Patterns of Bullying and Sexual Harassment: Connections with Parents and Teachers as Direct Protective Factors

Involvement in bullying and sexual harassment in adolescence is associated with a variety of internalizing, externalizing, and health-risk behaviors. Yet, the two behaviors are often studied independently. The current study examined how bullying and sexual harassment co-occur and whether social connections protected youth from risk patterns. The data for this study come from the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey (N?=?121,311; 50% female, 74% White, 26% received free or reduced-price lunch; M _age?=?14.9, SD?=?1.3). Students reported on bullying and sexual harassment victimization and perpetration. Using latent class analysis, youth were classified into five patterns: High-Risk of All Forms of Victimization and Perpetration (7%), Relational and Cyberbullying Victimization (17%), Sexual Harassment Victimization and Perpetration (8%), Physical Bullying Perpetration (6%), and Low-Risk (62%). Compared to the low-risk class, the four other classes had lower levels of social connections, particularly with teachers and parents. Older youth (9th and 11th grade students) were at greater risk for the sexual harassment pattern, while younger youth (8th grade students) were at greater risk for bullying patterns. The results indicate that efforts to reduce bullying should also address sexual harassment and social connections with adults.     

Analyzing School Finance Policy: Beyond a Quantitative Approach

This paper analyzes school finance policy (SFP) using an alternative hermeneutic approach along the line of fairness. This approach, in comparison with the quantitative approach, guides toward a better understanding of the tensions between the de jure and de facto policies. The analysis focuses on Israel as an interesting case study since its SFP was currently reformed. To this end, trends in legislation, Ministry-of-Education publications, and the Israeli Parliament’s protocols were analyzed. The findings reveal that an SFP is a disharmonic composition of “voices” that affects student outcomes. These findings are relevant to countries with high population diversity who wish to improve their educational attainment.     

Wer fürchtet sich vor einem Verfassungsrechtsvergleich?

Der Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Rechtsvergleichung am US Supreme Court (SC). Er zeigt, in welchen Rechts- und Sachbereichen der SC vergleicht, erörtert wie das Gericht dabei vorgeht und auf welche Staaten es idR verweist und geht darüber hinaus der Frage nach, inwieweit Verweise auf ausländisches Recht bzw ausländische Judikate zulässig sind.     

Insomnia, nightmare frequency, and nightmare distress in victims of sexual abuse: the role of perceived social support and abuse characteristics

In this study of victims of sexual abuse, the aim was to investigate the role of perceived social support and abuse characteristics in self-reported insomnia, nightmare frequency, and nightmare distress. Four hundred sixty Norwegian victims of sexual abuse completed a questionnaire assessing perceived social support, abuse characteristics, insomnia, nightmare frequency, and nightmare distress. Results show that higher levels of perceived social support were related to lower scores on all symptom outcome measures. Abuse involving oral, genital, or anal penetration was related to more insomnia symptoms. Longer duration of abuse and threatening conducted by the perpetrator were related to higher nightmare frequency, while threats and abuse involving penetration were related to higher degrees of distress associated with nightmares. In conclusion, the present study provides preliminary data indicating that perceived social support may affect the nature of sleep difficulties in sexual abuse victims. Also, more severe forms of sexual abuse are related to higher levels of sleep difficulties.     

Arbeit und Geschlechterverhältnisse im Umbruch

Ausgehend von dem Umbruch der Erwerbsarbeit in Richtung einer flexibilisierten, markteffizienten Tertiarisierung fragen wir nach Chancen für Frauenerwerbsarbeit. Dabei richten wir den Blick insbesondere auf das Verhältnis zwischen Erwerbssphäre und außerbetrieblichem Leben. Die Ausgangsthese lautet: Dem Umbruch der Arbeit sind ?Entgeschlechtlichungstendenzen“ inhärent. Diese werden jedoch sowohl von überdauernden Geschlechterungleichheiten, als auch durch die Verdrängung gesellschaftlicher Reproduktionsnotwendigkeiten in das ?Private“ als (neu konfigurierte) ?Vergeschlechtlichungsprozesse“ konterkariert. Als Ergebnis zeigen sich zwiespältige Integrationsaber auch zunehmend Desintegrationseffekte für ?weibliche“ Erwerbsarbeit. Diese These wird mit Befunden einer empirischen Untersuchung bei der Deutschen Bahn AG erhärtet, deren rigoroser Umbau hin zu börsenfähiger Wirtschaftseffizienz u.E. paradigmatisch für Unternehmensreorganisationen gelten kann. Das Fazit lautet: Nur über eine konsensuale Arbeitspolitik, die die Symmetrierung der außer- und innerbetrieblichen Lebensbereiche beinhaltet, ist eine nachhaltige Chancenerweiterung für Frauenerwerbsarbeit möglich. Sie ist — mittelfristig — auch die Voraussetzung für eine ?geschlechtsneutrale“ Bestenauslese der Unternehmen und damit ihrer Wirtschaftseffizienz.     

How the Indashyikirwa Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Programme in Rwanda Influenced Parenting and Violence against Children

There is increasing interest in working at the intersections of intimate partner violence (IPV) and violence against children (VAC), especially in the family, yet few programmatic strategies exist or have been evaluated to assess the combined impact of strategies on both types of violence. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the influence that Indashyikirwa—a programme designed to reduce IPV in Rwanda— had on VAC in the families of couples participating in the programme. Indashyikirwa included a 21-session couples’ curriculum, safe spaces for IPV survivors, and community activism against violence. In addition to reductions in IPV, a randomized control trial found significant reductions in parent’s reports of children witnessing IPV, parents’ attitudes condoning harsh physical punishment of children, and parents’ use of corporal punishment as discipline. This paper uses qualitative data to better understand how and why the couples’ curriculum influenced parenting and VAC. Twenty-eight participants (fourteen male-female couples) were individually interviewed at three time points, once before and twice after the couples’ curriculum implementation. Six men and six women who completed the curriculum and subsequently carried out activism were also interviewed at two time points. The data were analyzed thematically. Pathways motivating couples’ attitude and behavior changes towards children included reflecting on the consequences of IPV for children and appreciating the benefits for children of non-violent, gender equitable households. This analysis suggests that working with co-habiting couples presents a viable strategy for working to prevent IPV, VAC and promote more gender equitable family dynamics.