The deterioration and mobilization effects of trauma on social support: childhood maltreatment and adulthood military violence in a Palestinian community sample

OBJECTIVES: To show that exposure to childhood maltreatment deteriorates, whereas exposure to adulthood military violence mobilizes social support; second, to show that associations between traumatic events and mental health problems are mediated through social support and, subsequently, adulthood military violence is associated with low level and childhood maltreatment with high level of mental health symptoms; third, to explore whether the moderating (protecting) effect of sufficient and satisfactory social support would differ among victims of childhood maltreatment and adulthood military violence. METHOD: The participants were a random-sample of Palestinian men and women (n=585) of 16-60 years of age. Exposure to military violence in adulthood was assessed by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ_I), and to childhood maltreatment by a 13-item questionnaire developed for the study. A Social Network Schedule was applied to assess the function, source, and satisfaction with social support, and the Revised SCL90-R Symptoms Checklist to assess mental health symptoms. RESULTS: Findings supported our hypothesis that exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with low levels of social support, whereas exposure to adulthood military violence was associated with high levels of social support. Contrary to our second hypothesis, both childhood maltreatment and adulthood military violence were associated with high levels of mental health symptoms. Finally, high level and satisfactory social support moderated the association between exposure to military violence in adulthood and mental health symptoms, but not between childhood maltreatment and mental health symptoms. CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize that the nature of trauma, that is, whether familial or political, determines the availability of protective resources versus vulnerability, which should be considered when tailoring interventions to trauma victims.     

In context: Some recent Australian writing for adolescents

He has taught in schools in Australia and England and for over 25 years has been involved in teacher education.     

The impact of timing of puberty on psychosomatic symptoms among fourteen- to sixteen-year-old Finnish girls

All eighth-grade pupils of secondary schools in a Finnish town completed questionnaires 3 times during a 17-month follow-up. A total of 935 girls were included in the study. The mean age of the girls at the start of the study was 14.5 years. The results showed that there were differences in psychosomatic symptoms, dating, and alcohol use by age of menarche. However, the results suggested that the differences by age of menarche were largely associated with pubertal development as such. After controlling for time since menarche, the impact of timing on psychosomatic symptoms was demonstrated only at the beginning of the study, not later. Differences in behavior also seemed to be related to pubertal development rather than timing. Differences in symptoms by age of menarche remained after controlling for dating and alcohol use.     

Electronic commerce

In this article we will discuss payment by cash for e-commerce transactions and micro payments for services received via the internet.     

Infantilism

The aim of this article is to define and operationalize the construct of infantilism.

The methods of theoretical research involve analysis and synthesis. Age and content criteria are analyzed for childhood and adulthood. Infantile traits in an adult are described.

Results. The characteristics of adult infantilism in the modern world are defined, taking into account increasing information flows and socio-economic changes. The concept of “infantilism” and its main features are defined as an organization of the personality that includes traits and behavioral models that are typical of one's earlier age periods and not appropriate to the person's actual age, which is most articulately manifested in emotional and volitional immaturity of an individual.

Scientific novelty. The main psychological characteristics of adulthood are described, including reflection, the desire to work and have a vocation, vocational self-determination, work skills, the desire for self-realization, and emotional and volitional maturity. Objective characteristics of adulthood are: transition to economic and territorial independence of the parental family, and development of new social roles, such as that of worker, spouse, and parent. Two possible operationalizations of the concept are identified: objective (existence/absence in a person’s life of objective criteria of adulthood) and subjective (self-report on the subjective feeling of existence/absence of the psychological characteristics of adulthood).

The practical significance of the work consists in formulation of an operationalization of “infantilism,” which at the moment has so many interpretations. Such operationalization is necessary for further analysis and research.     

Disaffected Pupils: reconstructing the sociological perspective

During the last 25 years, the study of disaffected pupils has been a central topic in the sociology of education. Yet despite its popularity in academic circles the impact of the sociological perspective on policy has been negligible; today the individualised, psychologically orientated approach stills holds sway in most parts of the educational profession. This paper suggests that part of this failure at least is attributable to theoretical inadequacies in the sociological research that has been carried out to date, much of which is based on a one‐dimensional notion of social structure and an over‐rationalistic view of individual psychology. Three key ‘educational structures’ are introduced (the production of ability, the production of values, the production of occupational identity) and a more appropriate model of human personality is outlined.     

Book reviews

International Review of Education -     

Impacts of an Early Childhood Mathematics and Science Intervention on Teaching Practices and Child Outcomes

abstract

This randomized controlled trial examined effects of the MyTeachingPartner-Math/Science intervention on the quality and quantity of teachers’ mathematics and science instruction, and children’s mathematics and science outcomes in 140 pre-kindergarten classrooms. Teachers participated in the intervention for two years with consecutive cohorts of children. Results from Year 1 are considered experimental, however due to high levels of attrition, results from Year 2 are considered quasi-experimental. Across both years, intervention teachers exhibited higher quality and quantity of instruction. In Year 1, there were no significant effects of the intervention on children’s outcomes. In Year 2, children in intervention classrooms made greater gains in teachers’ ratings of mathematics and science skills and performed better on a spring assessment of science skills. These results have implications for designing and evaluating professional development aimed at supporting children’s mathematics and science knowledge and skills.