The Interplay of Adolescents’ Aggression and Victimization with Friendship and Antipathy Networks within an Educational Prosocial Intervention

Journal of Youth and Adolescence - How the interplay between peer relationships and behaviors unfolds and how this differs between classrooms is an understudied topic. This study examined whether...     

How to win the political contest: A monopolist vs. environmentalists

This paper sheds light on the political economy of local energypolitics both from a theoretical and an empirical perspective.First, a case study of a small town in Southern Germany(Schönau) is presented, where environmentalists have won thepolitical contest against the regional energy monopolist and havefounded an energy supply firm themselves. The different stagesof the political process are explained and analysed. Second, apolitical economy model is developed, where environmentalists anda monopolistic utility firm confront each other both on thepolitical and on the energy market. In the lobbying equilibriumthe probability of the environmentalists' winning the gamedepends on the monopoly rent and the perceived social costs ofenergy production. It is shown that it is optimal for themonopolist to reduce his output below the monopolistic output.Finally, the winning strategy in the Schönau case is discussedin the light of the theoretical results of the paper.     

Governance for sustainable poverty reduction: the social fund in Nicaragua

Like other social funds, the Nicaraguan Emergency Social Investment Fund (FISE) has been created on the initiative of the donors to alleviate the social consequences of adjustment policies. It finances small infrastructural projects in education, health, water and other sectors and focuses on poor communities. FISE accounts for approximately 11% of public investment and 48% of public investment in the social sectors. The size of FISE and its apparent permanent character raise questions of its contribution to sustainable poverty reduction and on institutional development in the country. The article concludes that there are serious doubts on whether maintaining a social fund as a separate agency enhances effective governance for sustainable poverty reduction. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of EU officials in European Security and Defence

Abstract

European Union (EU) foreign policy has long been considered the domaine réservé of the member states. This article challenges such conventional state-centered wisdom by analyzing the influence of the Brussels-based EU officials in the Common Security and Defence Policy. Using four case studies and data from 105 semi-structured interviews, it shows that EU officials are most influential in the agenda-setting phase and more influential in civilian than in military operations. Their prominence in agenda-setting can be explained by their central position in the policy process. This allows them to get early involved in the operations. The absence of strong control mechanisms and doctrine in civilian crisis management gives them opportunities to affect civilian missions. Finally, EU officials direct civilian operations from Brussels, whereas the command of military operations is with the member states and NATO.     

Is limiting financial supervisory liability a way to prevent defensive conduct? The outcome of a European survey

One of the arguments frequently used to limit the liability of financial supervisory authorities is the idea that normal liability rules result in defensive conduct and, therefore, in ineffective financial supervision. The impact of tort law on financial supervisory authorities is, however, highly debated, and no overwhelming empirical evidence exists to support it. This article presents findings from an empirical study on financial supervisors in the member states of the European Union. Targeting senior financial supervisors, the survey presented a series of statements, asking respondents to state their opinions about the impact of financial supervisory liability. In summary, most of the respondents seem to classify the impact of financial supervisory liability as neutral or positive. At most, the evidence from the survey implies an arguably modest degree of deterrence. Because the survey found no significant differences between respondents who perceive the liability of their organization as limited and those who do not, it suggests that limiting financial supervisory liability does not have an impact on the behavior, or at least on the perceptions of the impact of financial supervisory liability, of financial supervisors. Therefore, the study calls into question the widely accepted argument of defensive conduct as a reason for limiting the liability of financial supervisory authorities.     

Music Preferences,Friendship, and Externalizing Behavior in Early Adolescence: A SIENA Examination of the Music Marker Theory Using the SNARE Study

Music Marker Theory posits that music is relevant for the structuring of peer groups and that rock, urban, or dance music preferences relate to externalizing behavior. The present study tested these hypotheses, by investigating the role of music preference similarity in friendship selection and the development of externalizing behavior, while taking the effects of friends’ externalizing behavior into account. Data were used from the first three waves of the SNARE (Social Network Analysis of Risk behavior in Early adolescence) study (N?=?1144; 50% boys; M _age?=?12.7; SD?=?0.47), including students who entered the first-year of secondary school. Two hypotheses were tested. First, adolescents were expected to select friends based both on a similarity in externalizing behavior and music genre preference. Second, a preference for rock, urban, or dance, music types was expected to predict the development of externalizing behavior, even when taking friends’ influence on externalizing behavior into account. Stochastic Actor-Based Modeling indicated that adolescents select their friends based on both externalizing behavior and highbrow music preference. Moreover, both friends’ externalizing behavior and a preference for dance music predicted the development of externalizing behavior. Intervention programs might focus on adolescents with dance music preferences.     

Negative Life Events and Depressive Symptoms in Late Adolescence: Bonding and Cognitive Coping as Vulnerability Factors?

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of parental bonding and cognitive coping in the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in adolescence. A sample of 1310 adolescents attending an intermediate vocational education school filled out a questionnaire. Adolescents with a poor parental bonding relationship seemed to be more vulnerable to depressive symptoms in the face of adverse life events than adolescents with more optimal bonding styles. Cognitive coping strategies seemed to play an even more important role. The use of self-blame, rumination, catastrophizing, positive refocusing, and positive reappraisal appeared to be related to depressive symptoms. In addition, self-blame, rumination, and positive reappraisal seemed to have a moderating role in the relationship between the amount of stress experienced and depressive symptoms. Developing prevention and intervention programs aimed at the formation of optimal bonding relationships and teaching adolescents adaptive cognitive coping strategies seems advisable.