Family Setting Research Articles

Societal influences on career decision making: Perspectives of African women pursuing technology‐related professions

AbstractSeveral studies have explored the phenomenon of low participation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and careers. However, there remains very limited understanding of this phenomenon from an African woman's perspective. This is particularly concerning when considering the positionality of African women, in a form of deeply entrenched and systemic marginalization in relation to women from other parts of the world. It is these unique circumstances that warrant study specifically aimed at uncovering and elevating their experiences. This qualitative study has explored and highlighted the dynamics African women face when deciding to pursue a technology‐related profession or studies. An understanding of the experiences of African women can provide a different lens for examining the concept of a “leaky pipeline,” as a phenomenon that has been used to explain the shortage of women in STEM fields. The findings highlight both the motivations as well as challenges experienced by African women pursuing STEM profession and studies. Some of the motivations highlighted include personal interest or capability, as well as the family setting of an individual and status of STEM profession their contexts. The phenomenon of impostor syndrome was identified as one of the clear challenges experienced by African women. The findings also highlight the complexity of factors that act as both challenge as well as motivation. These include gender perception and stereotypes, access (or lack thereof) to role models, family influences, and exposure to technology at a young age. While the study accomplishes the aim of elevating experiences of African women pursuing STEM professions and studies, it is clear that further studies are necessary in this area in order to develop a rich understanding of these experiences in relation to the well‐known systemic issues confronting African women. This deep and nuanced understanding will play a crucial role in formulating meaningful and sustainable resolutions.

Discriminatory attitudes against unvaccinated people during the pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, sizeable groups of unvaccinated people persist even in countries with high vaccine access1. As a consequence, vaccination became a controversial subject of debate and even protest2. Here we assess whether people express discriminatory attitudes in the form of negative affectivity, stereotypes and exclusionary attitudes in family and political settings across groups defined by COVID-19 vaccination status. We quantify discriminatory attitudes between vaccinated and unvaccinated citizens in 21 countries, covering a diverse set of cultures across the world. Across three conjoined experimental studies (n = 15,233), we demonstrate that vaccinated people express discriminatory attitudes towards unvaccinated individuals at a level as high as discriminatory attitudes that are commonly aimed at immigrant and minority populations3-5. By contrast, there is an absence of evidence that unvaccinated individuals display discriminatory attitudes towards vaccinated people, except for the presence of negative affectivity in Germany and theUSA. We find evidence in support of discriminatory attitudes against unvaccinated individuals in all countries except for Hungary and Romania, and find that discriminatory attitudes are more strongly expressed in cultures with stronger cooperative norms. Previous research on the psychology of cooperation has shown that individuals react negatively against perceived 'free-riders'6,7, including in the domain of vaccinations8,9. Consistent with this, we find that contributors to the public good of epidemic control (that is, vaccinated individuals) react with discriminatory attitudes towards perceived free-riders (that is, unvaccinated individuals). National leaders and vaccinated members of the public appealed to moral obligations to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake10,11, but our findings suggest that discriminatory attitudes-including support for the removal of fundamental rights-simultaneously emerged.

One more step in the study of children's daily stress: The spillover effect as the transfer of tension in family and school environments.

The spillover effect is the psychological overflow due to daily stress in one context and the transfer of its consequences to another close environment. The aim is to explore the spillover effect in conflicts within the family, on the one hand, and school with peers on the other hand, as an inferred measure of daily stress according to the literature. The study consisted of a sample of 208 6-year-old students and their families. A methodology based on daily report records was used, by means of two ad hoc checklists with simultaneous measurements, for 2 consecutive weeks and 3 academic years, for both family and school contexts. A repeated measures design, together with a nonparametric statistical data analysis with Friedman's test and contrast measures, was used. Daily stress shows significant differences in the family setting throughout the week (χ 2 = 32.44; p = 0.000) and at different times of the day (χ 2 = 29.65; p = 0.000). In the school setting, differences were found across the different days of the week (χ 2 = 36.96; p = 0.000). Spillover effect has been discovered between conflicts at home in the evening and conflicts at school. At the same time, conflicts at school are related to conflicts at home from Wednesday onward. The results suggest further research on daily stress through the interrelation of the different contexts, as well as the impact that moments of conflict may have on the psychological and emotional development of the child.

Critical life course interventions for children and adolescents to promote mental health.

Abstract Childhood and adolescence are key developmental periods in the life course for addressing mental health, and there is ample evidence to support significant, increased investment in mental health promotion for this group. However, there are gaps in evidence to inform how best to implement mental health promotion interventions at scale. In this review, we examined psychosocial interventions implemented with children (aged 5–10 years) and adolescents (aged 10–19 years), drawing on evidence from WHO guidelines. Most psychosocial interventions promoting mental health have been implemented in school settings, with some in family and community settings, by a range of delivery personnel. Mental health promotion interventions for younger ages have prioritised key social and emotional skills development, including self-regulation and coping; for older ages, additional skills include problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Overall, fewer interventions have been implemented in low- and middle-income countries. We identify cross-cutting areas affecting child and adolescent mental health promotion: understanding the problem scope; understanding which components work; understanding how and for whom interventions work in practice; and ensuring supportive infrastructure and political will. Additional evidence, including from participatory approaches, is required to tailor mental health promotive interventions to diverse groups’ needs and support healthy life course trajectories for children and adolescents everywhere.

The integration of affective characteristics of the family environment for a more comprehensive explanatory model of reading abilities

IntroductionThis research focuses on the influence of familial affective characteristics on family literacy practices and children’s reading abilities. Parenting stress and educational practices were two affective characteristics of interest. Parenting stress is defined as a state of psychological discomfort specifically associated with the education of a child whereas educational practices are defined as various means the parent uses to educate and socialize the child.MethodsA sample of 154 grade 1 children allowed for a correlational analysis between parenting stress, educational practices, the frequency of family reading activities, the diversity of literacy material available and the type of child-parent exchange (alphabet-focus or story-focus). Regression analyses were conducted to develop a model predicting reading abilities.ResultsThree result outcomes are of interest for the field of reading development. First, our study establishes relations between educational practices and certain aspects of family literacy: diversity of supports, frequency of exchanges, and type of child-parent exchange and it suggests that parental engagement plays a significant role in various aspects related to at-home discussions about books. Second, our regression analysis highlights evidence that parenting stress is an explanatory factor directly linked to the child’s reading abilities. Therefore, our findings add reading abilities to the list of developmental aspects that is affected by parenting stress. Finally, the results show that, when parenting stress and educational practices are integrated in the predictive model, the story-focus exchanges remain predictive of reading abilities but not the alphabet-focus exchanges.DiscussionOur findings confirm that the benefit of parent–child exchange on reading abilities is dependent of conditions of the family environment in which these activities occur. These findings also lead us to question the value of making alphabet-focus exchanges, the cornerstone of some literacy programs in family settings. Our findings call for caution when implementing such programs in family context. In fact, activities involving conversation about the meaning of a text or the links between the text and the child’s everyday reality represent the only activities, in our study, that had a beneficial effect on reading abilities while remaining permeable to parenting stress.

Families’ Experiences of a Manualized Intervention for Families Living With Brain or Spinal Cord Injury

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To investigate families' experiences and perceived benefit of a manualized family intervention, targeting families living with the consequences of acquired brain injury (ABI) or spinal cord injury (SCI). <h3>Design</h3> Qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews. <h3>Setting</h3> Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark. <h3>Participants</h3> Sixteen families (12 ABI, 4 SCI) were recruited from an ongoing randomized controlled trial. Consecutive sampling was used to enroll the first 10 families. To accommodate diversity in participant characteristics, the following six families were enrolled using purposive sampling. Fourteen of the 16 families (n=33) were couples (age-group: late 20s to early 80s). One ABI survivor (late 50s) participated with his daughter (late 20s) and one ABI survivor (early 20s) with his parents. Eleven of the survivors were men. <h3>Interventions</h3> The family intervention was facilitated by a neuropsychologist and consisted of eight weekly 90-min sessions, initiated six months to two years after discharge from hospital. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Not applicable. <h3>Results</h3> Preliminary results, from a reflexive thematic analysis, showed that the eight sessions made it easier for the survivors and their caregivers to understand each other's reactions in everyday life. Especially the survivors became aware of what their caregivers had experienced throughout the pathway of care. The families highlighted that shared experiences during the intervention increased their sense of cohesion giving them new hope for the future. Many of the techniques used in sessions and home-assignments were known by the families. However, the families reported that they attained new inspiration and became aware of using the techniques more actively in their daily life. Especially, the communication techniques were highlighted as beneficial to limit family conflicts. In addition, the families also found these techniques useful outside family settings. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Preliminary results indicated that the intervention was beneficial and perceived as meaningful for the families. However, the analysis is still ongoing and final results will be presented at the ACRM. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> The authors have no financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

A Feasibility Study of Individuals Living at Home with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Utilization of Visual Mapping Assistive Technology to Enhance Quality of Life and Reduce Caregiver Burden.

Efficacy of assistive technology continues to evolve as a means of helping individuals with cognitive and intellectual disabilities, asserting the importance of its research. We report outcomes of a six-week randomized control feasibility study in a small cohort of 16 family caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. An experimental group of seven family caregivers used visual mapping software on smart devices (step-by-step pictures, audio, and videos instructing how to complete a task) to support carrying out activities of daily living with their care recipients. In comparison, control group of nine family caregivers used smart devices to access and view educational videos focused on dementia care. After a six-week study, compared to caregivers using educational videos, caregivers using visual maps assistive technology reported higher satisfaction of use and stronger recommendation of use to others. Caregivers using visual maps technology also exhibited more improved quality of life scores and improved completion of activities of daily living for their dementia care recipients, as well as reduced caregiver burden scores compared to the caregivers in the control group. These promising findings show that the use of assistive technology is feasible in the home setting and suggest time is ripe for undertaking systematic studies of assistive technology's potential to advance effective behavioral interventions in dementia home and family settings.

Evaluation of rural-urban patterns in dietary intake: A descriptive analytical study - Case series.

This article aimed to evaluate the different epidemiological aspects of the population (Fez-Meknes region), expose the secular trends of the food habits related to it, present the basic concepts and mechanisms of food in urban and rural areas in the Fez-Meknes region, and finally to analyze the results in the light of a literature review. A survey was conducted among a representative sample of the urban and rural population in the Fez-Meknes region (654 people aged 15 years and over, of which 326 people reside in the urban commune of Fez and 328 in the rural commune of Loulja in the province of Taounate). The results are, a difference between the two urban and rural groups concerning the rhythm of taking meals outside the home (P<0,001); the average frequency of consumption of certain foods according to social class (p<0,001); the frequency of food consumption per week of legumes, olive oil, fermented milk, and tea is more increased than that recorded in the urban environment (p<0,001). On the other hand, the quantification of the consumption of sweet products, dairy products, and whole grains did not conclude a significant difference between the two study environments (p>0,05). Changing dietary patterns over the past few decades, including more shift work, more meals eaten outside the home or family setting, and more irregular eating patterns, including skipping breakfast and eating late at night. A disparity in eating habits between urban and rural areas was noted. It would be necessary to act judiciously on the environmental factors by encouraging the Moroccan populations to maintain, as much as possible, their good traditional habits, and to reinforce the new good food habits.

A Decade of the AAFCS Leadership Academy: Preparing Leaders for AAFCS and the Profession

The need for strategic planning to ensure future leaders led to the development of the American Association of Family &amp; Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Leadership Academy. Leaders envisioned an approach to identify and strengthen future leaders from within the organization. Based on transformational and servant leadership precepts, the Academy includes a proven curriculum, mentorship, and projects at the affiliate and national levels to develop leadership skills of participants. The skills learned in the Academy are applicable in all family and consumer sciences (FCS) settings and beyond including, but not limited to, secondary and higher education, business, research, and Cooperative Extension. The development process of the AAFCS Leadership Academy serves as a best practice model for professional leadership development.

Non‐Pharmacologic management: Considerations for Family Caregivers

AbstractBackgroundAgitation is a common symptom of dementia, estimated to occur in upwards of 30% of patients.1 Family caregivers are often the frontline when it comes to management of agitation given that many patients with dementia live at home, and often bear the brunt of caregiver burden. In spite of existing research, which non‐pharmacological interventions should be used when is unclear.MethodThis abstract describes the application of the IPA algorithm to the family‐caregiver setting.ResultThe current IPA algorithm for agitation emphasizes the importance of non‐pharmacological interventions integrated with pharmacological interventions and adapted in an iterative manner dependent on patient response. Data on non‐pharmacological interventions in the family caregiver setting, though sparse, suggest a couple of key themes. Most interventions, including analyses of data from social media platforms, Long Term Care data and clinical trial data emphasize the importance of patient engagement.2 Planning appropriate activities, problem‐solving and teaching communication skills is also paramount. Finally, modification of the environment, reminiscence and engagement with outside support networks is critical. Individualized approaches with multiple components and modified based on follow up are particularly effective. Review of clinical trial data in fact suggests effect sizes comparable to that achieved with medication without the concomitant side effects.2 Finally, interventions that focus on the well‐being of the caregiver and emphasize enhanced self‐efficacy are particularly important, given caregiver burden in family caregivers often exceeds that of professional caregivers. Studies have been limited by lack of standardization, small sample sizes and limited follow‐up.ConclusionFurther rigorous studies are required to establish which approaches are most effective in family caregivers and how they relate to pharmacological interventions, though data to date suggest interventions that work in other setting (such as Long Term Care) may be adaptable to the family setting.1. Carrarini C, Russo M, Dono F, et al. Agitation and Dementia: Prevention and Treatment Strategies in Acute and Chronic Conditions. Front Neurol 2021; 12: 644317.2. Brodaty H, Arasaratnam C. Meta‐analysis of nonpharmacological interventions for neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. The American journal of psychiatry 2012; 169(9): 946‐53.

Chinese intimacy: Filial piety, autonomy, and romantic relationship quality

AbstractDue to its accurate representation of parent–child interaction quality in Confucian‐influenced cultures, contemporary filial piety, which refers to general beliefs about how children are expected to behave toward their parents, has drawn increasing attention in academia. However, how filial piety associates with intimate relationships beyond the family setting is less clear. This study examined the relation between dual filial piety (i.e., reciprocal filial piety and authoritarian filial piety) and romantic relationship quality among Chinese youths. We explored a mediational model in which we tested whether dual autonomy (i.e., individuating autonomy and relating autonomy) would help explain how Chinese youths' beliefs in filial piety are linked to the quality of their romantic relationships. A total of 605 youths from Macau (N = 291) and Taiwan (N = 314) who are currently or once romantically involved participated in the study. We employed structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results showed within‐culture invariance regarding the direct and indirect associations between filial piety, autonomy, and romantic relationship quality. Specifically, young people in both Macau and Taiwan who endorsed higher reciprocal filial piety had more individuating autonomy, which in turn contributed to them having higher quality romantic relationships.

A calcitonin receptor-expressing subregion of the medial preoptic area is involved in alloparental tolerance in common marmosets

Like humans, common marmoset monkeys utilize family cooperation for infant care, but the neural mechanisms underlying primate parental behaviors remain largely unknown. We investigated infant care behaviors of captive marmosets in family settings and caregiver-infant dyadic situations. Marmoset caregivers exhibited individual variations in parenting styles, comprised of sensitivity and tolerance toward infants, consistently across infants, social contexts and multiple births. Seeking the neural basis of these parenting styles, we demonstrated that the calcitonin receptor-expressing neurons in the marmoset medial preoptic area (MPOA) were transcriptionally activated during infant care, as in laboratory mice. Further, site-specific neurotoxic lesions of this MPOA subregion, termed the cMPOA, significantly reduced alloparental tolerance and total infant carrying, while sparing general health and other social or nonsocial behaviors. These results suggest that the molecularly-defined neural site cMPOA is responsible for mammalian parenting, thus provide an invaluable model to study the neural basis of parenting styles in primates.

Stakeholders’ Involvement and Orphans’ Comfortability with Residential Placement Options in Nigeria

Abstract Nigerian orphans face a range of challenges, including finding a suitable place to live, having to choose who to live with and this choice is influenced by various factors. This study determined the proportion of orphans’ resident in orphanages and family settings in selected states in Nigeria. It also assessed stakeholder’s input into placement option decision for orphans. The study examined orphans’ comfortability with residential placement and living with caregivers. The issues related to non-comfortability of orphans with residential placement were also investigated. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. The population for the study comprised all orphans in formal care (orphanages) and informal care (family settings) in Nigeria. A multistage sample procedure was employed. Five states were selected purposively in Nigeria. Indices such as poverty, high rates of insurgencies and HIV/AIDs were used in states’ selection. A sample of 1,475 in orphanages and 2,418 in family settings were selected for the study making a total of 3,893 orphans. Data was from a larger study on Needs and Vulnerability of Orphans in Orphanages and family settings in Nigeria. Questionnaire for Needs and Vulnerability of Orphans in Orphanages and Family settings in Nigeria was used to elicit information from the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using frequency distribution and percentages. The results showed that more orphans live in family settings (2,418) and orphans residing in both orphanages (30.5%) and family settings (44.2%) are staying there based on the decisions of relatives. As perceived by the orphans, (88.5%) in orphanages and (71.1%) in family settings are comfortable where they are living and (77.6%) in orphanages and (72.3%) in the family settings perceived that they are comfortable living with their caregivers. Finally, it was found out that most prominent of the issues related to the residential placement of orphans in the family settings were poor living conditions (49.7%) and access to resources (48.2%), while orphans in orphanages felt challenged with strict caregivers (46.2%) and lack of access to recreational facilities (16.2%). Based on the findings, it was suggested that families within the communities and stakeholders should support family members who are saddled with the responsibility of caring for orphans. It was also recommended that staffing patterns in orphanages should be restructured to enhance caregivers’ capacity to provide children with stable, warm, and consistent relationships.

The Dilemma of the Perpetual Previously Untreated Patient with Hemophilia a

BACKGROUND: Inhibitor development is the most dreaded complication of contemporary hemophilia therapy affecting 30 to 40% of previously untreated patients with hemophilia A and typically occurring within 20 to 50 exposure days. The advent of emicizumab has broadened the therapeutic panorama for hemophilia A, especially for persons with inhibitors. However, could the exclusive use of emicizumab in previously untreated patients delay inhibitor development until the second decade of life because of infrequent exposures to rFVIII? Moreover, administration of high-dose, high-intensity rFVIII for breakthrough bleeding events, trauma, or during surgery may accentuate inhibitor development risk (Sharathkumar et al. JTH, 2003). METHOD: The literature was perused for articles addressing exclusive emicizumab use in previously untreated patients. Additionally, we sought out the advice of physicians on the relevance of exogenous FVIII in persons with hemophilia A and the clinical/psychosocial impact of delayed inhibitor development in previously untreated patients treated exclusively with emicizumab. With this information we propose a therapeutic algorithm for previously untreated patients (Figure 1). RESULTS: Previously untreated patients treated exclusively with emicizumab may generate enough thrombin to recapitulate a mild hemophilia A phenotype. Real-world data on bleeding patterns showed that 51% (36/70) and 61% (43/70) of prospectively followed patients treated with emicizumab experienced at least one episode of spontaneous or traumatic bleeding event, respectively (Levy-Mendelovich et al. J Clin Med 2021). Patel et al. (J Med Econ, 2019) estimate that inhibitor development may be delayed for approximately 14 years after emicizumab exposure. Mason and Young (Haemophilia 2021) describe 4 infant cases highlighting the treatment challenges confronting families and physicians- 3 chose emicizumab prophylaxis cognizant of the prolonged inhibitor risk and 1 chose rFVIII prophylaxis followed by emicizumab to reduce anxiety regarding inhibitor development. An advisory board comprising physician thought leaders in hemophilia was convened to address the relevance of rFVIII as the foundation of hemophilia A therapy. Figure 1 depicts an algorithm to illustrate 2 therapeutic pathways- 1 using a human cell line-derived FVIII product and the other using emicizumab- and the potential patient-related complications with each therapy. Physician feedback suggests that following the rFVIII pathway the time to inhibitor development is finite and afterward breakthrough bleeding episodes become the major therapeutic concern. Following the emicizumab pathway the time to inhibitor development and high-risk treatment periods (breakthrough bleeding episodes, trauma and surgery) with rFVIII will persist until adolescence. Families and physicians will need to constantly think about inhibitor development and plan for this complication. CONCLUSION: Our hypothesis that previously untreated patients exposed exclusively to emicizumab (or other non-factor therapies) may experience a protracted timeline to reach 50 exposure days, which may result in a "perpetual" previously untreated patient status. High-risk treatment periods will be inevitable. Factor and non-factor treatment strategies are available each with its respective set of trade-offs, and families and healthcare providers must consider downstream consequences when selecting one strategy over another. Long-term clinical scrutiny and further research are required to resolve issues arising from this new therapeutic paradigm. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

I lack 'me-time': The experiences of family caregivers of elders with Diabetes Mellitus in a selected village in South Africa.

Family caregiving is common in African countries where the family plays a crucial role in caring and supporting a family member in need of care. Most older people who suffer from chronic diseases, including Diabetes Mellitus, stay at home where family members and relatives are responsible for their day-to-day care. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of family caregivers of older people living with Diabetes Mellitus in a rural village in South Africa. This study was conducted in a village located in the Thulamela municipality of the Vhembe district, in the Limpopo province. A qualitative exploratory, descriptive research design was used. Purposive sampling was used, and data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide. Data saturation occurred after interviewing 17 participants and were analysed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured through strategies of credibility, dependability, conformability, and transferability, and ethical principles were applied. Three themes emerged: participants sacrificed time for work, time for self-care, and devised coping strategies. These findings revealed that family caregivers of older adults diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus sacrificed their time in order to provide care. However, the findings further revealed that family caregivers devised strategies to cope through prayer and acceptance. The study revealed several challenges experienced by family caregivers of older people living with Diabetes Mellitus. The National Department of Health, together with the civil society would gain an in-depth understanding of the burden of Diabetes Mellitus in the family setting and develop strategies to improve the situation.

End-to-end learning of multiple sequence alignments with differentiable Smith-Waterman.

Multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) of homologous sequences contain information on structural and functional constraints and their evolutionary histories. Despite their importance for many downstream tasks, such as structure prediction, MSA generation is often treated as a separate pre-processing step, without any guidance from the application it will be used for. Here, we implement a smooth and differentiable version of the Smith-Waterman pairwise alignment algorithm that enables jointly learning an MSA and a downstream machine learning system in an end-to-end fashion. To demonstrate its utility, we introduce SMURF (Smooth Markov Unaligned Random Field), a new method that jointly learns an alignment and the parameters of a Markov Random Field for unsupervised contact prediction. We find that SMURF learns MSAs that mildly improve contact prediction on a diverse set of protein and RNA families. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that by connecting our differentiable alignment module to AlphaFold2 and maximizing predicted confidence, we can learn MSAs that improve structure predictions over the initial MSAs. Interestingly, the alignments that improve AlphaFold predictions are self-inconsistent and can be viewed as adversarial. This work highlights the potential of differentiable dynamic programming to improve neural network pipelines that rely on an alignment and the potential dangers of optimizing predictions of protein sequences with methods that are not fully understood. Our code and examples are available at: https://github.com/spetti/SMURF. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Cultural values influencing iTaukei women’s discussion of family planning in the home

Pacific Sexual and reproductive health is influenced by cultural taboos and sensitivities. Although Pacific values are integral to family planning, open communication in the home is often difficult in the face of changing socio-cultural norms. This study explores the experiences of iTaukei Pacific women living in Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand, and their discussion of family planning within the family setting. The study utilises talanoa methodology to understand women’s realities and their navigation through shifting sexual and reproductive norms in both countries. The study found that although family may be seen as a place of ‘truth’ in which appropriate, culturally sensitive family planning communication should be available, this was challenged by cultural taboos or tabu which were persistent in family planning discussions. The study calls for greater reliance on holistic approaches to Pacific family planning perspectives and a greater examination of vā or the spaces within which Pacific women’s experiences are negotiated and informed.

“She was willing to send me there”: Intrafamilial child sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking of boys

BackgroundBoys subject to intrafamilial child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) - in particular, cases which begin as incest and later evolve into child trafficking for sexual exploitation - face many barriers in disclosing their exploitation, often leaving victims and survivors feeling isolated from society and dismissed or mishandled by service providers such as law enforcement officers, child protection specialists, medical staff and mental health professionals. ObjectiveThis study explores the unique characteristics of intrafamilial CSEA through the sex trafficking of boys, and the barriers to disclosure and recovery experienced by male victims and survivors. Participants and settingTen adult male survivors of intrafamilial child trafficking for sexual exploitation were interviewed multiple times to gain a deeper understanding of intrafamilial CSEA and how it compares and contrasts with non-familial CSEA. Participants in this study primarily came from North America. MethodologyMultiple semi-structured online interviews were conducted with these 10 adult male survivors because they experienced 1) intrafamilial CSEA and 2) being trafficked by their families to be sexually exploited by non-familial perpetrators. The participants were then asked to compare and contrast intrafamilial and non-familial CSEA. The research team employed a descriptive phenomenological approach and interview transcripts were coded, analyzed, and compared to identify patterns of non-verbal CSEA indicators and thematic narratives. The study also explored the internal and external barriers to disclosure reported by participants. Trauma-informed, person-centered practices were used throughout the entirety of the study to minimize harm to participants. The research team employed a co-productive approach using participants' initial interviews and feedback to formulate new questions for later rounds of interviews and by having the participants confirm the accuracy of their respective quotes and case summaries. Results and discussionThis study highlights several CSEA modalities, such as “boy-swap” events and local/national/transnational trafficking rings engaged in CSEA of boys. It also discusses how survivors' experiences differed between intrafamilial and non-familial CSEA and trafficking, and how familial settings may facilitate concealment of CSEA. Participants described various modus operandi used by abusers, traffickers, and buyers of all genders. While all 10 intrafamilial CSEA cases included male perpetrators, female perpetrators were also present in nine of them. In addition, participants identified various psychological and physiological CSEA and trafficking indicators that evidenced their victimization during their childhood years. All 10 survivors reported long-term health consequences into adulthood and scored highly on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaires. Recommendations and conclusionFindings underscore the importance of trauma-informed practices for identifying, liberating, and rehabilitating victims and survivors. Participants reported receiving more effective assistance from service providers that exhibited trauma-informed practices. Traditional gender stereotypes may hinder the ability of service providers to recognize and provide support to boys victimized and trafficked by their families for CSEA. Consequently, service providers may stand to benefit from training on 1) trauma-informed, person-centered practices and 2) conscious and unconscious biases, particularly those related to gender. Survivors in recovery require expanded support services, such as the provision of safe housing, online/in-person support communities, and professional/life skill training. Co-productive research methods that integrate the views and experiences of CSEA and trafficking survivors are also recommended.

Spectral properties of Fluid Structure Interaction pressure/stress waves in liquid filled pipes

We hereby develop a theoretical framework for analyzing Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) waves propagation occurring in liquid filled pipes to manage a large family set of boundary conditions (e.g. junctions coupling effects). A self-adjoint operator theory framework leads to the analytical derivation of a transcendental equations for operator’s spectrum. The latter provides the system’s natural resonant frequencies as well as permit to find the discrete mode orthogonal basis decomposition. This theoretical framework also permits to demonstrate that the spectrum is uniquely composed into simple eigenvalues enabling explicit time-domain solutions from inverse-Laplace transform. The analysis is directly conducted in the time-domain but the obtained spectrum also applies to Fourier transformed frequency analysis. The obtained analytical solutions are successfully confronted with numerical simulation obtained using the Method of characteristic (MOC) for the same four equations (FSI) model on the very same configurations. The spectrum sensitivity matrix is also explicitly evaluated.

Theoretical perspectives of parental influence on adolescent cyber behaviour: A bi-national Instagram-based study

An increase in adolescent social media use has exacerbated cyberbullying globally. Instagram has the highest percentage of adolescent users experiencing cybervictimisation. While past research has delved into self-driven or peer-driven motivations of cyberbullying, theory-driven research characterising external factors is integral to understanding the psyche of cyberbullies, victims, or bystanders. Examining factors moderating cyberbullying in the broader social context of family in addition to peers is vital to mitigate cyberbullying. This paper explores factors related to parent and adolescent behaviours and relationships using the theory of planned behaviour. Two Instagram-specific instruments were designed, developed, and validated. Statistical analysis and comparisons were made between participants from two countries, i.e., India and Singapore. Results showed that perceived parental control, parental behavioural intention, subjective norms, and gender were significant predictors of adolescents' cyber behaviour. While past studies have concluded that theoretical perspectives are integral to studying cyberbullying behaviours, our study gives insight on how determinants of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) predict actual intentions to cyberbully in adolescents. Further, the theoretical perspective and structural equation modelling (SEM) allows us to explore the effects of deeply held attitudes (Singapore: β = .590, p < .01; India: β = .659, p < .01), perceived parental control (Singapore: β = .068, p < .01; India: β = .192, p < .01) and subjective norms (Singapore: β = .745, p < .01; India: β = .295, p < .01) in proximal factors such as parents and their behavioural intentions. While TPB has only been used to study individual behavioural intentions in the past, the statistical analysis gives us the chance to delve into how individual behavioural intentions in family settings may affect adolescents' social media behaviour.