In Osgood and colleagues (1996), theoretical formulation of unstructured socializing with peers (USWP), namely, the routine activity theory of general deviance posits that spending time in situations ...with friends, that lack structure, without authority figures present are more conducive to deviance. The present study advances understanding of this situation through use of an initial sample of over 3,500 adolescents from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program to examine whether the relationships between parental knowledge and delinquency/substance use are mediated by USWP and peer delinquency/peer substance use. Results showed that lack of parental knowledge leads to greater USWP, which then leads to peer delinquency/peer substance use to result in individual delinquency/substance use. By better understanding the various ways adolescents who spend time in settings of unstructured socializing with peers engage in delinquency, both parents and societal members can take steps to reduce these behaviors, which lead to deviant behavior
Based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews with resettlement agencies, volunteer organizations, and refugees, this study examined the rhetorical tactics of outreach and advocacy ...as well as the dynamics of inter-organizational collaboration. Organizations supporting international migrants have different institutional priorities which face pressures by multiple socializing institutions. These operate intersectionally, such that the status of migrants and rhetorical support for them are circumscribed by a recursive relationship between government policies and linguistic labels. The article addresses an important contemporary social problem and articulates an expansion of intersectionality theory within the communication discipline, as well as its implications for coalition work.
Abstract
Physical education stimulates brain plasticity. However, the effect of physical education interventions on socialization and communication skills in children and preadolescents with autism ...spectrum disorder is unknown. To review and qualitatively describe studies published between 2012 and 2022 that intervened with physical education to generate changes in socialization and communication skills in children and preadolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The search was designed following the PRISMA® guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and performed in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed between 2012 and 2022. Fourteen studies were included in the systematic review and nine in the meta-analysis. Physical education was shown to be effective in increasing socialization and communication skills in children and preadolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
Management of negative symptoms is one of the most challenging and important unmet needs of schizophrenia treatment. Negative symptoms together with positive symptoms result in significant ...psychosocial impairment and poor quality of life. Existing studies on atypical antipsychotics reported limited treatment adherence due to higher prevalence of treatment-emergent adverse events, such as diabetes, weight gain, hyperlipidemia, hyperprolactinemia and hypertension. A compound with greater affinity for dopamine D2/D3 receptors may improve negative symptoms, mood, and cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia. In 2015, the US FDA has approved cariprazine, a partial D2/D3 agonist for treatment of schizophrenia, mania or mixed episodes. Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit, UK (2019) has particularly suggested cariprazine for the treatment of predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia. India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has approved cariprazine in 2021 for the treatment of schizophrenia, manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder. A ten-fold greater affinity for D3 receptors and partial agonism to serotonin receptors, along with longer half-life make cariprazine distinct when compared with other atypical antipsychotics. Cariprazine is also reported to have fewer incidents of metabolic and hormonal adverse events, and has been shown to provide better relapse prevention. Recent evidence indicates promising effect of cariprazine in ameliorating negative symptoms as well as psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. In addition, improved adherence to treatment (adjunctive/monotherapy) with cariprazine in patients having inadequate response to an ongoing antipsychotic treatment has also been clinically established. This review presents the evidence-based safety and efficacy of cariprazine for treatment of predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Social distancing, also referred to as physical distancing, means creating a safe distance of at least two meters (six feet) between yourself and others. This is a term popularized during the ...COVID-19 pandemic, as it is one of the most important measures to prevent the spread of this virus. However, the term 'social distancing' can be misleading, as it may imply that individuals should stop socializing. However, socializing in a safe context (i.e. over the phone, video-chat, etc.) is especially important during this time of crisis. Therefore, in this narrative review, we suggest the term 'distant socializing' as more apt expression, to promote physical distancing measures while also highlighting the importance of maintaining social bonds. Further, articles discussing the practice, implementation, measurement, and mental health effects of physical distancing are reviewed. Physical distancing is associated with psychiatric symptoms (such as anxiety and depression), suicidal ideation, and domestic violence. Further, unemployment and job insecurity have significantly increased during COVID-19, which may exacerbate these negative mental health effects. Governments, medical institutions, and public health bodies should therefore consider increasing mental health resources both during and after the pandemic, with a specific focus on frontline workers, COVID-19 survivors, and marginalized communities.
This study examined whether national trends in unstructured in-person socializing with peers (i.e., socializing without goals or supervision) among adolescents could help explain recent declines in ...adolescent risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, fighting, theft).
The sample contained of 44,842 U.S. 12th-grade students (aged 17–18 years) from the Monitoring the Future survey (years 1999–2017). Analyses examined (1) prevalence trends, (2) latent factor structure of risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing, and (3) whether trends in the unstructured in-person socializing factor accounted for the relationship between time (i.e., survey year) and the risk behavior factor.
Adolescent risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing declined by approximately 30% in the U.S., and both formed coherent latent factors. After adjusting for sociodemographics, declines in unstructured in-person socializing accounted for approximately 86% of declines in risk behaviors.
The prevalence of risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing behaviors declined among U.S. 12th graders from 1999 to 2017. It is unknown whether such effects are directly causal and/or influenced by unmeasured variables. However, the results provide evidence that national declines in unstructured in-person socializing are a likely component of the explanation for national declines in adolescent risk behaviors.
Odontocetes display a wide range of surface behaviors, including aerial and percussive behaviors. However, only a handful of studies have quantitatively investigated the context and function of ...surface behavioral events in odontocetes. Here, the display of breaching, side breaching, and tail-slapping by Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (
Sousa chinensis
) was observed during surveys conducted in three locations of the northern South China Sea. The analysis of 380 encounters revealed that, while breaching was not associated with particular contexts, side breaching was mostly displayed during foraging, probably to gather prey during feeding events, and could therefore be further used to indicate foraging activity. Tail-slapping was displayed significantly more during spring than in other seasons, during socializing and traveling than during other activities, and in larger than in smaller groups. This behavior was mostly displayed by old individuals in a variety of contexts, indicating a potential range of functions including attracting attention, communicating information, expressing an emotional state, or gathering prey together. Unexpectedly, tail slaps were significantly less frequent when the research boat actively followed dolphins, showing that the link between this behavior and human disturbances is not clear. More research is needed to investigate details regarding the display of tail slaps in order to be able to reliably use it as a cue to monitor during surveys that indicates that dolphins are being impacted due to disturbance from boats. Furthermore, differences in the display of surface behavioral events were observed among locations, which may be attributed to differences in foraging and/or communication strategies among different populations. The results obtained here will be useful for behavioral monitoring during field surveys.
Significance statement
Even though aerial and percussive behaviors are commonly observed in odontocetes, research conducted on these behaviors is scarce and their function(s) are not well understood yet. These functions may vary depending on the species and even on the population. Understanding the context and function of these behaviors is of significant importance for better monitoring animal behavior in the wild (e.g., categorizing the animals’ behavioral state, noticing signs of disturbance). The present study is the first to investigate aerial and percussive behaviors (i.e., breaching, side breaching, and tail slapping) in wild Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. Dolphins exhibited differences in the frequency at which they display these behaviors depending on the population and the behavioral state of the group. These results inform on the potential communication/foraging strategies differences among populations and provide cues to better monitor dolphins’ behavior in the field.
Tourism is a social phenomenon and host-guest interaction has been identified as particularly relevant in the rural tourism experience. This paper extends previous research on social interaction, ...rural tourism and experience marketing, by analysing, via visitor survey (N = 819), the contacts that visitors of three Portuguese villages establish with (a) residents and (b) other visitors during their stay. A cluster analysis based on interaction patterns identifies three distinct visitor groups: those showing little interest in interaction with others, those mainly interacting with other visitors and those intensely interacting with residents. Significant differences between segments reveal distinctly lived rural tourism experiences and a positive impact of socializing on these experiences. Destination management and marketing implications as well as suggestions for future research are also presented.
This study extends the testing of situational action theory (SAT) to a Chinese population, and sheds new light on the directions of the moderation relationships between self-control and morality, and ...between crime propensity and criminogenic exposure on delinquency. Relying on a large, representative sample of middle school students from two areas of Guizhou, China (N = 2,498), we find that both self-control and morality have significant inhibiting effects on delinquency. Moreover, self-control has a more profound curbing effect on delinquency among adolescents with higher levels of morality. Meanwhile, the promoting effect of crime propensity on delinquency decreases when levels of risky exposure increase. When adolescents have more unsupervised activities and delinquent peers, their crime propensity affects delinquency to a lesser extent. Our study confirms that individual and situational factors interlock in determining delinquency, and reiterates the value of empirical testing across cultures to validate and possibly improve general theories of crime.
In a quasi‐experiment, we examine whether changing schools during the transition from 8th to 9th grade influences adolescent delinquency, using a sample of more than 14,000 students in 26 public ...school districts (PROSPER study). The dataset follows students for eight waves from 6th through 12th grade and facilitates a unique, direct comparison of students who change schools with those who remain in the same school during this period. Results show that students who transition between schools report significantly less delinquency after the shift than those who do not, and that this difference persists through 10th grade. This decline is most pronounced when adolescents from multiple middle schools move to a single high school (i.e., multifeeder transitions). Students who transition between schools have fewer delinquent friends and participate in less unstructured socializing following the change in school environment, which partially mediates their reduced delinquency. Results provide some support for theories of differential association and routine activities. Our findings highlight the role of a crucial, yet understudied, life transition in shaping adolescent delinquency. The results from this quasi‐experiment underscore the potential of alterations in social context to significantly dampen juvenile delinquency throughout high school.
