Synthetic Cathinones—Prevalence and Motivations for Use

This book chapter reviews the prevalence and motivations for use of synthetic cathinones with respect to their availability, legal status, numbers and seized amounts

On the Operational Validity of Perceptual Peer Delinquency: Exploring Projection and Elements Contained in Perceptions

Objectives. The authors examine perceptions of a peer’s substance use to determine whether and to what degree individuals project their own behavior onto their perceptions of peer’s delinquency, and to determine whether the constructs of self-control and peer attachment are related to perceptions. Methods. Using a sample of 2,154 young adult respondents within friendship pairs in which each respondent reported their own substance use and their perception of the friend’s use, the authors estimate a series of regression models with perceptions of a peer’s alcohol, marijuana, Salvia divinorum, and hard drug use as dependent variables. Results. Perceptions of a peer’s substance use are approximately equally related to a peer’s and a respondent’s use of each substance. Projection occurs to a greater extent when perceiving low-frequency behaviors. Low self-control is sporadically associated with higher perceived substance use. Conclusions. Peer self-reported delinquency and perceptions of peer delinquency are distinct constructs. Because projection appears to be worse for infrequent behaviors, researchers should use caution when using low-frequency behaviors to measure perceptual peer delinquency. Although the data used are cross sectional, the perceptual measure is confounded by too many variables other than a peer’s actual delinquency to be considered a valid measure of the sole construct of peer delinquency

That's Cheating: The (Online) Academic Cheating 'Epidemic' and What We Should Do About It

This chapter argues that good practice in (online) teaching such as discussed in this book should recognise that cheating by students, for example, plagiarism, essay mills, impersonation, etc., has become more common and that it should be addressed with greater determination. This assertion is based on the experience, enquiries and views of an academic practitioner. The chapter considers what academic cheating is, the digital age’s impact on it and some of the moral justifications raised for and against cheating. It explains some of the ways in which online opportunities aid cheating, offers some ideas about how such cheating can be detected and concludes by arguing that much more could and should be done to prevent and respond to it