‘She Knew What was Expected of Her’: The White Legal System’s Encounter with Traditional Marriage

A recent case in the Northern Territory of Australia has raised the issues of intra-racial rape and the legal recognition of traditional marriages between Indigenous people. The defendant in the Jamilmira case was charged with statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl. He argued that the girl’s status as his promised wife should lead to mitigation of his sentence. Members of the Northern Territory judiciary and others in the community were divided in their response to his claim. Ultimately the case led to reform of the law in relation to the recognition of traditional marriage, a response which outraged some members of the Indigenous community. In this article I examine the various representations of culture and individuals that were utilised by ‘the law’ and how these representations informed the legal response. In the process I question the limits of my own role as a ‘white middle-class feminist’ in the context of explorations of law and culture. Is there a space to become involved in these debates without being complicit in fostering racism and prejudice and without reverting to stereotypes and cultural arrogance?     

Academic Achievement and the Self-Image of Adolescents with Diabetes Mellitus Type-1 and Rheumatoid Arthritis

A total of 69 adolescents, 21 with diabetes mellitus type-1 (DM), 24 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 24 controls matched for sex, age, social background, and living environment, were compared by means of their school grades and the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire. The ages of the children at the time of the diagnosis of the disease and its subsequent duration were the same in the DM and the RA groups. Results show that the academic achievement of adolescents with DM who are well balanced and adolescents with RA with mild or moderate symptoms are equal to those of their healthy peers. In the OSIQ scales there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. In the groups of controls, there were more significant correlations between the OSIQ scores and the school grades than those with the DM or RA adolescents. The direction was positive. The correlations of the 3 groups did not differ significantly from each other. In case of adolescents with various kinds of chronic diseases, it is important to support their motivation for learning and planning the future.Medical doctor, specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry. Since gaining her PhD at the University of Turku in 1987, she has also specialized in hospital administration and adolescent psychotherapy. Since 1982, she has been the senior doctor of the Child Psychiatric Clinic of Satakunta Hospital District. Currently she is the head of the Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Turku University Hospital. She has trained both child psychiatrists and adolescent psychiatrists. During the years 1990–1992 she has participated as a postdoctoral fellow in the Clinical Research Training Program for Adolescents sponsored by the NIMH.Experienced Psychologist and Researcher. She received her PhD in neuropsychology at the University of Turku. She is currently a clinical psychologist at the Adolescent Psychiatry Unit of Turku University Central Hospital. She is an expert on neuropsychological test methods and also responsible for teaching their application.     

Parenting,Marital Conflict and Adjustment From Early- to Mid-Adolescence: Mediated by Adolescent Attachment Style?

Contributions of 3 dimensions of parenting (psychological control, warmth, and behavioural control), marital conflict, and attachment style (anxiety and avoidance) to adjustment from early to middle adolescence were assessed. Mediation of marital conflict effects by parenting, and of parenting effects by attachment were examined. Adolescents (n = 175) initially age 13 years reported parenting practices, attachment styles, school grades, self-esteem, and internalizing and externalizing problems twice (T1, T2) 2 years apart. T1 marital conflict was associated with lower self-esteem, more externalizing symptoms, and lower academic achievement at T2, all but the latter mediated by parental warmth. T1 parental psychological control was associated with increases in internalizing symptoms over time, an effect not mediated by attachment insecurity, which contributed independently. T1 parental warmth was associated with decreases in externalizing symptoms and increases in self-esteem over time, the latter mediated by attachment security.Professor of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H4B 1R6. Received PhD in Developmental Psychology from Stanford University. Research interests include parenting, attachment, and adjustment in adolescence.Professor of Psychology and Applied Human Sciences, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3G 1M8. Received PhD in Social Psychology from Ohio State University. Research interests include close personal relationships and adjustment.     

Feasibility of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">MindMatters</Emphasis> School Mental Health Promotion Program in American Schools

Assessed the feasibility of the Australian MindMatters program, a whole school mental health promotion program for application in the United States (U.S.). Forty-two participants representing school and community stakeholder groups from four U.S. communities (urban, rural, suburban, small town) evaluated the program for application in their communities through a research process involving discussion and endorsement ratings of relevance and likely impact. The majority of participants (85%) indicated that the program would help students in their community schools feel safe and valued, and participants indicated strong endorsement for MindMatters curriculum units focusing on suicide prevention and addressing bullying and harassment. Participants rated their own stakeholder group (e.g., teacher, school administrator, and parent) as being most likely to support and implement the program, suggesting that providing qualitative feedback on a program may help to increase a sense of ownership over it. Ideas for tailoring programs developed in other settings for application in local communities are discussed.     

Adolescent Risk: The Co-Occurrence of Illness,Suicidality, and Substance Use

Illness is rarely considered a “risk factor” in adolescence. This study tests illness, suicidality and substance use as outcome measures in a path analysis of 1028 Swiss adolescents in secondary prevention programs. The model showed that negative mood (depression and anxiety) predicted two paths. One path led from negative mood to suicidality and from there to substance use. The other path led directly from negative mood to illness. Traditional protective factors (good relationships, secure identity) protected against the negative mood-suicide-substance path, but not against the negative mood-illness path. Gebhard Hüsler, psychologist and psychotherapist, Director of the Centre for Rehabilitation and Health Psychology Research, University of Fribourg, rte Englisberg 7, CH 1763 Granges-Paccot, Switzerland. Ronny Blakeney is a senior researcher at University of Fribourg, Departement Erziehungswissenschaften, University of Fribourg, rue de Faucigny 2, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland. Her major research interests are developmental approaches to the sociomoral challenges of adolescents. Egon Werlen is a junior researcher at Center of Rehabilitation and Health Psychology Research, rte Englisberg 7, CH 1763 Granges-Paccot, Switzerland. His major interests are the course of psychological well being, psychological processes in chronic diseases, and methodological issues.     

Rationale and Strategies for Central Involvement of Educators in Effective School-Based Mental Health Programs

Unfortunately, for many mental health professionals classroom teachers and other educators are, at best, viewed primarily or solely as useful sources of information about a child, and their broader, invaluable roles as members of the mental health team are diminished or dismissed. This article examines the conceptual rationale and empirical support for central involvement of educators (especially classroom teachers) in effective mental health services, and in effective expanded school-based mental health programs. The importance of partnerships with educators for school-wide mental health promotion efforts, as well as for the success of primary and secondary prevention initiatives, are highlighted. Effective strategies and recommendations for enhancement of educator-mental health professional collaboration are included.     

Constructing Counseling Through Narrating Adolescence

In this paper we analyze personal narratives of school counseling students so as to better understand how they perceive the influence of their own adolescence on their present views regarding adolescence and counseling. Through the textual analysis of the narratives, we map their perceptions of adolescence and counseling. We consider if and how traditional adolescence views are replicate in the students’ narratives, and reflect on the students’ characterizations of the school counselor’s roles and tasks. The sample includes 34 female respondents aged between 25 and 47 years old. We show that many of the issues raised in the narratives seem to point to a perception of the participants of a need to radically change the school (institutional) culture. We conclude by pointing at the potential confluence between the narratives’ discourse and traditional conceptualizations in sociology and anthropology regarding the organization and practices of informal social spheres.Dr. Zvi Bekerman, teaches anthropology of education at the School of Education and The Melton Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His main interests are in the study of cultural, ethnic and national identity, including identity processes and negotiation during intercultural encounters and in informal learning contexts. He has also recently become involved in the study of identity construction and development in educational computer-mediated environments. He is one of the editors of the soon to be published “Learning in Places: The informal education reader” (Peter Lang).Dr. Moshe Tatar, Senior Lecturer with Associate Professor and Head of the Division of Counseling, School of Education, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Received Ph.D. in Psychology from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His major research interests are adolescent help-seeking behaviors and attitudes, counseling adolescent immigrant populations, and parental perceptions of schools     

The Analysis of Extracurricular Activities and Their Relationship to Youth Violence

The purpose of this study was to examine how extracurricular activities relate to rural youth violence. Gender differences were examined across all of the study variables. Self-report data were collected from 235 teenagers from a rural, ethnically diverse, Virginia community. Correlations revealed a significant inverse relationship between church activity and weapon carrying. Time in non-school clubs (B = .444, p = .000) was the best predictor of fighting frequency for boys. Time in non-school clubs (B = .315, p = .001) and time in religious activities (B = −.291, p = .003) were the best predictors of weapon carrying for boys. Time in extracurricular activities (B = −.267, p = .016), time volunteering (B = .262, p = .007), exercise frequency (B = −.221, p = .046), and number of sports team memberships (B = .240, p = .021) were significant predictors of fighting frequency for girls. None of the activity participation variables were predictive of female weapon carrying. Findings suggest that different types of extracurricular activities are predictive of violent activity. Deanna C. Linville is an Assistant Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at University of Oregon. Received Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in Marriage and Family Therapy. Major research interests are international adoption, collaborative healthcare, and youth resilience. Dr. Angela J. Huebner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development at Virginia Tech in Falls Church, Virginia. Her research interests include examining adolescent risk and protective factors in context as well as studying the effects of U.S. military deployments on adolescents in military families.     

Same-Sex Couples and the Marriage Model

In Ghaidan v. Godin-Mendoza [2004] U.K.H.L. 30, the U.K. House of Lords upheld the right of a man to succeed to the tenancy of his deceased same-sex partner as if he had been the husband or wife of the deceased. This note examines the five judgements delivered by the court and considers the implications of the decision. It argues that, within the context of family law, Mendoza was a welcome decision but an evolutionary dead-end. The case signals a more promising approach to the development of human rights, but the appropriate use and scope of s.3 of the Human Rights Act 1998 remain somewhat unclear.     

Special Issue: Gender,Sexuality and Human Rights

This brief article introduces a special issue of Feminist Legal Studies addressing gender, sexuality and human rights, and comprising papers drawn from an E.S.R.C.-funded workshop held at the University of Kent in June 2004 on the theme of “Gender-Auditing the Human Rights Act”. The article begins by situating the themes of the special issue within the broader context of feminist engagement with rights discourse. It goes on to consider the introduction of the Human Rights Act 1998 into the U.K. with a view to assessing its implications in terms of engendering a positive legal and political culture for equality-seeking initiatives. The article concludes with a survey of the contributions to the special issue, highlighting the possibilities for feminist theory and strategy posed by a wider intersectional engagement with rights issues.