Experiences of engaging in psychotherapeutic interventions for sexual offending behaviours: A meta-synthesis

Abstract

This meta-synthesis explores individuals' experiences of engaging in psychotherapeutic interventions for sexual offending. The findings of ten qualitative studies were integrated and five over-arching concepts emerged: (1) incentives and inhibitions: to engage or not to engage?; (2) help or hindrance: the impact of others in therapy; (3) the abused and the abuser: perspectives for transformation; (4) struggling and striving: dealing with distress and difficulties and (5) what works: inside and outside. A line of argument derived from these concepts is proposed as a framework for understanding sex offenders' experiences of therapy and highlights aspects of treatment programmes that need further exploration or emphasis. Using qualitative accounts can improve the responsiveness of treatment programmes, but such research is currently limited. Future qualitative studies and reviews could help further improve the effectiveness of treatment programmes, and thereby reduce the rate of sexual reoffending.     

Youth and active citizenship in Turkey: engagement,participation and emancipation

This article critically discusses the establishment of active citizenship in Turkey with a specific focus on young people. In particular, we concentrate on the emergence of different strategies regarding civic and political participation in Turkey, by looking at their relationship with civic and political engagement. The scope is to focus on the influence that various factors have in determining patterns of participation. The research and relative results are based on the narratives inherent to two opposite scenarios – that we defined constraints to engagement and participation and patterns of emancipation – that emerged during the interviews with youth activists of NGOs in Turkey.     

The Commons Select Committee System in the 2015–20 Parliament

The House of Commons select committees witnessed some of the most constructive political theatre of the 2010‐2015 Parliament. Recall Rupert Murdoch's public contrition, Margaret Hodge's assault on MNC tax evasion and Keith Vaz's timely interrogations of G4S, etc. The committees also embraced social media and adopted public engagement as a key task. These developments all reflect a newly emboldened system. In recent months, four reports have been published which reflect on these developments. They also look forward to the further substantial development of committee activity. The system thus sets sail with an abundance of specific suggestions, including ideas that could have far wider and more far‐reaching democratic implications.     

The changing representation interface: democracy and direct contact with politicians

The interface between politicians and the electorate is a vital component of the infrastructure of democracy and politicians now have many more tools available to communicate and engage with the electorate. Direct contact between politicians and the electorate is associated with increased levels of civic engagement. In this article, we examine the responsiveness of politicians in the UK by conducting: (i) an innovative test of responses to an undecided voter's email and (ii) follow-up interviews with electoral candidates. We found that a majority of electoral candidates had an identifiable email address and more than half responded to our undecided voter's email. However, there were considerable differences in the content relevance of the responses. There were also very few follow-up emails or further contact from the electoral candidates, suggesting only limited evidence of an integrated communication strategy. Electoral candidates also expressed concerns about communicating in a way that was ‘on record’. The findings provide a unique insight into the dynamics of communication between politicians and the electorate and the changing nature of the representation interface. Whilst the Internet has the scope for more personalized and two-way communication and for electors to hold politicians to account, it seems that politicians are more focused on campaign advantage rather than renewing the representation interface.     

Networks and political engagement of migrant organisations in five European cities

This article investigates networks and political actions by migrant organisations in five European cities. It examines how political opportunity structures moderate the impact of organisational networks on organisations' political contacts and protests using data from organisational surveys undertaken between 2005 and 2008 in Budapest, Lyon, Madrid, Milan and Zurich. Results suggest that the political context moderates the role that different types of networks have on mobilisation. It is found that migrant organisational networks may be sources compensating for the lack of contextual opportunities, thus fostering the use of protest by migrant organisations. However, migrant organisational networks can also favour the creation of political subcultures, marginalised from mainstream politics. Finally, migrant networks are likely to foster migrant organisations' political integration in multicultural contexts through conventional as well as non‐conventional politics.     

契合与超越：司法考试报考资格拓宽后的法学本科教育

司法考试报考资格拓宽至在校本科生,给我国法学本科教育带来了较大的影响,但仍应定位为法律职业教育和素质教育的双重属性,而教育方案上,应当将绝大多数法学主干课程提前至大四之前,精简必修课和限选课,增加通识课等任选课,提高实践课的比重,增设专门法学方法课程,扩大课堂信息量,推行案例教学和双师同堂教育,并配备一支既懂理论、又通实务的高素质的综合性教师队伍。     

关于社会转型期医患冲突问题的若干思考

在社会转型的特殊历史时期,尤其是在努力实现"病有所医"的重大医改过程中,因医疗纠纷引发医患冲突甚至导致群体性事件不断增多,呈现出秩序危机、暴力危机、信任危机、赔偿危机、舆情危机"五大危机",究其根源是利益博弈的集中体现,只有做到以民生为本,才能从根源上有效减少医患冲突,而作为维护社会稳定主力军的公安机关,要立足本职,做到情法交融,既积极介入,有情操作;又适时出手,无情打击,切实促进社会和谐稳定。     

Public Engagement for Informing Science and Technology Policy: What Do We Know,What Do We Need to Know,and How Will We Get There?

This article examines social science relevant to public engagements and identifies the challenges to the goal of meaningful public input into science and technology policy. Specifically, when considering “which forms, features, and conditions of public engagement are optimal for what purposes, and why?” we find social science has not clarified matters. We offer a model to guide systematic research that defines and empirically connects variations in features and types of public engagement activities to specifically defined variations in effective processes and outcomes. The specification of models, as we have done, will guide policy makers, practitioners, and the public in determining what kinds of engagement techniques are optimal for what kinds of purposes. Our model is presented to start conversations and inspire research that in the future should help to ensure meaningful public participation that meets the promise of contributing thoughtful societal values and perspectives into governmental policies impacting science and technology research.     

中共早期工会开展的职工教育及其经验与启示 ——以安源工人俱乐部为实例

中共早期为有效加强对工人的政治动员与组织训练,决定通过工会等群团组织对广大工人进行系统的以思想政治教育、文化常识教育、作风纪律教育、理想信念教育及职业技能教育等为主要内容的职工教育。在职工教育过程中,中共早期工会既突出中共主导地位又尊重工人主体地位、既着眼政治革命又立足社会建设,因而以安源工人俱乐部等为代表的中共早期工会的职工教育成果十分丰硕,职工的政治觉悟、文化素养、道德水准及职业情操等均得到显著提高,这就为中共早期培养了一支政治合格、作风优良、本领过硬的产业工人队伍。中共早期工会在职工教育中的巨大成就说明:工会等群团组织始终是中共动员、教育群众的重要载体,其在拱卫中共政党安全及增强中共的群众组织力等方面有着无可替代的重要作用。因此,在新时代,工会等群团组织应继续高度重视职工教育工作。