The role of peer networks in adolescent pornography use and sexting in Croatia

ABSTRACT

Although communication about sexuality is a significant pathway through which peers influence adolescent sexual development, little research has examined the role of peer networks in the use of sexualized media. We applied a social network approach to assess the role of close peers in adolescent pornography use and sexting in a sample of Croatian high school students. Sexual conversation networks’ characteristics did not correlate with pornography use. In contrast, sexting was associated with the proportion of same gender peers, the proportion of older peers and the proportion of sexually experienced peers in the network – pointing to the role of peer influence. Participants’ gender did not moderate these associations. Specific mechanisms underlying the observed associations and the role of peer selection remain important tasks for future research.     

Living ‘good lives’: using mentoring to support desistance and recovery

Abstract

In recent years, a proliferation of mentoring projects have been established in England and Wales, targeted at both offenders and drug users. This is, in part, a consequence of high-level encouragement to establish such schemes. Mentoring features throughout the Ministry of Justice’s Transforming Rehabilitation strategy as a tool to support offenders to ‘get their lives back on track’, and the 2017 drug strategy highlights the importance of peer mentoring for those engaged in treatment services. Using Kingdon’s multiple streams approach, the article accounts for the popularity of mentoring within criminal justice and drug policy despite a less than convincing evidence-base. His model is based upon an appreciation of three streams (problem, policies and politics) which coincide when a compelling problem is linked to a plausible solution that meets the test of political feasibility. It is argued that mentoring has come to be viewed as a cost-effective solution to reduce reoffending and improve drug treatment outcomes despite a lack of conclusive evidence. It has garnered support because of its fit with dominant political discourses around citizenship and civil society. Mentoring has received support from within and without government but its inherent appeal overshadows a lack of clarity of what mentoring is and insufficient theoretical understanding of why it might be effective. Consequently, it is proposed that the Good Lives Model, a strengths-based rehabilitation theory, might provide an appropriate theoretical base and inform discussions about the role of mentoring within desistance and recovery journeys.     

Benefits from peer teaching in the dental gross anatomy laboratory

This study examined the impact of implementing a rotating dissection schedule on the attitudes and performance of first-year dental students in the gross anatomy laboratory at the University of Kentucky. In 2002-2003, half of the students assigned to each cadaver dissected the assigned objectives during the first 90 min of the laboratory session. During the last 30 min, the non-dissecting group members came into the laboratory and had the day's dissection demonstrated and explained to them via peer instruction. Dissection responsibilities rotated with each laboratory session. Eighty-eight percent of student participants were satisfied with the rotating dissection approach according to a mid-term survey, and this satisfaction level remained unchanged at the end of the semester for most students. Students' perceptions of the quality of peer laboratory presentations varied, with only 44% rating them as good or better. Eighty percent of students perceived that rotating dissection did not impede their performance, and this was confirmed by analysis of grade data. Student satisfaction and the ability to devote additional weekly curriculum time to studying anatomy in a very compressed curriculum were the main student-described benefits.     

Students teaching students: a medical school peer tutorial programme

A peer tutorial programme which is available to all first- and second-year medical students has been in operation at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine since 1972. A retrospective study of the classes of 1982, 1983 and 1984 was undertaken to assess the participation levels in the tutorial programme and to compare the participation level to available performance parameters. The analysis revealed that 54% of the first-year classes and 22% of the second-year classes participated in the peer tutorial programme. X2 analysis of the data demonstrated that the relationship between participation in the tutorial programme and performance on examinations reached statistical significance. The results suggested that an open peer tutorial programme responded to the needs, both cognitive and affective, of medical students.     

小学生应对同伴冲突自我监控训练的实验研究

目的探索提高小学生同伴冲突应对能力的方法。方法采用2×2因素实验设计,运用自我监控的问题解决模式对106名三、五年级小学生(实验组)进行同伴冲突应对能力的训练,另101名三、五年级小学生为对照组,采用儿童社交问题解决访谈提纲和小学生社交技能教师评定量表于实验前后对两组学生施测。结果经过自我监控训练后,在解决冲突的有效性上,三年级实验组有显著提高(9.58±1.60/8.12±2.36,t=3.846,P<0.01),在解决冲突的适应性上,三、五年级实验组均有显著提高(10.52±1.87/7.96±2.44,t=6.612,P<0.01;11.02±1.65/7.54±2.44,t=9.561,P<0.01);教师评定的结果表明,训练后三、五年级实验组处理冲突的能力均有显著提高(29.35±1.70/26.62±4.66,t=4.063,P<0.01;31.59±2.73/27.59±4.39,t=6.147,P<0.01)。结论自我监控训练是一种有效提高小学生同伴冲突应对能力的方法。     

I Get by with a Little Help from my Family and Friends: Adolescents' Support for Diabetes Care

Evaluated and compared the support provided by family membersand friends for adolescents' diabetes care. Family and friendsupport also were examined in relation to other measures ofsocial support, to demographic variables (age, gender, durationof diabetes) and to adherence. Using a structured interview,74 adolescents with diabetes described the ways that familymembers and friends provided support for diabetes management(insulin shots, blood glucose monitoring, eating proper meals,exercise), and for helping them to "feel good about their diabetes."Families provided more support than friends for three managementtasks (insulin injections, blood glucose monitoring, meals);this support was largely instrumental. In contrast, friendsprovided more emotional support for diabetes than families.Greater family support was related to younger age, shorter diseaseduration, and better treatment adherence. Implications of thefindings include encouraging parents to remain involved in adolescents'treatment management, and involving peers as supportive companionsfor meals and exercise.     

负责任同行评议:何谓、何以与何为

【目的】对“负责任同行评议”进行阐释,为促进同行评议质量提升提供参考建议。【方法】对“负责任同行评议”进行解构;针对什么是负责任同行评议、为什么需要负责任同行评议、负责任同行评议涵盖哪些方面,以及如何落实负责任同行评议分别展开讨论。【结果】阐释负责任同行评议的内涵,指出推行负责任同行评议的重要性与迫切性,以及提出推行实践负责任同行评议的保障措施。【结论】负责任同行评议为当前的科研评价问题提供了一个可能的解决方向,可以从理论层面引起研究者的关注,从实践层面引发评审人的思考。