks are shaped by withdrawal of adolescents experiencing poor health, highlighting the importance of separating distinct and directed processes of friendship formation and persistence when considering how health relates to adolescent social life.