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- School personnel perception of parental involvement and students’ behavior problems: practical implicationsPublication . Caridade, Sónia; Azevedo, Vanessa; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta; Sani, Ana Isabel; Nunes, Laura M.School is a privileged context to prevent specific behavior problems. Parental involvement in school activities is crucial to promote social functioning. This study aimed to access the Portuguese school personnel perception of parental involvement and students’ behavior problems. A study with 333 school personnel, aged between 29 and 66 (M = 50.84, SD = 7.54), was developed. School personnel’s participants rated parental involvement as low and nearly one in five professionals rated student’s general behavior as bad. A significant association between parental involvement and the perception of students’ general behavior was found. 80% of the professionals rating student’s general behavior as bad also rating parental involvement as poor. Additional research into implications of parental involvement in school activities and school students’ behavior problems is necessary aiming assessment, prevention, and intervention strategies in this area.
- Predicting frequent and feared crime typologies: individual and social/environmental variables, and incivilitiesPublication . Caridade, Sónia; Magalhães, Mariana; Azevedo, Vanessa; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta; Maia, Rui Leandro; Estrada, Rui; Sani, Ana Isabel; Nunes, Laura M.The lack of organisation in urban spaces plays a decisive role in the level of integration, communication and social bonds of the residents, impacting the citizens’ feelings of trust and security. Different personal variables and contextual characteristics have been associated with the fear of crime (FOC). The main objective of this study is to analyse how individual and social/environmental variables, and incivilities, predict crime against people and property, crime that has either happened or is feared to happen. Five hundred and fifty-four residents (M = 43.82; SD = 18.38) in the Historic Centre of Porto (HCP), Portugal, answered 61 items of the Diagnosis of Local Security (DLS) Questionnaire. The results of this study show that in the most frequent crime category, 72% of occurrences represent crime against property. In the feared crime category, there is a preponderance of crime against people (61%). Age of the respondents predicted the most frequent and feared crime, while sex predicted the most feared crime only. Social/environmental variables, as well as incivilities, also predict the frequent and feared crime in two typologies, i.e., crime against people and crime against property. Practical implications to reduce FOC and areas for further investigation are discussed.
- Stay or leave abusive dating relationships: portuguese victims’ reasons and barriersPublication . Caridade, Sónia; Pinheiro, Inês; Dinis, Maria Alzira PimentaThe decision to stay or leave an abusive relationship is multifactorial and frequently involves a cyclic process involving several phases. This article presents a qualitative analysis regarding the reasons and barriers to stay or leave an abusive dating relationship, as well as the challenges that it implies. A semi-structured, in-depth interview was used to collect data from thirteen dating victims, aged 17–30 years and mainly female (n = 12). The emotional and affective dependence of the partner and the belief that behaviour may change emerge as the main reasons presented by the victims to remain in an abusive relationship. Shame, fear of losing the partner, and failure to recognize the abusive relationship were reported as the main barriers to leave the abusive relationship, thus making it difficult to seek help. Understanding reasons to stay in, or barriers to leave, an abusive relationship is fundamental to promoting help-seeking behaviours in victims of dating violence (DV), particularly in the case of young people, since it has serious implications in the developmental pathway of this age group.
- Cyber and offline dating abuse in a portuguese sample: prevalence and context of abusePublication . Caridade, Sónia; e Sousa, Hélder Fernando Pedrosa; Dinis, Maria Alzira PimentaThe increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and networking has promoted the occurrence of different forms of victimization, specifically in terms of interpersonal interaction (e.g., cyberbullying or online risk-taking behaviour), which also includes cyber dating abuse (CDA). Some studies report that CDA is an extension of offline dating abuse (ODA). Because Portuguese studies in this area are scarce, this study aims to bridge this knowledge gap, seeking to investigate the extent and the context of CDA occurrence, and the relationship between CDA and all forms of ODA, i.e., physical, verbal-emotional and control. A convenience sample of 173 Portuguese adolescents and young adults was studied. This sample is mostly female (86.7%), has a mean (M) age of 25.36 years old and a standard deviation (SD) of 6.88 years of age. The results show that CDA and ODA among the Portuguese are very prevalent and related. Control (31.8 vs. 20.8%) and verbal-emotional ODA (26.7 vs. 20.2%) as well as control CDA (38.2 vs. 43.4%) were the most prevalent forms of abuse, either in terms of victimization or in terms of perpetration. The results also showed that CDA usually appears in a context of jealousy, also explaining control CDA and CDA direct aggression. A significant relationship between control CDA and CDA direct aggression and physical, verbal-emotional and control ODA was found. Experiencing control and verbal-emotional ODA are the main risk factors of control CDA victimization. This study allows to lay the groundwork for further research on dating victimization and perpetration through ICT, and has important practical implications at the level of Portuguese prevention strategies and intervention policies, thus emphasizing the role of the official authorities and the law itself.
- Mental health, well-being and climate change: scope and challengesPublication . Fonte, Carla; Caridade, Sónia; Dinis, Maria Alzira PimentaClimate change (CC) manifests itself through extreme weather conditions and is gaining more and more attention from the scientific community and civil society, considering the social implications in various domains of daily life. Undeniable social, economic and environmental consequences have been disclosed worldwide, in addition to the significant psychosocial impacts that the resulting weather events pose to mental health and well-being of people. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), vicarious trauma, anxiety, substance abuse, depression, survivor guilt, recovery fatigue, and suicidal ideation, are some of the mental health problems linked with the occurrence of catastrophic weather events. Other threats involve financial and relationship stress and the consequent potentiation of the risks of violence, in particular gender-based violence (GBV) and aggression, disproportionately affecting those who are most marginalized. Paradoxically, and in response to CC, the research shows that these same circumstances may also inspire individuals to more positive and adaptive behaviours, such as altruism, optimism and compassion, promoting a life meaning and individual development, motivated by CC post-traumatic growth. Based on an expert-driven literature review, this chapter intends to assess and discuss the relevant literature describing how CC impacts on the mental health and well-being of individuals and societies, as well as the hazards associated with increasing problems of violence and aggression. Likewise, it also aims to analyse and discuss specific responses to the CC that can contribute to positive changes in learning, growth and behaviour throughout life. The promotion of pro-environmental behaviour through education is considered as an important strategy in this context.
- Report presenting the first results of LookCrim ProjectPublication . Nunes, Laura M.; Sani, Ana Isabel; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta; Gouveia, Feliz Ribeiro; Oliveira, Gisela; Guerreiro, Maria João; Freitas, Pedro; Estrada, Rui; Maia, Rui Leandro; Caridade, Sónia; Azevedo, Vanessa; Paulo, Daniela; dos Santos, Hugo; Ferreira, Inês; Gonçalves, Maria João
- Youth victims of community violence: developmental outcomes and prevention challengesPublication . Caridade, Sónia; Sani, Ana Isabel; Nunes, Laura M.; Dinis, Maria Alzira PimentaCommunity violence (CV) is recognized as a complex problem, with multiple origins and expressed in variable ways, encompassing different types of violence and crimes (e.g., assault, rape, robbery), as a result of circumstances that are related to the characteristics of the environment. Due to socialization and independence processes that are part of youth developmental pathways, young people tend to spend more time away from home and on the street, becoming more exposed to violence and thus also contributing to repeated victimization processes. Different studies have shown that distinct situations may promote numerous victimization processes, with a particular impact on the developmental outcomes of youth and causing great suffering. It has been reported that exposure to violence in the community is associated with mental health issues, i.e., post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, poor academic performance, aggressive and antisocial behaviours, alcohol and substance abuse, along with multiple adverse health risk behaviours, suicidal ideation, and also resulting in subsequent homelessness in adulthood. With this review chapter, it is intended to analyse and discuss the impact that CV exposure has on youth, accompanied with practical proposals to prevent it. The concept of CV and the different types of violence and crimes that could be involved are examined, mapping the prevalence of youth affected by this form of violence, analysing the effects of exposure to CV, and concluding with initiatives aimed to contribute to the prevention against this sort of violence, and to minimize the consequences and suffering involved.
- Violência no namoro e consumo de substâncias numa amostra de estudantes universitáriosPublication . Caridade, Sónia; Nunes, Laura M.; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta; Borges, InêsA violência íntima e o consumo de substâncias constituem duas problemáticas muito comuns em estudantes universitários, traduzindo uma importante questão de saúde pública. O presente estudo visa analisar e compreender a relação entre a violência no namoro e o consumo de substâncias em estudantes universitários. Participaram neste estudo um total de 376 jovens universitários (68.9% de sexo feminino), com uma média de idades de 21.93 (D.P.= 2.51), que admitiram estar ou já terem estado envolvidos/as numa relação amorosa. No conjunto dos/as participantes envolvidos/as em relações amorosas, 24.5% admitiu ter sofrido algum tipo de abuso íntimo e 19.4% revelou ter usado algum tipo de violência. Por sua vez, 34.8% admitiu já ter consumido algum tipo substância pelo menos uma vez na vida. Ainda que as análises de associação efetuadas entre a experienciação de violência no namoro e o consumo de substâncias não se tenham revelado estatisticamente significativas, foram apurados níveis de prevalência da violência e de consumos algo alarmantes, destacando-se o maior consumo de substâncias assumido pelas mulheres. Tais dados denunciam a necessidade de se continuar a apostar na prevenção do abuso íntimo e dos consumos junto dos/as jovens universitários/as, conhecidos que são os seus efeitos nefastos a diferentes níveis.
- Family, leisure and social environments influence in mental health: Brazilian oil industry: A influência da família, lazer e ambientes sociais na saúde mental: indústria do petróleo brasileiraPublication . Viterbo, Lilian Monteiro Ferrari; Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta; Costa, André Santana; Caridade, SóniaThe World Health Organization estimates that by 2020, mental disorders will account for about 15% of all diseases. Since mental health is conditioned by the family and social context, the present study aimed to analyse the influence of the family environment, leisure and social environments on workers' mental health.
- Segurança e vitimação entre estudantes universitários na cidade do PortoPublication . Nunes, Laura M.; Sani, Ana Isabel; Caridade, Sónia; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta; Sousa, Hélder FernandoApresenta-se um estudo exploratório com 307 estudantes de instituições de ensino superior do Porto. Os participantes de ambos os sexos, com idades entre os 18 e os 48 anos (M=23; DP=5.6) responderam a um questionário de diagnóstico local de segurança, a fim de captar as perceções sobre o crime e a vitimação na área, os sentimentos de segurança e as conceções sobre a atuação policial. Os resultados apontam para uma perceção geral de segurança, apesar dos roubos ou dos peditórios reportados. A experiência de vitimação (15%), nem sempre reportada às autoridades, traduziu-se numa perceção fragilizada quanto à atuação policial. O estudo permite concluir pela importância da formulação estratégica de planos de segurança baseada numa participação da comunidade