The purpose of this study is to examine the process of sexual decision-making among undergraduate women. Two specific decisions are scrutinized: (a) whether the woman chooses to engage in premarital intercourse, and (b) if coitally active, whether to use contraceptives and how effectively Three major variables are examined as to their relative impact on the decision-making process: sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes, and affective orientation to sexual stimuli A survey was conducted among 344 undergraduate women utilizing a questionnaire and supplemented by eighteen follow-up interviews. It was hypothesized that coitally active women would be more sexually knowledgeable, have more permissive attitudes, and more positive affective orientations to sexuality. It was also proposed that women who are effective contraceptors would be more knowledgeable, more permissive in their attitudes, and have a more positive orientation to sexuality Multiple regression analysis reveals that all hypotheses with respect to coitally active vs. nonactive respondents are supported, but only a more positive affective orientation distinguishes effective from ineffective contraceptors / acase@tulane.edu

This study is based on two data sets: (1) descriptive information concerning 202 randomly selected children from sibling groups in Louisiana state custody on July 15, 1982; and (2) a survey of 108 state child welfare staff assigned to the children. A foster care data schedule and an attitudinal survey were developed for this study, which addresses five questions: the incidence of separation of siblings in foster care; the characteristics of the children and their placements that are associated with separation; the attitudes of foster care staff toward sibling relationships; their perceptions of barriers to placing siblings together; and, finally, background characteristics that are associated with specific attitudes or perceptions Of the children, 66.8% were placed with at least one sibling, and 38.1% shared placement with all siblings in care. Several characteristics of the children, their sibling groups, and their situations were found to be associated with placement with siblings The attitudes of staff, reflected by scores on four constructed scales, show high valuation of family and sibling ties. Their perceptions of agency placement practice indicate pessimism about siblings being placed together, despite the perception that the agency encourages joint placements for siblings. Associations are also reported between workers' background characteristics and particular attitudes and perceptions / acase@tulane.edu

Research that examines parental behaviors as the first response to an extreme traumatic stressor experienced by school-aged children residing in areas impacted by natural disasters is limited. Following a natural disaster in which the community infrastructure is damaged or destroyed and community service delivery is disrupted, parental response is the first protective response that may buffer the impact of trauma in school aged children. Research that focuses on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in school-aged children is critically important following the recent aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The purpose of this research pursuit was to provide a conceptual framework for the term sheltering; six parental practices that serve as the first protective response to school-aged children exposed to an extreme traumatic stressor. The term sheltering has not been used in previous research pursuits, and was chosen for usage due to its descriptive value. Sheltering is considered protective, because it may buffer the negative effects of psychological stress in school-aged children, and externalizing behaviors associated with Post Traumatic Disorder resulting from exposure to a traumatic stressor. Within this study, sheltering strictly accounts for parental behaviors as influencing factors in the reduction of PTSD symptoms in school-aged children. However, sheltering may serve as a pathway to resilience, because sheltering practices may lead to improved adjustment in school-aged children following exposure to a traumatic stressor. Sheltering may also have implications as a tool for parenting skills training, but does not account for a wide range of issues relevant to parent child interactions that are addressed over a predetermined period of time. Sheltering is comprised of the following six parental behaviors: daily parental monitoring or supervision, family rituals, open communication, active facilitation of extracurricular activities at school, joint leisure activities, and parental involvement with the child's school In this study, the relationships between sheltering and both, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder reaction scores and distress were examined in 42 school-aged children impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Results suggested that sheltering was not associated with PTSD reaction scores and distress in children. Resilience in the child population may have been a significant factor in the findings of this study / acase@tulane.edu

This descriptive study investigated the attitudes of 260 social workers in private practice in Louisiana toward erotic contact with clients by examining differences among social worker/psychotherapists on the following variables: sex, relationship status, previous psychotherapy, practice experience, sexual orientation, area of specialization, and theoretical orientation. A 40-item questionnaire requested information about social workers' attitudes and practices involving erotic contact with clients. Responses were received from 147 social workers (56.5%), 102 females and 45 males Findings indicated no differences between male and female respondents in either attitude or practices involving erotic contact with clients in therapy. All respondents were opposed to erotic contact with clients and none reported having had sexual contact with a client. It was concluded that none of the factors identified in previous research from the other mental health professions influenced the choices a social worker makes about sexual involvement with a client / acase@tulane.edu

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This study was undertaken to assess social workers' perceptions of the nature of social policy and its relevance in practice. Two dimensions of the term 'social policy' were considered. A comprehensiveness dimension referred to the referents of the term; a location dimension referred to where social policy decisions are determined. Assessments were also made of social workers' perceptions of their responsibility to attempt to influence social policy, and of social workers' perceptions of the influence of social policy in direct practice. Data was collected by questionnaire from a nationwide, random sample of professionally trained NASW members Two conceptions of social policy were found to prevail among social workers. The first, a comprehensive conception, consisted of two referents: social welfare agencies, and the social consequences of any policy. The second, a detached conception, included only the referent, the social consequences of any policy, and excluded the social welfare agency referent. Each conception was held by roughly half of the respondents. Social workers' conceptions of social policy were found to be unrelated to their views of the relevance of social policy in practice, suggesting a need for more deliberate knowledge development in the area of social policy for use in practice / acase@tulane.edu

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The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between husbands' and wives' perceptions of changing sex-role attitudes, division of household labor, decision-making, and to determine to what extent these perceptions varied as a function of sex, race, age, and socio-economic status. The study also examined the normative pressures for women to work for pay to determine the extent these pressures varied as a function of race The sample consisted of 922 married persons ranging in age from 20-77 and residing in the City of New Orleans. The sample comprised two major racial groups: Caucasian (49.3 percent) and Black (48.7 percent) The findings showed respondents' sex-role attitudes differed by race and age. Their perceptions of the division of household labor differed as a function of race and sex. However, respondents' perceptions of household decision-making differed as a function of sex and age Black females experienced greater normative pressures to work for pay than white ones / acase@tulane.edu

This study has presented the general problem and sub-problem under review, as well as, the basic questions that were posed and answered. In addition, contained in this study is an extensive review of the literature focusing upon theories of homicide, aggression, and violence The basic met / acase@tulane.edu

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