Spouse Abuse by Black and White Offenders in the U.S. Army

Black soldiers are overrepresented in the U.S. Army Central Registry of spouse abuse cases. For each year between 1989 and 1997, the number of black offenders outnumbers white offenders, while the white population outnumbers the black population. When age-specific rates per 1000 were computed, the rates for blacks were greater than those for whites in every age group. The highest rates for both races were in the 18- to 21-year age group. Age-specific rate ratios between blacks and whites for 1997 ranged from 3.4 for the 18- to 21-year-old group to 1.9 for the 42- to 46-year age group. All of the rate ratios except the one for the 42 to 46-year age group were statistically significant. Socioeconomic status (SES) is an unlikely explanation for these findings as SES was reasonably controlled. Culturally specific longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the reasons for differences in black and white spouse abuse incidents.     

Adolescents’ Experiences of Sexual Assault by Peers: Prevalence and Nature of Victimization Occurring Within and Outside of School

This study examined adolescent peer-on-peer sexual assault victimization occurring within and outside school. The sample consisted of 1,086 7th through 12th grade students, with a mean age of 15. Most of the respondents were White (54%) or Black (45%), and approximately half of respondents were female (54%). A modified version of the Sexual Experiences Survey was used to assess opposite sex sexual victimization in 7th through 12th grade students. Rates of peer sexual assault were high, ranging from 26% of high school boys to 51% of high school girls. School was the most common location of peer sexual victimization. Characteristics of assault varied by location, including type of victimization, victims’ grade level, relationship to the perpetrator, type of coercion, and how upsetting the assault was. Distinctions between sexual assault occurring in and out of school are conceptualized with literature on developmental changes in heterosexual relationships and aggression.

Was There Ever a Time when Girls Weren't in Trouble?

Contemporary writing about girlhood is often gloomy in tone. Girls are represented as the victims of all manner of social trends: capitalism, consumerism, body obsessions, ‘sexualisation’, pornography, etc. Or girls themselves come under attack for bad behaviour, as ‘ladettes’ or ‘living dolls’. But in some parts of the world at least, young women enjoy more freedom and opportunities than ever before. Looking back over her own lifetime, the author argues that feminism has been a potent force for betterment—a belief that things can and do sometimes improve serves to sustain political projects.     

Food security and access to healthy foods in Indian country: Learning from the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

Food access, food security, and nutrition‐related health disparities have long been recognized as particular challenges for Native Americans living on tribal land. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides nutrition assistance to tribal communities through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). In 2016, we completed a study of the FDPIR program for USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. This was the first national update since 1990. We found that FDPIR continued to serve people of all ages. However, since 1990, participation by children decreased whereas participation by elders increased. Consistent with the 1990 study, we found that FDPIR households are a very low‐income population. Households reported significantly higher rates of food insecurity than national averages—34% experienced low food security, and about 22% experienced very low food security. Changing demographics call for continued attention to the diverse nutritional needs of young and elderly program participants in tribal communities. Although barriers to food access persist in Indian country, FDPIR and locally sourced food initiatives help to meet needs. Nutrition and wellness education addresses health disparities and fosters healthy lifestyles. Partnerships operating at multiple levels support food production and distribution, improve access to healthy foods, and encourage healthy diets. From a policy and practice perspective, the study findings offer insights for tribal communities and rural areas that have limited access to healthy food options and illustrate how nutrition assistance programs can coexist with local initiatives to provide practical approaches to ensure healthy and adequate nutritional support.     

Medicare reimbursement,debt financing,and measures of service efforts and accomplishments in the healthcare industry

This paper investigates the relationships among selected SEA measures and Medicare reimbursement. The findings generally indicate that those hospitals most heavily reliant on Medicare reimbursement are characterized by different levels of service efforts and accomplishments than other hospitals. The empirical analysis also provides evidence of a linkage between SEA measures and market measures of the risk associated with bonds issued by the sample hospitals.     

Bridging the academic–practitioner divide

One of the poorest countries in the world, the people of Afghanistan gained a chance for peace with the collapse of the Taliban. Whether the country can find its way forward from a precarious position to a democratic and peaceful future will depend on how it responds to the challenge of globalization and constructs a viable economic system. The rate of economic growth and integration into the world capitalist economy for developing countries depends primarily upon any given country's political capacities. Afghanistan ranks low on all three indicators of political capacity: extractive capability, institutional credibility, and transparency. Globalization is a multifaceted process. In its ability to compete in the global economy, Afghanistan is beginning the contest in arrears with little political capacity and experience in capitalist, market-based economics. Often buffeted historically by external forces and actors, two global wars are intersecting in the country today: those of narcotics and terrorism.