In 2007 South Carolina funded 15 regional coordinators to work with local law enforcement agencies and alcohol and drug commissions to create 16 community alcohol enforcement teams to improve enforcement of underage drinking laws. Previous researchers have suggested that collaborative leadership is needed for effective teams, yet little is known about the factors that serve as barriers to and facilitators of, collaborative leadership in alcohol enforcement teams. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of coordinators involved in leading the alcohol enforcement teams in South Carolina. The theoretical framework used was Cameron, Quinn, DeGraff, and Thankor's conceptualization of the competing values framework. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 12 alcohol team coordinators. These data were inductively coded and then subjected to a modified Van Manen and Vagle analysis. Key findings indicate strong support for the idea that existence of positive community relationships and supportive champions from community partners were crucial to building and maintaining successful teams. These findings were consistent with the theoretical framework. Recommendations include implementing leadership and collaboration training for the coordinators and team members. These findings have implications for positive social change by increasing awareness among policy makers about collaborative leadership factors, which in turn could lead to policies that generate more effectual teams, improve enforcement of underage drinking laws, and consequently, result in safer communities.

Underage drinking has featured prominently in both scholarly and conventional literature in recent decades as a major health and socio-economic concern in the United States. As new evidence emerges associating underage drinking with a host of negative outcomes for both the youth who drinks and society in general, a closer examination of the long-term effects of underage drinking is critical. This exploratory study was designed to examine predictor variables and their ramifications (1) using logistic regression to identify a model for underage drinking history (UDHISTORY) as a predictor of concomitant alcohol dependence and poor educational attainment (CADAPEA) among individuals aged 25 and above, and (2) obtain a better understanding of how demographic variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity) influence the prediction. The nature and strength of the effect(s) of these demographic variables on the prediction were also investigated. The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data set ICPSR 32722-0001 which is previously unexploited for this purpose is utilized in this study. The data analysis tool, SDA on SAMHSA's website and IBM SPSS were used for correlation analysis and logistic regression to test the hypothesis that currently legal age drinkers 25 years and older with UDHISTORY are more likely to experience CADAPEA than their counterparts without UDHISTORY. When considered alone, UDHISTORY was a strong and statistically significant predictor of CADAPEA. The identified bivariate logistic regression model was statistically significant, &chi2 (1, n = 60) = 13.39, Adjusted Wald F1, 60 = 13.39, p = 0.001 < .05, accounting for 1.26% (Cox and Snell R square), 1.3% (Log Likelihood Pseudo R square), to 7.9% (Nagelkerke R square) of the variance in CADAPEA. However, adding demographic variables to the model made UDHISTORY a much stronger and more statistically significant predictor. The identified final multivariable logistic regression model was statistically significant, &chi2 (6, n = 55) = 170.43, Adjusted Wald F6, 55 = 26.04, p = 0.00 < .001, accounting for 1.8% (Cox and Snell R square), 7.2% (Log Likelihood Pseudo R square) to 7.9% (Nagelkerke R square) of the variance in CADAPEA. The model also correctly classified 99.1% of cases.

The underage marriage of girls (UMG) practice by some parents continues to occur in Bo Town, Sierra Leone, and it is a problem. Regardless of the negative consequences, parents continue to marry off their young girls who become wives of rebels and participate in the civil war. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of adult women between 18 and 24 who experienced child marriage, parents who married off their young girls, and community leaders to understand why the UMG persisted in Bo Town. The theoretical frameworks used in this study were the social cognitive theory and self-efficacy behavioral theory. Data were collected through semi structured interviews. Participants in this study consisted of 5 community leaders, 5 adult women between 18 and 24 who experienced UMG before 18 years old, and 5 parents who married off their underage girls in the Bo Town district. Interview transcripts were analyzed, coded, and 16 themes emerged. Some of the themes included poverty, lack of awareness, education, enforcement, monitoring, leadership, child marriage, domestic violence, accountability, responsibility, dowry payment, and female genital mutilation. The findings may influence social change by using practices such as educating, monitoring, enforcing the banning of the UMG policy relentlessly. Furthermore, implementation of mentorship programs, counseling, leadership, and awareness training to young girls and parents could reduce the UMG practice in Bo Town. Consequently, if young girls are educated and allowed access to resources, they could become empowered and productive members of society as a whole, and the UMG problem may diminish in the Bo community.

Since the inception of the Higher Education Reauthorization Act of 1998 by the United States Congress, there has been limited research conducted on parental notification policies on campuses of Higher Education concerning alcohol and drug offenses committed by students. This study surveyed parents of incoming freshmen at the University of North Texas regarding their perceptions of Parental Notification policies and their perceptions of underage alcohol offenses by gender, age, ethnicity, and parental status. The relationship between parental notification and underage alcohol offenses was also examined. This study, conducted in the summer of 2002, at the University of North Texas had 539 respondents. An instrument developed to determine parental perceptions of underage alcohol use and parental notification consisted of 20 dichotomous questions. Chi-square tests of independence were used to analyze the data because it could calculate the relationships between two sets of nominal data. Data show that most parents want to be notified in all situations involving underage alcohol offenses and their offspring. Generally, parents do not believe their offspring will use alcohol underage as they enter college and that they are not binge drinkers. Females want to be notified about their student's underage alcohol offenses at a higher rate than males. Males want to be notified at a higher rate than females if using alcohol jeopardizes housing or enrollment in school for their student. Native Americans have great concern for their students in all areas of alcohol use and binge drinking. Parents should stay actively involved in the lives of their offspring as they attend institutions of higher education as well as stay involved with the University community in which their student attends.

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The strategic prevention framework (SPF) is a data-driven operating system to assist designing evidence-based substance abuse prevention programs. The study performed here was to assess the effectiveness of the SPF as a prevention planning system. One purpose of this study was to determine the implementation fidelity of the programs that used the SPF process; the other purpose was to assess effectiveness of the SPF process. This study utilized a set of data collected by the national cross site evaluation team on all jurisdictions that implemented the SPF. A subset of communities collected and reported at least 2 pre-implementation and at least 2 post implementation outcomes data. The minimum sample size for the study was determined by using Cohen's d criteria. The assessments were performed using both qualitative and quantitative methods by using data collected from multiple levels with a quasi-experimental design. The qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative software with key word searches to examine implementation processes, and the quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential methods such as Student t tests to examine and compare outcomes. Results show that the communities in the study implemented the SPF process with fidelity and that there were changes in desired directions. Factors related to improvements include sufficient internal resources and monitoring follow-through. This research has important implications for social change since substance abuse is a major social issue that has consequences across life span. Recent studies have shown that many behavioral problems have similar risk factors and that improvements for some behavioral problems will most likely have beneficial effects on other related problems.

This essay is a qualitative study of the Swedish joint-stock company Svenska Spel AB’s television commercial from 2008. The commercial is called “Spela lagom - When I grow up”, and is meant to serve as an informational commercial about being underaged in situations regarding gambling. Using semiotics and rhetoric’s, we are analyzing how elements seen in the commerical affects the rhetorical situation the clip is bound to; how the marketing is done to enhance Svenska Spel’s brand; and what strategies are used to make sure the public service announcements regarding persons involved with underage gambling gets acceptance. The results show that arguments using pathos and ethos are used widely in this commercial, to enhance the feeling of responsibility from Svenska Spel. Another conclusion drawn is that the context, together with visual language known to the underaged, makes this commercial fit that target group. The company integrates with the theory of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and by this commercial they show the viewer’s their ideology about the importance of responsibility.

This diploma thesis deals with the ethics of marketing research conducted with underage respondents. Child security is a very hot topic these days; therefore the field of market research should use only methods tolerated by parents. Global as well as local market research associations regularly publish codes of conduct and guidelines dealing with the ethics in market research. However, they define only basic rules and regulations and do not reflect the specificity of each method and technique. The goal of this diploma thesis is to identify methods used in market research that are not perceived as ethical by parents. Results should motivate research agencies to eliminate using such methods or at least modify them to decrease the level of controversy among general public. In order to identify unethically perceived market research methods, the author of the thesis conducted a quantitative research among the needed target group: parents of school kids. The survey found 5 methods that are considered ethical and thus do not pose any significant threat to the industry of market research: taste test, observation, product test, eye-tracking and communication test. Two methods were labeled as unethical by the respondents: field experiment and online discussion groups. Those methods can be used without any major changes provided that agencies communicate openly with parents all details regarding the research. They have to make sure that parents understand the methodology and are sure to let their children participate in such a project. Finally, three methods were recognized as highly unethical or even illegal: neuromarketing, netnography and geolocation (geomarketing). These methods carry a high probability of damaging the positive image of market research industry among general public. Less than one quarter of respondents consider these methods as suitable for use with kids and at the same time more than 25 % of parents think that those methods are illegal. In case of neuromarketing, it is recommended to firstly explain the used methodology in detail and, if possible, demonstrate its 100 % safety in presence of a doctor. Netnography was evaluated as highly unethical. On the other hand, it is a type of observation; therefore, its use in reality is unlikely to be registered by public. As a result, there does not have to be any severe steps taken to regulate this method. Geolocation scored as the most unethical market research method in the survey. This method is therefore not recommended for use as it carries an enormous risk of damaging the whole market research industry.

This study analyses the fact that young adults under the age of 21 were sent to mental institutions in the early 20th century. To further examine this statement, three main questions provide insights about life inside of the mental hospital in Växjö, Sweden. What factors did overall result in psychiatric care for young adults in the early 20thcentury? By using microhistory as a historical method, what aspects can indicate patient's subordinate role at the hospital? How can the psychiatric institutions be viewed from a disciplinary standpoint while focusing on the power they possess over underage individuals? The chosen institution is called Sankt Sigfrid's hospital (alsoWexio hospital) and provides valuable records and journals between the years of 1907and 1921, on which the study is based on. The results show that a total of 38 patients were admitted to the hospital under this period. Generally, there were 5 different illnesses that resulted in psychiatric care and dementia primaria was the most common one. The ages ranged between 11 and 20, with 20 as the most common age when arriving at the hospital. According to the results, most patients came from a background of farming and landowning. Poor relief was the most common factor for young adults being admitted to the hospital, whereas the second most common factor was the father overseeing the decision. Furthermore, 4 patients were part of a microhistorical study which primarily concluded that they were being subjected to constraint by the hospital. Since the material is examined from a disciplinary standpoint where the hospital is viewed in a position of power, the result is an example of psychiatric expansion through the country. This maintains the belief that psychiatric care developed through different phases of the 19th and 20th century and thus were in constant reform, whereas this study is merely an example of this process of developing.

This thesis is examines women who in the 70s or 80s become underage mothers. It tries to map out how these women perceive their life. It also investigates how negative assumptions about underage mothers agree or disagree with the specimen. First there is processed topic of underage mothers and their various aspects. It introduces the views of domestic and foreign authors on these girls. These views predicts a bleak and unsuccessful life to those girls. Another part presents era of socialism, which surveyed women grew up and became pregnant in. Next part describes the research methodology. For this thesis the qualitative research was chosen, specifically biographical interviews. The last part of the analysis is devoted to the research and specific findings. It introduces the topics that women talked about and which are very important to them. Research shows that the former young mothers perceive and evaluate their lives mostly positively. When comparing expert views on teenage mothers with the lives of these women, it is clear that the gloomy predictions of the authors didn't come true and women don't live in poverty and sadness. Conversely they happily spend time with their children and partners.