Adolescent violence has been an increasing concern in Thailand. There is evidence from the U.S.A and Europe that there are many contributing factors to adolescent violence. This study examined risk and protective factors associated with the family that influence violent behaviour in Thai adolescents and explored nursing strategies to prevent this. A mixed method study was undertaken using a survey with 400 adolescents, 12 semi-structured interviews with parents, and two focus groups with 5 teachers and 5 nurses in Northern Thailand. Inferential statistics (i.e. correlations, multiple regressions) were used on survey data to identify the association between family factors and violent behaviour and the prediction of adolescent violence. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to examine the data from adult interviews and focus groups identifying factors influencing violence and exploring nursing strategies to prevent adolescent violence. The results were that ineffective parental discipline, negative parental role models, inappropriate parental monitoring, and poor communication within the family were identified as risk factors. Moreover, violent peers, violence in the media, use of alcohol and drugs, positive beliefs about the use of violence, and lack of emotional control also contributed to adolescent violence. In contrast, factors preventing violence in adolescents were effective parental discipline, positive parental role models and monitoring, two-way communication and Buddhist beliefs. Also, pro-social peers, a supportive neighbourhood, and undertaking effective coping prevented adolescents ' from using violence. Nursing strategies which could prevent violence in adolescents included family assessment, health education, facilitating the development of healthy families, and coordinating community action. These need to be developed by providing nurses with specific skills training. The main results of the study demonstrate that factors, such as parental role models, and peer influences were similar to current evidence, however, factors such as Buddhist beliefs and "saving face" were unique to this study of Thai adolescents.

If Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realisation, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality" is taken as a fundamental right for each individual to develop a healthy psychological state, then protecting the mental health of individuals everywhere is a priority. This priority becomes more critical during conflict, where psychological well-being is threatened by several traumatic experiences. This thesis investigated thepost-traumatic-growth of Lebanese after the war in 2006 and its relation to resiliency, personality and emotional intelligence as well as internalising and externalising behaviour in a sample of 549 Lebanese Adolescents from four main regions in Lebanon (Beirut, South, BekaaValley and the North of Lebanon). Strong correlations were found between the different types of war experiences and resiliency, personality factors and Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Bereavement, combat and displacement were found to negatively correlate with resiliency subscales, whereas witnessing violence was found to positively correlate with resiliency subscales. Furthermore, shelling was found to positively correlate with conscientiousness, while deprivation was found to negatively correlate with neuroticism. Finally witnessing violence and involvement in hostilities were found to correlate negatively with PTSD. Resiliency was also found to mediate between war traumas and internalising behaviours in a sample of Lebanese adolescents from the South of Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. More specifically, emotional reactivity was found to mediate the relation between shelling and internalising behaviour in a sample of Lebanese adolescents from the South of Lebanon, whereas Sense of Relatedness was found to mediate the relation between involvement in hostilities and internalising behaviours in a sample of Lebanese adolescents from the Bekaa Valley.

The following body of work consists of 4 studies examining the impact of community and political violence on children in Northern Ireland and Israel. The first study is an examination of mother's reports of their children's experiences and examines a number of factors including social identity, emotional security as well as emotional and behavioural adjustment. The first phase of the study involved conducting four focus groups in Belfast to guide the construction of two measures of sectarian and non sectarian anti social behaviour in Northern Ireland. The second phase then involved the administration of the questionnaire battery to mothers living in Londonderry with at least one child under the age of 17 years old. The second study was an investigation into children's experiences of political and community violence carried out with a sample of school children aged 15-18 years old living in Belfast and Londonderry. The study examined the impact of exposure on outcomes such as emotional and behavioural adjustment and depressive symptomology. This was a quantitative study of children's self reports. The third study was a replication of the Northern Irish school study with Israeli children. All measures were translated into Hebrew in order to allow a cross cultural comparison of two countries experiencing varying levels of political conflict. Finally, an investigation of the psychometric properties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Good man, 1996). Both the Northern Irish sample and the Israeli sample responses were examined and a comparison made of the different factor structures obtained through factor analysis.

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Mental Violence in present study is similar to a western concept, bullying. But is has its characteristics, forms and causes in Chinese workplace. It is a form of indirect interpersonal aggression and identified through the perceptions of its receivers. It does not involving touching receivers physically but is psychologically damaging. It exists between individuals of equal status, such as colleagues. Moreover, it is a two-way phenomenon, which could be reversible. Mental Violence may be the result of a conflict of values. It is particularly evident among the Chinese New Educated Youth. Chinese New Educated Youth is that cohort of young people who were partly Confucian and Collectivistic for emphasizing harmony but also partly Individualistic and Westernized for pursuing personal goals. For this cohort, the above two orientations were incompatible and dissonant leading to stress. Furthermore, they had a competitive lifestyle which was no longer supported by the welfare of a planned economy this exacerbates their stress. To relieve stress, Mental Violence was employed in their daily contacts, e.g. in workplaces. The evidence in support of this account was discussed and evaluated. There is no excuse for any violence. However, we have to say sometimes a kind of violence is not always too noxious for someone, such as the sender of violence. To some limited extent, violence could be considered as positive and it at least helped people to relieve stress and recover a balance from unbalanced situation. Mental Violence is such violence. It is a result of negotiation and a side effect of stress as well. Nevertheless, most of things are double-edged swords. Mental Violence is no exception. For the sender, it might be a buffer and makes him or her relaxed; for the receiver, it is absolutely negative, discomfort and even aggressive. For helping readers to clearly understand such violence, and for advising others to raise their awareness of the violence, this study would explore its causes and characteristics. From ancient traditional society to the present modern one, Confucianism and Collectivism afterwards represent a kind of gentle culture which deeply influences traditional Chinese. Chinese traditional philosophy, such as Confucianism and Taoism, stresses the significance of the harmony relationship for the growing, maturing and success of the Chinese. Chinese New Educated Youth who were disciplined for such a culture in thoughts and behaviours while growing up. Therefore, to keep harmony and to avoid conflict becomes a key characteristic for Chinese interactions in a collective society. However, the opening policy to the West world exposed China to the influence of Individualism which is absolutely unlike Confucian or Collectivism. Confucianism s influence has been challenged by Westernized values because of globalization. The difference between two values made Chinese New Educated Youth confused in their thoughts and appropriate behaviours in interpersonal relationships. To recover a balance, they need to relieve such a stress from the confusion and other stressors as well. While using the two value systems in interaction with others, Mental Violence usually happened. Therefore, the conflict of two different values in dealing with social relationship became one cause for Mental Violence. In present research, I tried to reveal Mental Violence, a particular kind of daily conflict in interactions among modern Chinese. For pursuing why Chinese New Educated Youth was special and experienced Mental Violence often, they were compared with other generations in China. Therefore, this research invited participants from three generations (Chinese New Educated Youth, the older generation who were born before 1970s, and the younger generation who were born in 1980s) and from different cities in China. Participants occupations covered different professions, and all of them worked in three sizes of offices (small, big and single). Both of qualitative and quantitative data collecting methods were used in the study. They contained semi-structural interviewing and filling up the questionnaire. And main methods of data analysis are factor analysis, correlation and Thematic Analysis. The result indicated that Mental Violence of Chinese educated youth occurred in workplace was the most often, but was largely unseen by people outside of the group. Because I had to establish why this cohort would be inclined to apply more Mental Violence in daily life, I compared them with their previous generation and the later generation through measuring demographics, westernised, individualism and collectivism. Three generations are different in the Individualism-Collectivism tendency. Chinese New Educated Youth were always in the middle. They were seemed as partly Collectivistic and partly Individualistic. Linked with categories of Mental Violence Chinese New Educated Youth usually experienced, it seems they applied double standards to deal with social interactions. Due to such standards made them failed in establishing good relationships with colleagues, in other words, whatever Chinese New Educated Youth or their colleagues did not feel happy in their social interactions, it means Chinese New Educated Youth have conflict in Individualism-Collectivism tendency. Otherwise, through the investigation, I noticed significant demographical difference other than the generation in experiencing Mental Violence. Male participants reported experiencing Mental Violence more than female ones. The higher education the participant got, the more he or she experienced Mental Violence. Comparing with other occupations, intellectual respondents reported sending Mental Violence the most. Participants who worked as staffs experienced Mental Violence more than people who worked as administrators in the workplace. And people who were singles experienced Mental Violence the most in workplace. Because conflict of relationship seems a sensitive topic for Chinese, I started interviews from talking about overviews of participants workplaces with them. Therefore, the result also shows characteristics of structure and social relationship of Chinese modern offices. China had lot of small size offices in which 2 to 10 staffs worked. Small offices organised small relative closed groups. In such a group, staffs had long time for face to face interaction everyday. Such offices were much more than single offices where only one person worked in and big offices where more than ten persons in. Both of the above characteristics of workplace are not beneficial for physical aggressions as previous study proved but could considered as a structural factor for Mental Violence. Actually, the Mental Violence which reported occurring in small offices is the most often, especially among Chinese New Educated Youth. Hope this research could be a model for further more thorough relevant study. All of the above would be a step towards further study on Mental Violence and Chinese New Educated Youth.

The thesis titled “The theory of thwarted belongingness and its relation to youth violence” presents the findings of a qualitative study that focussed on late adolescents who have committed physical assault and who were referred to a diversion programme by a court. The study followed a grounded theory methodology approach for which convenience sampling, purposeful sampling and theoretical sampling were used to obtain participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data were analysed through constant comparative analysis. From the analysis the theory on thwarted belongingness emerged that explains how the adolescents attempt to negotiate a sense of belonging. The theory further explains how failed negotiations are dealt with and when one could expect violent behaviour to occur. In general, the current research study creates awareness of the psychological non-shared environment and its potential role in the development of behaviour. Future research should be focussed on the saturation of categories and dimensions that have not been fully saturated in the current study and to test the theory of thwarted belongingness since it is a newly generated theoretical stance that needs to be validated. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)