Jeff Linkenbach

Engaging men as social justice allies in ending violence against women: Evidence for a social norms approach

Abstract The field of sexual assault prevention is shifting attention to educational interventions that address the role of men in ending violence against women. Recent studies document the often-misperceived norms men hold about other mens endorsement of rape-supportive attitudes and behaviors. The authors provide further evidence supporting the design of population-based social norms interventions to prevent sexual assault. Data from this study suggest that men underestimate the importance that most men and women place on consent and willingness of most men to intervene against sexual violence. In addition, mens personal adherence to only consensual activity and their willingness to act as womens allies are strongly influenced by their perceptions of other mens and womens norms. These findings support the proposition that accurate normative data, which counters the misperception of rape-supportive environments, can be a critical part of comprehensive campus efforts to catalyze and support mens development as womens social justice allies in preventing sexual violence against women.

Methylmercury risk and awareness among American Indian women of childbearing age living on an inland northwest reservation

American Indian women and children may be the most overrepresented among the list of disparate populations exposed to methylmercury. American Indian people fish on home reservations where a state or tribal fishing license (a source of advisory messaging) is not required. The purpose of this study was to examine fish consumption, advisory awareness, and risk communication preferences among American Indian women of childbearing age living on an inland Northwest reservation. For this cross-sectional descriptive study, participants (N=65) attending a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic were surveyed between March and June 2006. An electronic questionnaire adapted from Anderson et al. (2004) was evaluated for cultural acceptability and appropriateness by tribal consultants. Regarding fish consumption, approximately half of the women surveyed (49%) indicated eating locally caught fish with the majority signifying they consumed medium- and large-size fish (75%) that could result in exposure to methylmercury. In addition, a serendipitous discovery indicated that an unanticipated route of exposure may be fish provided from a local food bank resulting from sportsmans donations. The majority of women (80%) were unaware of tribal or state fish advisory messages; the most favorable risk communication preference was information coming from doctors or healthcare providers (78%). Since the population consumes fish and has access to locally caught potentially contaminated fish, a biomonitoring study to determine actual exposure is warranted.

Youth misperceptions of peer substance use norms: a hidden risk factor in state and community prevention.

Effective community prevention of substance abuse involves the integration of policies and programs to address many different risk and protective factors across the social ecology. This study sought to examine whether youth perceptions of peer substance use norms were operating as a risk factor at the same level as other known risk factors in a statewide community prevention effort. Several different analytical techniques were employed to examine the self-reported data from a sample of over 8,000 students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 from across Wyoming using a survey based on a risk and protective factor model. The findings of this study revealed that youth misperception of peer substance use norms operate at a level of significance similar to other known risk factors, and these misperceptions are a risk factor that should be measured in order to estimate its relationship with substance use. The measurement of this risk factor has important strategic implications for community prevention.

Essentials for Childhood: Promoting Healthy Outcomes From Positive Experiences

* Abbreviations: CDC — : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention SSNRs — : safe, stable, nurturing relationships The field of child maltreatment prevention is undergoing a transformation. Clinical practice is moving toward the promotion of factors that support optimal child development and broadening its focus to include the healthy outcomes that arise from positive childhood experiences. In January 2014, the Centers for Disease Control held a kickoff meeting in Atlanta to begin state-level implementation of Essentials for Childhood: Steps to Creating Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships, 1 a strategy designed to promote the development of family environments in which children thrive. We were members of a working group that advised the CDC on Essentials . This Perspective will highlight the new strength-based approach that guided its development. By focusing on the key role of safe, stable, nurturing relationships (SSNRs), Essentials highlights the health effects of positive experiences in childhood. This emphasis reflects the evolution in the field from prevention of maltreatment to promotion of family health. Essentials relies on 2 types of evidence that support this change. First, citing recent surveys,2 Essentials notes that “many, if not most, [cases of abuse] are never reported to social service agencies or the police.” This realization calls for broad-based campaigns to reduce maltreatment, because narrowly focused risk-based efforts may leave out many children and families. We also know that abuse affects the growing brain3 and has lifelong health consequences.4,5 Second, the … Address correspondence to Robert Sege, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Dowling 4417, 850 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118. E-mail: robert.sege{at}bmc.org

Developing theoretical and environmental policy for underage drinking.

OBJECTIVE To estimate concern/support for policy for underage drinkers and formulate policy-specific communication strategies. METHODS An environmentally based approach to policy formulation used concepts from the transtheoretical, decision-balance, and social-norms models. Interviews were conducted with community stakeholders, and surveys were collected on community residents as part of the evaluation effort. RESULTS The triangulated evaluation revealed specific policies for underage drinking and techniques for facilitating policy implementation. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate techniques for using multiple models and evaluation techniques for formulating public policy in the promotion of community health.

Support for social norms programming to reduce alcohol consumption in pregnant women

This investigation examined the difference between the amount of alcohol consumed by pregnant Montana women (actual norms) and the amount they perceived was consumed by other Montana women of their same age (peer norms). On the basis of a stratified cluster sampling, 712 women completed a survey based on social norms theory. Results revealed that prior to the pregnancy women perceived that other women of their same age normally drank more than four times as much alcohol as they actually consumed. However, during their pregnancy women perceived that other women of their same age normally drank over 102 times as much alcohol as they actually consumed. Similar patterns were seen for the more than usual consumption. The results of the investigation showed a consistent and dramatic pattern of overestimation of peer alcohol use norms compared to actual norms. These findings support the application of intervention strategies designed to correct misperceptions of drinking norms in pregnant women as a way to reduce actual drinking rates.