Resilience in Sexually Abused Women: Risk and Protective Factors

The goal of this study was to evaluate the contribution of family characteristics (family conflict and cohesion) and abuse characteristics (age at which abuse occurred, abuse severity, and relationship to perpetrator) to resilience (self-acceptance, ability to engage in positive relationships with others, and environmental mastery) in a sample of one hundred and 77 university women who had experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The respondents completed a questionnaire that focused on childhood experiences including family environment in childhood, characteristics of the abuse they had experienced in addition to degree of current resilience defined as their level of well-being (self-acceptance, ability to engage in positive relationships with others, and environmental mastery). The results indicated that family characteristics accounted for 13–22% of the variance in the well-being outcomes. In contrast, abuse characteristics accounted for 3% or less of the variance in the well-being outcomes. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Engagement processes in model programs for community reentry from prison for people with serious mental illness

Linking prisoners with mental illness with treatment following release is critical to preventing recidivism, but little research exists to inform efforts to engage them effectively. This presentation compares the engagement process in two model programs, each representing an evidence-based practice for mental health which has been adapted to the context of prison reentry. One model, Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT), emphasizes a long-term wrap-around approach that seeks to maximize continuity of care by concentrating all services within one interdisciplinary team; the other, Critical Time Intervention (CTI), is a time-limited intervention that promotes linkages to outside services and bolsters natural support systems. To compare engagement practices, we analyze data from two qualitative studies, each conducted in a newly developed treatment program serving prisoners with mental illness being discharged from prisons to urban communities. Findings show that the working relationship in reentry services exhibits unique features and is furthered in both programs by the use of practitioner strategies of engagement, including tangible assistance, methods of interacting with consumers, and encouragement of service use via third parties such as families and parole officers. Nevertheless, each program exhibited distinct cultures and rituals of reentry that were associated with fundamental differences in philosophy and differences in resources available to each program.     

Maternal History of Victimization and Adolescent Behaviors: Protective Function of Relationship Quality among At-Risk Mother-Adolescent Dyads

This study examined the protective function of mother-adolescent relationship quality in mediating the association between maternal history of violent victimization and adolescent behavior problems. Participants included a subsample of 191 mother-adolescent dyads from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) who were at highest risk of child maltreatment. Results revealed that 78.5 % of the mothers reported a history of victimization, which was significantly associated with maternal mental health issues and both adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Bootstrapping analyses revealed that mother-adolescent relationship quality significantly mediated the relationship between maternal history of victimization and adolescent behaviors.     

A qualitative investigation into the U.S. Department of Agriculture 18‐item Household Food Security Survey Module: Variations in interpretation,understanding and report by gender

Food insecurity, or limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways, affects more than 10% of Americans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 18‐item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) is the most common measure used in the United States to assess food insecurity. This measure is to be completed by one adult who reports on the severity of disruptions in the quality and quantity of the household food supply. Recent work suggests that men and women might respond differently to some of the items in this measure. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to further explore how men and women interpret each of the items and specific concepts in this measure. Pairs (n = 25) of low‐income and food‐insecure mothers and fathers of children aged 2.5–10 years participated in one‐on‐one interviews to answer the HFSSM questions using the think‐aloud method. The data were analyzed using basic inductive qualitative methods, and the findings suggest that gender is related to interpretation of key concepts relevant to food insecurity including “household,” “balanced meal,” and “worry.” These findings have policy implications for the use of this measure as a national benchmark of food insecurity such as the potential need for an additional, complementary instrument to include several male reference questions with different terminology.     

Detecting deception in second‐language speakers

Purpose. We examined whether language proficiency had an impact on lie detection. Methods. We collected video footage of 30 targets who spoke English as their native or second language and who lied or told the truth about a transgression. Undergraduate students (N = 51) then judged the veracity of these 30 clips and indicated how confident they were in their ratings. Results. Participants were more confident when judging native‐language truth‐tellers than second‐language truth‐tellers. In addition, participants were more likely to exhibit a truth‐bias when observing native‐language speakers, whereas they were more likely to exhibit a lie‐bias when viewing second‐language speakers. Conclusions. Given the difficulties and biases associated with second‐language lie detection, further research is needed.     

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot? The Uses of History in Scottish Nationalist Politics, 2007-Present

The Scottish National Party (SNP) was elected into government in 2007, and in January 2012 announced plans for an independence referendum. In the same period, the SNP government implemented substantial cultural and heritage projects — some of which showcased the long history of Scottish-English animosity. In the accompanying political rhetoric, it was clear that the SNP was utilising history for the 2014 independence campaign. This referendum ultimately resulted in Scotland's retention of the Union, though the SNP remained in power. The Scottish-British relationship was further tested in 2016, however, with the UK referendum on leaving the EU. All Scottish electorates voted in favour of remaining, and the chasm between Scottish and British identities and future trajectories has since widened further. This article compares the SNP's promotion of nationalist historical narratives prior to the 2014 referendum, particularly those seen in government-supported heritage initiatives, with subsequent historical narratives expressed especially through diplomatic engagements in light of Brexit. In doing so, the infusion of nationalist histories in contemporary Scottish politics — and the potential complications of this approach for the SNP in the post-Brexit political landscape — will be highlighted.     

The Political Importance of Financial Performance

Asset mobility is thought to constrain taxation, as firms with mobile assets can avoid taxation by locating their assets in low-tax jurisdictions. Firms with immobile assets then face higher taxes. By considering the political incentives that accompany widespread financialization, we identify a new limit to the targeting of immobile firms: Publicly traded firms with immobile underlying assets lose more value in financial markets when taxes are increased, as shareholders anticipate that these underlying assets cannot be withheld from taxation. When governments care about this loss in value, their incentive to tax immobile, publicly traded firms declines. Political concern for financial performance therefore limits the extent to which immobile assets can be targeted for taxation. We argue that broad-based participation in the stock market and democratic political institutions increase political concern for financial performance. We discuss the implications of the theory and findings for policy autonomy, firm ownership, and economic voting.     

Playing by the rules: Impact and implementation of children's educational television regulations among local broadcasters

This study explores the institutional process involved in the implementation of the 1997 Federal Communications Commission regulations regarding educational programs for children. Through open‐ended interviews with representatives from twenty‐eight stations, this study assessed local broadcasters' reactions to these new rules in the early stages of policy implementation, examining their understanding of the new regulations; the implementation strategies and structural constraints that guide the selection of educational programs and the implications of these strategies for the success of the rules in achieving their goals as stated explicitly by the FCC. All respondents indicated that they would comply with the regulations by providing the minimum three hours of educational programming per week, along with other reporting and public file obligations. However, the ultimate effectiveness of these rules in ensuring better television for children seems complicated by the institutional constraints on local broadcasters and the widespread belief among broadcasters that educational programs are not viable in the market. The authors argue that future research on national policy evaluation should consider the implementation of the policy within a complex web of institutional and social structures.