The purpose of the study is to confirm the reasons behind young Chinese women’s eating disturbances and self-esteem. The researcher uses the Tripartite Influence model to illustrate the relationship between internalization and pressures in the form of peer, family, and media pressure. It further reveals the relationship between internalization and self-esteem and eating disorders. Besides conforming with the mode of young Chinese females, it aims at finding out the reasons behind each relevant relationship. One point of the study is the different impact of media pressure on young Chinese females; the influence of media tends to be much lower in China and the reasons have been discussed in their entirety.

Contemporary researchers typically classify negative peer interactions as bullying or conflict. Theoretically, bullying involves exploiting a power imbalance to demobilize a peer(s), and conflict involves using power tactics to exert influence or resolve a dispute. This study attempted to explore the exercise of power between adolescent peers within psychological, social psychological and feminist psychological frameworks of power, and bullying and conflict constructions. Three hundred and fifty-two Melbourne students from Years 7 to 10 completed a �Young People�s School Relationships� survey. Students described their understandings of personal and interpersonal power, and rated their perceived power. The experimenter asked the students to differentiate three recent difficult incidents with peers according to perceived power disadvantage (less power), balance (same power) and advantage (more power). They described the difficulties, their responses and their perceptions of the power balance. Outcomes were rated on affect, relationship quality and overall evaluation. Power construction, gender, and year group differences on perceived personal power were examined. Scenario type (less, same, more power), gender, year group (7/8, 9/10), and relationship closeness (not friends, friends) differences on difficulties, responses and outcomes were evaluated. The power constructions formed three themes (�power-within�, �power-with�, �power-over�). Difficulties were subgrouped into three forms (two-way, one-way, other-way) and three types (physical, verbal, social). Responses were categorised into adapting, distancing, dominating and engaging. There was no support for Falbo and Peplau�s (1980) two-dimensional model for classifying types of interpersonal responses in power-differentiated situations. Power was constructed most frequently as �power-within�. Perceived power ratings formed a Global Power Score (GPS), with males reporting higher GPSs. Males and year group 7/8 reported more physical difficulties in the �same� power, and females and year group 7/8 more social difficulties in the �less� and �more� power scenarios. Students reported more adapting responses in the difficult interpersonal situations. Adapting and distancing responses were more frequent in the less power scenario, and dominating and engaging more frequent in the more and less power scenarios respectively. Affect and relationship status outcomes were rated more positively in same power scenario. Outcomes were more positive for difficulties with friends. Students rated their responses more positively when they used engaging strategies, but less positively when they used distancing or dominating. Power theories provided partial explanations for the findings and alternative frameworks to bullying and conflict for understanding negative peer interactions. This study extends on knowledge of adolescents� school-based relationships and proposes a power model for schools

<p>South Africa is overwhelmed by the increase of substance abuse among adolescents. Having consulted the literature, South Africa is not the only country faced with this problem. It raises concerns with regard to the social health of adolescents in this country. In order to develop effective intervention strategies to reduce the wide spread abuse of substances, it is important to first understand how adolescents perceive this problem. In this study the perceptions of boys will be explored with regard, to substance abuse among adolescents. A purposive sampling method was used to select the participants. The eleven participants were interviewed by means of a semi structured interview / an interview guide was applied to collect the relevant information. The goal of the study was to explore the perceptions of boys regarding substance abuse amongst adolescents. After data collection which was indicated by the saturation of the data, the recorded data was transcribed. Transcripts were analysed to determine the emerging themes from the collected data. The main findings of the study were interpreted and discussed according to the themes and sub themes, which were derived from the participants&rsquo / narratives. Based on the research findings, recommendations have been suggested for service providers with regard to substance abuse amongst adolescents.</p>

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Sociology

Students of a south central university provide data for this study investigating knowledge of self-injury (SI), experiences with those who self-injure, and perceptions of SI. This study proposes that college peers of those who self-injure have higher levels of SI knowledge than professionals who work with individuals who self-injure. In addition, the study proposes that individuals who have experience with others who self-injure have higher levels of SI knowledge than individuals who do not have experience with others who self-injure. An additional purpose of this study is to explore information regarding experiences people have with others who self-injure and their perceptions of self-injurious behavior. A convenience sample of 495 members solicited from psychology courses at a south central university completed the survey, which consisted of four sections including the following: demographics, knowledge of SI, experiences with SI, and perceptions of SI. The knowledge section of the survey contains a 20-item measure previously used by Jeffrey and Warm (2002). A knowledge score was created based on participants responses to these 20 items. This score was used in the analysis of both hypotheses one and two. Results indicate that participants have a poor understanding of SI, based on their mean knowledge score. In addition, results reveal that the current sample’s mean SI knowledge level is lower than seven of the seven groups' mean knowledge scores. Mean knowledge scores are significantly greater for individuals indicating experience with others who self-injure than individuals reporting no experience with others who self-injure as assessed through independent t tests. Descriptive information indicates that participants do not reject those who self-injure, but rather are supportive in peer relationships with others that engage in the behavior. However, participants indicate considerable confusion surrounding the behavior and are generally not accepting of the behavior, choosing to encourage cessation of the behavior. Limitations discussed include sample demographics, possibility for misinterpretation of survey items, and potential social desirability bias.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-98). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-98). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-77). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

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