Nonviolent Behavior Research Articles

Early Adolescent Predictors of Violent Behavior: Child and Contextual Risk, and Moderation by Rejecting Parenting

The current study explored early adolescent child-level predictors (physical aggression, impulsivity, empathy) and contextual-level predictors (peer deviance, neighborhood dangerousness) of violent and nonviolent antisocial behavior (AB) in late adolescence. Additionally, we tested the moderating role of rejecting parenting on these associations based on the importance of parent-child relationships in early adolescence and documented bidirectional associations between parenting and our predictor variables. Participants ( N = 272) came from the Pitt Mother and Child Project, a longitudinal study of high-risk boys. Higher levels of early adolescent physical aggression significantly predicted late adolescent engagement in both nonviolent and violent crimes. Peer deviance, impulsivity, and neighborhood dangerousness were also associated with later juvenile AB. Rejecting parenting moderated several of these associations. Results support the predictive validity of several early adolescent child- and contextual-level variables—particularly early adolescent aggression—for subsequent engagement in both violent and nonviolent AB.

A multilevel model exploring the relationships between individual spirituality, spiritual climate, and nonviolent work behavior

AbstractBased on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), the present study investigated relationships between spiritual climate (environmental factor), individual spirituality (personal factor), and nonviolent work behavior. A significant association was observed between individual spirituality and nonviolent behavior. Results also concluded a significant moderation effect of spiritual climate. Transcendence, meaningful life, faith, and practicing spirituality are reported as significant predictors of nonviolent work. Two dimensions of spiritual climate, that is, authenticity and meditative work, are found to exhibit a statistically significant moderation effect. The sense of community and lokasangraha did not divulge considerable moderation. The study expands the horizon of triad relationships by suggesting indirect relationships between three factors of the SCT theory.

Patterns of Adolescents' Appraisals of Responses to Problem Situations: Associations with Aggression, Victimization, and Contextual Factors.

Although considerable research has examined factors that influence social-cognitive processes related to aggression, few studies have examined the factors that influence adolescents' appraisal of the effectiveness of responses, particularly nonviolent alternatives to aggression. This study addressed that gap by examining patterns of adolescents' perceived effectiveness of nonviolent and aggressive responses to hypothetical problem situations and their relations with aggression, victimization, and individual and contextual risk factors. The participants were a predominantly African American (90%) sample of 1469 students (55% female; mean age = 12.7 years; age range = 11-16) from three middle schools who completed measures of perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy, aggression and victimization, and contextual factors. Ratings of adolescents' physical, relational, and verbal aggression and victimization, nonviolent and prosocial behavior were also obtained from their teachers. Latent class analysis identified four subgroups of adolescents including distinguishes effective, mixed support, everything works, and nothing works. Subgroups differed on measures of aggression, victimization, prosocial and nonviolent behavior, self-efficacy for nonviolence, witnessing community violence, and parents' and peers' support for nonviolence and aggression. The findings underscore the importance of designing violence prevention programs to target the unique needs of subgroups of adolescents.

Психолого-педагогічна протидія булінгу у середовищі учнів початкової школи

The article is devoted to the topical problem of psychological and pedagogical counteraction to bullying among primary school students. Based on the analysis of philosophical, psychological and pedagogical literature and taking into account the diversity of the educational process, we have the opportunity to reveal the state of the problem. The purpose of this article is to investigate the role of the educational process in counteracting the occurrence of violence, conflict situations (in particular, bullying). The educational institution plays an important role in creating conditions for students to acquire knowledge in a safe educational environment, developing the attitudes and skills needed to avoid and prevent violence, conflict-free communication, non-violent behavior. Revealing the features of bullying and the specifics of its manifestation in the primary school environment, we focus on the organization of the educational process, which is a means of counteracting, preventing and correcting deviant behavior of participants in the educational process. Teachers have a crucial role in creating a safe educational environment and combating bullying. However, they can cope with this problem only through a systematic approach and support from school management, parents, local government officials and NGOs, as well as the involvement and participation of children and youth. The practical significance of the study is determined by the fact that its results allow to improve the quality of the educational space of the school, increase the effectiveness of its impact on the moral development of the younger generation, to adapt the activities of younger students to real life. In addition, materials of research can be used in the organization of educational work of general education institutions and training of primary school teachers.

Current Concepts and Controversies in the Management of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by dream enactment and the loss of muscle atonia during REM sleep, known as REM sleep without atonia (RSWA). RBD can result in significant injuries, prompting patients to seek medical attention. However, in others, it may present only as non-violent behaviors noted as an incidental finding during polysomnography (PSG). RBD typically occurs in the context of synuclein-based neurodegenerative disorders but can also be seen accompanying brain lesions and be exacerbated by medications, particularly antidepressants. There is also an increasing appreciation regarding isolated or idiopathic RBD (iRBD). Symptomatic treatment of RBD is a priority to prevent injurious complications, with usual choices being melatonin or clonazepam. The discovery that iRBD represents a prodromal stage of incurable synucleinopathies has galvanized the research community into delineating the pathophysiology of RBD and defining biomarkers of neurodegeneration that will facilitate future disease-modifying trials in iRBD. Despite many advances, there has been no progress in available symptomatic or neuroprotective therapies for RBD, with recent negative trials highlighting several challenges that need to be addressed to prepare for definitive therapeutic trials for patients with this disorder. These challenges relate to i) the diagnostic and screening strategies applied to RBD, ii) the limited evidence base for symptomatic therapies, (iii) the existence of possible subtypes of RBD, (iv) the relevance of triggering medications, (v) the absence of objective markers of severity, (vi) the optimal design of disease-modifying trials, and vii) the implications around disclosing the risk of future neurodegeneration in otherwise healthy individuals. Here, we review the current concepts in the therapeutics of RBD as it relates to the above challenges and identify pertinent research questions to be addressed by future work.

Reviving Albert Camus: Nonviolence and Pro-Independence PR Activism in Catalonia

In recent years, the electoral situation in Spain, has been marked by the issue of Catalan independence, which has conditioned the electoral agenda of all parties and the frames of political discourse. Against the idea of a violent movement that the Spanish nationalist parties and government want to transmit to Spanish society about the separatist movement, the nationalist parties’ and Catalan government turn to nonviolent discourse and action. This nonviolent behavior is based on what in the past century was defended by some public intellectuals, such as Albert Camus. Indeed, Camus is our exemplar because he also raises issues that continue to be relevant, especially in advocating principles and methods of nonviolent political action. Furthermore, Camus did so in situations of war and injustice through tactics typical of political communication the of activist groups. This article wants to show how current and how effective the ideas of Camus are today, when it is 60 years since his death, in some national electoral discourses and actions, and serve for activism PR purposes in the political communication frame.

Women exiting prostitution: Reports of coercive control in intimate relationships

There is burgeoning research on intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences among women globally. However, there is a dearth of research on IPV experiences among marginalized populations in Western countries. Over the past decade, IPV research has shifted from a focus only on physical and sexual violence to include coercive control experiences. These include a continuum of nonviolent behaviors centered on maintaining dominance over one’s partner. However, the empirical literature on examining coercive control among women in prostitution within non-commercial intimate partners is lacking. In this study, we analyzed interviews with 17 women exiting prostitution and examined reported IPV sexual, physical, and coercive control experiences perpetrated by intimate partners. Our findings revealed that participants experienced extensive physical and sexual IPV as well as physical and non-physical coercive control within non-commercial partner relationships. Coercive control was the most frequent type of abuse reported. All nine investigated coercive control tactics were represented within participants’ descriptions. Of these, exploitation (36%), intimidation (16.3%), degradation (12.5%), and deception (10.0%) were the most commonly identified. Understanding and assessing violent actions and control dynamics within non-commercial intimate partner relationships among women exiting prostitution have important implications for various stakeholders within the criminal justice system.

Comportamiento saboteador en mediación internacional: la fragilidad del proceso sirio

espanolEl proceso mediador para Siria ha sido definido por su fragilidad reiteradamente. Esta fragilidad no solo deriva de su incapacidad para producir resultados tangibles, sino tambien de otras dimensiones como su inestabilidad, la falta de imparcialidad de su estructura mediadora o su falta de representatividad y capacidad de accion, todas ellas estudiadas mas tangencialmente. El proposito de este articulo es determinar los factores explicativos de estas otras dimensiones de la fragilidad del proceso. Para ello, en primer lugar, partiendo de la literatura del spoiler, se operacionaliza el comportamiento spoiling, distinguiendo los actos violentos de los no violentos. En segundo lugar, se analizan sus efectos sobre el proceso, identificando la relacion entre ellos y la fragilidad. En tercer lugar, se evaluan con esta optica los periodos de los cuatro enviados especiales para Siria asignados por la ONU hasta la fecha (diciembre, 2019). Los resultados de la investigacion muestran que el comportamiento spoiling violento en el proceso mediador para Siria explica las reacciones drasticas tanto de la propia actividad mediadora (suspension de la mision de observacion o posposicion de la apertura de conversaciones) como de las partes intervinientes (retirada o suspension de las conversaciones), mientras que el comportamiento no violento tiende a atacar el proceso de una forma mas sutil, amenazando su relevancia o imparcialidad. La consecuencia mas evidente es un proceso mediador fragil, capaz de cuestionar la capacidad de la mediacion internacional frente a conflictos armados de naturaleza intratable. EnglishThe Syrian mediation process has repeatedly been characterized by its fragility. This fragility does not only stem from its inability to produce tangible results but it also rests on other dimensions such as its instability, the lack of impartiality of its mediation structure, or its lack of representativeness and capacity for action, all of which have been studied more tangentially. The purpose of this article is to determine the explanatory factors of these other dimensions of the fragility of the process. In order to do so, and based on the spoiler literature, it first operationalizes the spoiling behavior, distinguishing violent acts from non-violent ones. In the second place, their impact on the process is analyzed, identifying the relationship between them and fragility. In the third place, the mandates of the four Special Envoys assigned by UN to date (January 2020) are evaluated from this perspective. The results of this research show that the violent spoiling behavior in the Syrian mediation process explains the drastic reactions both by the mediating activity itself (suspension of the observation mission, withdrawal of the mediator or postponement of the opening of talks) and by the intervening parties (withdrawal or suspension of conversations), while non-violent behavior tends to attack the process in a more subtle way, threatening its relevance or impartiality. The most evident consequence is a weak mediation process, that may raise doubts on the ability of international mediation in the face of intractable armed conflicts.

Abusive Supervision in Agencies: The Role of Gender in Reporting and Complaint Success

ABSTRACT Even though studies often examine supervisory acts of non-physical aggression (i.e., abusive supervision) towards subordinates, most examine either the antecedents or the adverse outcomes of abusive supervision. Similar to physical and sexual abuse, many organizations, especially in the public sector, have a process in place to handle abusive supervision. Yet research has largely ignored what happens during this process. More specifically, no studies were found to examine subordinate reporting of abusive supervision (i.e., non-violent behaviors that are non-sexual) and whether complainants were effective. Furthermore, scholars recently called for aggression research to examine the role gender plays in this process. The present study seeks to fill this lacuna in the literature, by investigating the impact of gender in reporting abusive supervision and complaint success. After examining Merit Principles Survey Path 1, several interesting findings emerged. First, the gender of the subordinate and the hierarchical aggressor were found to impact reporting decisions. Gender dissimilarity (i.e., the gender mismatch between the subordinate and the manager) did not seem to affect reporting decisions. Next, the gender of the subordinate was found to affect complaint success, while the gender of the hierarchical aggressor did not. Nevertheless, gender dissimilarity did affect complaint success. The implications of the findings are thoroughly discussed in the article.

Trajectories of Violent and Nonviolent Behaviors From Adolescence to Early Adulthood: Does Early Puberty Matter, and, If So, How Long?

PurposeIt is well known that pubertal timing affects adolescents' externalizing behaviors, but it is unknown if this effect lasts into adulthood. This study assessed if and when the early maturation effect wanes, specifically in two domains of externalizing behaviors: nonviolent and violent behaviors. MethodsUsing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) that include age-appropriate items of violent and nonviolent behaviors assessed from ages 11–30 over four waves (N = 4,255), we conducted a series of longitudinal growth curve analyses to evaluate the effect of pubertal timing on the trajectories of nonviolent and violent externalizing behaviors for males and females. ResultsCompared to later maturing male peers, early maturing males reported significantly elevated overall externalizing, nonviolent, and violent behaviors throughout adolescence, but became indistinguishable from on-time and late-maturing counterparts in young adulthood. Similarly, early maturing females showed higher levels of overall externalizing and nonviolent behaviors than later maturing counterparts, but no effect of pubertal timing was seen on the trajectories of violent behaviors. However, early maturing females' overall externalizing and nonviolent behaviors also became indistinguishable from on-time and late-maturing females after adolescence. ConclusionsThese findings clarify the differential effect of early maturation on nonviolent and violent behaviors, especially in females, and highlight the short-lived nature of the effects of early pubertal timing.

Adolescents’ appraisal of responses to problem situations and their relation to aggression and nonviolent behavior.

This study investigated adolescents' appraisals of responses to problematic situations and their relations to behavioral intentions for aggressive and nonviolent behavior. A key question was whether ratings of effective and ineffective nonviolent responses and aggressive responses reflect distinct constructs or opposite ends of a single dimension. A sample of 183 students at three middle schools in an urban public school system serving a mostly African American population completed measures of aggression, and rated responses to hypothetical situations on five dimensions: behavioral intention, effectiveness, descriptive norms, and anticipated reactions from friends and parents. Responses included nonviolent responses and aggressive responses to problematic situations identified in previous qualitative studies. Nonviolent responses were categorized as effective or ineffective based on ratings by a community sample of youth and adults. Confirmatory factor analyses supported separate factors representing ratings of effective responses and aggressive responses for each domain. Regression analyses indicated that ratings of aggressive responses were more strongly related to aggressive intentions, and ratings of effective responses were more strongly related to intentions to use effective responses. Adolescents who varied in their level of aggression differed in their ratings of aggressive and nonviolent responses. Those reporting higher levels of aggression showed less differentiation between effective and ineffective nonviolent responses compared with those reporting lower levels. These findings underscore the need for further efforts to identify factors that promote effective nonviolent behavior versus those that support aggression. They have important implications for the development of violence prevention programs.

The Importance of Changing Abusive Behavior to Prevent Domestic Violence

The importance of working with domestic abusers is being analysed in the article. The need for correction of violent behaviour, based on international standards and empirical research, is emphasized by teaching perpetrators of domestic violence to adopt non-violent behaviour in interpersonal relationships with a view to changing violent behavioural patterns.

“Peaceful workplace” only a myth?

PurposeThough violence is very much prevalent in modern organizations, unfortunately, researchers and practitioners have given very little attention in creating an organizational culture based on nonviolence. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between individual spirituality and non-violence work behaviour. It also investigates the mediating role of four constructs of psychological capital (hope, optimism, resilience and self-efficacy).Design/methodology/approachCollected data is subjected to rigorous reliability, validity and common method biasness tests. Further mediation is analyzed with the help of hierarchical regression, Sobel test and bootstrapping estimates.FindingsThe results show that all four dimensions of psychological capital partially mediate the relationship of individual spirituality and non-violent behaviour at the workplace. The practical and theoretical implications of the study are also discussed.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the study produces significant results, it has certain limitations, too, which can be addressed in future research. Firstly, as psychological capital is a state like construct, the responses of the participants may vary from time to time, leading to biases. Secondly, the study is confined only to manufacturing, IT/ITES and financial institutions. It can be duplicated to other sectors as well to assess its generality. Future researchers may adopt both quantitative and qualitative methodology to explore the field. Even experimental research may help to understand these work behaviours. Although the study has been conducted in business organization the purpose is not to limit it to the workplace context. It is relevant to all sectors and across all domains.Practical implicationsThe findings have revealed individual spirituality as a significant predictor of nonviolence behaviour at the workplace. Thus managers, leaders, policymakers or organizational development practitioners need to facilitate spirituality at the workplace and introduce spiritual-based interventions such as meditation, yoga and several other mindfulness practices. Even organizational training, which is considered to be essential to human resource development, needs to develop a spiritual development program and also to examine the impact of such programs on organizational outcomes (Dent et al., 2005). Organizational interventions that facilitate mindfulness practices, yoga and meditation will enhance nonviolence communication through empathy and compassion-based listening, meaningful dialogues, through connecting employees with universal human values/needs.Social implicationsThe primary objective of the study is to foster conflict prevention in society rather than conflict resolution. With the help of the study, the authors understand the importance of spiritual intervention and its impact on the elevation of people's values, beliefs and attitudes. Major organisations such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have already started to develop spiritual interventions at their workplace. It is an excellent time to capitalize on India's rich spiritual tradition that honours unity in diversity. Besides, an organization's facilitation to connect to employee’s actions with spiritual values can overcome cultural conditioning that triggers violence and help in making a more meaningful place to work. Thus, impacting the society from a macro perspective.Originality/valueThis is one of the pioneer studies that tried to unlock the “black-box” of mechanism through which individual spirituality impacts non-violent work behaviour.

Obstrüktif Uyku Apnesi’nin Şiddet İçeren ve İçermeyen Davranışlar Üzerine Etkisi

Aim: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) characterized by repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep and this condition leading to oxygen desaturation, sympathetic activation, and recurrent arousals. Patients who experience sleep problems consider themselves, less able to control impulsive, aggressive tendencies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of OSA and daytime sleepiness on violent and non-violent behaviors. Material and Methods: Hundred fifty individuals who were admitted to the Chest Disease Polyclinic for Sleep Disorders of Duzce University, School of Medicine Hospital were included in the study. All patients underwent polysomnography (PSG). All tests [Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Nonviolent and Violent Offending Behavior Scale (NVOBS)] were applied to all participants by face to face interview. Results: In this study, no significant relationship was found between NVOBS and AHI in OSA patients. Patients with OSA; There was a significant relationship between total score of NVOBS and ESS (r=0.267 p=0.003). There was a significant relationship between the ESS score and the BDI score (r=0.314 p <0.001) and BDI scale (r=0.319 p <0.001) scores. Conclusions: There was no significant relationship between violent and non-violent behaviors and AHI. However, there was a significant relationship between ESS and BDI, BAI and NVOBS. There may be common neurophysiological activation mechanisms of sleep and violence action. Today, violent behavior and sleep problems increase and further research is needed to investigate the relationship between sleep problems and violent behavior.

Girls and the juvenile justice system: Community stakeholders recognize gender non-conforming behavior as “criminal” for girls

Behaviors that guide girls into the correctional environment often pose little or no threat to public safety (e.g., running away). Deeply rooted gender injustice continues to remain persistent and drives girls deeper into the system. Despite continued discussion on improvement of societal gender norms, girls’ deviant behavior is often considered different from boys. In rural communities, girls’ deviance may be viewed as a threat to societal norms of femininity or a product of poor choices. For girls, these non-violent behaviors pave a way into the system and potentially a life behind bars. The current study serves as a contemporary comparison of qualitative responses outlining differences between perceived deviancy of girls and boys among a sample of community stakeholders in a Midwestern state. Results are consistent—girls continue to be held to different, lesser, standards of “appropriate” conduct than boys, creating a pathway into the juvenile correctional system.

УПРОВАДЖЕННЯ ПРОГРАМ ПРОФІЛАКТИКИ ШКІЛЬНОГО БУЛІНГУ СЕРЕД ПІДЛІТКІВ

At present, in the Ukrainian society, there is a gradual transition from the "interest" of bullying problems to implement a practical program to counteract bullying in the school environment. Programs are being implemented with support the MES of Ukraine using conflicting functionality, changing and navigating non-violent behavior and civic attitudes. The results of the empirical study made it possible to pay attention to the need to change approaches when using bullying prevention technology among adolescents. In particular, it was determined that not only forms of preventive training play a major role in preventing bullying, but the use of techniques, methods, ways of information submission by the subjects who carry it out, and features of interpersonal interaction with adolescents. Often, they have signs of prejudice and stigma that provoke aggression and bullying cases.

The Anuvrat Movement: A Case Study of Jain-inspired Ethical and Eco-conscious Living

From proclaiming the equality of all life forms to the stringent emphasis placed upon nonviolent behavior (ahimsa), and once more to the pronounced intention for limiting one’s possessions (aparigraha), Jainism has often been pointed to for its admirably ecofriendly example. Incorporating some of this eco-friendliness into its design for ethical vow taking, the Jain-inspired Anuvrat Movement, founded in 1949 by Acharya Sri Tulsi, today offers some arguably vital relevance for the urgent modern task to live eco-consciously. While such relevance includes, most explicitly, Anuvrat’s final vow (vow eleven) which calls for practitioners to “refrain from such acts as are likely to cause pollution and harm the environment,” and to avoid the “cutting down of trees” and the “wasting of water,”1 it also includes several of Anuvrat’s other vows as well, which carry significance on a more implicit level. Hence, presenting some of the basic history and philosophy behind Anuvrat, this article also analyzes its potential for ensuring ethical (and eco-conscious) behavior via its hallmark mechanism of vow restriction—a modality of arguably potent strategic and motivational value. Altogether, while first providing a brief inventory of Jain ecological practice in general, the article will then turn its attention to Anuvrat, arguing that when it comes to the modern eco-conscious imperative to “live simply so that others may simply live” (as the popular adage has it), there is indeed much that Anuvrat has to offer.

Supplemental Material for Adolescents’ Appraisal of Responses to Problem Situations and Their Relation to Aggression and Nonviolent Behavior

Supplemental Material for Adolescents’ Appraisal of Responses to Problem Situations and Their Relation to Aggression and Nonviolent Behavior

Fostering gender equality and alternatives to violence: perspectives on a gender-transformative community mobilisation programme in rural South Africa

Gender-based violence and violence against children are significant problems in South Africa. Community mobilisation and gender-transformative programming are promising approaches to address and reduce violence. A quantitative evaluation of One Man Can, a gender-transformative community mobilisation programme in South Africa, found mixed results in increasing gender-equitable behaviours and reducing violence. To better understand these findings, we analyse longitudinal qualitative data from community mobilisers, community members and community action teams, exploring individual and community-level factors that facilitate and hinder change. Interviews and focus groups were transcribed and analysed. Participants self-reported changes in their gender-equitable attitudes and use of violence as a result of participation in the programme, although some participants also reported opposition to shifting to a more gender-equitable culture. Facilitators to change included the internalisation of gender-transformative messaging and supportive social networks, which was buoyed by a shared vocabulary in their community generated by One Man Can. Because the programme targeted a critical mass of community members with gender-transformative programming, mobilisers and community action teams were held accountable by community members to model non-violent behaviour. Results reinforce the importance of addressing facilitators and barriers to change at both individual and community levels.

Beyond an Instrumental View of Violence: On Sartre’s Discussion of Violence in Notebooks for an Ethics

This paper argues that Jean-Paul Sartre’s discussion of violence from his Notebooks for an ethics constitutes an attempt to go beyond an instrumental view of violence. An “instrumental view of violence” essentially assumes that violent behavior is a form of pragmatic behavior whose distinguishing feature consists in the kind of means one employs for reaching one’s goals (violent behavior resorting to means that are harmful for others, whereas non-violent behavior does not). For his part, Sartre attempts to provide a stronger demarcation between violent and pragmatic behaviors. First, violent behavior is, for Sartre, not necessarily characterized by the use of particular means, but by a particular manner of using means, one that involves a certain “forcing” or “straining” of the means. Second, I argue that, according to Sartre, in contrast with pragmatic behavior, violent behavior involves a modification of one’s attitude towards one’s goals. Three such modified attitudes with respect to one’s goals are detailed here, namely the non-productive attitude (the assumption that the goal is not to be produced or that it is not to be produced by means that are under our control), the counter-productive attitude (the exacerbation of one’s proximate goal at the expense of more distant goals) and the anti-productive attitude (the active refusal of one’s previously set goal). Moreover, I show that Sartre’s view that violence involves the “straining” of one’s means is undergirded by his idea that violent behavior presupposes the modification of one’s attitude with respect to one’s goals.