The Towers of Silence: creative and destructive issues for therapeutic teams dealing with sexual abuse

Intra-familial sexual abuse of children is a peculiarly potent area for subsequent inter-agency responses and interventions to become inappropriate, irrational, and damaging. A major component of the damaging responses by the inter-agency system is the mirroring processes which occur between that system and the family.
A case example is presented in some detail to illustrate the ways in which such mirroring processes also effect therapeutic teams dealing with such families. Some therapeutic techniques from an experiential base are described. It is argued that productive therapeutic work can only occur if the mirroring processes within the inter-agency system, and the therapeutic team system, are considered systemically.     

Applications of the theory of meaningfulness to psychology

The theory of meaningfulness of statements using numerical scales is summarized. Applications of this theory are surveyed. These deal with average performance, importance ratings, statistical tests, indices of consumer confidence, psychophysical scaling, block modeling of social structure, structural modeling in decision making, and the analysis of order and matching experiments.     

Memory deficit caused by compressed air equivalent to 36 meters of seawater

Twenty-four students from a diving school undertook a hyperbaric chamber dive to a pressure equal to 36 m of seawater. Tests of cognitive function and manual dexterity, performed in the chamber during the 35-min bottom time and before, or after, the dive included immediate and delayed free recall of words presented as 7 lists of 15 each, recognition of previously presented words, number identification, and a forceps pickup of ball bearings. Delayed free recall and immediate free recall (primacy region) were significantly impaired, whereas manual dexterity and recognition memory were not. These are in keeping with previously reported findings but indicate that significant impairment of memory may occur in experienced divers at operational depths for air diving. Lack of effect on recognition memory suggests that cueing strategies might be useful for debriefing divers.     

Improving instruction for adults with developmental disabilities: Evaluation of a staff training package

Improvements in adaptive behavior among adults with developmental disabilities often depends on the quality of instruction delivered by direct-care staff. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a multifaceted package for improving the quality of instructional interactions among three staff/adult dyads. Instructional interactions were first analyzed to identify areas for improvement. A multifaceted intervention package consisting of inservice training, participative management, and on-going feedback was then implemented in a multiple-baseline design across dyads. The package trained staff to increase their use of time delay and reinforcement strategies and these changes were associated with greater independence in a sandwich making task among two of the three participating adults. The results suggest direct observation of existing instructional interactions may provide valuable information when training staff to implement effective habilitative programs for adults with developmental disabilities.     

Reaping the benefits of research: Technology transfer

This paper presents the results of a technology transfer project designed to transfer knowledge about model behavioral intervention projects that significantly decreased HIV-related risk behaviors. The National AIDS Demonstration Research Program Technology Transfer (NADR TT) Project encompassed: (1) preparation of manuals based on successful intervention research; (2) convening of 7 Regional meetings on Behavior Change Strategies for Injection Drug Users (IDUs); and (3) conduct of twenty-three state implementation training events. An evaluation of the NADR TT project showed that it was successful in its efforts to transfer knowledge regarding model intervention programs. Participants expressed an increased level of confidence in their ability to implement the model and individual model elements were perceived to be useful to—and implemented by—participants. Results also pointed out that significant barriers to implementation of model elements of the behavioral interventions exist.     

VTLOGANL: Coding and analyzing videotaped data

Researchers using videotape as a primary means of data collection need flexible yet easy-to-use procedures and equipment for the time-consuming task of coding and analysis. The VTLOGANL program (for VideoTape LOGging ANaLysis) slaves a video deck to the computer system, allowing the researcher to code, in real time, video-recorded events of either a pulsed or duration nature. VTLOGANL’s innovative database design frees the researcher to define up to 9,999 different codewords for each project, organizing any combination of up to 30 of those codewords for each elapsed second of logging time. Reporting features, including data export and import, allow the researcher to examine quickly questions of codeword frequency, event duration, sequencing, and overlap, according to the requirements of the research design.     

A family‐therapy approach to child abuse: countering resistance

Abusing and high-risk families have been seen over three years at a new treatment resource with a family therapy orientation. The families present with established resistance to any treatment intervention and many have defeated a succession of previous helping agencies. Initial typology and treatment strategies are described with the aim of more systematic selection of therapeutic techniques.