DEFENSIVE PROCESSES AND DECEPTION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONSE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH TO DISCLOSURES OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Disclosures about the extent of sexual abuse within the church context and the gradual revealing of the way that the institution has responded in the past indicate underlying anxiety and associated defensive processes. It is suggested in this paper that these processes have led to secrecy and deception. Similarities between the behaviour of perpetrators and the response by the church are explored alongside current preoccupations within the church. Psychoanalytic ideas and theories of organizational dynamics are used to explore and reflect on the fantasies and explicit and implicit assumptions within the institution. It is suggested that the church has displayed institutional narcissism in its response to disclosures. Ideas are illustrated by generic situations.     

SELF‐STIGMA AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS WHO RECEIVE COMPULSORY COMMUNITY TREATMENT SERVICES

The present study was designed to examine the relationship between self‐stigma and quality of life over a one year time period for 71 people with mental illness who were receiving compulsory community mental health treatment. It was hypothesized that, over time, self‐stigma would have the direct effect of eroding quality of life among people with mental illness who were receiving compulsory community treatment; however, this relationship was not confirmed by the data. Although the cross‐sectional analyses revealed a moderate, negative relationship between self‐stigma and quality of life, the longitudinal analyses indicated that self‐stigma was not a significant predictor of quality of life. Among the variables measured in the current study, psychiatric symptom severity was the strongest predictor of quality of life.     

PEER DELINQUENCY AND WHERE ADOLESCENTS SPEND TIME WITH PEERS: MEDIATION AND MODERATION OF HOME NEIGHBORHOOD EFFECTS ON SELF‐REPORTED DELINQUENCY

Collective efficacy is one construct explaining how neighborhood social processes lead to local outcomes, such as crime rates. Collective efficacy has been shown to be mediated by other social influences, such as peer influences, in predicting delinquency. However, existing studies do not always clearly distinguish between the neighborhood where delinquent adolescents reside and other important neighborhoods when assessing collective efficacy. The current study used a self‐report survey of 186 court‐involved adolescents to examine associations between the collective efficacy of the home neighborhood, peer delinquency, and delinquent behaviors. Peer delinquency mediated the association between collective efficacy and self‐reported delinquency. This mediational model was moderated by the location where respondents preferred to spend time with peers, with adolescents who preferred to spend time with peers in neighborhoods outside of their home neighborhood (44%) demonstrating weaker associations between home neighborhood collective efficacy and other variables.     

COUNTERSPACES AND THE NARRATIVE IDENTITY WORK OF OFFENDER‐LABELED AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH

Through narrative identity work, offender‐labeled African American youth craft positive self‐concepts in the face of denigrating societal messages about their personhood. While past research suggests narrative identity work is largely intrapersonal, recent theory posits that it may also arise through individuals’ participation in counterspaces. This 9‐month ethnography explored how a group of offender‐labeled African American youth engaged in narrative identity work through participation in an intervention program that functioned as a counterspace. Findings from observations and interviews suggest youth engaged in narrative identity work by interfacing with the program's unique belief system, and roles, resources, and relationships within the program. These findings highlight specific interpersonal/setting mechanisms that facilitate the narrative identity work of offender‐labeled African American youth, while suggesting important implications for intervening with this population.     

A PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE ON ETHICS,SELF‐DECEPTION AND THE CORRUPT PHYSICIAN

In this paper the authors use a psychoanalytic perspective to understand observations about the modes of self‐deception that operate in physicians who have been dishonest or have engaged in other transgressions of ethics guidelines. They emphasize that it is inaccurate to categorize physicians as simply honest or dishonest, ethical or unethical. Physicians who have been ethical practitioners may rationalize sexual relations with patients, stealing from professional treasuries, lying, or other transgressions while convincing themselves that they have acted in an honourable manner. The authors share their experience of evaluating these phenomena in over 300 physicians who were referred to a specialized treatment centre by licensing boards, hospitals, physician health organizations or ethics committees. They note the high prevalence of defensive compartmentalization, temporal splitting and projective disavowal as means of tolerating behaviours they would generally regard as unethical. They also examine the implications of these modes of self‐deception for psychotherapy.     

THE ROLE OF RELATIONAL,RECREATIONAL, AND TUTORING ACTIVITIES IN THE PERCEPTIONS OF RECEIVED SUPPORT AND QUALITY OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIP DURING A COMMUNITY‐BASED MENTORING RELATIONSHIP

Previous research has shown that activities between volunteer mentors and youth mentees are associated with relationship quality. Using data from a longitudinal investigation of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) community mentoring relationships across Canada, the current study investigated whether different types of activities (relational and skill, recreational, and tutoring) moderate the association between mentees’ perceptions of received support and subsequent relationship quality. The results showed that, irrespective of activity type, activity frequency was positively associated with perceptions of received support and relationship quality. More importantly, higher frequency of recreational activities strengthened the positive association between perceptions of received support and relationship quality, whereas higher frequency of tutoring activities weakened this association. The implications for the provision of relational and skill, recreational, and tutoring activities are discussed in relation to BBBS programs.     

A CROSS‐LAGGED MODEL OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTOR–MENTEE RELATIONSHIPS AND INTENTIONAL SELF‐REGULATION IN ADOLESCENCE

Intentional self‐regulatory, or goal‐directed, skills are essential for positive social relationships, success, and well‐being during adolescence. Prior theory has suggested that mentoring relationships may provide a key resource for building these skills. However, there is little direct evidence linking mentoring relationships to growth in youth intentional self‐regulation (ISR). Accordingly, we examined the bidirectional relations between mentor–mentee relationship and ISR using data from 415 mentor–mentee dyads from programs around the United States. The 415 youth (48% female) ranged in age from 10.14 to 20.65 and were ethnically and socioeconomically diverse. The 114 mentors (58.8% female; 64% Caucasian) were, on average, 33.6 years of age. Results from cross‐lagged structural equation modeling indicated that a latent factor of mentor–mentee relationship predicted growth in a latent factor of youth ISR. These findings support the role of mentors in promoting youth ISR. The implications of these findings for the training of practitioners are discussed.     

THE RELATIONSHIP OF INDIVIDUAL‐ AND COMMUNITY‐LEVEL SOCIOCULTURAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD FACTORS TO THE MENTAL HEALTH OF ETHNIC GROUPS IN TWO LARGE U.S. CITIES

Using multilevel modeling, the present study examines psychological well‐being as a function of sociocultural factors, neighborhood disadvantage, neighborhood fragmentation, and neighborhood integration, along with individual factors among a sample of 1,306 African and Latino/a Americans living in New York City and Chicago neighborhoods. Neighborhood blocks were prestratified based on racial/ethnic and economic characteristics and then randomly selected within predefined strata, resulting in a total of 140 block (neighborhood) groups. A means‐as‐outcome and slopes‐as‐outcome model was fit to the data. Intraclass correlation coefficients for psychological well‐being for the fully unconditional model revealed that 15% of the variance in psychological well‐being is between neighborhoods. Results from subsequent model building revealed differences in mean levels of psychological well‐being as well as heterogeneity between neighborhoods through varying predictor effects on psychological well‐being (i.e., certain predictor effects varied across neighborhoods). Sociocultural variables such as cultural identity, religious/spiritual coping, and family obligation were significantly associated with psychological well‐being, generally beneficial, and sometimes varying with generation status and across neighborhoods. Different dimensions of neighborhood disadvantage and fragmentation emerged as important factors, although neighborhood integration did not. Our final models explained a substantial proportion of the variance in psychological well‐being within and between neighborhoods. They also revealed the contextual and conditional nature of sociocultural factors.     

STIGMA AND THE SYNDEMIC OF HIV‐RELATED HEALTH RISK BEHAVIORS IN A DIVERSE SAMPLE OF TRANSGENDER WOMEN

This study examined HIV‐related health risk behaviors–unprotected anal intercourse, alcohol intoxication, and drug use–and their association with stigma in a sample of transgender women. We conducted a cross‐sectional survey of 191 transgender women recruited through purposive sampling in San Francisco, CA. Unprotected anal intercourse, alcohol intoxication, and illicit drug use were significantly intercorrelated, suggesting the presence of a “syndemic” among these HIV‐related behavioral health risks. In multivariable analyses controlling for sociodemographic and individual health characteristics, stigma was independently associated with greater levels of unprotected anal intercourse, illicit drug use, and a composite index of the 3 risk behaviors. Findings highlight a need for interventions to address stigma and the social context of unprotected sex, alcohol intoxication, and drug use, which may contribute to HIV risk among transgender women.     

SENSE OF COMMUNITY,IDENTITY STATUSES,AND LONELINESS IN ADOLESCENCE: A CROSS‐NATIONAL STUDY ON ITALIAN AND BELGIAN YOUTH

The aim of this cross‐national study was to assess the relationships among sense of community (SoC) vis‐à‐vis the residential community (i.e., one's home town), identity formation processes, and feelings of loneliness toward parents and peers. The sample included 431 Italian adolescents (59.4% females) and 221 Belgian (Flemish) adolescents (54.3% females) aged 14–23 years. Results indicate that the more adolescents developed firm and sustained commitments, the more they developed positive feelings toward the residential community. SoC toward the home town is lower among youth in less advanced identity statuses. Parent‐ and peer‐related loneliness differentially predicted Italian and Belgian adolescents’ SoC. Results have significant theoretical and methodological implications for the study of SoC, identity, and loneliness.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTENSITY AND BREADTH OF AFTER‐SCHOOL PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: EVIDENCE FROM A SHORT‐TERM LONGITUDINAL STUDY

We explored the extent to which intensity and breadth of participation in an after‐school program (ASP) predicted academic achievement, as measured by changes in grades and attendance. The sample comprised 719 2nd‐grade through 8th‐grade Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas members during the 2009–2010 academic year. With respect to intensity, extent of club participation was positively related to increases in GPA from the first‐week to the last 6‐week grading period. This relationship was stronger for elementary students. In addition, intensity was negatively related to changes in school absences from the first week to the last 6 weeks for both grade levels. With respect to breadth, participation in greater numbers of programs was related to greater improvement in GPA, but only among elementary students, and only when program participation was substantial. Overall, the results suggest that participation in structured ASPs like Boys and Girls Clubs positively affects academic achievement.     

THE CARROT AND THE STICK: A CROSS‐SECTIONAL STUDY OF THE INFLUENCES ON RESPONSIBLE MERCHANT PRACTICES TO REDUCE UNDERAGE DRINKING

Alcohol merchants (N = 331) completed a cross‐sectional survey assessing their attitudes and beliefs about underage drinking, its likely consequences, requirements for responsible beverage service (RBS) training, and performance of RBS practices and checking IDs. Merchants requiring more rigorous RBS training (i.e., state‐approved vs. in‐house or none) have stronger beliefs that outlets who sell to minors will get cited and that their employees know RBS practices. Also, merchants who engage in more RBS practices require more rigorous RBS training, and believe more strongly that outlets who sell to minors are more likely to face, and deserve, stricter sanctions. Merchants who check IDs more strictly conduct more RBS practices and believe more strongly that underage drinking is serious and will result in stronger consequences if caught selling to minors. These findings about the attitudes, practices, and enforcement of alcohol merchants suggests ways communities can better target their limited resources to prevent underage drinking.     

THE EFFECT OF CULTURAL FACTORS ON DAILY COPING AND INVOLUNTARY RESPONSES TO STRESS AMONG LOW‐INCOME LATINO ADOLESCENTS

This study used daily diary methodology to examine associations between cultural factors and daily coping and responses to stress among predominantly low‐income Latino adolescents. A total of 58 middle school students (53% male, mean age = 13.31, 95% Latino) completed baseline measures assessing demographic characteristics, familism, ethnic identity, and family ethnic socialization. They subsequently completed 7 consecutive daily diaries assessing daily stress, coping, and involuntary stress responses. Results yielded main effects of stress, gender, familism, and ethnic identity on adolescents’ coping and involuntary stress responses. In addition, interactions between stress and familism, ethnic identity, and family ethnic socialization emerged. Results suggest that familism may promote adaptive responses to stress, while adolescents who report more family ethnic socialization may rely more on maladaptive responses at high levels of stress. Findings related to ethnic identity were mixed and varied depending on levels of ethnic identity exploration versus commitment.     

‘THOSE THAT THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY,THEY FIRST MAKE MAD’*: AN ANALYTIC DISCUSSION OF THE DEPICTION OF SADO‐MASOCHISM IN THE FILM THE NIGHT PORTER

abstract While the film The Night Porter, which was originally released in 1974, ostensibly portrays a detailed account of the development of a sado‐masochistic relationship, it may also be read as a political metaphor. The film’s director and writer, Liliana Cavani, explicitly links the two protagonists’ obsession with each other as originating in an earlier shared experience within a concentration camp. This is to become re‐enacted years later following a chance meeting. This paper is a detailed psychoanalytic exposition of the development and nature of that relationship, but read within the context of a political and sociological framework. It notes how Cavani uses visual symbolization to represent the increasing perverse control and symbiotic complicity between Max, the Nazi guard, and Lucia, the young Jewish woman. The film’s power lies in the implicit: it is an allegory of a society’s descent into barbarism, and a portentous critique of authoritarianism, however expressed.     

UNRAVELING ETHNIC DENSITY EFFECTS,ACCULTURATION, AND ADJUSTMENT: THE CASE OF RUSSIAN‐SPEAKING IMMIGRANTS FROM THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

There has been limited advancement in the empirical literature unpacking the ethnic density effect, a social ecological phenomenon that may help explain some of the conflicting findings in bidimensional acculturation research. In this study, we developed a brief measure of perceived ethnic density in a community sample of Russian‐speaking immigrants (N = 269) in Montreal, Canada, finding it to be a superior predictor of distress to objective linguistic density. Acquiring social support partly mediated the relation between perceived ethnic density and lower distress. Furthermore, the relation between heritage acculturation and distress was double moderated by perceived ethnic density and time lived in the neighborhood. A person–ecology match involving heritage acculturation and ethnic density was related to better psychological adjustment for participants who had resided in their neighborhood for less than, but not more than, 2 years. Clinical and community research implications for using measures of perceived ethnic density and acculturation measurement are discussed.