The Impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Positive Parenting Strategies Among Parents Who Have Experienced Relationship Violence

Evidence supports the use of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for well-being and behavior change among parents. This study examined the impact of a brief ACT intervention on positive parenting strategies, psychological flexibility, and distress among parents who have experienced relationship violence.As part of a larger study, 43 parents were recruited from a community outreach center and completed measures of parenting, ACT processes, and distress. Participants were pseudo-randomly assigned to either receive their treatment-as-usual (TAU) or ACT plus TAU. Twenty-five participants received four weekly sessions of ACT plus TAU, and 18 received TAU only. Positive parenting behaviors among parents in the ACT?+?TAU group improved immediately following treatment compared to the TAU group. Improvements were maintained six weeks following treatment. The hypothesis that psychological flexibility would mediate improvements was not supported.The present study provides initial, preliminary support for the secondary benefits of brief, broad ACT interventions for positive parenting behaviors among parents who have experienced relationship violence. Clinical implications for implementing ACT for parents who have experienced relationship violence and methodological limitations are discussed.     

“The Politics of Political Advertising” in Australia and Britain, 1970–1989

The role of advertising in the production of political campaigns deserves more consideration than it has previously received. My study examines advertising agencies associated with election campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s, investigating their decisions to accept or reject political accounts. Focusing on Britain and Australia, and using a range of primary sources including the industry press, interviews and memoirs, I demonstrate that an agency's decision to accept a political account is always complex, contested and highly contingent. Accepting a political account may alienate clients and agency staff who support another party. Campaigns are labour‐intensive and may detract from an agency's core business. Involvement in a losing campaign can damage an agency's reputation, just as association with a successful one may attract clients. Agencies are often unsure how to approach political advertising where traditional techniques may not be suitable. Such concerns about accepting a political account will likely be put aside where an agency principal has close personal ties to a party or leader.     

Plans, performance information and accountability: the case of Best Value

The current UK government emphasizes the importance of mechanisms of accountability that involve the planning and public reporting of performance. One example of this is the Best Value performance plan. However, there has been little evaluation of the quality of the information provided in this type of document. This paper draws on literature on stakeholding and user needs to identify the data required for accountability. It then assesses whether the plans produced by Best Value pilot authorities in Wales provide appropriate information. The analysis shows that very few of the plans contained the relevant material. Interviews in the pilot authorities highlighted two key reasons for the poor level of data: a lack of performance indicators prior to Best Value and limited staff expertise in performance measurement. The evidence suggests that documents such as performance plans currently make little contribution to the accountability of public organizations.     

Corporate responsibility or core competence?

Although the concept that corporations are responsible not only to their shareholders but also for the social and environmental impacts of their activities has now entered the mainstream, pressure is still required to ensure that companies honour their public commitments. This article describes the work of the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility in harnessing the power of individual shareholders and ethical investors in order to hold companies to account, with particular reference to the activities of Shell in Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland. It is argued that companies do not exist to carry out community development, and so should be judged not on these grounds but rather on the impact of how they conduct their core business.     

FROM RIGHTS TO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PARENTS

Few pieces of legislation in recent years have been heralded with such enthusiasm as the Children Act 1989, in force in England and Wales as of October 14, 1991. This article looks at the philosophy and principles underpinning this radical landmark in family law, outlines the new provisions in both public and private child care issues, and considers some of the implications and dilemmas for social workers, lawyers, and the courts.