Police views of suicidal persons and the law criminalizing attempted suicide in Ghana: A qualitative study with policy implications

The penal code of Ghana condemns suicide attempt. The present study sought to explore the views of the police on persons who attempt suicide and the law criminalizing the act. Qualitative in-depth interviews were used to explore the views of 18 officers of the Ghana Police Service. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis technique. Findings showed that the police officers profiled suicide attempters as needy, enigmatic, ignorant, and blameworthy. Majority (n = 14) of them disagreed with the law and suggested a repeal, whereas only four of them agreed with the law. Regardless of their positions on criminalization, they showed an inclination to help, rather than arrest, when confronted with such persons in line of their duty. Educating the police on suicidal behavior may help to deepen their understanding and help improve the way they handle suicidal persons. This may also strengthen police suicide prevention gatekeeping obligations

Toward a culturally sensitive conceptualization of resilience: participatory research with war-affected communities in northern Uganda

Resilience research with war-affected populations has long conceptualized resilience as the absence of psychopathology and operationalized it by use of standardized measures. However, literature on resilience increasingly highlights the importance of also including indicators of positively valued functioning as well as contextually sensitive indicators of resilience. This study used a participatory approach to examine the contextual conceptualization of youth resilience in the aftermath of war in northern Uganda, as defined by groups of stakeholders (youths, parents, elders, leaders, teachers) in four communities. The results identify 40 indicators covering a multiplicity of domains of functioning. The rationales behind these indicators were clustered into the broad themes: progress, self-reliance, social connectedness, morality, health, and comfort. The findings suggest that positively and negatively valued aspects of functioning are both key to conceptualizing resilience, and indicate the importance of including contextually distinguished indicators. The findings further point to the role of individual and collective processes in the construction of resilience, and to the need to take into account the contexts wherein resilience is conceptualized and observed. This study generated contextually sensitive indicators of young people's resilience, which can be used, complementary to existing measures of functioning, to provide a more comprehensive and culturally sensitive view of youths' resilience in the wake of war adversity

Professional ethics in cultural heritage institutions

Rad prikazuje vrste baštinskih institucija, najvažnije etičke norme i neke dileme s kojima se mogu susresti informacijski stručnjaci. Područje informacijskih znanosti brzo se razvija, a pojavom novih tehnoloških mogućnosti javljaju se i novi etički problemi. Samo poznavanje rada u vlastitoj profesiji više nije dovoljno za kvalitetno obavljanje posla, svi visoko obrazovani stručnjaci moraju biti upoznati i s etičkim kodeksima koje propisuju profesionalne udruge.This paper displays types of cultural heritage institutions, most important ethical norms, and some dilemmas information workers can find themselves in. Information sciences are developing rapidly, and with the advent of new technological possibilities, there are also new ethical problems arising. Simply knowing how to work in one’s own profession is not enough anymore to satisfy professional standards, experts in all fields have to be acquainted, as well, with codes of conduct, formulated by professional organisations

Effects Of Covid-19 On The Performance Of National Teachers' Colleges In Uganda

Purpose: This study attempted to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on the performance of National Teachers’ Colleges (NTCs) supported by Enabel.Methodology/approach: The study adopted a cross sectional research design. The study population consisted of staff working in the NTCs purposely or randomly selected. The self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data that was analysed using both descriptive and inferential analysis.Findings: The research findings showed that programmes disruptions (r = 0.496); funding disruptions (r = .403) and capacity gap (r = .556) are moderately significant and positively associated with NTC performance respectively. Overall, the variables studied explain 33.9 percent of the variation in the organizational performance of NTCs.Implications/limitations: The research findings have shown that whereas programme disruptions and capacity gaps significantly contributed to the explanation of performance in NTCs during the lockdown, funding disruptions do not. The study recommends the continued adoption of innovative approaches to realize the objective of quality teacher training and education. Research into the effects of Covid-19 on the students in NTC is recommended, as this current study did not explore the component of students.Originality/value: While the effects of Covid-19 on the education sector have been studied, this has been mainly done at the primary and secondary levels of education in Uganda. This paper has attempted to investigate Covid-19 effects on NTCs supported by Enabel.Keywords: Covid-19; programme disruptions; funding disruptions; capacity gaps; organizational performancePaper type: Research pape

Delay in DOTS for new pulmonary tuberculosis patient from rural area of Wardha District, India

Vast majority of active tuberculosis patients seeks treatment, do so promptly, still many patients spend a great deal of time and money “shopping for health” and too often they do not receive either accurate diagnosis or effective treatment, despite spending considerable resources. Objective: To find out the time taken to, for diagnosis of tuberculosis and to put patient on DOTS from the onset of symptoms and pattern of health seeking behavior of new pulmonary tuberculosis patients. A cross-sectional rapid assessment using qualitative (FGD) and quantitative (Interview) methods conducted at DOTS center of tertiary care hospital from rural Wardha. Participants: 53 pulmonary tuberculosis patients already on DOTS, in intensive phase. Main outcome measure: Delay in initiation of DOTS & health seeking behavior Results: Median total delay for starting DOTS was 111 days, (range: 10 to 321 days). Patient delay was more than provider delay. Patients delay was more in patients above 60 years, illiterate, per-capita income below 650 Rupees and HIV TB co-infection. Pattern of health seeking behavior was complex. Family physician was the preferred health care provider. Patient visited on an average four providers and spent around 1450 rupees (only direct cost) before DOTS begin. Time taken from the onset of symptoms and start of DOT is a cause of concern for the tuberculosis control program. Early case detection is important rather than mere achieving target of 70% new case detection. Program manager needs to implement locally relevant & focused strategies for early case detection to improve the treatment success, especially in rural area of India

A social ecological model of ICT cooption : surveillance creep in the information age

A model for ICT cooption is introduced using the example of &rsquo;surveillance creep&rsquo; which is the phenomenon of increasing dataveillance as the result of the introduction of seemingly benign, useful and convenient technological artefacts. The model identifies and discusses five main components of ICT artefact development and deployment: design, properties, affordances, appropriation and agent interests and locates them in a complex interrelated social ecology. The model provides a way to empirically examine how and why technology favours particular social or organisational outcomes.<br /

IT Ethics: Undergraduates’ PerceptionBased on their Awareness

Vide acceptance and use of computer and information technology in universities demanded the researchers and teachers to train their students to use these resources ethically. In the universities of Pakistan, computer and IT related courses have recently been included as compulsory subjects. Therefore, this research aimed to explore the perceptions about ethical use of information technology (IT) by the undergraduate students from four different public and private sector universities. A questionnaire was designed in which different computer and internet related activities were given and students were required to respond in terms of Right, Wrong and Neither Right Nor Wrong. Total 542 students participated in the study and the results were interpreted on the bases of their demographic information. It was concluded that majority of the students were not previously trained and have no knowledge about computer or IT ethics. It was found that female students, students from public sector universities, from different departments of computing and IT and from the disciplines of pure sciences were perceptually more positive regarding the ethical use of IT resources. Minimal differences were found across the responses of students who have IT training certificates and prior knowledge of IT ethics. This suggests that computer ethics awareness training is needed for university students. Keywords: Computer ethics, IT ethics, Undergraduate Students, Education, Sciences vs Social Sciences, Male vs Female, Public-sector vs Private-sector universities.

THE ETHICAL USE OF FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY: A CASE STUDY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

After the events of 9/11, facial recognition technology (FRT) emerged as a security solution for identifying and verifying individuals in a homeland security setting. Although FRT demonstrates security benefits, the public has not widely accepted the government’s use of the technology. FRT critics raise ethical and societal concerns regarding the negative impact of the technology on the public, including privacy concerns, constitutional rights violations, biased and inaccurate technology, and data management. How can FRT be implemented in a way that is both efficient and ethical? This thesis analyzes FRT through a three-pronged approach. First, the thesis applies the “How to Do It Right” ethical framework to a government agency’s decision-making process. The second step identifies ethical operating principles through a crosswalk of the varied and often inconsistent operating principles published by the security industry, government audit agencies, and watchdog groups. Finally, the thesis utilizes a real-world case study to explore an operational FRT program and illustrate best practices. It recommends that following an ethical framework during decision-making and incorporating ethical principles and best practices into FRT programs during development and implementation mitigates the public’s ethical and societal concerns.Civilian, Department of Homeland SecurityApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

The internet: a framework for understanding ethical issues.

The impact and influence of the Internet as a communications medium cannot be overstated. It has had a profound effect on economic, political, and other social infrastructures, and has introduced ways of communicating which have transformed social relationships. The Internet has opened up information exchange on a global scale, offering enormous opportunities and advantages to an hitherto unknown degree. The Internet has also raised a number of serious, and urgent, ethical challenges. The discussions and debate surrounding ethical issues such as trust, security and privacy, amongst others, conducted at all levels (international, government, academia and the popular press) in themselves are evidence of the complexity of the problem of Internet ethics. The research unravels some of the complexity and muddle of Internet ethics, with the objective of providing a foundation for further research. This thesis offers four perspectives on the problems of Internet ethics: technical, conceptual, regulatory and ethical. These different viewpoints are not only useful in drawing out insights concerning the ethical framework of the Internet, they also provide leverage for the analysis of pertinent issues. The work in this thesis thus offers a framework for understanding, and analysis, which can be developed and used in continuing investigations. The research is a combination of theory and practice - both informing each other. The approach taken arose from the author's direct involvement in many of the expert discussions and debates which (together with the literature), identified a need for foundational work. In-depth work with a number of specialised groups has provided the practical backdrop, and grounding to this research - published results appear as Appendices