Sexual Minority Status, Anxiety–Depression, and Academic Outcomes: The Role of Campus Climate Perceptions among Italian Higher Education Students

Students from sexual minorities generally describe Higher Education contexts as unwelcoming and chilly environments. Based on the Minority Stress theory, these disparities in climate perceptions may lead sexual minority students to negative health and academic outcomes. To date, research documenting the experience of sexual minority students within European Higher Education Institutions is limited. Framed within campus climate literature, the current study aimed to expand on previous knowledge by investigating the associations between sexual minority status, students’ perceptions of campus climate and psychological (i.e., anxiety–depression), and academic outcomes (i.e., intellectual and academic success and considering leaving the university) using a self-selected sample of 868 Italian university students (17.9% sexual minority students). The results showed that sexual minority status was associated with negative perceptions of campus climate, which, in turn, were associated with higher levels of anxiety–depression symptoms, lowered academic success, and a high probability of considering leaving university. Further research is needed to investigate the experience of sexual minority students within European Higher Education contexts and to explore possible actions that could contribute to fostering a greater sense of belonging to the campus community for all students, and particularly for students from sexual minority groups

The Impact of Personal Values, Gender Stereotypes, and School Climate on Homophobic Bullying: a Multilevel Analysis

Abstract Introduction Schools are among the most homophobic social contexts, where students who do not conform to gender norms are at high risk of stigma and discrimination. Method Using a multilevel approach, the aim of the current was to examine whether adolescents' engagement in homophobic bullying behavior was associated with personal values and stereotyped victim-blaming attributions at individual level, and perceptions of school as a community and frequency of teachers' reaction to bullying incidents at classroom level. Data were collected in 2010. The sample consisted of 2718 Italian middle and high school students (53.2% females; mean age = 15.36, SD = .85) from 144 classrooms. Results Results showed that self-transcendence values reduced the risk of engaging in homophobic bullying, whereas both self-enhancement values and stereotyped victim-blaming attributions were positively associated with homophobic bullying. At classroom level, only negative perceptions of school as a community had a unique positive contribution on homophobic bullying, over and above other individual and contextual factors. Two cross-level interactions were found, indicating that self-transcendence values had a significant effect in decreasing homophobic bullying in classrooms where teacher support was perceived as low, whereas stereotyped victim-blaming attributions had a significant effect in increasing homophobic bullying in classrooms where teacher support was perceived as high. Conclusion These findings provide further support to the social-ecological perspective as a useful guiding framework for understanding the complexity of factors predicting homophobic bullying. Policy Implications Efforts should be made to develop clear anti-bullying school policies explicitly dealing with the issue of homophobic bullying

Bullying Victimization: Investigating the Unique Contribution of Homophobic Bias on Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury and the Buffering Role of School Support

AbstractResearch on bullying victimization has expanded to specific forms of harassment based on discriminatory bias, which involve aggressive behavior targeting an individual's identity characteristics, such as sexual orientation and/or gender expression. Recent studies have documented elevated health risks associated with victimization based on homophobic bias, above and beyond general victimization. The aim of the current study was to test the unique contribution of homophobic victimization on adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and to analyze the buffering role of teachers and classmates support. Participants were 770 adolescents (55.5% females; Mage = 15.35, SD = 1.62) enrolled in Italian public schools in grade nine (N = 483) and 12 (N = 287). All measures were collected during Spring 2016 using self-reported questionnaires. Zero-inflated Poisson regression analyses suggested that homophobic victimization had a unique contribution on NSSI frequency of engagement once initiated, but not on the probability of engaging in NSSI at least once. High classmates support was negatively associated with adolescents' engagement in NSSI. Furthermore, higher levels of classmates support were associated with a lower NSSI frequency only for youth who reported low levels of homophobic victimization. In contrast, the association between classmates support and NSSI frequency was nonsignificant when youth reported high levels of homophobic victimization. No significant effects were found for teachers support. Overall, our findings underscore the need to address the serious concern of homophobic victimization within schools and the importance of promoting healthy and positive identity development in adolescence

Riesgo Agropecuario: Incidencia Económica e Innovaciones para su mitigación. El caso de Argentina.

The aim of this paper is to summarise a variety of dimensions of agricultural risk in Argentina and to propose different lines of research related to an integrated risk management framework at the macro and micro levels. First, we analyse the incidence of the primary sector in the Argentinean economy, to have one first dimension of the exposure to external shocks. Then, we present some major risks that affect small agricultural producers at a micro level. Finally, we introduce some financial innovations that reduce climate and price risk exposure, such as weather derivatives and index-based insurances

Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Italy

: The present study examined the association of mothers' and fathers' individualism, collectivism and conformity values with parenting behaviours and child adjustment during middle childhood in an Italian sample. Children (n = 194; 95 from Naples and 99 from Rome; 49% girls) were 10.93 years old (SD = .61) at the time of data collection. Their mothers (n = 194) and fathers (n = 152) also participated. Mother and father reports were collected about parental individualism and collectivism, conformity values, warmth, family obligations expectations and their children's internalising and externalising problems. Child reports were collected about their parents' warmth, psychological control, rules/limit-setting, family obligations expectations and their own internalising and externalising behaviours. Multiple regressions predicted each of the parenting and child adjustment variables from the value variables, controlling for child gender and parent education. Results showed that maternal collectivism was associated with high psychological control, parental collectivism was associated with high expectations regarding children's family obligations and fathers' conformity values were associated with more child internalising behaviours. Overall, the present study shed light on how parents' cultural values are related to some parenting practices and children's internalising problems in Italy

Parenting Desire and Minority Stress in Lesbians and Gay Men: A Mediation Framework

Despite the rapid increase in lesbian and gay (LG) people who desire and decide to become parents, LG childless individuals may encounter serious obstacles in the parenthood process, such as minority stress. Notwithstanding, the psychological processes by which prejudice events might affect the desire to become parents are still understudied. As an extension of the minority stress theory, the psychological mediation framework sheds light on these psychological processes, as it encompasses a more clinical view of stress. Within this framework, the current study aimed at assessing the role of prejudice events in affecting parenting desire in 290 childless Italian LG individuals (120 lesbians and 170 gay men), as well as the role of internalized heterosexism and sexual orientation concealment in mediating the relationship between prejudice events and parenting desire. The results suggest that only in lesbians prejudice events were negatively associated with parenting desire, and that sexual orientation concealment and internalized heterosexism were also negatively associated with parenting desire. Furthermore, sexual orientation concealment, and not internalized heterosexism, mediated the relationship between prejudice events and parenting desire in lesbians, but not gay men. The findings have important implications for clinical practice

GESTIÓN DE ACTIVOS Y PASIVOS:ANÁLISIS DEL RIESGO DE TASA DE INTERÉS

Through a study of potential scenarios that regularly face entities with long-term liabilities (Insurance, Banking, Pensions), the Asset and Liability Management (ALM) is responsible for maintaining risk levels within the limits preset along the lines of risk appetite. To do this, the formulation, implementation, monitoring and review of strategies concerning those assets and liabilities seek to align the defined financial goals.Specifically, as a fundamental part of the balance sheet structure, the measure of interest rate risk is sought. Thus, not only the movements in the rate curves are conceptualized as a risk factor, but it also has the absolute risk of the balance sheet structure of the entity ALM implied. In order to achieve this, tools such as Value at Risk are used to summarize the worst probable losses. Through two approaches, the margin of financial intermediation and the economic value, we will analyze the impact of rate changes in projected income and the present value of net assets of liabilities. Raised case study will take a typical simplified structure where an institution obtains short-term financing and invests through loans to longer terms, considering a portfolio with constant notional and different rates for each case. From there, we will use Monte Carlo simulation models applied to interest rates to obtain a measure of the expected loss.A través de un estudio de potenciales escenarios a los que regularmente se deben enfrentar entidades con pasivos a largo plazo (Seguros, Bancos, Pensiones), la Gestión de Activos y Pasivos (ALM) será la encargada de mantener los niveles de riesgo en los límites preestablecidos según los lineamientos de apetito de riesgo. Para ello, la formulación, implementación, monitoreo y revisión de estrategias concernientes a dichos activos y pasivos buscan alinearse conlos objetivos financieros definidos.Puntualmente, como parte fundamental de la estructura de balance, se buscar medir el riesgo de tasa de interés. De esta manera, no sólo se conceptualizan los movimientos en las curvas de tasas como factor de riesgo, sino que tiene implícito el riesgo absoluto de la estructura de balance ALM de la entidad. Para ello se utilizan herramientas como el Valor a Riesgo, para resumir las peores pérdidas probables. A través de dos enfoques, el de margen de intermediación financiera y el de valor económico, analizaremos las consecuencias de cambios de tasas en ingresos proyectados y en el valor actual de activos netos de pasivos. El caso de estudio planteado tomará una estructura simplificada típica donde una institución obtiene financiación de corto plazo e invierte mediante préstamos a plazos mayores, considerando una cartera con nocionales constantes y tasas diferenciadas para cada caso. A partir de allí, se usa simulación de Monte Carlo aplicada a modelos de tasas de interés para obtener una medida de la pérdida esperada

Medindo a Percepção dos Estilos Parentais de Adolescentes Durante a Infância:: As Propriedades Psicométricas do Estilo Parental e do Questionário de Dimensões

The paper analyzes the psychometric properties of the G1 version of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, a self-report instrument designed to investigate how adolescents or adults were parented during childhood. The sample included 1451 Italian adolescents in high school. Three studies tested the scale’s structure, invariance, and convergent validity. The first found slightly acceptable fit indexes for a 40-item scale measuring three factors (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive styles); the factors presented good reliability (Ïc .62-.96). Multigroup confirmative analyses found factor loadings invariant in the father version, whereas 12 items resulted not invariant in the mother version (second study). Good convergent validity was found with the Parental Bonding Index and the Parental Monitoring Scale (third study). Discussion of results is provided within the parenting styles literature.Nos últimos 15 anos houve um interesse crescente na avaliação de estilos parentais de forma retrospectiva, especialmente com o Parenting Style and Dimensions Questionnaire (Questionário de Estilos Parentais). No entanto, poucos estudos efetuaram a análise psicométrica desta escala com análises fatoriais confirmatórias (AFC). O presente estudo analisou as características psicométricas do instrumento numa amostra de 1465 adolescentes italianos que avaliaram o estilo parental do pai e da mãe durante a sua infância. Foram utilizadas AFCs e análises multi-grupo para avaliar a estrutura e consistência da escala. Os resultados demonstram que 22 dos 62 itens não mediram bem a constructo. A versão final do instrumento, composto por 40 itens, apresenta propriedades psicométricas satisfatórias e validade convergente nas duas versões

Measuring adolescents' perceptions of parenting style during childhood: psychometric properties of the parenting styles and dimensions questionnaire

The paper analyzes the psychometric properties of the G1 version of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, a self-report instrument designed to investigate how adolescents or adults were parented during childhood. The sample included 1451 Italian adolescents in high school. Three studies tested the scale's structure, invariance, and convergent validity. The first found slightly acceptable fit indexes for a 40-item scale measuring three factors (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive styles); the factors presented good reliability (ρc .62-.96). Multigroup confirmative analyses found factor loadings invariant in the father version, whereas 12 items resulted not invariant in the mother version (second study). Good convergent validity was found with the Parental Bonding Index and the Parental Monitoring Scale (third study). Discussion of results is provided within the parenting styles literature

Adolescent Positivity and Future Orientation, Parental Psychological Control, and Young Adult Internalising Behaviours during COVID-19 in Nine Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many young adults’ lives educationally, economically, and personally. This study investigated associations between COVID-19-related disruption and perception of increases in internalising symptoms among young adults and whether these associations were moderated by earlier measures of adolescent positivity and future orientation and parental psychological control. Participants included 1329 adolescents at Time 1, and 810 of those participants as young adults (M age = 20, 50.4% female) at Time 2 from 9 countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States). Drawing from a larger longitudinal study of adolescent risk taking and young adult competence, this study controlled for earlier levels of internalising symptoms during adolescence in examining these associations. Higher levels of adolescent positivity and future orientation as well as parent psychological control during late adolescence helped protect young adults from sharper perceived increases in anxiety and depression during the first nine months of widespread pandemic lockdowns in all nine countries. Findings are discussed in terms of how families in the 21st century can foster greater resilience during and after adolescence when faced with community-wide stressors, and the results provide new information about how psychological control may play a protective role during times of significant community-wide threats to personal health and welfare