Relationship of the Family Environment to Children's Involvement in Bully/Victim Problems at School

Previous studies regarding the relationship of the family environment to children's involvement in bully/victim problems at school primarily focused on children's perceptions of family dimensions. No studies were known using data from multiple reporters within 1 family (parents and children) on family characteristics of bully/victim problems. The aim of this study was to investigate differences between families of victims, bullies, bully/victims, and noninvolved children on family functioning, child-rearing practices, and problem-solving strategies in hypothetical conflict situations and perception differences between children and their parents on those dimensions. The findings revealed important perception differences between children and their parents, with parents holding up a more positive picture of their family. Important differences between families of bullies, victims, and bully/victims were documented looking at the family functioning and parent–child interactions from the perspective of the children. In contrast, almost no differences between the groups were observed if parents' reports were considered. Discussion leads to suggestions for further antibullying interventions at the school.     

Books in review

She has written widely on sociological and cultural aspects of psychoanalysis. Her most recent book, Feminists and Freudians: A Comparative Perspective,has just been published in German and is forthcoming in English.     

Smoke screen: A theoretical framework

We develop a theory of smoke screening (ambiguity) as a means of maximizing political support when the voters' evaluation of a candidate depends on the quality of information they receive, on their ability to obtain and process relevant information and finally on the candidate's popularity (goodness of reputation). We show that the more favorable a candidate's standing relative to his competence the greater the incentive to milk good reputation by generating smoke screens; and that the more “savvy” (educated, knowledgeable, involved etc.) the public the lower the amount of smoke screening activities undertaken.     

Perceived parental authority: Reasonable and unreasonable

A questionnaire study of 844 teenagers from four midwestern high schools focused on phenomena associated with their perceptions of which parent was the real boss and of how reasonable this boss was in dealing with the adolescent. Father was perceived to be the family authority about three times more often than was mother, although sons tended to see father as boss more often than did daughters, who tended to see mother as boss more often than did sons. Paternal and maternal authorities did not differ in perceived reasonableness. When either mother or father was perceived as a reasonable authority, the teenagers saw mother as highly involved, objective, and as enjoying life. Perception of high reasonableness in paternal authority was associated with the perception of father as involved, objective, enjoying life, and as not rigorous in his expectations for the child's compliance and achievement.     

Distribution of HLA-DQA1, polymarker, CSF1PO, vWA, TH01, TPOX, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317, and D5S818 alleles in East Bengali and West Punjabi populations from Indo-Pak Subcontinent

Blood samples were collected from 115 individuals residing in the Pakistani state of West Punjab and 81 Bengali individuals residing in the state of East Bengal, India. These samples were analyzed for the loci HLA-DQA1, PM (LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, and GC) and eight short tandem repeats: CSF1PO, TPOX, THO1, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317, and D5S818. Departures from Hardy-Weinberg (HWE) were observed in Punjabi population at LDLR, THO1, D13S317, D5S818, and D16S539 and at CSF1PO and THO1 in Bengali population.     

Morphological changes in lungs of patients with spinal injuries died in hospital

Morphological characteristics of changes in the spine and lungs in patients with spinal injuries dead in hospital are described. Spinal edemas were detected in all cases. Edemas were found even in subjects dead at the place where the injury was inflicted. Morphological changes in the lungs were characterized by a phase-wise process, depended on the volume of injury, duration of hospitalization, medical care rendered, and manifested by disorders of blood content of the organ, development of tissue edema, and pneumonia. These data do not rule out the development of pneumonia in patients with spinal injuries.     

Diagnostic evaluation of main signs of liquor crystallograms in live subjects with craniocerebral injuries of different severity

Liquor samples from 159 live subjects with craniocerebral injuries were analyzed. Forty-four patients had brain concussions, 30 light contusions of the brain, 43 medium-severe contusions of the brain, and 42 severe contusions of the brain. Crystallograms were evaluated by 37 signs detected visually and by stereoscopy. The main diagnostic criteria for evaluation of the severity of craniocerebral injury were defined.