How well do evidence-based universal parenting programs teach parents about psychological maltreatment?: a program review

Objective

Psychological maltreatment (PM) is a widespread form of child maltreatment both in high-risk and maltreating families as well as in the general population of parents, yet there are no intervention programs that target it directly. The current study was designed as the first step in a larger program of research concerning educating parents about PM. In this study we evaluated the content of universal parenting programs to assess whether they include content on PM. Three questions were addressed: (1) Which types, if any, of PM were included in the content of these programs? (2) Which programs, if any, have content about each of the types of PM? (3) What are the implications for the development of PM curricula for parents?

Method

Ten evidence-based, manualized, universal parenting programs identified from SAMHSA or a comparable model program registry were rated on how well their content covered 18 types of psychological maltreatment (PM), as defined by the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, APSAC ( [Bingelli et al., 2001] and [0160] ). Each type of PM was coded along several dimensions which resulted in two summary scores: (1) Does the program contain content designed to teach parents what not to do in regards to the 18 psychologically maltreating behaviors and (2) Does the program contain content designed to teach parents what to do instead?

Results

Content related to most PM types were not included in the curricula, especially regarding “what not to do” and not one program was rated as having content related to teaching all 18 types of PM.

Conclusions

Existing parenting programs do not currently cover content for teaching community parents about psychological maltreatment.     

Tweet,Retweet, Favorite: The Impact of Twitter Use on Enjoyment and Sports Viewing

Sports fans are increasingly turning to Twitter to experience events and receive commentary. Using the theoretical grounding of disposition theory, this study surveyed sports fans to measure how Twitter potentially influenced their enjoyment of viewing live and mediated sporting events. Respondents primarily used Twitter to augment their consumption of sports, and heavy Twitter users reported higher enjoyment levels when using the social networking site while watching sports. Findings also suggest how the manner in which respondents used Twitter impacted their sports viewing enjoyment.     

Comedy as a Route to Social Change: The Effects of Satire and News on Persuasion about Syrian Refugees

Using a pretest–posttest and delayed recontact experimental design with a national sample, this study examines shifts in U.S. public attitudes about Syrian refugees after watching a topical satirical news segment on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, compared with a CNN news segment. To investigate synergistic effects between satire and news, the design varied whether the news and comedy segments were viewed alone or in sequence (news before comedy or comedy before news). The results show that all four treatments (news only, comedy only, news-comedy, comedy-news) significantly increased support for refugees from pretest to posttest, and these effects were maintained after a 2-week delay. However, the effects were significantly greater in the three comedy conditions relative to news only. Finally, a serial mediation analysis demonstrated that perceived entertainment value is a positive mediator of comedy’s persuasive effects and serves as a buffer against negative indirect effects through message discounting and argument quality.     

Kissing in the Carnage: An Examination of Framing on Twitter During the Vancouver Riots

This study examines the frames found on Twitter during the Vancouver riots on June 15, 2011. A textual analysis was employed, and resulted in the identification of 5 frames: fandom, riot propagation, global perspectives, shame on Vancouver, and real fans vs. idiots. The identification of these frames illustrated Twitter's role as a source of news and information, and also an outlet for shaping public opinion and cultural perception. Twitter provided the opportunity to counter public perceptions of Canadian hockey fans and the rioters through displays of dissociation, embarrassment, remorse, and comparisons to substantial global events of political unrest.     

Financial Literacy and the Academic Library: Exploring the Peer-to-Peer Approach

Colleges and universities employ a variety of strategies to deliver financial education to students. Among these approaches is peer-to-peer financial education, which has been explored in many settings but never in an academic library. Following a review of financial literacy approaches used on college and university campuses by libraries, and other units and departments, this article describes the Student Financial Education Center located at Pennsylvania State University Libraries and discusses the unique challenges and opportunities of implementing a peer-to-peer financial education program in this setting.     

Discrimination‐Related Stress Effects on the Development of Internalizing Symptoms Among Latino Adolescents

This three‐wave longitudinal study of 173 Latino adolescents (M = 16.16 years, SD = 0.65) is designed to understand the role of discrimination‐related stress in mental health trajectories during middle to late adolescence with attention to differences due to immigration status. The results of the growth curve analysis showed that anxious‐depressed, withdrawn‐depressed, and somatic complaints significantly decreased over time. Furthermore, although discrimination‐related stress was found to be significantly related to the trajectories of three types of mental health symptoms, the results revealed that immigration status moderated these relations such that discrimination‐related stress was significantly related to these outcomes for Latino youth whose parents were born in the United States, while this relation was not significant for Latino children of immigrants.     

Re-thinking Intelligence: schools that build the mind

We now understand that human intelligence, once thought to be determined almost solely by heredity, is malleable. In developed countries, average intelligence test scores have increased substantially since the tests began to be administered 100 years ago. In school settings, however, intelligence is often still treated as a fixed attribute that limits many students' ability to learn. We argue that schools can and should create intelligence. A body of research has now shown that participating in certain forms of discussion-based instruction can lead to gains in performance, not only in the subject taught, but also in other, distant domains. This means that schools can actually ‘grow the mind.’ Here, we look at a few powerful examples of dialogic teaching and learning, and discuss some of the implications for the future of education.     

Climate Change Research Across Disciplines: The Value and Uses of Multidisciplinary Research Reviews for Technical Communication

The authors performed an interdisciplinary literature review of research on communication and climate change. The authors reviewed STEM, social science, and risk analysis journals to synthesize recent publications on climate change communication which could support research in technical communication. Several applications are proposed for technical communication research, including using this review to contextualize local qualitative work, to spur interdisciplinary projects and address gaps in multidisciplinary literature, and reconsider a role for advocacy in technical communication.     

Developing Programmes to Promote Participation in Sport among Adolescents with Disabilities: Perceptions Expressed by a Group of South African Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

Adolescents with disabilities in developing countries frequently have limited access to sporting opportunities and comparatively little is known of their lived experiences and preferences. We set out to understand what a group of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) living in South Africa perceive to be important components of programmes developed to increase their participation in sport. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 adolescents with CP. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Congruent with existing research, our findings suggest that sporting programmes should allow participants choice, provide physical challenges and present opportunities to socialise and experience mastery. Participants ask for: variety and a wider range of sports; greater recognition; coaching; and competition within programmes which are inclusive and fair. The data highlights the need for advocacy work and draws attention to the challenges of responding to participants’ requests when developing sports programmes for adolescents with disabilities in resource-scarce countries.     

Validity of the Actical activity monitor for assessing steps and energy expenditure during walking

This study examined the validity of the Actical accelerometer step count and energy expenditure (EE) functions in healthy young adults. Forty-three participants participated in study 1. Actical step counts were compared to actual steps taken during a 200 m walk around an indoor track at self-selected pace and during treadmill walking at different speeds (0.894, 1.56 and 2.01 m · s^–1) for 5 min. The Actical was also compared to three pedometers. For study 2, 15 participants from study 1 walked on a treadmill at their predetermined self-selected pace for 15 min. Actical EE was compared to EE measured by indirect calorimetry. One-way analysis of variance and t-tests were used to examine differences. There were no statistical difference between Actical steps and actual steps in self-selected pace walking and during treadmill walking at moderate and fast speeds. During treadmill walking at slow speed, the Actical step counts significantly under predicted actual steps taken. For study 2, there was no statistical difference between measured EE and Actical-recorded EE. The Actical provides valid estimates of step counts at self-selected pace and walking at constant speeds of 1.56 and 2.01 m · s^–1. The Actical underestimates EE of walking at constants speeds ≥1.38 m · s^–1.