Aggression and violence against educators and school personnel have raised public health concerns that require attention from researchers, policymakers, and training providers in U.S. schools. School ...aggression and violence have negative effects on school personnel health and retention and on student achievement and development. In partnership with several national organizations, the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel administered two national, multi-informant, cross-sectional surveys. Time 1 data were collected in 2020-2021 from 14,966 respondents; participants reflected on their experiences of violence and aggression before COVID-19 and during COVID-19 restrictions in this survey. One year later, in 2022, 11,814 respondents completed the Time 2 survey after COVID-19 restrictions ended. Participants included teachers, school psychologists, social workers, counselors, staff members, and administrators from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Rates of violence and aggression directed against educators by students, parents, colleagues, and administrators were substantial before COVID-19, were lower during COVID-19 restrictions, and returned to prepandemic levels or higher after COVID-19 restrictions. After COVID-19 restrictions, 22%-80% of respondents reported verbal or threatening aggression, and 2%-56% of respondents reported physical violence at least once during the year, varying by stakeholder role and aggressor. Rates of intentions to quit the profession ranged from 21% to 43% during COVID-19 restrictions (2020-2021) and from 23% to 57% after COVID-19 restrictions (2021-2022), varying by stakeholder role. Participants across roles reported substantial rates of anxiety and stress, especially during and after COVID-19 restrictions, and identified specific training needs. Implications for theory, research, training, and policy are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Psychosocial functioning represents a core treatment target of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD), and several clinical and cognitive factors contribute to its impairment. However, determinants ...of psychosocial functioning in people living with SSD that committed violent offences remain to be more thoroughly explored. This study aims to separately assess and compare predictors of psychosocial functioning in people with SSD that did and that did not commit violent offences considering several clinical, cognitive and violence-related parameters. Fifty inmates convicted for violent crimes in a forensic psychiatry setting diagnosed with SSD (OP group) and fifty participants matched for age, gender, education, and diagnosis (Non-OP group) were included in the study. A higher risk of violent relapse as measured by HCR-20 clinical subscale scores (p < 0.002) and greater global clinical severity as measured by CGI-S scores (p = 0.023) emerged as individual predictors of worse psychosocial functioning, as measured by PSP scores, in the OP group. Greater global clinical severity (p < 0.001), worse performance in the processing speed domain as measured by the BACS Symbol Coding (p = 0.002) and TMT-A tests (p = 0.016) and higher levels of non-planning impulsivity as measured by BIS-11 scores (p < 0.001) emerged as individual predictors of worse psychosocial functioning in the Non-OP group. These results confirm that clinical severity impacts psychosocial functioning in all individuals diagnosed with SSD and suggest that while cognitive impairment clearly represents a determinant of worse functional outcomes in most patients, the risk of violent relapse is a specific predictor of worse psychosocial functioning in people with SSD that committed criminal offences.
Historically, preclinical stress studies have often omitted female subjects, despite evidence that women have higher rates of anxiety and depression. In rodents, many stress susceptibility and ...resilience studies have focused on males as one commonly used paradigm-chronic social defeat stress-has proven challenging to implement in females. We report a new version of the social defeat paradigm that works in female mice. By applying male odorants to females to increase resident male aggressive behavior, we find that female mice undergo repeated social defeat stress and develop social avoidance, decreased sucrose preference, and decreased time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze relative to control mice. Moreover, a subset of the female mice in this paradigm display resilience, maintaining control levels of social exploration and sucrose preference. This method produces comparable results to those obtained in male mice and will greatly facilitate studying female stress susceptibility.
Metabolic alterations are a key hallmark of cancer cells, and the augmented synthesis and use of nucleotide triphosphates is a critical and universal metabolic dependency of cancer cells across ...different cancer types and genetic backgrounds. Many of the aggressive behaviours of cancer cells, including uncontrolled proliferation, chemotherapy resistance, immune evasion and metastasis, rely heavily on augmented nucleotide metabolism. Furthermore, most of the known oncogenic drivers upregulate nucleotide biosynthetic capacity, suggesting that this phenotype is a prerequisite for cancer initiation and progression. Despite the wealth of data demonstrating the efficacy of nucleotide synthesis inhibitors in preclinical cancer models and the well-established clinical use of these drugs in certain cancer settings, the full potential of these agents remains unrealized. In this Review, we discuss recent studies that have generated mechanistic insights into the diverse biological roles of hyperactive cancer cell nucleotide metabolism. We explore opportunities for combination therapies that are highlighted by these recent advances and detail key questions that remain to be answered, with the goal of informing urgently warranted future studies.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate gene/protein expression alterations of intercellular connections' components in oral leukoplakia (OLs) and squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCCs). ...Materials and methods: Expression of desmogleins-2,3 (Dsg2/Dsg3), E-cadherin, and their cytoplasmic ligand, beta / gamma -catenins were quantitatively assessed in HSC-3 cells growing as monolayer cultures (ML)/multicellular aggregates (MCAs), using RT-PCR/Western blot, whereas their localization was detected by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, their expression was semi-quantitatively investigated in tissues from 25 OLs/25 OSCCs, using automated immunohistochemistry. Results: The steady-state levels of Dsg3 RNA transcripts increased as HSC-3 cells enter their exponential phase of growth, before a dramatic decrease to be observed as cells reached their plateau phase especially in MCAs. Upon the same period of time, Dsg2 levels have been increased. The expression of gamma -catenin but not that of beta -catenin was increased after 48 h in both MLs and MCAs. In clinical samples, Dsg3, epsilon -cadherin, beta / gamma -catenin down-regulation was observed to be associated with the grade of OLs-dysplasia and OSCCs. Importantly, a membrane-to-cytoplasmic switch of expression and strong perinuclear aggregation of Dsg3/ gamma -catenin was seen in both HSC-3 cells and OLs/OSCCs. Conclusions: The altered expression of Dsg3/ gamma -catenin and E-cadherin/ beta -catenin, in vitro and in ODs/OSCC imply their involvement in growth regulation and phenotype of dysplastic/malignant oral epithelial cells, contributing to the better understanding of epithelial dysplasia and OSCCs. Clinical relevance: The observed alterations of their expression suggest a role of Dsg3 and gamma -catenin (additionally to E-cadherin/ beta -catenin) as biomarkers of malignant transformation risk of oral dysplasia and the biological behavior (aggressiveness) of oral cancer, respectively.
•The presence of larger black rockfish did not suppress the food intake and growth of smaller individuals.•The size heterogeneity in all treatments tended to stabilize with time.•Aggressive ...interactions mainly occurred between similar-sized individuals.•Small rockfish were rarely aggressive in the presence of larger individuals.•Growth and survival are optimized by keeping rearing groups of black rockfish at a medium level of size heterogeneity.
Growth heterogeneity in rearing groups may complicate feeding operations and inducing cannibalism in cultured fish. To reduce these problems size grading has become a common rearing practice. To better understand the relationship between size grading and growth variation in cultured juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) we studied how size heterogeneity affected their growth performance (body weight, SGR, CVw), social interactions (feeding position, aggressive behavior) and endocrine responses (cortisol, growth hormone, 5-hydroxytryptamine). A batch of sibling fish (0.29–1.73 g) were selected and divided into three groups according to their similarity in size. Three types of size-structured groups were established each type containing two treatments with different fish numbers (n=30 or n=6): Small fish alone, small and medium fish mixed, small and large fish mixed. The experiment lasted for 30days. In all treatments, regardless of the number of fish in the group, the growth rates of small-sized fish in size-homogeneous groups were lower than in size-heterogeneous groups. Consequently, size variation decreased significantly with time in size-heterogeneous groups whereas the opposite pattern was found in size-homogenous groups. Overall, growth heterogeneity tended to stabilize with time in all experimental groups. In the size-heterogeneous groups larger fish always occupied the central feeding area. Outside feeding period small fish avoided the central area, likely to avoid cannibalism, but when food was present small fish practiced a sneaky feeding activity. In general, aggressive interactions between small-sized fish were fiercer when larger fish were absent, and within size-heterogeneous groups aggressive interactions were more common between similar-sized larger individuals than between individuals of different size. The physiological analyses supported the growth and behavioural data. Cortisol levels were lower in the most size-heterogeneous groups than in the more homogenous groups whereas the growth hormone levels in the size-homogeneous group were significantly lower than in the more heterogeneous groups. In conclusion, the growth variation in juvenile black rockfish seems to be a consequence of intensive competition between similar-sized individuals rather than growth suppression of smaller in a size-related dominance hierarchy. Thus a size-grading practice where rearing groups retain an acceptable level of size heterogeneity that limits competition and cannibalism would produce the overall best result in terms of growth and survival.
In recent decades, homicide has so truncated life expectancy in the United States that homicide victimization should be considered a public-health problem worthy of addressing via preventive programs ...and policies. Evidence in the literature roots homicide victimization deep within the social structure, in problematic social inequalities and disadvantages. The evidence suggests homicide victimization is associated with six demographic, social, and lifestyle factors: being male, African-American, young, of low socioeconomic status, without adequate social support, and mentally ill or a substance user. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this paper outlines theoretical mechanisms leading to racial differences in homicide victimization. It hypothesizes that Black Americans (a) are likelier than Whites to become homicide victims and, if victimized, (b) are likelier to be younger than victimized Whites. To understand these racial differences, the paper examines whether and how multiple disadvantagesaat both the macro and micro levelaoperate against Blacks disproportionately. The paper concludes by noting further research needs and policy implications.
People generally empathize with others and find harm aversive. Yet aggression, for example, between groups, abounds. How do people learn to overcome this aversion in order to aggress? Many models of ...learning emphasize outcome prediction errors-deviations from expected outcomes in the environment-but aggression may also be fueled by affective prediction errors (affective PEs)-deviations from how we expect to feel. Across five preregistered online experiments that hold outcome prediction errors constant (N = 4,607), participants choosing aggressive or nonaggressive actions aggressed more against disliked group members and often escalated or persisted in taking actions that felt better than expected (positive affective PE), especially when those actions were aggressive. Crucially, inducing incidental empathy toward the group of the target rendered affective PE signals sensitive to group identification-participants escalated aggression that felt better than expected relatively less toward liked versus disliked group members. That said, affective PEs did not always add explanatory power beyond levels of postoutcome affect alone; we discuss the importance and implications of these results. In summary, we reveal affective PE integration as a candidate algorithm facilitating exceptions to harm aversion in intergroup conflict. More broadly, we highlight for affective science and decision-making researchers the necessity of appropriately testing separable components of affective signals in predicting subsequent behavior.
Public Significance StatementHow do people learn to choose one action over another? Many models focus on learning from prediction errors-differences between expectations and outcomes. Research on prediction errors has historically focused on differences between expectations and outcomes in one's environment (e.g., winning more money than expected from a slot machine), but people ultimately choose based on the subjective value of those outcomes, which may be approximated via self-reported affect, or feelings. We wanted to understand whether feeling better than expected about an action informs what we do, especially in contexts without (informative) outcome prediction errors. In short, the answer was yes, but it is complicated. Affective prediction errors (affective PEs) predicted subsequent aggressive choices but not always over and above just how good participants felt after taking the aggressive action. This is important because it highlights a core distinction between prediction errors about the world and prediction errors about the self. Moreover, incidentally giving participants the opportunity to empathize with their target's group attenuated the relationship between affective PEs and aggression escalation, but only toward liked targets. Our results show that, in the test case of aggression, choices can track with affective PEs and that incidentally induced intergroup affect may influence this association.
Affective temperaments show potential for aggressive behavior (AB) preventive strategies in bipolar disorder (BD). We aim to define intra-diagnostic subgroups of patients with BD based on homogeneous ...behaviors related to AB. Subsequently, to assess whether affective temperament dimensions may contribute to the presence and severity of AB.
Patients with BD were recruited. AB was evaluated through the modified overt aggression scale (MOAS); affective temperaments were assessed with the TEMPS-A. A cluster analysis was conducted based on TEMPS-A and MOAS scores. Stepwise backward logistic regression models were used to identify the predictive factors of cluster membership.
799 patients with BD were enrolled. Three clusters were determined: non-aggressive (55.5 %), self-aggressive (18 %), and hetero-aggressive (26.5 %). Depressive, irritable, and anxious temperament scores significantly increased from the non-aggressive (lower) to the self-aggressive (intermediate) and the hetero-aggressive group (highest). A positive history of a suicide attempt (B = 5.131; OR = 169.2, 95 % CI 75.9; 377) and rapid cycling (B = −0.97; OR = 0.40, 95 % CI 0.17; 0.95) predicted self-aggressive cluster membership. Atypical antipsychotics (B = 1.19; OR = 3.28, 95 % CI 2.13; 5.06) or SNRI treatment (B = 1.09; OR = 3, 95 % CI 1.57; 5.71), psychotic symptoms (B = 0.73; OR = 2.09, 95 % CI 1.34; 3.26), and history of a suicide attempt (B = −1.56; OR = 0.20, 95 % CI 0.11; 0.38) predicted hetero-aggressive cluster membership.
Recall bias might have affected the recollection of AB.
Clinical factors orientate the prevention of different ABs in BD. Affective temperaments might play a role in preventing AB since patients with more pronounced affective temperaments might have an increased risk of showing AB, in particular hetero-AB.
•799 individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) were recruited in this cross-sectional study aiming to explore the relationship between aggressive behaviour (AB) and affective temperaments•We identified three clusters according to the presence of AB: non-aggressive (55.5%), self-aggressive (18%), and hetero-aggressive (26.5%)•Depressive, irritable, and anxious temperaments are significantly more marked in individuals with BD and AB, especially with hetero-AB•A positive history of a suicide attempt is a strong predictor of subsequent self-AB in BD
Introduction:Storytelling is a narrative activity that is close to children. This activity can convey the contents of stories, feelings or ideas without making the children feel like being ...patronized. Narrators can also convey or teach about the behavior that children should do. Early children often do aggressive or violent actions. Based on the condition, storytelling becomes a way to teach children about good behavior. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of storytelling on the ability to control violent behavior in early childhood at one of Kindergarten in Semarang.Methods: This research is a quantitative research. Sampling technique used total sampling with 24 students as respondents. The data obtained were processed statistically using the marginal homogeneity test. Using marginal homogeneity test, it was obtained p value of 0,000 (<0.05).Results: It can be concluded that there is a storytelling effect on the ability to control violent behavior in early childhood.Conclusion: There is an effect of storytelling on the ability to control violent behavior in early childhood among students of one of Islamic kindergarten in Semarang. For institutions, the storytelling method can be used as daily learning because learning is not only about academics but also attitudes.
PDF
