Harmful Behaviors Research Articles

A preventive mental health service for substance use disorder: harm reduction

Harm reduction is a pragmatic approach to reducing the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use or other high-risk activities, including a variety of strategies, ranging from safer use to controlled use and abstinence. The primary goal of most harm reduction approaches is not to deny or condemn harmful behaviors by individuals, but to work with the individual or community to minimize the harmful effects of a particular behavior. The present review addresses some of the most recent developments related to harm reduction policy, prevention and treatment programs. This review aims to increase public awareness by presenting some of the current information and developments on harm reduction as a tertiary preventive mental health service for substance use disorders that concern all health professionals, especially psychiatrists, general practitioners, family medicine specialists, psychologists, social workers and nurses working in the field of dependence.

Sign Language Recognition by Image Processing

A prototype sign language interpreter that can converse in American Sign Language (ASL) is presented in this study. The visual stimulation of sign language aids in the development of speech and language. It promotes social contact, fosters the development of cognitive structures, and lessens harmful social behaviors. Early exposure to sign language supports language development in academic, social, and emotional domains. Building a user-hand gesture-only human-computer interface (HCI) is the foundation of the dependable paradigm. Using Python and OpenCV, hand gesture recognition is built using the theories of hand segmentation and the hand detection system. The training photos are labeled with different names based on what is in the database. A binary feature vector is created from each image. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and cameras are used to capture images from hand sign videos in real time, which are then used to carry out the feature extraction process. The algorithm generates output based on the projected maximum similarity between these features and the features of database photographs. With the aid of an application, this model provides adequate accuracy even in the absence of a constant or monochromatic background. The person's hand movements are captured on video with the camera; the video is subsequently processed and translated into text. The user hears the speech that has been transformed from the output. The suggested system recognizes letters, numbers, and certain common words in sign language. Raw photos and videos are transformed into corresponding text that can be read and comprehended by using image processing algorithms and neural networks to map the gesture to the right text in the training data. When paired with a sizable source database, this protocol will surely be highly beneficial for closing the communication gap between people who can talk and hear and those who cannot.

Safe beats down under: investigating the support of drug checking at a regional festival in the Northern Territory, Australia

Background In the context of Australian music festivals, including those in the Northern Territory (NT), drug-related harms persist. This study focused on gathering local insights into drug-related behaviours and attitudes, particularly regarding drug checking, among NT festival attendees. Methods In May 2022, attendees (aged 16+) at a single-day multi-genre music festival in the NT were surveyed onsite about their drug use and harm reduction behaviours. Logistic regression was employed to explore factors influencing attitudes and preferences toward drug checking. Results Out of 539 participants, 40% reported recent drug use in the past month. About 12% planned drug use at the festival. Notably, 73% supported drug checking, with 81% approval among people who use drugs. Older participants (>25 years) had 2.6 times (p = .001) greater odds of supporting drug checking. Participants with recent drug use had 2.1 times (p = .006) greater odds of supporting it. Among those opting for drug checking (n = 270), people who have recently used drugs had 5.5 times (p <.001) greater odds of preferring an onsite service. Additionally, 67% believed any drug checking service increased their safety. Conclusions The study reveals NT festivalgoers’ widespread support for drug checking and suggests the need for on-site drug checking services in the NT.

Harm reduction behaviours and harm experiences of people who use 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in Aotearoa New Zealand

Background3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is drug of high prevalence in Aotearoa New Zealand and is the primary drug analysed by legal drug checking services. We aimed to address the gap in literature pertaining to MDMA-related harm reduction behaviour and harm experiences within the country.MethodsAn online survey was used to assess the harm reduction behaviours (e.g., limiting consumption, planning use, seeking information) of people who use MDMA, in addition to their use of reagent testing and the major national drug checking and harm reduction service, KnowYourStuffNZ.ResultsIn total, 915 people completed the survey (60.7% females, aged 18–65, median = 24, IQR = 20–28). Frequency of various MDMA-related harm reduction behaviours differed, although these were carried out relatively frequently by most participants. Those who reported experiencing harm (physical, psychological, spiritual, social) from MDMA, or another drug presumed to be MDMA, reported less frequent harm reduction behaviours than non-harmed consumers. Reagent testing of MDMA had been conducted by 42.3% of the sample. Approximately 27% of the sample had used KnowYourStuffNZ services. Of KnowYourStuffNZ clients, 95.9% reported learning about harm reduction, and 53.3% reported changing their behaviour because of the service. Reasons for not using the KnowYourStuffNZ service were primarily lack of availability in local area (32.8%) or at relevant events (51.8%), and lack of concern with substance quality (29.8%). MDMA harm was reported by 14.4% of the sample, whilst reported harm was more common from consumption of presumably non-MDMA substances, self-reported as being mistaken for MDMA. Harm was primarily physical or psychological. Potential MDMA dependence was apparent in 6.9% of the sample.ConclusionsThe findings highlight potential targets for harm reduction education and interventions and emphasize the need for greater availability of readily accessible drug checking services in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Multi-class hate speech detection in the Norwegian language using FAST-RNN and multilingual fine-tuned transformers

The growth of social networks has provided a platform for individuals with prejudiced views, allowing them to spread hate speech and target others based on their gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. While positive interactions within diverse communities can considerably enhance confidence, it is critical to recognize that negative comments can hurt people’s reputations and well-being. This emergence emphasizes the need for more diligent monitoring and robust policies on these platforms to protect individuals from such discriminatory and harmful behavior. Hate speech is often characterized as an intentional act of aggression directed at a specific group, typically meant to harm or marginalize them based on certain aspects of their identity. Most of the research related to hate speech has been conducted in resource-aware languages like English, Spanish, and French. However, low-resource European languages, such as Irish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Polish, Slovak, and many South Asian, present challenges due to limited linguistic resources, making information extraction labor-intensive. In this study, we present deep neural networks with FastText word embeddings using regularization methods for multi-class hate speech detection in the Norwegian language, along with the implementation of multilingual transformer-based models with hyperparameter tuning and generative configuration. FastText outperformed other deep learning models when stacked with Bidirectional LSTM and GRU, resulting in the FAST-RNN model. In the concluding phase, we compare our results with the state-of-the-art and perform interpretability modeling using Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the model’s decision-making mechanisms.

Relationship between Knowledge Level and Compliance with Dietary in Elderly Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in Karang Rejo Village, Langkat Regency

&lt;div&gt;&lt;table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" valign="top"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Elderly refers to a more advanced phase of a physiological process marked by a decline in the body's capacity to adjust to external pressures. One contributing factor to the rise in Diabetes Mellitus is a deficiency of understanding, which can subsequently influence the adoption of harmful behaviors. Health providers propose dietary behavior as a means to normalize blood sugar levels in elderly individuals with Diabetes Mellitus. The objective of this The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between levels of knowledge and adherence to dietary recommendations among elderly adults diagnosed with diabetes mellitus who live in Karang Rejo Village, Langkat Regency. In this study, a quantitative approach is employed, utilizing a cross-sectional research design. The present investigation was carried out at Karang Rejo Village, located in the Langkat Regency, spanning from February to October 2023. The research sample consisted of 780 older individuals diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus, residing in Karang Rejo Village, Langkat Regency. The study utilizes a basic random sampling technique to ensure that each participant has an equal probability of being chosen for the sample, without considering their individual features. Consequently, the sample size for this study consisted of 42 old individuals. The primary instrument employed for data collection in this study was a questionnaire. The present study employed bivariate analysis chi-square test for data analysis, and utilized software help in the form of SPSS version 20 for data processing. The findings indicated a statistically significant correlation (p-value = 0.001) between the extent of knowledge and adherence to dietary recommendations among older individuals diagnosed with diabetes mellitus residing in Karang Rejo Village, Langkat Regency. There is an aspiration for the senior population to enhance their knowledge and engage with information sourced from health centers and various social media platforms.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keywords: Compliance, Dietary, Elderly, Knowledge&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;

A Scientometric Analysis on Islamic Consumer Behavior

In everyday life, every human being cannot be separated from the act of fulfilling needs or what is better known as consumption activities. Consumption activities are part of very important economic activities. This activity includes all consumer behavior related to exchange activities, both in the form of exchanging the value of products or services to meet consumer needs and desires. However, in practice, consumption activities are often not in line with social welfare goals. Many consumption activities cause injustice and harmful behaviors among others. This is because consumption behavior often prioritizes self-interest to get maximum satisfaction (utilitarianism). By applying Islamic values in consumption, welfare can be realized that provides maslahah both individually and socially and luck (falah) and happiness in the world and the hereafter. The starting point is to change the behavior of individuals and society into Islamic consumers. This study aims to determine the development map and trend of Islamic Consumer Behavior published by well-known journals in the field of Islamic Economics and finance. The data analyzed were more than 293 Scopus indexed research publications. The export data is then processed and analyzed using the R Biblioshiny application program to find out the bibliometric map of the development of Islamic Consumer Behavior. The results showed that the number of publications on the development of the role of Islamic economic and financial research continues to increase.

Rent formation and distortions due to quotas in biological production processes

Production licenses with use restrictions that limit output are commonly used to regulate biological production processes. Such regulations are vulnerable to rent formation and production distortions that can end up subsidizing harmful environmental behavior. This paper develops a partial equilibrium model for a biological production process and use the model to study the impact of production quotas in Norwegian salmon aquaculture. Results suggest substantial regulatory rents capitalized in license values. Production has intensified leading to excessive stocking of fish per license, a shorting of the production period, and smaller produced fish. Our findings provide important insights for quota policies in food production, especially for cases where quotas are motivated by harmful environmental effects.

Keeping you connected or keeping you addicted? Weekly use of social media platforms is associated with hazardous alcohol use and problem gambling among adults.

A wide variety of social media platforms exist, each offering tailored solutions to attract specific target audiences based on their social media needs and interests. This diversity may pose a risk factor for the development or perpetuation of harmful behaviors. Research has established a connection between social media use and increased health risk behaviors. This six-wave exploratory longitudinal study investigated the associations between active social media use, hazardous alcohol use, and problem gambling among adult social media users. Data were collected via surveys in 6-month intervals, starting in March-April 2021 (T1: N = 1530; Mage = 46.67; SD = 16.42; 50.33% male). Of the T1 respondents, 58.10% participated in T6 (n = 889). Measures included the frequency of use of different social media platforms, the 3-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C), and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Hybrid multilevel regression models were used for analyses. We found positive within-person effects of weekly Facebook use and between-person effects of weekly use of Facebook, TikTok, and gambling-related online communities on drinking. These results suggest an increase in hazardous alcohol consumption over time among the platforms' active users. Weekly Instagram use had a negative between-person effect on hazardous alcohol use. Individuals using TikTok or gambling communities weekly were more prone to problem gambling compared to non-weekly users. There are risks involved in the active use of some social media services among adult users. Prevention work, including digital health interventions, should be targeted according to the appropriate user group.

Insightsphere: Social Analytics Command Center

The Social Media Command Center is a complex program designed to monitor and analyze user activity on various social media platforms. The innovative tool includes sentiment analysis to measure user sentiment and sentiment. One of its main features is the ability to disable unwanted features, allowing you to access content and communications. The system uses sentiment analysis to identify and correct harmful or counterproductive user behavior to create a better and more manageable online environment. This allows the system to distinguish between positive, negative, and neutral emotions. The plug-in feature is a special feature of the Command Center that allows administrators to disable or block user actions based on arbitrary diagnostic results. For example, if the analysis finds that there is no offensive or harmful content, the system can automatically take steps to reduce the impact by removing or reducing the scope of that content. Command Center also offers dashboards and reports that provide deep insights into social media trends, user behavior, and sentiment patterns. This helps organizations make decisions, improve community management, and maintain a better online environment.

Defying Predatory Capital: Embracing Beauty, Resisting Ugliness, and Striving for Freedom

Research has explored the role of capitalist markets in the configuration of society and as social determinants. However, some niche markets have been taken by a form of capital, conceptualized as “predatory”, that has sought maximum benefit without caring for the social consequences of their activity on beauty, ugliness, freedom, and the overcoming of gender violence. This study addresses this gap by examining how “predatory capital” exploits various aspects of human life, including relationships, art, and music, by promoting ugliness over beauty. Through historical examples such as the tobacco industry's manipulation of women's liberation to promote smoking, this article reveals the detrimental tactics employed by predatory capital. It explores how the nightlife industry coerces youth into harmful behaviors through coercive dominant discourse, perpetuating toxic relationship dynamics and limiting individual freedom. Additionally, the study presents how the music industry reinforces harmful stereotypes and behaviors. Finally, it exposes how pseudo-theories, like those promoted by Foucault, are utilized to justify and perpetuate sexual violence, hindering progress towards freedom, gender equality, and social justice. This interdisciplinary analysis sheds light on the negative impact of predatory capital on human relationships, culture, and society, emphasizing the importance of critical awareness and resistance against its exploitative practices.

Unmasking the Nexus between Maladaptive Alcohol use and Dark Triad Personality Traits

As young adults enter college, many seem to increase their alcohol consumption. Whether this behavior change is solely due to environmental factors, such as peer pressure or lack of supervision, has not been fully separated from developing or emerging intrapersonal traits that might facilitate the behavior. This trend underscores the importance of investigating the relationship between excessive drinking habits and deviant personality traits. This study, aimed at investigating the relationship between "dark triad" personality traits and harmful alcohol behaviors, may provide valuable insights into the social cultures on college campuses that promote maladaptive drinking habits. Based on the trait theory of personality, we hypothesized that dark triad traits would be associated with negative alcohol behaviors. To test our hypothesis, we administered the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) and Short Dark Triad scale (SD3) to 800 participants. After cleaning the data, we analyzed 799 responses to study measures and demographic items. Our findings revealed that, of the dark personality traits, Machiavellianism and psychopathy had small positive associations with harmful alcohol consumption. Moreover, we found that both personality and Greek life participation were significant predictors of alcohol misuse. This study may serve as a stepping-stone for future research into the interplay between the behavioral tendencies and cultural settings in which alcohol abuse occurs among college students. Thus, provides additional insight into a complex problem plaguing college communities.

Challenges in investigating self-generated online child sexual abuse material

Aim: The overall aim of this paper is to offer a greater understanding of the context of children’s online sexual behaviour through exploring what are some of the main challenges the police encounter when investigating digital content of a sexual nature produced by young people, such as photographs, videos and chat messages.Methodology: The research is primarily reviewing and analysing academic literature, policy papers, legal sources and statistical data. The main areas examined include the increasing prevalence of self-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), how contemporary peer-to-peer relations amongst children impact the self-production of sexual material, and how creating sexual content online for commercial reasons and the development of digital technologies add to the complexity and ambiguities of investigations.Findings: Findings in this paper highlight that law enforcement alone will not be able to manage all the challenges that online child sexual abuse crimes imply on society and children in particular. They will need clear guidelines to differentiate between children’s harmful and healthy online sexual behaviour and upto- date knowledge on how to avoid the unnecessary victimisation of children.Value: This paper promotes a more nuanced understanding of the complex phenomenon of children self-generating explicit content, which is often embedded within wider societal issues of peer-to-peer relations, financial deprivation and technological advancement. As a result, we will be able to better protect young people, distinguishing between adolescents’ healthy and harmful online

You must be myths-taken: Examining belief in falsehoods during the COVID-19 health crisis.

The prevalence of health myths is increasing with the rise of Internet use. Left unaddressed, online falsehoods can lead to harmful behaviours. In times of crisis, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the circulation of many myths is exacerbated, often to varying degrees among different cultures. Singapore is a multicultural hub in Asia with Western and Asian influences. Although several studies have examined health myths from a Western or Eastern perspective, little research has investigated online health falsehoods in a population that is culturally exposed to both. Furthermore, most studies examined myths cross-sectionally instead of capturing trends in myth prevalence over time, particularly during crisis situations. Given these literature gaps, we investigated popular myths surrounding the recent COVID-19 pandemic within the multicultural setting of Singapore, by examining its general population. We further examined changes in myth beliefs over the two-year period during the pandemic, and population demographic differences in myth beliefs. Using randomised sampling, two online surveys of nationally representative samples of adults (aged 21-70 years) residing in Singapore were conducted, the first between October 2020 and February 2021 (N = 949), and the second between March and April 2022 (N = 1084). Results showed that 12.7% to 57.5% of the population were unable to identify various myths, such as COVID-19 was manmade, and that three of these myths persisted significantly over time (increases ranging from 3.9% to 9.8%). However, belief in myths varied across population demographics, with ethnic minorities (Indians and Malays), females, young adults and those with lower education levels being more susceptible to myths than their counterparts (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that current debunking efforts are insufficient to effectively counter misinformation beliefs during health crises. Instead, a post-COVID-19 landscape will require targeted approaches aimed at vulnerable population sub-groups, that also focus on the erroneous beliefs with long staying power.

Academic incivility and bullying as risks for suicide, self-destructive behaviors, and harm to others

Bullying and academic incivility are significant public health issues associated with serious mental health outcomes and harmful behaviors for both perpetrators and victims. In this quantitative study, academic incivility and prior bullying experiences related to suicidality, self-destructive behaviors, and harm to others were explored. Higher education students (N = 534) reported their experiences with bullying and academic incivility and subsequent coping responses related to suicidal ideation, self-injury, substance misuse, and intent to harm others through self-report using the 34-item Coping Responses for Academic Incivility Scale (CRAIS). Findings of the study indicate that students who experienced bullying in K-12 education or academic incivility in higher education, especially those reporting being a bully or bully-victim, were more likely to endorse suicidalideation, self-destructive behaviors, and harm to others than participants who had not. Individuals who experienced both bullying and academic incivility demonstrated the greatest risk of these outcomes. The serious nature of these outcomes on physical and mental health indicates a need for proactive policies and procedures to address these behaviors and enhanced screening and treatment for affected individuals.

Education is key to tackling rise in child harmful sexual behaviour

Education is key to tackling rise in child harmful sexual behaviour

Teaching life lessons: Providing the building blocks for change

We caught up with Abeda Pandor, early years teacher at Broussa Day Nursery &amp; Nursery School to find out more about the Think Equal programme her school is involved in. This aims to provide support for the emotional and social development and wellbeing of children aged three to six, and so prevent harmful behaviours in later life.

Sustainable Practices and Demarketing: An Interview with Philip Kotler

Abstract: This article presents a conversation between Laurence Minsky and Philip Kotler focused on sustainability, societal marketing, and the evolving role of businesses in fostering a more sustainable future. Kotler, a preeminent marketing scholar, delves into the concepts of societal and social marketing while emphasizing the importance for businesses to prioritize sustainability to achieve profitability and positive societal impact. He advocates for demarketing strategies to discourage harmful consumer behaviors and highlights the significance of branding in delivering value and fostering customer loyalty. Minsky and Kotler explore the challenges brands face in a politically divided world while covering the benefits of degrowth as a way to balance economic and population growth with environmental needs. Kotler critiques traditional business models focused on endless growth and advocates for stakeholder (over shareholder) centric approaches. He also sees potential change through the integration of ethical considerations into business education and recognizing and rewarding sustainable practices in advertising. The interview underscores the critical need for a unified approach among businesses, academia, and governments. It also supports the pivotal role of marketing and advertising in promoting positive behavioral change to address societal and environmental challenges.

The Sexual Grooming Behaviors of Youth Who Engage in Harmful Sexual Behaviors

ABSTRACT Little is known about the extent to which youths who commit harmful sexual behaviors (HSBs) against another minor utilize sexual grooming during the offense process. This study examined sexual grooming behaviors reported by adults (n = 250) who experienced HSBs by another minor during their childhood. Participants completed a self-report survey which included the Sexual Grooming Scale – Victim Version (SGS-V). The results showed that most participants (n = 242; 96.9%) reported at least one sexual grooming behavior, with an average of 11.3 behaviors reported. These findings will be discussed as they pertain to the identification and prevention of HSBs among youth.

Comparison of body mass index and fat mass index to classify body composition in adolescents—The EVA4YOU study

The objectives of this study were to develop age- and sex-specific reference percentiles for fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) in adolescents aged 14 to 19 years and to determine differences in overweight/obesity classification by FMI and body mass index (BMI). The EVA4YOU study is a single-center cross-sectional study conducted in western Austria. Cardiovascular risks including anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analysis were assessed in adolescents (mean age 17 years). FMI and FFMI were calculated as the ratio of fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) to the square of height and compared to study population–specific BMI percentiles. One thousand four hundred twenty-two adolescents were included in the analysis. Girls had a significantly higher mean FM and FMI and a significantly lower mean FFM, FFMI (p < 0.001, each), and mean BMI (p = 0.020) than boys. Body composition classification by FMI and BMI percentiles shows a concordance for the < 75th and > 97th percentile, but a significant difference in percentile rank classifications between these two cut-off values (all p < 0.05). Based on FMI, 15.5% (221/1422) of the whole population and 29.4% (92/313) of those between the 75th and 97th percentiles are classified one category higher or lower than those assigned by BMI. Conclusion: Classification of normal or pathologic body composition based on BMI and FMI shows good accordance in the clearly normal or pathologic range. In an intermediate range, FMI reclassifies categories based on BMI in more than a quarter of adolescents. Cut-off values to differentiate normal from pathologic FMI values on a biological basis are needed.Trial registration: The study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04598685; Date of registration: October 22, 2020).What is Known:• Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with major risk factors including unhealthy diets, harmful behaviors, and obesity. Obesity in children and adolescents is a key risk factor for later NCDs, which is commonly measured by Body Mass Index (BMI).• BMI can be misleading as it doesn't distinguish between fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), leading to potential misclassification of obesity in children. Previous studies have already suggested the use of the Fat Mass Index (FMI) and Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI) as a more accurate measures of body composition.What is New:• This study adds the first age- and sex-specific reference values for FMI and FFMI in Austrian adolescents using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) as a safe and secure measurement method of a large representative cohort.• We found percentile misclassification between BMI and FMI when categorizing for obesity, especially in intermediate categories of body composition. Furthermore, when comparing the new reference values for FMI and FFMI to existing ones from the US, UK, and Germany we could show a good alignment within the European cohorts and major differences with American values, indicating and confirming the difference of FMI and FFMI for different populations of different ethnical background, living on different continents.