Family Relationship Problems Research Articles

Suicide Attempts and Their Interrelation With the Economic Crisis in Chania, Greece: A Time-Series Analysis of the Period 2008-2015.

Greece has been in the grip of a severe economic crisis since 2008. It is well known that suicide attempts and actual suicides increase during periods of recession and austerity. The main aim of this study was to examine the economic crisis in relation to recorded suicide attempts in Chania, Greece, from 2008 to 2015, also taking unemployment rates into consideration. During the research period from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2015, 436 suicide attempts (females: n = 305 and males: n = 131) were recorded in the archives of the General Hospital of Chania. The data collected, analyzed, and used in the present study were from the archives of the emergency outpatient unit of the hospital. The unemployment data are from the Hellenic Statistical Authority. The rate of suicide attempts peaked in 2012 and remained relatively high until 2015. The most common suicide attempt method was poisoning by medication, with a percentage of 74.4%. In addition, the most prominent stressors related to the suicide attempts were family problems and relationship problems between couples: 40.2%. There was a statistically significant relationship between suicide attempts and unemployment rates (adjusted RR: 1.08; 95% CI, 1.07-1.09). Severe economic crisis seems to increase the rates of suicide attempts. The need for more detailed investigation is essential to provide insight into this global problem.

Child in a form: the definition of normality and production of expertise in teacher statement forms – the case of northern Finland, 1951–1990

This article shows the importance of paying attention to the role of professional devices, such as standardised forms, as producers of normality and deviance in the history of education. Our case study focused on the standardised forms used by teachers during child guidance clinic referrals and transfers to special education in northern Finland, from the 1950s to the early 1990s. How standardised forms were constructed and how they guided teachers through their evaluations had important consequences for the children’s diagnoses. A close analysis of the contents and meanings of forms enabled us to assess how criteria for normal and problematic behaviours were defined, as well as to evaluate the underlying professional and institutional practices. During the period studied, the criteria set for “normal” and “deviant” behaviours changed surprisingly little. Children were perceived as psycho-physical organisms who respond to family-related problems, but school environments’ effects, for example, were left unacknowledged. Problems were identified solely as originating within the individual children and their family. Teacher statement forms were used as a tool to ensure cooperation between the child guidance clinic and the compulsory school system. The forms invited the teachers to adopt a psychological approach to childhood development and established child guidance clinics as a leading expert in the process of selecting children for special education. Changes in the forms’ structure reflected differences in perceptions concerning the boundaries of professional fields.

Empowering Rural Women through Micro Finance: An Empirical Study

Objectives: The study is to understand and analyze the role of microfinance in women empowerment through Self Help Groups in Chidambaram taluk, to understand the demographic profile of Self Help Group members and to give suggestions for the improvement of performance of microfinance toward women’s empowerment through self help groups. Methods/ Analysis: This study is both empirical and descriptive in nature. Both Primary and Secondary data have been made use of the analysis. Primary data will be collected through field survey and questionnaires. Personal interviews with the officials concerned are also conducted to get the needed information for the analysis. Here structured questionnaire is used as a tool for data collection from SHG members. The overall progress of the project is being assessed with the help of secondary data which are collected from published sources like annual reports, records of CREED (Centre for Rural Education and Economic Development) office, internet, books etc. A proportionate random sampling method has been used for selecting the respondents from the total SHG’s. The population of this study is the total SHG members in Chidambaram Taluk, which is a finite population. There are 680 number of SHG members in Chidambaram Taluk. It refers to the number of items to be selected from the universe to constitute as a sample. In this study 200 number of SHG members in Chidambaram Taluk would be selected as size of the sample. The total sample comprises of 50 SHG members from each 4 blocks of Chidambaram Taluk (Chidambaram urban, Chidambaram rural, Vallampadugai, Kattumanarkoil). This study is conducted for duration of two months from 28th April 2015 to 30th of June 2015.The statistical tools used for analysis are as follows, Percentage Analysis Method, Weighted Average Method, and Paired ‘t’ test. The data analyzed used SPSS Version 16 software. The study has the following limitations, some of the respondents might have answered in biased manner, the Study was limited and confined to Chidambaram Taluk only and time was a major constraint due to which the sample size is limited. Findings: The study reveals that there is a significant difference observed between income generation, contribution to house hold income, participation in house hold financial decision, improvement in standard of living, change in social status, awareness about social issues, involvement in social issues at locality, improvement in basic house hold facilities and amenities, ability to solve family related problems, self-confidence, attainment of knowledge and skills, decision making capability and ability to tackle family problems before and after microfinance usage and participation in Self Help Group. Hence, the study concludes that women are empowered because of the usage of microfinance and participation in Self Help Group. Novelty/Improvement: In every economy, women play an integral part. For achieving all round development and harmonious growth, women should also be given equal rights. In order to achieve economic development, importance has to be given to the women labor. Nowadays SHG are voluntary organizations, through which members are given micro credits and it ease them to become entrepreneurs. The empowerment of women in rural as well as urban areas can be achieved through formation of Self Help Groups (SHG) of women. The economic empowerment, which is dependent on the overall empowerment of women, can be achieved through these SHGs which involve women in the areas like health, sanitation, nutrition, agriculture, forestry etc., apart from involving them in activities pertaining micro credit.

Gaming behavior and addiction among Hong Kong adolescents.

ObjectivesGame playing is very popular among Hong Kong teenagers. This study aimed to investigate adolescent gaming behavior and addiction at the Internet cafe, and to explore perceived benefits and harms associated with the activity.MethodsA convenient sample of 13 male high school students aged 12–15 years (mean age = 13.6 years) were interviewed at two Internet cafes. Young’s (Caught in the net, Wiley, New York, 1998) criteria of Internet addiction were modified to assess gaming addiction.ResultsInternet cafes were described as a safe and ideal rendezvous for gamers. The benefits of gaming included fun and satisfaction, fostering social support and teamwork, meeting new friends and becoming sociable, boosting cognitive techniques and intellectual agility, improved responsiveness and quick thinking. Perceived harms of gaming addiction were reduced time and interest in other important activities, poor academic performance, physical harms and emotional distress, disrupted friendship with non-gaming peers, risked family relationship and financial problems. Five interviewees (38.5 %) could be categorized as pathological gamers and two were problem gamers (15.4 %). The psychological factors associated with gaming addiction include low self-esteem, a strong desire for aggressive and exciting experiences, reliance on gaming to kill time and to obtain satisfaction, coping with problems and negative emotions, and obsession with achieving higher rankings in games. The social and environmental risk factors are accessibility to the Internet cafés, aggressive promotional activities at the Internet cafes, peer pressure, family influence and early gaming experiences, perceived parental approval, lack of parental supervision, and poor family relationship.ConclusionsThe study results throw light on prevention programs.

Risky dieting amongst adolescent girls: Associations with family relationship problems and depressed mood

ObjectiveThis study examined the association of risky dieting amongst adolescent girls with depressed mood, family conflict, and parent-child emotional closeness. MethodGrade 6 and 8 females (aged 11–14years, N=4031) were recruited from 231 schools in 30 communities, across three Australian States (Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia). Key measures were based on the Adolescent Dieting Scale, Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and widely used short measures of family relationship quality. Controls included age, early pubertal onset, and socioeconomic status. ResultsRisky dieting was significantly related to family conflict and depressed mood, depressed mood mediated the association of family conflict and risky dieting, and these associations remained significant with controls in the model. ConclusionFamily conflict and adolescent depressed mood are associated with risky dieting. ImplicationsPrevention programs may benefit from a broadening of behavioural targets to include depressed mood and family problems.

Mother's marital satisfaction associated with the quality of mother-father-child triadic interaction.

Low marital satisfaction has been shown to be a risk factor for early parenthood and parent-child relationship problems (Erel & Burman, ; McHale, ). The aim of this study was to assess how parental reports of marital satisfaction related to family alliance and coordination in the observed triadic interaction. The study group included 120 families. Marital satisfaction was evaluated during pregnancy, at 4months, and at 18months using the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS; Busby, Christensen, Crane & Larsson, ) for both parents. Mother-father-child interaction was analyzed in the Lausanne Triadic Play setting and coded using the Family Alliance Assessment Scale (Favez, Lavanchy Scaiola, Tissot, Darwiche & Frascarolo, ) when the child reached 18months of age. The mother's higher marital satisfaction at every measuring point was associated with a cooperative family alliance and/or higher family coordination at 18months. The father's experience of marital satisfaction was not related to family interaction at any assessment point. Our study suggests that a mother's experience of lower marital satisfaction during pregnancy may be an early sign of later problems in family relationships.

Benefits and challenges of practicing taekwondo to adolescents in Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia

This study aimed at examining the benefits and challenges of practicing Taekwondo (TKD) to adolescents in Addis Ababa. In so doing, the study investigated the nature of TKD training, benefits of practicing TKD, and challenges/problems related with practicing TKD. A descriptive concurrent mixed methods research design was used. Accordingly, the quantitative part of the study had 108 TKD adolescent participants while the qualitative part had 12 participants (eight TKD adolescents and four TKD coaches), from four TKD clubs in Addis Ababa. Both one-stage cluster sampling technique and purposive sampling technique were employed to select participants for the quantitative and qualitative parts of the study, respectively. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used to collect data from participants. Results of the study indicated: (1) the TKD training provided by the four TKD clubs was more of a modern/sport form of TKD; (2) TKD adolescents and coaches perceived that the benefits of TKD for adolescents are multifaceted, i.e., social benefits, physical benefits, mental benefits, self-defense, addiction avoidance, and other benefits; and (3) though majority (63.6%) of the respondents claimed that they did not face any problem as a result of practicing TKD, the following were identified as major problems that could threaten the wellbeing of TKD adolescents: family-related problems, community-related problems, and competition-related problems. In general, results show that the training of TKD can have a multifaceted positive contribution to adolescents’ wellbeing.

SSRIs have a smaller benefit in paediatric when compared to adult major depressive disorder

ABSTRACT FROM: Varigonda AL, Jakubovski E, Taylor MJ, et al . Systematic review and meta-analysis: early treatment responses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in pediatric major depressive disorder. J Am...

Condition & Problems of Female Domestic Workers (With Special Reference to L.D.A. Colony in Lucknow City, India)

Condition & Problems of Female Domestic Workers (With Special Reference to L.D.A. Colony in Lucknow City, India) Rufina Augustine; Dr. Rupesh Kumar Singh Abstract Female domestic workers are the part of unorganized workforce of India. This trend of keeping females as a domestic worker has increased day by day this could be because of lack of education, Unemployment and lack of other Vocational skills. This study highlights the “Condition & problems of female domestic workers” which basically focuses on the “condition of work” & “working conditions” and problems related to health, wages, work security, family related problems because of work, mental, physical & sexual harassment at workplace. The study also reveals the awareness of the respondents about the Governmental Organizations (GO’s) & Non- Governmental Organization (NGO’s) working for their welfare. The results and discussion part gives a clear picture of the “Condition & Problems of the female domestic workers of that area”. The suggestions given in the study can be cited to improve the conditions of Female domestic workers in India. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jssw.v4n2a11

Predictors of the work-related depressive symptoms among blue-collar male employees of an industrial unit in Iran.

Background and Aim:Possible associations between depressive symptoms and work-related parameters have frequently been discussed in the literature. The present study was aimed to evaluate the work-related depressive symptoms and their possible-related parameters among male employees of Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO) as one of the most important industrial sites in Iran.Materials and Methods:With a cross-sectional design and a stratified random sampling method in 2010, a total of 400 male employees were enrolled from the operational parts of the ESCO.Results:Among 400 participated employees, 245 (61.3%) were rotational duty employees and 358 (89.5%) were reported making <$500. After applying the linear regression model, some variables including: economic difficulties (P = 0.022, odds ratio [OR] = 0.558, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.339–0.919), family-related problems (P = 0.003, OR = 0.303, 95% CI = 0.138–0.669), and work environment (P < 0.001, OR = 0.244, 95% CI = 0.140–0.426) were found to be significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms among the participants.Conclusion:The present study brought to light the predictors of occupational depressive symptoms among blue-collar employees of ESCO. More research is needed to find the causal relations between mental health and work-related parameters among Iranian employees.

El art. 348 del Código Civil de 1984 o la superstición del divorcio

The title of this essay refers primarily to the positive rule governing the institution&nbsp;of divorce in Peru: the art. 348 of the Civil Code. This rule is widely developed in&nbsp;the Code and subsequent laws have being expanded the scope to include causal&nbsp;divorce that contradicts logic and common sense. Besides, it refers to what Gilbert K.&nbsp;Chesterton called “superstition divorce”: the perverse argument that states divorce is&nbsp;the panacea for all problems in family relationships. The author argues that for reasons of legal, ethical, social, political and anthropological&nbsp; nature, the state and society are obliged to promote and defend marriage and the family; and the indissoluble character of marriage.

Self-Efficacy Pathways Between Relational Aggression and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

The authors recruited college students (N = 648) and investigated relationships among academic and social self-efficacy, relational aggression from parents and peers, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Results indicated that both types of self-efficacy were related inversely to NSSI. Academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between parental emotional abuse and NSSI, whereas social self-efficacy mediated the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI. Clinical implications of these findings for college counselors are discussed. Keywords: nonsuicidal self-injury, self-efficacy, relational aggression ********** Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an increasingly common presenting issue in college counseling centers (Whitlock, Eells, Cummings, & Purington, 2009). This behavior pertains to the deliberate damaging of one's own bodily tissue without suicidal intent and outside of social norms (Favazza, 1998). Although prevalence rates for NSSI vary, they are consistently high among college students: Researchers have reported lifetime NSSI prevalence rates for college students (i.e., engagement in NSSI at some point during an individual's lifetime) ranging from 15% to 41% (Aizenman & Jensen, 2007; Whitlock et al., 2011). Approximately 22% of college students can be classified as individuals who frequently self-injured in the past year (i.e., had performed one method of NSSI over five times or at least three different methods of NSSI in the past year; Buser, Buser, & Kearney, 2012). Indeed, the behavior has become substantially prevalent to warrant a new diagnostic proposal for NSSI (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2012) in revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev; APA, 2000). Unfortunately, according to the results of Whitlock et al. (2009), only 28% of college mental health professionals believe that they know enough about NSSI to deliver effective care. Knowledge about its possible causes may be particularly useful in this regard. Researchers have indicated that NSSI often occurs within the context of relational aggression from others, including parental and peer sources (Adrian, Zernan, Erdley, Lisa, & Sim, 2011; Buser et al., 2012; Classman, Weierich, Hooley, Deliberto, & Nock, 2007; Hilt, Cha, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2008; Weierich & Nock, 2008; Yates, Tracy, & Luthar, 2008). However, there is less understanding of the explanatory mechanisms linking aggression from others with an individual's use of NSSI (Yates et al., 2008). Recent investigations have begun to address this issue. Researchers have identified some variables, such as emotional dysregulation, posttraumatic stress symptoms, self-criticism, and alienation toward parents, that appear to mediate the association between NSSI and various forms of aggression from others (Adrian et al., 2011; Glassman et al., 2007; Weierich & Nock, 2008; Yates et al., 2008). Many of these studies, however, have been conducted with adolescent populations. Adrian et al. (2011), for example, collected data from an adolescent inpatient sample (N= 99) and found that emotional dysregulation served as a mediator in the link between peer victimization and NSSI, as well as the link between family relational problems and NSSI. Similarly, Glassman et al. (2007) reported that self-criticism among adolescents (N = 86) partially explained the association between NSSI and emotional abuse from parents. Considering that these studies focused on younger populations, more research that examines the pathways for the NSSI-relational aggression association among college students is needed. Such investigations may yield dissimilar results. Findings have shown, for example, that types of relational aggression (e.g., peer victimization) dissipate with age (Nansel et al., 2001). The aim of this study was to test a theory-driven model of variables that predicted NSSI frequency in the past year among college students. …

Factors Influencing the Buying Behavior of Gemstones and Yantras Among Households in West Bengal

The present research paper investigated the buying behavior of gemstones and yantras among households in West Bengal. Society has turned so competitive that every parent wants to give the best to their children so that they can fit in properly in this competitive world, and thereby achieve success. We are falling into distress due to numerous family-related problems. Pressures and tensions build up in every section of the society and it touches almost every person, whether it is a young or an aged person. Astrologers in India claim that they have a perfect solution to overcome all pressures and problems through gemstones and yantras. The study was based essentially on the primary data captured through a structured questionnaire and was administered to a total of 224 respondents. In order to find out the influencing factors behind the buying behavior of the respondents, factor analysis method was considered appropriate. The present study investigated the socioeconomic status of the households, when, and under whose influence they started using gemstones and yantras. The result of the analysis suggested that Parents' Influence, Trust in Deity, and Impact of Society were the three main factors that convinced the respondents into believing in such gemstones and yantras.

Analysis of sociodemographic data of the patients presented to a state hospital because of suicide attempt

Suicide is a universal problem with a significant cause of death. The suicide event can be seen in patients with mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety or personality disorder and in normal people reacting stressful life circumstances. Thus, the suicide risk factors in the region must be analysed to determine the social, the cultural and the public requirements of the region. Dr. Ersin Arslan Government Hospital is a region hospital. The social status and the characteristics of the patients that admitted to Dr. Ersin Arslan Government Hospital Emergency Service after suicide attempt in 2013 were determined. The patients were characterized as follows; 52.16% were them in 15-24 age interval, 64.18% of them woman, 37.98% of them graduated from elementary school. 73.03% of women and 77.18% of men were unemployed. The most common cause of suicide attempts for men and for women were family related problems. However, family related problems were more often reason for suicide attempts for women (52.43%) than for men (36.24%). The second most common cause of suicide attempts for woman patients was marriage (22.1%). In The South eastern Region, as a result of dominant male ideology, gender inequality processes and this creates significant risk factor for suicide attempts for women. The second most common reason for men was alcohol-substance abuse (16.78%). Also, this characteristic draws attention to alcohol-substance abuse in the region.

The Moderating Role of Positive and Negative Affect on the Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Stress in College Students

AbstractDuring college years, which are known as a stressful time, students may often face stress personally, socially, academically, economically, and so forth in various areas of life. One of the important sources that students use to cope with stress is social support. Students can cope with stress easier via the support they receive from their friends or family. While social support is seen as a protective mechanism against stress, some psychological factors may have increasing or decreasing effects on this support. Positive and negative affects, two opposing indicators of individual psychological adjustment, may function differently in this context. In the current study, the moderator roles of positive and negative affect on the relationship between perceived social support and stress in college students was investigated. The sample consisted of 479 undergraduate students from the faculty of education in a public university. Data was collected using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. In data analysis, hierarchical multiple regression analysis based on the steps of Baron and Kenny's (1986) moderating model was used. The research findings indicate that negative affect has a moderator role in the relationship between perceived social support and stress, whereas positive affect does not have a similar function. Accordingly, as negative affect increases, the positive effect of social support on perceived stress decreases.Keywords: Social support * Stress * Positive affect * Negative affect * College studentsStress, a force that many people face and try to cope with in the normal flow of life, is also an inevitable and natural part of the daily life of university students who face the peculiar difficulties of college life. College years are a time when students are responsible for their own health, school life, economic conditions and management of their own lives (Cress & Lampman, 2007; Darling, McWey, Howard, & Olmstead, 2007). This period is accepted as a time in which various difficulties are faced from academic work to uncertainty of what the future holds, from interpersonal relations to romantic relations, from self-problems to familial issues (Chao, 2012). Research shows that 75% of college students perceive themselves as moderately stressed and 12% as highly stressed (Pierceall & Keim, 2007). Concerns about academic achievement, uncertainty about their future, economic hardship, family related problems, difficulties in relations with the opposite sex, and interpersonal relations may also be sources of stress for students (Brougham, Zail, Mendoza, & Miller, 2009; Chao, 2012; Darling et al., 2007; Otrar, Eksi, Dilmac, & Sirin, 2002; Ross, Niebling, & Heckert, 1999). Moreover, students also may face stress related to daily life such as health issues, conflicts with faculty, public speech, conflicts with roommates, increasing study loads, and changes in sleeping and eating habits (Darling et al., 2007; Dusselier, Dunn, Wang, Shelley, & Whalen, 2005; Ross et al., 1999).The stress students may face during university life due to personal, social, academic, economic, and other hardships is a concept related to various adjustment variables. Previous research has shown that stress in college students is related to negative indicators of mental health such as depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide (Dusselier et al., 2005; Eisenbarth, 2012; Jou & Fukada, 2002; Otrar et al., 2002; Pengilly & Dowd, 2000; Wilbum & Smith, 2005) and positive indicators such as happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, optimism, and hardiness (Cress & Lampman, 2007; Eisenbarth, 2012; Extremera, Duran, & Rey, 2009; Krypel & Henderson-King, 2010; Matheny et al., 2002; Pengilly & Dowd, 2000; Schiffrin & Nelson, 2010; Wilbum & Smith, 2005). As can be seen, the stress college students often face and try to cope with due to the challenging experiences of being a young adult is an important variable of mental health in regard to psychological adjustment. …

The meaning of family nursing intervention: what do acute care nurses think?

Understanding the concept of family nursing intervention from the perspective of practicing nurses is essential for implementing a family-centered approach in the acute care context. Data from this qualitative study were analyzed using a colloquial concept analysis method derived from Rodgers' evolutionary theory. Five main attributes of family nursing interventions were identified. Family nursing interventions were viewed as a time-limited, collaborative process, initiated and/or facilitated by nurses and directed at either the individual or the family to solve problems. The antecedents of family nursing interventions were "family assessment," "the presence of a family-related problem," "willingness to participate (provider and family)" and a "supportive organizational structure." The most common consequences (outcomes) were identified as positive (good) or negative (bad) individual or family-related out-comes following a family nursing intervention. The analysis suggests that family nursing interventions are essential but variable in nature within nursing practice. In addition, the analysis implies a need for further inquiry in diverse settings to define the concept and test relationships between the antecedents and outcomes to advance nurses' translational knowledge of culturally appropriate family nursing interventions.

Work Experiences of People with Mental Illness in Malaysia: A Preliminary Qualitative Study

This is a preliminary qualitative study, using a basic interpretive approach, to investigate the work experiences of people with mental illness in Malaysia. Six females and four males (aged 30-70) from a residential home for the mentally ill participated in semi-structured interviews. Three inter-relating themes emerged, namely the experience of self at work, perception of work, and experience of others at work. All participants reported problems in either work or family relationships; most of which interfered with their work. In addition, findings suggest that the participants' self experience may be related to the extent of one's illness integration, experience of psychosis, attitude towards illness, locus of control, and self-efficacy. Limitations and implications of the study are also discussed.

Urgent Protection versus Chronic Need: Clarifying the Dual Mandate of Child Welfare Services across Canada

This study analyzed data from the 1998, 2003 and 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of reported child abuse and neglect (CIS) and compared the profile of children who were reported for an urgent protection investigation versus any other investigation or assessment. As a proportion of all investigations, urgent protection cases have dropped from 28% of all investigations in 1998, to 19% in 2003, to 15% in 2008. Results from the CIS-2008 analysis revealed that 7% of cases involved neglect of a child under four, 4% of cases involved sexual abuse, 2% of cases involved physical abuse of a child under four and 1% of cases involved children who had sustained severe enough physical harm that medical treatment was required. The other 85% of cases of investigated maltreatment involved situations where concerns appear to focus less on immediate safety and more on the long-term effects of a range of family related problems. These findings underscore the importance of considering the dual mandate of child welfare mandates across Canada: intervening to assure the urgent protection and safety of the child versus intervening to promote the development and well-being of the child.

‘No‐One Runs Away For No Reason’: Understanding Safeguarding Issues When Children and Young People Go Missing From Home

An estimated one in nine children will run away from home or substitute care before their 16th birthday in the UK. This paper explores the safeguarding concerns and responses for children and young people who run away or go missing from home. The majority of children and young people run away from home due to family relationship problems. Running away or being physically absent from home may be due to abuse and neglect. One in 11 children reported being hurt or harmed whilst running away. For some young people, ‘running to’ a person or situation can present many risks and can be part of a coercive and exploitative relationship. Despite these multiple indicators of risk, there has been little focus on safeguarding policies and practice for children and young people who run away from home. Drawing on a case example of a third‐sector service using Return Interview Assessments, this paper argues that professionals must ensure that all children and young people who run away or go missing from home are given meaningful opportunities to be listened to, and taken seriously, in order to ensure that a wide range of safeguarding concerns can be addressed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.Key Practitioner Messages: When a child runs away from home, something may be wrong in that child's life. Some children run away or are absent from home due to abuse or neglect. Some children are ‘running to’ a place or person, which can place them at even more risk of harm. All children who run away need to have an opportunity to talk about what is happening in their life without feeling judged. ‘there has been little focus on safeguarding policies and practice for children and young people who run away from home’‘Some children are ‘running to’ a place or person, which can place them at even more risk of harm’

Kämpfen gegen Windmühlen und reale Mächte: William Lottigs Tagebuch (1919–1921) als Ausdruck der politischen, pädagogischen und schulinternen Machverhältnisse in einer Hamburger Gemeinschaftsschule zu Beginn der 1920er Jahre

In his daily journal on the founding of the public experimental school, a “community school” at the Berliner Tor in Hamburg between spring 1919 and September 1921, Lottig describes the everyday issues confronting the principal of the “new school” at that time. These concern classroom instruction, teachers, parents, external pressures on the Berliner Tor-School, the relationship with the school administration, political issues prevalent in Hamburg at that time, ideological and philosophical debates as well as personal and family relationship problems, all of which Lottig describes in his journal. Lottig also noted the reasoning underpinning the development of the school experiments: the “old” schools in Hamburg had been closed, and the state had in their place established experimental schools. The journal clearly records the difficulties, issues and successes of a principal of one of the newly established community schools (Lebensgemeinschaftsschulen), which had been established as experimental schools. A perusal of the diary indicates that Jakob Robert Schmid’s sole and up to now only one known analysis of the journal comes off as biased and misleading. Schmid, professor of education at the University of Berne, had, at the beginning of the 1930s, only perused and analysed those portions of Lottig’s journal in which Lottig describes the rather turbulent if inspiring – and yet chaotic – operation of the community school in its first two years. While Schmid analysed these portions, he did not consider Lottig’s other, more favourable and constructive comments. Schmid also did not explain his one-sided selection of journal passages. Schmid brands Lottig and his team of teachers as educational novices and classifies the Berliner Tor-School as an “anti-authoritarian” institution, an experimental school like any other school experiment which overshoots the mark, not being educationally and institutionally meaningful. A more objective and principled approach in examining Lottig’s journal would have revealed that Lottig and his teachers were well aware of the main issue confronting the school, an issue that Schmid would also have found relevant: the relation of freedom and compulsion, within a setting that Lottig wanted to revitalise, to productively equilibrate without employing the customary disciplinary instruments. Lottig furthermore again and again points emphatically to the “growing pains” of all alternative schools (even when regulated by the state as an experimental school), whose goal it had been, to establish, even under difficult circumstances, a “new school-type” not utilising the traditional instruments of discipline, instruction and school management. This proves that Lottig was neither an educational ignoramus nor unaware of the basic issue of classroom instruction: how one can instruct with or without compulsion. Lottig’s goal had always been – and this Schmid also disregarded – to replace traditional, imposed, mandated or even self-imposed rules and regulations by new, commonly worked out rules. Lottig’s journal is a good example of the steadfast, unrelenting and energy-sapping aspiration of a school principal to balance the relation of school management versus a school’s self-development under the given circumstances. In addition, Schmid’s misinterpretation is a good example of how an observer, who hardly knew the Berliner Tor-School, would misuse this historical source by means of a biased interpretation to further his own views on scholastic education, views that Lottig himself would have preferred to provocatively examine – Schmid’s “authoritative pedagogy”, which goes beyond all authoritarian and non-authoritarian educational policies. What, then, would Lottig have recorded in his journal about a meeting with Schmid?