Protective Factors against Dating Violence Perpetration and Victimization

Dating violence is a prominent problem among college students that can result in harmful physical and mental health outcomes. To date, much research has focused on risk factors, but less is known about protective factors that may decrease the likelihood of dating violence. As such, the current paper examines protective factors (e.g. religion, positive parental relationships) against perpetrating and/or experiencing dating violence and whether these protective factors operate similarly for both perpetration and victimization. Data were gathered in 2013-2014 at two large public universities using pencil and paper surveys (N = 1482). Bivariate results revealed that women have more protective factors than men. Multivariate results showed that religious attendance, lower entitlement, more positive maternal relationship quality, and having more close friends with lower rates of drinking were all protective against dating violence perpetration and victimization. Additionally, lower respondent drinking was also protective against both dating violence perpetration and victimization. These findings highlight the importance of positive friendships as protective factors against dating violence victimization and perpetration. Finally, current study findings also emphasize that abstaining from alcohol is protective against dating violence victimization and perpetration. Advisor: Kimberly A. Tyle

Familial and Individual Risk Markers for Physical and Psychological Dating Violence Perpetration and Victimization Among College Students

Dating violence (DV) is a prominent problem among college students that can result in harmful physical and mental health outcomes. Though much research has focused on physical DV, fewer studies have examined psychological DV. As such, the current paper compared early/familial risk markers (e.g., child physical abuse, witnessing parental violence, and maternal relationship quality) and individual risk markers (e.g., alcohol use, marijuana and prescription drug use) for physical and psychological DV among college students. Data were gathered at two large public universities using pencil and paper surveys (N = 1,482). Bivariate results revealed more risk markers for men (e.g., more child physical abuse, more frequent drinking, more close friends who drink and more marijuana and prescription drug use) compared to women. Multivariate results showed that familial risk markers were generally most important for explaining physical DV victimization and perpetration whereas individual risk markers were more salient for explaining psychological DV victimization and perpetration. Findings highlight the contribution of both early/familial and individual risk markers for understanding psychological and physical DV victimization and perpetration among college students

Technology Integration and Training for Online Course Development: A Needs Assessment

Colleges experiencing an enrollment boost due to the poor economy need to hire more teachers to accommodate student demand. Offering distance education courses helps meet the needs of a growing student body while alleviating infrastructure and scheduling conflicts. This needs assessment study surveyed faculty at a small Pacific college to determine if there is a desire and what types of support, technology integration and training are needed to convert their face-to-face courses to a successful online format. The survey contained quantitative and qualitative questions regarding types of technology and applications used or desired, and experiences with distance learning and course creation. Survey results indicated there is a desire to explore teaching online and to receive technology integration training

Resource degradation: a subtle effect of bottom fishing

Populations of hermit crabs are critically limitedby the availability of suitable gastropod shells thatthey utilise to reduce their risk of predation and environmentalstress. Common whelks are the main sourceof shells for large hermit crabs in the northern Atlanticbut are vulnerable to direct and indirect effects of fishingactivity. This study examined the potential consequencesof degrading shell resources for common hermit crabs.Laboratory trials demonstrated that hermit crabs avoidlow-quality damaged shells throughout their life history.This laboratory preference was corroborated by directfield observations of shells preferentially occupied byhermit crabs, compared with shells available for occupation.In the field, 8 times as many empty shells hadholes compared to shells occupied by hermit crabs. Inthe North Sea, the abundance and biomass of livewhelks and hermit crabs collected at sites where they cooccurredwere significantly related. However, whelksoccurred at far fewer sites overall and were morepatchily distributed at high abundance than hermitcrabs, which were more widespread. At a subset of sites,whelks of the same body-mass range occurred in theIrish and North Sea. However, at these sites, hermitcrabs sampled from the North Sea had a significantlylower biomass. This suggests that the shells available foroccupation at the North Sea sites would not supportcrabs of a body mass comparable to that found in theIrish Sea. Using published data, we calculated that insome of the intensively fished areas of the North Sea,24% of the available shell resource will be damaged eachyear. The reduction in shell quality in the North Sea mayimpose a physical constraint on the upper size limitcurrently attainable by hermit crabs and hence may haveimplications for population viability

Development and Implementation of Marine Contaminent Threshold Values.

This report compiles available Threshold Values (TVs) for marine chemical contaminants at EU, regional and beyond EU level, provides relevant information and discussion points for TV derivation and implementation, and outlines the main hindrances and potential approaches to fill the gaps. This document is a product of the MSFD Expert Network on Contaminants and is intended as a background guidance document to support developments to improve consistency in marine contaminant assessments. The report highlights the reality of the lack of knowledge about reference values (whether they are background, threshold or Environmental Quality Standard values) for many contaminants in the marine environment. Although regulations and frameworks are in place, and new ones are being implemented, the assessment of Good Environmental Status will remain difficult without high quality environmental and toxicological data. The variety of applied TVs is hindering a comparable assessment of problematic substances and the necessary reduction/phase-out measures. Considering the huge work needed to develop TVs and the high number of potential contaminants, current approaches need to be reviewed. Furthermore, the concerns on the environmental significance of TVs when they are not based on sufficient data and relevant assessment factors, and the difficulty to generalise TVs for all matrix/species monitored, call for discussions on resource-efficient TV development and potential alternative ways forward