Harm reduction and decision making among recreational ecstasy users

Recent research indicates that 3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also known as ‘ecstasy’, is becoming increasingly popular as an illicit drug among young people. This study investigated risk and harm reduction practices among recreational ecstasy users. A semi-structured interview with 40 participants was designed to investigate how ecstasy users identify and manage the harms associated with their drug use, and the underlying decision-making process. Overall, the participants identified both positive and negative effects. The reported positive effects predominantly centred around enhanced psychological, physiological and social experiences. However, there were a number of factors that contributed to regulating ecstasy use. These included specific in-group and out-group practices executed within the peer group, preventative harm-reducing practices, shared decision making, and shared responsibility for harm prevention. Recommendations for promoting harm reduction strategies and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Individual, family, school, and community risk and protective factors for depressive symptoms in adolescents : a comparison of risk profiles for substance use and depressive symptoms

This study examines the relationship between adolescent depressive symptoms and risk and protective factors identified for substance use. A questionnaire, developed to measure these factors in a young persons community, family, school, peer group, and individual characteristics for substance use, was used to assess associations with self-reported depressive symptoms. Data were provided by a representative sample of 8984 secondary school students in Victoria, Australia. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 10.5% (95% CI 9.2,12.0) for males and 21.7% (95% CI 20.3,23.7) for females. Depressive symptoms were associated with factors in all domains, with the strongest associations in the family domain. Strong relationships were found between the number of elevated risk and protective factors and depressive symptoms, maintained after adjusting for substance use. Patterns of associations were similar for users and nonsubstance users. The findings indicate that prevention programs targeting factors for substance use have the potential to impact on depression.

Little big boys: a study of peers, power and pedagogy

In this paper we will argue that the dominant discourse on young males 'at risk' focuses too narrowly on the adolescent and young adult years. There is a tendency to individualise, both practically and theoretically, behaviours that are thought to substantiate the application of this category. Against this backdrop, we report on a study undertaken with a group of 6-8 year old boys in a primary school setting. The research was compiled around the interactions of an 'affinity group' of five young males across a six-month period. Prominent in our discussion of this data will be, the contextual nature of behaviour and identity, the influential role of the peer group, and the desire to 'other' in defining the self. We conclude by considering some of the implications this work has for the way mainstream schooling is structured and practiced.

Academic staff take the lead : experimenting with social software at Deakin University

This paper reports on a two staged staff development exercise to help new academic staff to integrate Web 2.0 technologies including web-based communication and some digital technologies into their curricula. It involved professional development for the teaching staff in the first stage followed by these teachers providing professional development for the course participants. The teachers engaged in a blended community of inquiry with face-to-face sessions and online work while the professional development for the course participants included technical support, training and a peer group environment with formal allocation of time for the course, finally leading to an institutionally recognised qualification. Evaluations conducted through focus group interviews revealed that collegial networks and time were important for effective professional development. The paper reflects on the successes and limitations of the model and its potential for further development. It also highlights the importance of providing professional development in a safe environment for academics to adopt technologies for teaching and learning.

Marketing cultural attractions : understanding non-attendance and visitation barriers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw together the previous academic and industry research on non-attendance of cultural attractions, followed by qualitative in-depth interviews to identify commonalities or gaps in the previous research on barriers, constraints and inhibitors, as well as to propose linkages between these.

Design/methodology/approach – A multi-method approach is used – where barriers, constraints and inhibitors are identified by means of thematic content analysis of the literature. A set of probing questions is developed based on these themes and is then examined in in-depth interviews with individuals that had not visited cultural attractions in the past two years, in an attempt to triangulate data, as well as to identify connections between barriers.

Findings – From the literature, eight interconnected barriers to visitation are identified: physical access; personal access; cost; time and timing; product; personal interest and peer group; socialisation and understanding; and information. The in-depth interviews generally support these, although it is also identified that there are complex interrelationships between the issues.

Originality/value – This paper addresses the neglected question of why people do not attend cultural attractions by triangulating thematic findings from the content analysis of diverse literature with in-depth interview responses from one non-visitor segment. This results in an interconnected model of barriers that can be used to assist managers to develop strategies addressing low visitation rates within targeted segments.

Comprehension strategies of above average English as a foreign language (EFL) readers

The study reported in this thesis is a single-shot case study, which aims to provide a detailed description ofthe reading comprehension strategies used by fifteen student teachers ofEnglish from Indonesian- and Javanese-speaking backgrounds in the last year of their four-year Strata-One study at a university In Yogyakarta, Indonesia. These readers were above average among their peers in that their average indexes of grades in Reading and Speaking classes were 3.22 and 3,34 respectively, while the average indexes ofthe peer group were 271 and 2.63, respectively, out ofa scale of 0 to 400. In addition, while students in this university may complete their study by course work or by research, these readers were all enrolled as research students. As studying comprehension strategies involves complex issues, a multi-method approach is required, not only for breadth of coverage, but also to allow for a check on the validity of individual methods. To achieve the goal of the study, thinka1oud tasks, retellings, a reading comprehensIon test, indepth interviews and observations were employed to explore the strategies used. An analysis of the recorded data indicates that these readers used thirty strategies classified under five clusters: infomiation gathering, information processing, text interpretation, comprehension monitoring, and comprehension utilisation. In general, readers started gathering information by silent reading, interpreted the text by an inference or a paraphrase, and ended the task by making selfreflections relevant to the text. Most readers managed to identify problems when they occurred, and monitored their comprehension when they doubted their interpretation, as could be seen from their rereading the text or vocalising its pail(s). When direct interpretation was difficult, readers associated the text with prior knowledge or interrelated parts of the text, The readers in this study share characteristics of both poor and good native readers, in the sense that there was evidence ofgood strategy use butthe readers did not manage to maintain it consistently. As a result, even the successful readers were not able to maximise their potential. The implication is that in order to develop students into independent readers, strategy instruction should be part of and appropriately embedded in, the reading instruction. There is a need not merely to teach strategies as such, but rather to teach flexibility in strategy use. While there was sufficient evidence that thinkaloud tasks and their complementary methods worked to achieve the goals ofthe present study, similar studies with different cohorts are suggested for crosschecks.

MBA experience by distance education : an ethnographic study of a professional development program

The author's ethnographic study of a professional development program for managers and aspiring managers taught at a distance intends to make a substantial contribution to both the theory and practice of continuing education for professionals. The study focused on a group of Deakin University Master of Business Administration (MBA) participants and their experiences of the final two years of the program. Theorising on the professional development experience was based on data gathered from the direct observation of participants working in their study groups and at residential schools. Moreover, data drawn from end-of-year interviews with participants and discussions with MBA teachers also contributed to the theorising process. Theorising spanned a broad set of interactions encompassing participants' formal educational, professional and personal worlds. The thesis is devoted to two aspects of the professional development experience, namely: participants' interactions in their study groups and at residential schools; and participants' attempts to grow and develop as competent professional practitioners during their MBA studies. Interactions with key learning contexts orchestrated by the teaching institution (i.e. study groups and residential schools) are grounded in an analysis of the changing group cultures observed to accommodate the different educational demands of the program. Group interaction on a broader scale is also analysed in the context of the residential schools. The residential school provided a powerful forum for the development of participant activism over the future development of the MBA program. The analysis of the study groups in action led the author to identify the key characteristics of effective educational work groups. The implications of the success of these essentially egalitarian and leaderless groups for the formation of self-managed groups in the workplace is examined. On the matter of professional development, the author reveals the relationships between the nature of participants' jobs, their search for professional integration, their stage of professional empowerment, the strategies they pursued either to empower themselves or others in their organisations and the barriers which were encountered in the pursuit of empowerment. Dramatic examples of professional disempowerment are analysed indicating that interaction between formal off-the-job learning and professional practice in the workplace is not necessarily a smooth and positive experience. The group of participants studied are seen to be heterogeneous in relation to the above factors characterising professional development The implications of the theorising are considered in relation to professional pedagogies, assessment strategies and distance education. Distance education is seen to socially construct the roles of both teachers and students in the educational process. Specifically, teachers are seen to be somewhat marginalised during the program in use whereas the participants are located at the centre of the educational experience. The primacy of participants in the educational process is highlighted through the growing reliance on self-and peer-group assessment skills as participants progressed through the program. It is argued that the teaching institution should encourage and maintain the development of these skills as they represent a major learning outcome of the professional development experience, i.e. the ability to engage in the process of critical self-reflection and informed action.

Word processing in the classroom

This study describes the use of one word processor in a working classroom of Grade Four children over a period of nine months. The class had only limited access to the computer as, it was shared with several other grades - the computer was mobile to be moved from room to room. The study was aimed not only at monitoring the reactions of the children to the Introduction of the computer itself, but also on the wider impact within the classroom through a series of cycles. The study is a report of a form of action research. The findings were that children were highly, motivated to write when using a word processor for creative writing. The writing of the children in this study was enhanced by using a word processor. The word processor could be used at several levels of its full potential for various purposes and at different grade levels. It could be used successfully and integrated into an existing creative writing program such as the ‘writing process’ approach and used concurrently with other writing materials. Creative writing can be enhanced and classroom implementation of word processors can be facilitated by peer-group and cross-age tutoring.

'Rushing behind the wheel' : investigating the prevalence of 'drug driving' among club and rave patrons in Melbourne, Australia

The paper reports the findings of survey research recently completed in Melbourne, Australia, among a sample of 455 club and rave festival patrons. This research aims to provide a clearer account of the prevalence of drug driving within such settings in Melbourne, as well as identifying relevant ‘predictors’ of this drug driving. Just under half of the sample (48%) indicated that they had driven a motor vehicle within four hours of consuming an illicit substance at least once in the past year; 22% of respondents reported driving while ‘knowingly intoxicated’ in the previous year. Fifteen percent reported such behaviour ‘several times’ or more in this time. Relatively permissive attitudes towards drug driving, coupled with higher than average prevalence of drug driving in one's peer group, were found to be significant predictors of drug driving. So too was the reported frequency of the use of cannabis and ecstasy, and the propensity to use these substances in ‘rave’ and ‘party’ settings. Given the levels of drug driving revealed in this study, the paper closes with a series of recommendations regarding the design and delivery of more effective anti-drug-driving strategies within rave and club settings.

Risk and harm reduction among recreational ecstasy users

Ecstasy users' perceptions of risk, harm reduction and decision making practices were examined in 153 adults. Identified were a range of positive and negative effects attributed to using ecstasy. There was only a weak association between risk perception, other risk taking behaviours and high ecstasy use. However, the role of the peer group was found to be an important factor in the reducation of harm, and in particular, the decision making process.

Factors influencing consistency of triage using the Australasian triage scale : implications for guideline development

Objective: To examine the influence of the nurse, the type of patient presentation and the level of hospital service on consistency of triage using the Australasian Triage Scale.

Methods: A secondary analysis of survey data was conducted. The main study was undertaken to measure the reliability of 237 scenarios for inclusion in a national training programme. Nurses were recruited from a quota sample of Australian ED according to peer group. Analysis was performed to determine concordance: the percentage of responses in the modal triage category. Analysis of variance (anova) and Pearson correlations were used to investigate associations between the explanatory variables and concordance.

Results: A total of 42/50 (84%) participants returned questionnaires, providing 9946 scenario responses for analysis. Significant differences in concordance were observed by variables describing the type of patient presentation and level of urgency. Mean scores for the comparison group (adult pain; 70.7%) were higher than the groups involving a mental health or pregnancy presentations (61.4%; P≤ 0.001; 65.0%; P= 0.02). Modal responses at the extreme ends of the scale were higher than in the middle categories (P≤ 0.001). There was a significant main effect on concordance by type of service according to peer group (P= 0.03). Of the nine variables that described nurse characteristics, age was the only factor to influence the outcome (P= 0.05).

Conclusion: We identified significant problems with the consistency of triage for mental health and pregnancy presentations. Further research is needed to improve the guidelines on the implementation of the Australasian Triage Scale for these populations.

Entrepreneurship and mass media : audiences' perceptions of entrepreneurship stories in mass media

Using a set ofvariables measured in the Danish population survey related to the international Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project (GEM), this study explored what influences how people perceive stories about entrepreneurship in mass media. It was found that demographics influence how people perceived entrepreneurship stores, whereas social stratifications had no influence. Further on, the findings revealed a reinforcing effect from entrepreneurship stories in mass media. People already engaged in entrepreneurship perceived media stories differently from people not engaged, and people’s existing values were also reinforced. Together, these findings provide some crucial implications for policy initiatives trying to promote entrepreneurship. First, such initiatives need to consider who the actual targets are as different people decode and perceive the same messages differently. Second, such initiatives have to be longitudinal and long termed in order to function through more influential agencies like family, peer group, school, occupational group and so forth, and not only through the mass media as secondary socialisation.

Latent variable models of need for uniqueness

The theory of uniqueness has been invoked to explain attitudinal and behavioral nonconformity with respect to peer-group, social-cultural, and statistical norms, as well as the development of a distinctive view of self via seeking novelty goods, adopting new products, acquiring scarce commodities, and amassing material possessions. Present research endeavors in psychology and consumer behavior are inhibited by uncertainty regarding the psychometric properties of the Need for Uniqueness Scale, the primary instrument for measuring individual differences in uniqueness motivation. In an important step toward facilitating research on uniqueness motivation, we used confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate three a priori latent variable models of responses to the Need for Uniqueness Scale. Among the a priori models, an oblique three-factor model best accounted for commonality among items. Exploratory factor analysis followed by estimation of unrestricted three- and four-factor models revealed that a model with a complex pattern of loadings on four modestly correlated factors may best explain the latent structure of the Need for Uniqueness Scale. Additional analyses evaluated the associations among the three a priori factors and an array of individual differences. Results of those analyses indicated the need to distinguish among facets of the uniqueness motive in behavioral research.

What are the special needs of chronically ill young people?

Although significant advances have been made in the treatment of serious disease, there remains much scope for assisting young people in adjusting to life with a chronic medical condition. Commonly, chronically ill young people experience lower emotional well being than their healthy peers. Conventional approaches to promoting emotional well being have involved referring young people and their families to an appropriate public mental health service or psychologist/psychiatrist in private practice. However, there is increasing interest in the use of peer support programs. Support groups such as the ChIPS program aim to promote positive adjustment to chronic illness by bring together young people facing similar circumstances. It is maintained that by increasing connections between chronically ill young people, emotional well being can be enhanced.

What factors are associated with adolescents' school break time physical activity and sedentary time?

Purpose Adolescents' physical activity levels during school break time are low and understanding correlates of physical activity and sedentary time in this context is important. This study investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between a range of individual, behavioural, social and policy/organisational correlates and objectively measured school break time physical activity and sedentary time.

Methods In 2006, 146 adolescents (50% males; mean age = 14.1±0.6 years) completed a questionnaire and wore an accelerometer for ≥3 school days. Time spent engaged in sedentary, light (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school break times (recess and lunchtime) were calculated using existing cut-points. Measures were repeated in 2008 among 111 adolescents. Multilevel models examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations.

Results Bringing in equipment was cross-sectionally associated with 3.2% more MVPA during break times. Females engaged in 5.1% more sedentary time than males, whilst older adolescents engaged in less MVPA than younger adolescents. Few longitudinal associations were observed. Adolescents who brought sports equipment to school engaged in 7.2% less LPA during break times two years later compared to those who did not bring equipment to school.

Conclusion These data suggest that providing equipment and reducing restrictions on bringing in sports equipment to school may promote physical activity during school recess. Strategies targeting females' and older adolescents', in particular, are warranted.