The effectiveness of housing-based interventions and harm reduction among adults experiencing homelessness: a systematic review of recent controlled evidence (2019-2025).

A brief measure of individual differences in experiences of ageism across adulthood: Psychometric evaluation of the WHO 5-item Ageism Experiences Scale.

Aqidah Akhlak learning in Madrasah Tsanawiyah faces various social challenges, including bullying, peer conflicts, social media influence, low empathy, and value conflicts among adolescents. These conditions require religious education to be connected to students’ real-life experiences rather than delivered solely through theoretical instruction. This study aims to describe the implementation of social case-based Aqidah Akhlak learning and examine its role in developing moral reasoning, empathy, and students’ understanding of value conflicts. The research was conducted at MTs Ma’arif NU Al-Hidayah Purwokerto using a qualitative approach. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation involving the school principal, Aqidah Akhlak teacher, and students. The findings show that the teacher used cases of bullying, peer conflict, dishonesty, and social media issues as discussion materials. Through these discussions, students learned to evaluate actions based on religious values and their social consequences while developing empathy toward others. The study also found value conflicts between religious norms, adolescent culture, and students’ social experiences. The findings indicate that social case-based Aqidah Akhlak learning strengthens moral reasoning, enhances empathy, and helps students understand value conflicts in a more contextual and meaningful way.

ABSTRACT Purpose Involving community members with lived experience of social issues or services is crucial to improve social work education, however no published studies have examined this specifically within simulated learning environments. This study examined student perspectives on community member involvement in simulations. Material and methods This quantitative and qualitative study surveyed current and alumni Bachelor of Social Work students about their perspectives of engaging in simulations with community members through an online questionnaire. Sampling was purposive from a target of 200 students reached through online advertisement. Fifty-eight responses were received. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, inferential statistics (t-test and ANOVA) to compare groups, and Cohen’s d to assess effect size, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data. Result High mean scores indicate that simulations were perceived as effective in preparing students for real practice (M = 8.34), more impactful than role plays (M = 8.54), and increased awareness of diversity and difference (M = 7.64), cultural sensitivity (M = 7.53), and comfort working with the community (M = 7.16). Themes reflect the benefits and challenges of having real-life situations in the classroom. Discussion Students valued the authenticity of lived experience knowledge as central to their learning. Read through a decolonial lens, results represent a challenge to the epistemic hierarchies that have historically determined whose knowledge counts in education. Conclusion Social work programs must move toward building sustained, equitable, accountable and reciprocal partnerships with communities. Future research could target a larger sample to increase generalizability of findings.

The continued influence effect (CIE) refers to the persistent influence of False Information (FI), even after it has been corrected. This effect has been replicated in numerous experiments and carries significant societal implications. While the existing literature provides various explanations for the CIE, a comprehensive synthesis of these explanations remains lacking. This lack of synthesis hinders the ability to optimize recommendations for mitigating the effect and guiding future research. To address this, a conceptual reorganization of existing explanations is proposed within a heuristic framework encompassing three perspectives: cognitive, motivational, and rational. Drawing on this three-dimensional framework, recommendations are provided for mitigating this social issue and guiding future research.

The article, written from a legal perspective, presents a concise and chronological review of the legal regulations used to secure farmers in old age. The review begins with a brief discussion of the methods of securing farmers’ old age at the end of the serfdom era. In the post-enfranchisement period, peasants, as full landowners, secured their old age through civil law contracts, primarily life annuity agreements and donations. In the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, three acts were adopted concerning pensions granted to farmers in exchange for transferring their land to the state. The acts adopted in 1977 and 1982, of a pension and disability benefit nature, brought all farmers within a system of compulsory social insurance. All these acts are subjected to a synthetic analysis, with particular attention paid to their ratio legis and their stated objectives. Greater emphasis is placed on the production-related aims of these acts, which, to varying degrees, came to dominate their intended social aims. The article concludes with final remarks drawn from the analysis conducted.

The Netflix drama Adolescence examines themes of social media use, toxic masculinity and online youth cultures. Fictional portrayals may coincide with shifts in public discourse and media framing of social issues affecting young people. To examine whether and how news media framing of young people's social media use changed in the UK and Ireland following the release of Adolescence. Using a mixed-methods content analysis, this study analysed news articles published in the UK and Ireland during the 3 months before and after the release of Adolescence. Quantitative analysis examined changes in the volume and framing of coverage, and qualitative thematic analysis explored dominant narratives and representations of young people's social media use. Coverage of young people's social media use increased markedly in the period following the broadcast, particularly in UK-based outlets, accompanied by a significant rise in alarmist framing. References to toxic masculinity and incel culture quadrupled, whereas mentions of vulnerable groups, especially young males, doubled. Personal narratives became more frequent and emotionally charged, often linked to bereavement and calls for policy reform. Positive portrayals of social media remained scarce and declined further after release. Many commentaries and policy recommendations were not explicitly linked to a clear evidence base, reflecting more reactive rather than research-informed responses. This study provides the first real-time mapping of shifts in media discourse around young people's social media use in temporal association with a major cultural event. The findings suggest that fictional portrayals may coincide with intensified moral concern and shifts in policy debate, highlighting the importance of proportionate, evidence-informed media reporting.

ABSTRACT The fashion-industrial complex faces urgent environmental and social crises, yet fashion higher education often lacks concrete tools that translate sustainability discourse into advocacy and behaviour change. This study develops and evaluates Fashion Sustainability Advocacy Kits (FSAKs), a politically informed, fashion-specific educational intervention designed for university settings. Conducted in partnership with a southeastern U.S. university and a fashion advocacy organisation, the project integrates tailored educational resources, activism guides, and policy information into fashion curricula to empower students as change agents. Using a parallel mixed-method design, the study assessed students’ knowledge and advocacy intentions before and after implementation. Results demonstrate significant increases in understanding environmental and social justice issues, along with strengthened intentions to engage in sustainability initiatives and enhanced capacity to critically evaluate industry practices. FSAKs offer a replicable model for embedding politically informed sustainability advocacy within fashion education and advancing critical engagement in higher education.

ABSTRACT The implications, trauma and slangs of hard drugs captured by the spoken words lyrics of a renowned content creator, David Jones David, have not received considerable critical attention. In scholarship, minimal attention is given to the effect of hard drug consumption as an index of trauma. In an effort to bridge the scholarship gap, this paper examines how spoken lyrics are used to address social issues and the need to humanize people struggling with drug addiction. The primary data for this study were the lyrics of David Jones David as mined from his Facebook page. Five songs were purposively selected. This paper deployed Cathy Caruth's view about trauma theory with particular attention on trauma as a psychological wound. The lyrics of the artist reveal that consumers of hard drugs expose themselves to some mental injuries that lead to their inability to have a correct valuation of their lives.

Urbanization serves as an engine for economic development, yet the risk of "carbon lock-in" caused by infrastructure and consumption patterns threatens long-term sustainability. Studying the synergistic effects and regional differences between China's new urbanization (NU) and zero-carbon strategies (ZCS) is a crucial economic and social issue for China to participate in global climate governance and achieve urban modernization. This study systematically analyzed the evolution law and regional differences of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between NU and TFCEE by employing the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method, coupling coordination model, Dagum-Gini coefficient, and convergence model. The findings are as follows: (1) The coupling coordination level (CCL) between NU and Total-factor carbon emission efficiency (TFCEE) has been increasing year by year, with the eastern region taking the lead in forming intermediate coordination and maintaining a leading position; (2) In terms of intra-regional differences, the CCL in the eastern, central, and northeastern regions exhibit a fluctuating decline, whereas those in the western region demonstrate a fluctuating increase. In terms of inter-regional differences, the disparity between the eastern and western regions (east-west) stands out as the most prominent. Here, inter-regional variations play a primary role in accounting for the overall inequalities; (3) In the σ-convergence and β-convergence analyses, the spatial imbalance in the western region is more pronounced, indicating that although the western region has shown a positive catch-up effect, the absolute gap with the eastern region has not yet narrowed due to differences in initial conditions. In general, the CCD between NU and TFCEE is gradually optimizing, but the spatial imbalance remains prominent, especially in the western region, which urgently needs to be improved through targeted policy guidance.

BackgroundNavigating the healthcare system is complex. Care fragmentation is a major issue. Patient navigators have emerged to improve care continuity, especially for vulnerable individuals. With digital health expansion, digital navigator (DN) roles have been created to foster digital literacy, access and equity.ObjectivesTo identify DN's roles in reducing health inequities and examine its terminology, professional background, training, techniques, skills, communication methods and outcomes.MethodologySystematic review across five databases. Data extraction included DN characteristics and outcomes. Thematic analysis compared expectations and findings.ResultsSixteen studies were reviewed. Findings suggest that the DN may help reducing inequities in healthcare access, though it is not guaranteed. Gaps were found in DN roles, competencies, training and terminology. Most studies emphasised technical support, communication and clinical integration, with limited focus on social issues. Disparities were noted between expected and reported roles.ConclusionThe DN role shows promise, especially in fragmented systems, but remains underexplored. Current approaches emphasise technology over social support. Broader understanding and implementation are needed.

ABSTRACT Arts-based dissemination offers powerful means for translating qualitative research findings into formats that engage communities around health and social issues. This study examines Latine/x/a/o parents/caregivers’ perceptions of Nuestro Apoyo—a short, research-based narrative film developed through participatory screenwriting with Latina young adults. The film was designed to communicate qualitative findings about family mental health communication to Latine/x/a/o parents and caregivers. This article describes the participatory screenwriting process and examines Latine/x/a/o parents/caregivers’ perceptions of the film. Using a culture-centric model of narratives in health promotion framework, we explored parents’ engagement with the film and interpretations of its storyline and messages. One hundred parents (50 English-preference, 50 Spanish-preference) viewed the film online and completed post-viewing surveys, including the Narrative Quality Assessment Tool and open-ended questions. Parents reported strong narrative engagement, identification, transportation, and social proliferation—mechanisms of narratives that influence attitude and behavior change. Parents described their interpretations of the storyline and consistently identified key messages about help-seeking and family support. Findings highlight the potential of research-based narrative films as culturally grounded tools for knowledge translation and health promotion—particularly when created through participatory processes that directly involve people with lived experience as co-authors.

ABSTRACT This study examines the integration of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) into English pedagogy within initial teacher education in Ireland by employing a collaborative self-study methodology to explore how one teacher educator designed and implemented a learning-unit focused on social justice issues in a module involving five pre-service teachers. Findings reveal that English pedagogy serves as a powerful medium for introducing GCE, promoting critical thinking, empathy and social awareness among PSTs. However, challenges emerged, including limited prior knowledge of GCE, managing discomfort associated with sensitive topics and navigating institutional constraints. The study highlights the interplay between the teacher educator’s reflective practices, pedagogical choices and the students’ experiences, demonstrating how GCE and a pedagogy of discomfort can deepen critical engagement in English teaching while balancing ethical responsibility and supportive learning. It offers valuable insights for teacher educators integrating GCE into subject-specific curricula, while also contributing to the broader discourse on GCE.

ABSTRACT Alternative justice systems and peacemaking criminology share a bond in addressing the root causes of crime, promoting healing and reconciliation, and fostering a more holistic understanding of justice. As a theoretical framework, peacemaking criminology challenges traditional punitive approaches to crime by advocating for nonviolent conflict resolution, social justice, and community empowerment. It views crime as a social problem rooted in structural inequalities, systemic violence, and interpersonal conflicts rather than solely as individual deviance deserving punishment. Alternative justice systems, such as restorative justice and transformative justice, align closely with the principles of peacemaking criminology. They prioritize repairing harm, rebuilding relationships, and addressing underlying social issues to avoid future conflicts and criminal behavior. These systems facilitate meaningful dialogue and decision-making among victims, offenders, and communities, as well as reconciliation, healing, and accountability. Furthermore, while both address crime and conflict, they also recognize the significance of social networks, support structures, and community resources in fostering resilience, rehabilitation, and long-term peacebuilding. This article investigates how peacemaking criminology, through alternative justice systems, can transform criminal justice systems around the world.

School bullying is a complex social issue that manifests in various forms within school communities and has serious consequences for both the individuals involved and the overall functioning of school life. This study examines primary school principals’ perceptions of the frequency of different forms of bullying in the school environment, focusing on the Greek primary education context. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, involving 512 principals in the quantitative phase and 21 principals in the qualitative phase. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis. The results indicated that the most frequently occurring forms of bullying were mild verbal bullying, low-severity non-verbal bullying, mild physical bullying, and low-severity sarcasm, ridicule, or mockery. In contrast, severe forms, such as severe racist bullying, sexual bullying, severe cyberbullying, serious physical aggression, and high-intensity social exclusion, were reported as rare. The study contributes to the literature by offering context-specific evidence on how different forms of bullying become visible from the institutional perspective of primary school principals. These findings may inform prevention and intervention strategies that respond to the organisational realities of primary schools.

Child marriage remains a legal and social issue in Indonesia despite the enactment of Law Number 16 of 2019, which sets the minimum marriage age at 19 years. This study aims to analyze the regulation of underage marriage requirements and the judges’ considerations in granting marriage dispensation in the Decision of the Depok Religious Court Number 0094/Pdt.P/2020/PA.Dpk. The research method used is normative legal research with a descriptive qualitative approach, utilizing secondary data consisting of primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials analyzed systematically. The results indicate that although positive law has established a minimum marriage age, the existence of a dispensation mechanism creates loopholes that contribute to the persistence of child marriage practices. In the examined case, the judge granted the dispensation by considering juridical, social, and benefit aspects to prevent greater harm. Therefore, the judicial decision reflects not only legal certainty but also justice and utility for the parties involved.

Human biological samples are a valuable source of information that may aid in the generation of new knowledge. However, the use of human biological samples for research poses various ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI). We performed a scoping review to identify the ethical issues surrounding the use of human biological samples for research. We developed a search string strategy to identify literature in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Out of 4067 identified articles, 61 articles were included for final analysis. The findings of this study revealed multiple ethical issues stemming from the knowledge and awareness of different stakeholders involved in research, the factors affecting donors' study participation, the consent process, and the governance and structures of these human biological samples. This study will provide guidance for researchers, IRB members, and other stakeholders involved in the ethical consideration of using human biological samples for secondary research.

IMPACT Practitioners evaluating complex social phenomena such as the youth mental health crisis, segregation, or childhood poverty can benefit from taking a complexity-informed, participatory approach. This approach contributes to moving beyond linear and reductionist thinking by emphasizing the interconnected and systemic nature of public policy, program and project evaluation. This article provides practitioners with a better understanding of participatory systems mapping (PSM) as a tool for evaluation and enhances their informed use of it. When designing processes and using complexity-informed evaluation tools, it is important to stay aware of the situation and pay attention to relations, conflicts, and power imbalances in participatory settings. Participatory evaluation methods like PSM are valuable because they support inclusive, informed, and data-driven evaluations that highlight the relational aspects of complex social issues.

The African whodunit is a haven for revealing the continent’s critical social issues and exploring the tensions between competing ways of knowing. Yet there is a limited focus on how detective figures renegotiate scientific rationality and indigenous epistemology in their quest to unravel a crime. This paper explores this dialectic by examining how Nii Ayikwei Parkes’s Tail of the Blue Bird (2009) and Kwei Quartey’s Wife of the Gods (2009) reimagine crime-solving as an epistemological negotiation and a complementary interplay between plural ways of knowing rather than a purely scientific process. The paper introduces the concept of cognitive border-crossing to describe how these texts resist rigid binaries between tradition and modernity, rural and urban, and science and spirituality. The paper contributes to debates on epistemic decolonisation by advancing the need for context-responsive frameworks for supporting an understanding of knowledges in the postcolonial African state.

ABSTRACT We examined the views of first-year students (N = 102), university staff (N = 46), and company representatives (N = 15) concerning the importance of and attitudes towards transferable skills in engineering. Data were gathered from a questionnaire, and statistical methods were utilized in the analysis. The groups shared similar views concerning the order of importance of transferable skills: critical thinking was evaluated as important, whereas awareness of political and social issues was ranked with low figures. Statistically significant differences were absent between students and university staff, but company representatives rated 12 of 38 skills as lower importance. The groups had positive attitudes towards learning and assessing transferable skills, but significant differences emerged in views concerning the importance of these in comparison to technical academic knowledge/skills, developing these in extra-curricular activities, and giving credits for developing these. We suggest that companies’ views be considered when integrating transferable skills into curricula.