The Shaping Influence of Film and Television on the Spirituality and Identity of Children and Adolescents: an educational response—part 3

This is the third in a series of articles in this journal which considers the shaping influence of film and television on children's spirituality (Rossiter, 1996, 1997). All three are framed within a particular conceptual scheme (discussed in detail in part 1) which sets out to promote theorizing (on the part of teachers and others interested in the question) about a range of possible psychological mechanisms through which film and television can have a spiritual and moral influence. The scheme is theoretical and pedagogical in focus; it is not directly concerned with research on causal links between the watching of film and television and children's thinking and behaviour. This article begins by concluding the discussion in part 2 on the potential influence of feature films and television. Then follows an exploration of the possible spiritual influence of television advertising.     

The control of contextual extinction effects during a fear-incubation procedure

The role of contextual (apparatus) cues upon baseline control groups in a fear-incubation procedure was examined. Using a suppression-of-licking measure, it was determined that infrahuman demonstrations of fear incubation have not clearly demonstrated an enhanced fear response (fear incubation) following brief unreinforced CS exposures. Adequate control for background apparatus exposures for the baseline-control group indicated that a facilitation of extinction for the no-CS-exposure group may, in fact, account for group differences. Results were interpreted within the context of existing theoretical models of fear extinction and incubation.     

An assessment of parent involvement in local interagency teams

The results of team members' evaluations of Local Interagency Teams in Vermont are used to assess the participation of parents in one level of the system of care. Active participation in discussions and knowledge of their child's legal rights were consistently highly rated aspects of parent participation. The rating of parents' appearing to feel that they were equal members was consistently low. Attendance at meetings and knowledge of services available showed significant growth over time.     

School-based applications of the wraparound process: Early results on service provision and student outcomes

The application of a school-based wraparound approach presents different challenges, perspectives, and knowledge from those seen in mental health or child welfare settings. For the past three years, the La Grange Area Department of Special Education's Wraparound Project has been implementing a school-based individualized service network that is now being integrated into the larger local and state special education, mental health, and social service systems. We present school-based applications of wraparound for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, including the community and system context, program application, evaluation process and preliminary results. Students who were identified through self-contained special education classrooms were compared to students who were identified from various other school and mental health settings. Students from the school-based program were less clinically involved than students identified from other settings. Service provision differed between program groups and by out-of-home experiences. Finally, the use of wraparound approaches across a variety of educational settings to prevent out-of-school and out-of-home care are discussed.     

Disclosure of Genetic Research Results to Members of a Founder Population

There is currently extensive discussion and debate in the literature on how, when, and to whom genetic research results should be returned (see Genetics in Medicine, April 2012 issue). Here, we describe our experience in disclosing genetic information on Mendelian disorders discovered during the course of our research in the Hutterites. We first assessed attitudes toward the disclosure of carrier results, which revealed that many individuals wanted carrier information and that many intended to use the information in family planning. Based on this information, we developed a pilot study to test and disclose cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier status. Next, a larger scale project was developed in order to disclose genetic research results for 14 diseases to those interested in receiving the information. We developed brochures, offered a live interactive educational program, conducted a consent process, and disclosed results in letters mailed to the consented individuals. Overall, ~80 % of individuals who participated in the educational program signed consent forms for the release of their results for 14 diseases. We describe our experience with returning individual genetic research results to participants in a population-based research study.     

Promoting Healing and Restoring Trust: Policy Recommendations for Improving Behavioral Health Care for American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescents

American Indian/Alaska Native youth represent the strength and continued survival of many Nations and Tribes. However, they currently experience numerous health disparities and challenges, including the highest rate of suicide among 15–24 year-olds in the United States. Our comprehensive review of the literature on the mental health of AI/AN youth highlighted seven focal causes of behavioral health disparities: (1) high levels of violence and trauma exposure and traumatic loss, (2) past and current oppression, racism, and discrimination, (3) underfunded systems of care, (4) disregard for effective indigenous practices in service provision, policy, and funding, (5) overreliance on evidence-based practices, (6) lack of cultural competence among systems of care and providers, and (7) barriers to care. Seven policy recommendations that recognize the importance of moving beyond exclusive reliance on western models of care and that seek to foster transformation of individuals, families, communities, behavioral health service systems of care, and social structures are presented, supported, and discussed.