Comparing maltreating fathers and mothers in terms of personal distress, interpersonal functioning, and perceptions of family climate

OBJECTIVE: This study compared perceptions of personal distress, interpersonal and marital problems, and aspects of family climate of maltreating fathers and mothers. METHODS: Subjects were 2841 offenders (1918 of whom were fathers or father-figures) who were identified and treated by the USAF Family Advocacy Program between 1988 and 1996. Independent variables for the analysis were parent sex (mother vs. father) as well as type and severity of maltreatment, history of repeat offenses, and history of abuse in childhood. RESULTS: Maltreating mothers were more distressed and reported more problems from individuals outside the family than maltreating fathers; fathers reported more rigid expectations for children, less cohesive families, and less organized families than did maltreating mothers. Regardless of parental sex, victimization in the family of origin was related to distress and unhappiness. Similarly, both victimization in the family of origin and history of repeated offenses were powerful predictors of a more negative family climate regardless of the offending parent's sex. No significant statistical interactions between parental sex and other independent variables were found when predicting personal and interpersonal distress, marital problems, or family climate. CONCLUSIONS: Studies rarely examine maltreating fathers except in the context of sexual abuse. Fewer still compare maltreating mothers and fathers. This study identified meaningful, though generally small, differences between maltreating mothers and fathers. Patterns suggest that maltreating mothers may tend to cope more poorly with personal distress, whereas maltreating fathers tend to operate in a family climate that is both distant and rigid, while holding inappropriate expectations for children's behavior. The absence of interactions between parental sex and the other independent variables included in the analysis indicate that these patterns do not vary by the history of victimization in the family of origin, the type or severity of child maltreatment, or the history of prior maltreatment in the family.     

A place to learn: cultivating engaging learning environments for young rural Aboriginal Australians

Rural Aboriginal Australians experience disadvantage across a number of significant social and economic outcomes, including educational engagement and achievement. Current debate postulates that educational environments and systems perpetuate this disadvantage. This qualitative study aimed to contribute to the debate by taking a broader ecological view to consider the aspects of the learning environment that may promote engagement with learning. This paper reports on research conducted in a community-based programme designed to support the engagement of young rural Aboriginal students. A total of 32 participants (including children, parents/carers, tutors, managers, and local teachers) were interviewed to explicate their perspectives on the key aspects of the learning environment that fostered student engagement. An analysis of the interview data identified core characteristics that could be employed to foster engagement and thus contribute to developing equity and self-determination for young rural Aboriginal Australians. Core characteristics that were valued included: a focus on learning and individualised pace; a flexible and relaxed atmosphere; individualised assistance; having an adult who showed interest in the child and their learning; providing a culturally secure learning environment; provision of food; supplying transportation; and staff being part of the same community. This paper contends that these characteristics are valued by the community and thus should inform the practices within the community-based programme as well as mainstream education to facilitate future engagement in learning.     

Principals and teachers as partners in critical,participatory action research

Abstract

This article reports on a two-year study of one principal’s professional learning practices in ‘Transform,’ a professional learning program in Edmonton Catholic Schools, Alberta, Canada. Transform was designed to be a bottom-up, morally-oriented professional learning approach in which principals and teachers worked as partners on critical, participatory action research projects. This article examines the research question ‘How are principals shifting from technically- to morally-oriented professional learning practices in their schools?’ and explores one theme – co-creating social spaces for risk-taking – to illustrate how principals shifted from being managers of teachers’ learning to being partners with teachers in researching and refining classroom practices.     

Exploring the Evidence in Evidence-Based Acquisition

ABSTRACT

This article explores the University of Colorado (CU) Libraries’ experiences with evaluating a patron-driven (PDA) program with Kanopy and an evidence-based (EBA) program with Alexander Street for streaming videos. The article includes a thorough comparison of EBA and PDA models, workflows, and outcomes. Three separately administered libraries within the CU system support campuses of different budgets, student and faculty demographics, programs, and exposure to streaming collections. Lessons in implementing and assessing streaming videos at each library and across the consortia are shared along with details on how to implement similar analysis at other libraries.     

Psychological profiles of sexually abusive adolescents in Ireland

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to profile the psychological and psychosocial characteristics of a group of Irish adolescents who had sexually abused other youngsters. METHOD: Levels of behavior problems, personal adjustment, anger management, and psychosocial adjustment were compared in 27 Irish adolescents with a history of sexually abusing another youngster (SA group), 20 clinical controls who had significant behavioral problems but no history of sexual offending (CC group), and 29 normal controls who were without significant psychological problems (NC group). Measures used included the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Youth Self-Report Form (YSR), selected scales from Beckett (1997) Adolescent Sex Offender Assessment Pack (ASOAP), and the Family Environment Scale (FES). RESULTS: Compared with the CC group, the SA group displayed fewer problems overall on the CBCL and the YSR. The SA group showed problems with self-esteem, emotional loneliness, and perspective-taking similar to those of the CC group, but their impulsivity scores were similar to those of the NC group. The locus of control scores of the SA group fell between those of the CC and NC groups. The SA group showed an anger management profile that fell at an intermediate position between those of the NC and CC groups. The SA group showed problematic family functioning in the areas of expressiveness, behavior control, and social support, similar to those of the CC group. Their difficulties with family cohesion were less severe than those of the CC group but worse than those of the NC group. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the psychological adjustment of adolescents with a history of sexually abusing others was more problematic than that of normal controls but less problematic than that of youngsters who had significant behavioral problems but no history of sexual offending.     

Measuring Student Career Interest within the Context of Technology-Enhanced STEM Projects: A Cross-Project Comparison Study Based on the Career Interest Questionnaire

Journal of Science Education and Technology - This article describes Energy for ME and Going Green! Middle Schoolers Out to Save the World, two Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics...     

A career transition program for older persons

The Second Careers program undertaken by the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences during 1975–1976 was designed to help older persons seeking second careers in the health care field make realistic career decisions. The program grew out of an awareness that persons over 45 are not adequately served by American educational institutions and frequently are denied opportunities to embark upon second careers in which they can make significant contributions. The age group 45–65 now makes up 20% of the American population. This group of persons is increasingly well educated, politically active, and relatively healthy; many are not inclined to settle for retirement or continued participation in jobs they may have outgrown. This population includes the early retiree; the homemaker returning to the marketplace either from choice or necessity; and the individual who seeks counseling, training, and education to support a midlife change to a new career. Second Careers was established for this large and educationally underserved group. This article describes a model program, conducted over a one year period, which combined classroom work and field experience with individual and group counseling. It involved twelve part-time students, all of whom made significant career decisions by the end of the year. Although this effort focused primarily on exploring career opportunities in the health care field, the model can be adapted to almost any educational setting. This paper is offered as a guide for individuals and organizations involved in or contemplating similar educational, counseling, and/or service programs for older persons.This article reprinted with permission fromEducational Gerontology An International Quarterly Vol. 4(1) Hemisphere Publishing Company.     

Erratum to: Measuring Student Career Interest within the Context of Technology-Enhanced STEM Projects: a Cross-Project Comparison Study Based on the Career Interest Questionnaire

Journal of Science Education and Technology -     

Reforming from “without” by leading from within

Teacher education programs are facing a range of external pressures today — from shifts in the educational landscape to an ever-expanding curriculum to meet changing standards. In this article we shared how our process of “reforming from without by leading from within” is the beginning of a culture change. Partnership initiatives, newly involved classroom teachers, school liaisons, training for classroom teachers and university faculty alike, all may make a difference in our culture and our efforts. As teacher educators we must adapt our programs to the changing standards for teachers, accountability measures and student testing, and a diverse population. The ETRA faculty at Northern Illinois University lead from within by seizing opportunities in administrative changes, existing partnerships, funding opportunities, and collaborations. Our goal continues to focus on demonstrating that technology innovation may serve an important role in coping with these external pressures and achieving the changes required.