Childhood Maltreatment Increases the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence via PTSD and Anger Personality Traits in Individuals Consulting for Sexual Problems

Childhood maltreatment is a significant risk factor for the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood. This study tested, in a clinical sample, a conceptual model suggesting that childhood maltreatment contributes to the development of anger personality traits, directly and indirectly via posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that anger personality traits, in turn, are associated with IPV. Adults consulting for sex therapy (n = 114) completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, PTSD, anger, and IPV. Participants were exposed to high rates of childhood maltreatment (83%). Path analysis supported the hypothesized model: Exposure to child maltreatment was associated with anger personality traits, and this association was partially mediated by PTSD symptoms. Anger personality traits were highly correlated with IPV.     

The link between school climate and violence in school: A meta-analytic review

There has been significant interest in whether and how school climate and violent behavior are meaningfully related. The present meta-analysis reviewed studies reporting a relationship between school climate and school violence in order to summarize the total effect and the direction of these research findings. Database consultation and literature hand searching yielded 145 articles which were reviewed by two experts. Studies were included if they reported a statistical effect size of the relationship between school climate and school violence. Exclusion criteria were unclear operationalization of the principal variables, research findings from multiple publications, studies using multi-level analysis and qualitative studies. The meta-analysis included 36 independent studies (N = 113,778) with correlations ranging from ? .02 to ? .53. Using a random-effects model a moderate mean effect size of r = ? .26, CI [? 30, ? 21] was found. Statistical findings indicated significant heterogeneity and a large range of variance between studies. Meta-regressions analyzed different potential moderators as relevant factors of heterogeneity, but none of these factors could be identified as a moderator. Due to the large variance between the studies, it remains difficult to draw final conclusions. Nevertheless, the moderate effect size underlines the role of environmental aspects for school violence intervention.     

The Relative Importance of Personality,Financial Satisfaction,and Autonomy for Different Subjective Well-Being Facets

Abstract

Using a nationally representative sample (N?=?507) from Singapore, this study examined whether personality, financial satisfaction, and autonomy were important to subjective well-being (SWB), and how the importance of these predictors varied across different SWB facets—life satisfaction, happiness, positive feelings, and negative feelings. The findings indicated that neuroticism, financial satisfaction, and autonomy, were important predictors of happiness. Personality was most important for affective well-being (i.e., positive and negative feelings), whereas financial satisfaction was most important for life satisfaction. Specifically, neuroticism accounted for substantial variance in positive and negative feelings, and was the strongest correlate among the Big Five traits. In contrast, financial satisfaction explained most of the variance in life satisfaction. This highlights that the importance of well-being predictors depended on the facet of well-being examined. The findings suggest that residents in an affluent nation like Singapore do not emphasize only postmaterialist values (e.g., autonomy) and disregard materialist concerns (e.g., financial satisfaction). Though certain SWB facets (positive and negative affect) are largely influenced by dispositional factors, other facets (life satisfaction and happiness) are closely related to factors (e.g., financial satisfaction, autonomy) that may be affected by social policies. Policymakers can thus target those aspects to enhance people’s SWB.     

What is the ethical in fear and trembling?

James Bogen misinterprets what Kierkegaard (or more accurately, Johannes de Silentio) meant by the ethical in Fear and Trembling (see Inquiry, 5 [1962], pp. 305–17). Kierkegaard did not intend to depict morality as a system of duties where moral duties derive from the particular position(s) one holds in society. Kierkegaard thought that moral duties were based on universal principles that were divine commands. Although Kierkegaard thought that it was necessary for an action to be moral that it be done in accord with such universal principles, he did not think that this was sufficient. In order to be a moral action, the action must be done not only in accord with certain universal principles but in a certain way. Kierkegaard notes the appropriate way by saying the agent must reveal himself in his action. Thus revelation by the agent and acting in accordance with certain principles are jointly sufficient and singly necessary conditions for an action to be moral.     

The rrst week of the world

Abstract

Francois Roustang's Dire Mastery: Discipleship From Freud to Lacan

Aldo Carotenuto's A Secret Symmetry: Sabina Spielrein Between Jung and Freud

Joseph B. Wheelwright's Saint George and the Dandelion: 40 Years of Practice as o Jungion Analyst

Barbara Hannah's Encounters with the Soul: Active Imagination

Mary Ann Mattoon's Jungian Psychology in Perspective

Walter Kaufmonn's Discovering the Mind, 3 Vols     

Truth and the ‘Politics of Ourselves’

The authors take up Amy Allen's suggestion that while Foucault's work may be able to support a certain type of self‐critique and self‐development, it does not permit the kind of interpersonal relations that are necessary for the development of intersubjective meaning in struggles against imposed identities. The authors contend that for Foucault, relations of ‘truth’ play an important constitutive role in subjectivities, and that understanding the ‘politics of ourselves’ in the context of this truth shows not only an openness to meaningful interpersonal relations, but also that these relations are capable of generating the conceptual and normative resources necessary for resisting socially imposed subjectivities. The authors present such an account of intersubjective relations based on Foucault's discussion of parrhesia, and develop a model of collaborative political action that addresses the criticisms raised.     

Investigating the Efficacy of CoMeT,a New Mediation Model for High-Conflict Separating Parents

Although mediation has been effective for a large number of separating couples, it does not share the same effectiveness for highly conflicted couples, estimated to represent approximately twenty per cent of all separating couples. Twenty-three highly conflicted separating couples were recruited to investigate the impact of a new model that combines mediation with therapy (CoMeT). Comparing pre- and post-intervention scores, significant improvements were found in parent well-being and reductions in parent conflict, acrimony, and attachment. No gender differences were found. Results support this new, gender-neutral CoMeT model which significantly enhances the mediation process for high-conflict separating parents.     

Consistency in individual and family theoretical orientation from assessment to therapy: Its impact on the effectiveness of therapy

Abstract

The effect of consistency in theoretical orientation, whether individual or family, from assessment to therapy on the effectiveness of psychotherapy was examined in archival data. All identified patients (N=131) were ages 5-18 and comprised four groups according to the orientation of their assessment and therapy: the individual-individual (n=49) and family-family (n=49) groups and the individual-family (n=21) and family-individual (n=12) groups. Theoretical consistency was positively associated with therapy duration and participation, as well as with outcome. This association was attributable to the significant relation between family assessment prior to family therapy and the dependent variables of continuation in therapy, percent of sessions attended, nature of termination, and percent of missed sessions. Results support the theoretical position of family therapists that family assessment is the assessment method of choice.