Programs for adolescent mothers are needed

This column reviews the article "The Door's Perinatal Program for Pregnant and Parenting Teens" [Journal of Perinatal Education, 9(2), 39-46] and acknowledges the need for innovative programs to help reduce the risks associated with adolescent pregnancy and teen births.     

A nurturing and problem-solving approach for abuse-prone mothers

This paper reports on a series of treatment programs for abuse-prone mothers. The basic premise was that abusive mothers could not nurture their children because they had never been nurtured themselves. Therefore, the first requisite was that they be given to without being asked to give back. Hairdressing was chosen as a socially acceptable way to touch, and thus physically nurture adults, as it is considered neither infantile nor sexually questionable. The first group demonstrated that this type of nurturing was helpful in creating a prosocial support network for isolated mothers. However, when problem-solving activity was substituted for nurturing in an attempt to foster the mothers' coping skills, the group disintegrated. The second group was designed to maintain the nurturing element while using group-generated crises to teach problem-solving skills. Findings from the third and fourth groups confirmed the value of this combination, as it did the importance of providing support to staff (professionals and volunteers) in their work with people whose needs are “like bottomless pits” [3]. Expert consultation on the effective use of the small group process to meet these needs was also established as necessary.     

Depression in mothers of sexually abused vs. mothers of nonabused children

A total of 104 mothers whose children were receiving a psychological evaluation at a university outpatient clinic completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as part of their child's evaluation. Of these, 32 (31%) mothers were seeking treatment for children who were victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse, 26 (25%) were requesting help for child victims of extrafamilial sexual abuse, and 46 (44%) were seeking counseling services for nonabused children who were exhibiting a variety of common childhood problems. Although there was no significant group difference for BDI raw scores or BDI score categories (i.e., Normal Functioning, Moderate Depression, Moderate-Severe Depression, Extremely Severe Depression), results revealed that 16 (50%) of the intrafamilial abuse mothers, 18 (69%) of the extrafamilial mothers, and 23 (50%) of the mothers of nonabused children reported experiencing at least a moderate degree of depression. Results are discussed relative to their clinical significance, and recommendations are provided for future research with mothers of sexually abused children.     

图书馆员如何适应迅速变化的工作环境

随着现代科学技术在图书馆中的广泛应用，使图书馆的工作环境发生了翻天覆地的变化，馆员要适应这种变化，必须要改变思维模式，敢于面对现实，按照读者期待我们的方式给自己重新定位，充分利用本馆及其他馆藏和网络信息为读者提供最满意的服务；馆员要具有活性化：不仅是帮助读者借还图书，做好日常服务工作，还应该有创造性地帮助读者解决问题；作为信息用户的帮助者、顾问、教育者，馆员应熟练掌握计算机操作和各种网络系统及技术知识。     

Disciplinary choices of mothers of deaf children and mothers of normally hearing children

OBJECTIVE: To assess the disciplinary preferences of mothers of profoundly deaf children and normally hearing children in a test of the hypothesized link between child disabilities and punitive parenting. METHOD: Disciplinary preferences of mothers seeking a cochlear implant for their profoundly deaf child (n=57), mothers not seeking an implant for their deaf child (n=22), and mothers of normally hearing children (n=27) were assessed using an analog task in which subjects select discipline in response to slide images of children engaging in normative or frankly deviant behaviors that are potentially irritating. RESULTS: Results indicated that mothers of children with profound hearing impairments were more likely to select physical discipline in response to depicted child transgressions and more likely to escalate to physical discipline when the depicted child was described as persisting in the transgression. Additionally, escalation was more probable in response to scenes depicting children engaged in dangerous and destructive acts than in rule-violating acts. CONCLUSIONS: Findings were consistent with the hypothesized link between childhood disabilities and child maltreatment as well as the hypothesis that children with disabilities associated with communication problems could be at risk of physical abuse.     

The implications of congenital deafness for working memory

A model of the working memory of the congenitally deaf was built based on Baddeley's model. Following an examination of the literature pertaining to encoding used by the congenitally deaf, I concluded that a model of the working memory of the deaf must include subsystems for articulatory, sign, and visual encoding. By highlighting the inherent flexibility of a model such as Baddeley's, the proposed model allows for applications to the deaf, other special, and hearing populations.     

Sexual health discussions between African-American mothers and mothers of Latino descent and their children

We examined approaches used by African-American mothers and mothers of Latino descent for informal sex-related discussions with their children to inform sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV intervention development efforts. We recruited mothers (of children aged 12–15) from youth service agencies and a university in southern California. Fourteen focus groups were conducted: eight with African-American mothers (n = 31) and six with mothers of Latino descent (n = 24). Data were transcribed, coded for most common themes by four of the authors and reviewed for differences by gender of child. Four key themes emerged when focusing on parent–child discussions about sex: (1) sexual activity discussions took place for both sons and daughters; (2) protection from STI/HIV and pregnancy was a key topic; (3) the use of a direct, honest approach was preferred by mothers; and (4) seizing the moment was important for discussion opportunities. These data help broaden our understanding about the strategies used by African-American mothers and mothers of Latino descent for sexual health discussions with their sons and daughters. Evaluations of these for their potential impact on youth sexual health outcomes are warranted. The data can also contribute to the development of new culturally tailored parent–child communication strategies and HIV prevention interventions for young people of colour.     

Susanne and her two mothers

It is circle time at the Happy Baby Childcare Center. Little three-year-old Susanne is sharing with her class her latest visit to the zoo. “Well, Mama said that monkeys are smarter than us and Mommy said that they are very friendly.” The teacher pauses and then asks, “Susanne, did you go to the zoo with your mother and grandmother?” Susanne says, “No, I went to the zoo with Mama and Mommy!” The teacher is clearly bewildered and would like to clarify for herself who Mama and Mommy are, but the rest of the children in the group are becoming restless. She leaves her questions for another time.     

最当感怀的人

看了这两篇文章,我既自豪又感动。两篇写父爱、母爱的小文章竟引起这么多读者的关注,谁说90后缺乏爱心?他们对家庭、对父母的爱其实深埋在心底。爱,在一个眼神间,在一声问候中,