Children rearing children: A study of reportedly maltreating younger adolescents

This ex post facto study of officially reported child abuse and neglect incidents examined the demographic and dynamic variables associated with reportedly maltreating adolescent mothers of differing ages. A sample of one half of all the incidents reported within Maricopa County, Arizona, was drawn for the period January 1, 1976, through December 31, 1978 (N =5,098). Adolescent mothers were compared on the basis of their age at the time of the incident, and were categorized as younger adolescents (less than 16 years of age) and older adolescents (16 to 19 years of age). It was found that this total sample of adolescents was faced with pressures such as those found within the general, non-age-specific maltreating population. However, the younger adolescent was faced with the greatest financial stress, yet was less likely to be receiving any income supplement. Additionally, the younger adolescent was more likely to be a minority group member, was less likely to be married, and the maltreating situation involved neglect of children. In sum, the reported situation was likely to have been a direct result of the financial, educational, employment, and life experience limitations found in the adolescent's environment. Discussion of the findings reported that the younger adolescent parent's problems were rooted in basic survival and environmental stabilization needs. Implications and suggestions for further research are also presented.     

Adolescents' concepts of marriage: A structural-developmental analysis

This study involved the construction of a theory and scoring manual for assessing the developmental stages of individuals' concepts of marriage. Four stages (Magical, Idealized Conventional, Individualistic, Affirmational) were identified. The reliability of the scoring procedure (interrater and item-total protocol) was judged to be acceptable. Correlations with age, schooling, ego development, and years of marriage support the marriage concepts stage sequence. Adolescents (N=162) scored at the first two stages of marriage concepts. However, in ego development, their mean score was above the Conformist level, thus suggesting that the adolescents were more advanced in their overall personality development than in their developmental stages of marriage concepts.This study was supported in part by a grant from The Spencer Foundation and conducted at the Social Science Institute, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.Received his Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts in 1976. Current research interests include personality development in adolescents and young adults.     

L‘évaluation du rendement des cadres supérieurs dans la fonction publique québécoise

Sommaire: Au moment où l'on parle de plus en plus de l'imputabilité des gestionnaires publics, il paraît important de s'interroger sur les mécanismes grâce auxquels les administrateurs sont anenés à rendre compte de leur gestion. Le présent article contribue àéclairer cette question en examinant le processus d'évaluation du reiidenient des cadres supérieurs de la fonction publique quéléoisr. Après avoir décrit l'origine et le conteiiu de la politique d'évaluation dn rendement des cadres, les auteurs inontrent que, jusqu' à maintenant, le processus d'évaluation du rendenient exerce en définitive un impact limité sur la gestion. L'analyse du eontenu de plus de 400 fiches d'évaluation du rendement réevèle par ailleurs que les gestionnaires supérieurs éprouvent des difficultés sérieuses dans la définition des attentes signifiées à leurs subordonnés et dans l'évaluation de leurs réalisations. Abstract: At a time when accountability is brought to the forefront in the public service, one has to wonder if the system provides the managers with adequate measurement tools, allowing them to render a satisfactory account of their management. in this article, the authors examine the managers' performance appraisal system in Quebec's Civil Science and draw conclusions on its usefulness as a management tool and its fairness as a compensation devise. After describing the origins and substance of the present policy, they demonstrate that results of the appraisal practice have indeed very little impact on management decisions. The analysis of as many as 400 appraisal forms reveals moreover that managers experience serious difficulties in defining the expectancies of their subordinates in the appraising of results. Le présent article est le résumé d'une étude publiée par le Centre d'études politiques et administratives du Québec: Marcel Proulx et Slichel Roy, L'évaluation du rendement des cadres supérieurs dans la fonction publique québécoise, coll. Bilans et Perspectives, no 1, Québec, École nationale d'administration publique, 1983, 152 p.     

Analysis of human fecal material for autosomal and Y chromosome STRs

Human stool samples from eight volunteers were stored under various conditions and extracted by three different procedures. Fecal material and tissue paper soiled with fecal material obtained from a crime scene were also extracted. Extracted DNA was amplified using the AmpFlSTR Profiler Plus, AmpFlSTR COfiler, and the AmpFlSTR Identifiler PCR amplification kits for the detection of the autosomal STR allelic patterns. DNA extracted from the male volunteers and from the soiled tissue paper evidence sample was also amplified using the Y-PLEX 6 and Y-PLEX 5 amplification kits. Analysis of the amplified products was carried out by capillary electrophoresis on the ABI PRISM 310 Genetic Analyzer. Autosomal and Y-STR profiles obtained from the fecal material were concordant with the results from the donors' buccal swabs.