The Moderating Effects of Support for Violence Beliefs on Masculine Norms,Aggression, and Homophobic Behavior During Adolescence

In 2 studies, beliefs supporting the use of violence moderated the association between normative masculine activities and aggressive behavior (Study 1) and normative masculine attitudes and aggressive and homophobic behavior (Study 2) among adolescent boys. These beliefs also moderated the association between normative masculine activities and homophobic behavior among adolescent girls. Consistent with social information processing models, beliefs about the appropriateness and effectiveness of violence predicted aggressive behavior for boys and girls, including bullying, fighting, and relational aggression. Furthermore, the association between masculine norms and aggressive behavior and homophobic behavior was partly dependent on holding these beliefs among boys. Continued research is needed to identify other beliefs that may distinguish different expressions of masculinities and their association with other attitudes and behaviors. Within the broader aggression and homophobia literature among adolescents there is a need to include the study of gender norms, while recognizing the complexity with which these factors are associated.     

Outcome evaluation of an advocacy program to promote early childhood education for Israeli Arabs.

This article reports the results of an evaluation of the SHATIL early childhood education (ECE) project, a coalition-based advocacy initiative that aimed to achieve three main outcomes in Arab towns throughout Israel: growth in preschool enrollment rates, growth in number of preschool classes administered by local councils, and growth in number of certified preschool teachers working in the Arab sector. The study employed a quasi-experimental, repeated measures design. Outcomes were assessed via collection of archival data pertaining to each of the past 10 years in 45 Arab towns. This allowed for comparison of trends over time in the 5 years before project commencement with those in the 5 years since the project was launched. Findings indicated that the project was successful in recruiting its target population (the most needy towns) and that the desired changes in fact did occur, particularly in the target towns. Moreover, the authors were able to conclude, with a relatively high degree of confidence, that the project played a causal role in achieving these outcomes.     

Help-seeking among Muslim Arab Divorcees in Israel

The study investigated the help-seeking of Muslim Arab divorceesliving in Israel. Analysis of responses to Veroff et al.’sPatterns of Helpseeking Scale shows low rates of help-seekingby divorcees of both genders, yet higher rates among the femalethan among the male divorcees. They also show that the propensityto seek help increased with the experience of more stressfulevents around the divorce. The help-seeking patterns of themen and women were found to be quite similar. Both were moreinclined to seek emotional help and advice than instrumentalhelp. Both were more likely to seek help from informal thanformal sources. Both were more likely to seek help from theirfamily of origin than from any other source. Relatively fewdivorcees of either gender sought help from either their extendedfamily or from community or religious figures. The few who soughtformal help were more likely to turn to social workers thanpsychologists. These findings point to the continuing centralityof the family in the support system of Muslim Arabs in Israel,to the decline in the relevance of the community and religiousfigures who were once an integral part of the Arab support network,and to the fact that professional help has not yet filled inthe gaps left in the traditional support system.     

Mental Health of Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Youth and Young Adults: Differential Effects of Age,Gender, Religiosity,and Sexual Orientation

Drawing on minority stress theory, this study examined the mental health effects of the added burden of disadvantaged social status in an Israeli sample of 461 self‐identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youths. Bisexuality was associated with lower levels of well‐being, and, at a younger age, with higher levels of mental distress. In bisexuals, this relationship was fully mediated by family support and acceptance, internalized homophobia, and LGB social contact. Religiosity was associated with low levels of family and friends’ support and acceptance, and high levels of internalized homophobia. These findings highlight the mental vulnerability of LGB adolescents and bisexuals, as well as the social vulnerability of sexual minorities in the religious sector, and the importance of social support to increase mental health.     

Effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention model for persons with chronic psychiatric disorders in long-term hospitalization

The article describes a psychosocial model of intervention with psychiatric patients in long-term hospitalization in a psychiatric ward in Israel and reports the findings of the evaluation conducted of its effectiveness. The model was aimed at maintaining or improving the patients' functioning in four main areas: personal hygiene, environmental maintenance, occupational competency, and social and recreational activities. For each patient, an individualized intervention program was designed and implemented by a personal case manager appointed from the ward's clinical staff. The programs involved family and ward staff as well as the patients themselves. The evaluation, based on comparison of monthly data for 4 months before and 12 months during the intervention, showed significant improvement in all but two areas of functioning: social functioning and psychiatric status. The findings, although in need of confirmation in larger, representative samples of patients in Israel and elsewhere, hold promise for effective intervention with patients whose treatment today consists largely of medication.     

Enhancing Student Awareness of the Importance of Full and Accurate Documentation in Social Work Practice

The paper describes a classroom assignment that was used to raise social work students' awareness of the importance of timely, clear, and thorough documentation. The assignment was devised in view of the great importance of quality documentation in social work, coupled with the reluctance of social workers to invest the necessary time and effort to produce it. The core of the assignment was for the students to examine and report on the documentation in two client files at their fieldwork agency. The findings obtained from the students' reports show that about a fifth of the 190 files that were examined did not contain various pieces of basic information about the clients and intervention outcomes, and that much of the information that was provided was unclear and unorganized. The students' written reflections following the completion of the assignment indicate that the assignment achieved its aim of elevating their awareness of the importance of quality documentation. The paper ends with a discussion of issues to consider in repeating the assignment in the future, based on the reflections of the students and their classroom instructors.     

Projected sustainability of innovative social programs

This study is an exploratory examination of the projected sustainability of more than 100 projects funded by the Australian government. Using data collected by the body that evaluated the projects and data from a government database, it examines the predictors of various forms of sustainability. Findings show that some two thirds of the project leaders who expected their programs to continue after the expiration of the initial funding expected them to continue with the same activities and target population; almost half envisioned them diversifying to new activities, target groups, or locations. Auspice organization involvement increased the expectation that the project would be continued, project effectiveness decreased that expectation, and diversity of initial funding became less important as other sources of support and sustainability were taken into consideration.     

Adjustment of adolescent adoptees: The role of age of adoption and exposure to pre-adoption stressors

This study on 169 adolescents in Israel who were adopted between birth and nine years old examined whether and how their adjustment was affected by their age of adoption and the pre-adoption stressors they had experienced. The study participants reported moderately close relations and open communication with their parents, along with age appropriate peer orientation; high self-esteem; low levels of problem behaviors (as assessed by the Youth Self Report) and very low use of addictive substances and school dropout rates compared to the average in Israel. The findings showed no association between any of the outcomes assessed and either age of adoption or pre-adoption stressors.