Developing the Sexual Child

The idea that a child should not have sexual interests and experiences is fast being supplanted by the knowledge that he does have them; that they are an expression of perfectly normal, healthy energies, and that while it is necessary to gain control over them, they should not be forcibly suppressed” ( Renz & Renz 1935 : 92).     

SEIGNIORAGE,LEGAL TENDER,AND THE DEMAND NOTES OF 1861

In the summer of 1861, the United States embarked on its first widespread use of paper money: the Demand Notes of 1861. Although their convertibility into gold ended at the end of that year, they remained acceptable for tariff payment at a par with gold coin while they were gradually replaced with paper money that did not share this provision, the Greenbacks. We present daily observations of exchange rates between the Notes, Greenbacks, and gold for the extended period during which they simultaneously circulated. These exchange rates substantiate our revisionist notion that the Notes were replaced because the tariff provision prevented them from generating sufficient seigniorage for wartime needs. (JEL E42, N12, N22)     

Abuse of Elderly Men and Women among Clients of a Community Psychogeriatric Service

Correspondence to Gail Wilson, Department of Social Science and Administration, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. Summary This paper reports on a study of elder abuse among clients ofan outer London community psychogeriatric service. Staff reportedelder abuse in their caseloads over a period of one year. Reportedcases were linked with referrals. Rates of abuse for differentstaff and for different age and ethnic groups were calculated.Women were very much more likely to be abused than men and wereless likely to be abusers. Clients were frequently reportedas abusing their carers. Staff reporting rates varied widely.Training and the time available to win the trust of clientsappeared to be important variables. The staff response was limitedby lack of managerial support and by lack of developed strategiesfor dealing with abusive situations. Separation was the mostcommon response to physical violence in the home. Financialabuse was mainly dealt with by social services. Staff abusewas largely ignored.     

"DON'T KNOW" BOXES IN FACTUAL QUESTIONS IN A MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE: EFFECTS ON LEVEL AND QUALITY OF RESPONSE

This article summarizes the findings of an experiment to evaluatethe effect of "Don't Know" (DK) boxes in a mail questionnaireconsisting of factual questions. In a split-panel test, halfof the respondents received a questionnaire with DK boxes andthe other half received a questionnaire without DK boxes. Theoverall response rates were the same for the two versions. Thequestionnaire version without DK boxes obtained an appreciablyhigher rate of substantive responses for many items. However,there were few large substantive changes in response distributionsbetween the two versions, and there was no appreciable differencein the response error rates.     

Imperiled and Perilous: Exploring the History of Childhood Sexuality

This article explores the dominant cultural constructions of the child and its sexuality that emerged over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth century in the Anglophone west. Examining how the child and its sexuality were constructed within reform and institutional discourse, we illuminate the social and political implications of frameworks of protection. We argue that discourses of protection foreclose the possibility of the sexual agency of children. The regulation, management and protection of childhood sexuality in various cultural contexts are key themes in the articles featured in this special issue on the history of sexuality of childhood and youth.     

Assessing Risk: A Public Analysis of the Medfly Eradication Program

The Mediterranean Fruit Fly eradication program provided anopportunity to assess public attitudes toward technologicalrisks. This is a case study of 126 residents from a metropolitanarea who, during the 1981–82 Mediterranean Fruitfly Crisis,were undergoing exposure to aerial spraying with a pesticide.While only one-third of the subjects expressed fear of dangerto their health and to the environment, 94 percent undertookone or more major behavioral precautions. Individual differencesin risk perception were related to perceived benefits of theprogram, political ideology, faith in experts, and media exposure.Individual differences in risk acceptability varied primarilyas a function of risk perception. Federal, state, and businessagencies were perceived as influential in decision making, withindividual citizens having little opportunity for input.