Panel discussion: Effective bullying intervention

This panel discussion was one of the sessions in the International Multidisciplinary Perspective Research in Education and Social Sciences (IMPRESS21) conference that took place on 7-9 September 2021. The panel discussion focused on the concept of bullying, various types of bullying, awareness of bullying among children, the role of different contenders in bullying, and effective prevention strategies for bullying problems. The panel members were Professor Sefa Bulut (Ibn Haldun University, Başakşehir, Istanbul, Turkey) whose work focuses on the trauma and school violence relationship. The second panelist was Assistant Prof. Thseen Nazir (Ibn Haldun University, Başakşehir, Istanbul, Turkey), whose specialization focus on school bullying, role of different contenders and culture in bullying behavior, and prevention studies and the third panelist was Assistant Prof. Nadire Yildiz (Istanbul Medipol University) whose research interest focuses on mentorship programs with at-risk youth as a preventive intervention strategy. The panel discussion provided a conceptualization and understanding of bullying concepts and their prevention for school-age children. The panelists provided some insight into the nature of bullying, the underlying problems, causes, and consequences of the problems, and the effective prevention and evidence-based prevention programs for school-age children

Individual-level determinants of depressive symptoms and associated diseases history in Turkish persons aged 15 years and older: A population-based study

BackgroundDepressive symptoms are associated with both long-lasting and short-term repetitive mood disorders and affect a person's ability to function and lead a rewarding life. In addition to predisposing genetic causes, other factors such as socioeconomic and demographic factors, and chronic diseases have also been reported to associate with depression. In this study, we analyzed the association between history of chronic diseases and presentation of depressive symptoms amongst Turkish individuals. MethodsWe employed the 2019 Turkey health survey to analyze data of 11,993 individuals aged 15+ years. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) coded with a binary measure, a score of 10 as moderate-severely depressed. A number of sociodemographic characteristics were adjusted for in the analyses. Logistic regression models were used to test the association between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms in the study sample. ResultsOur analysis revealed that 6.24% of the 11,993 participants had reported an episode of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in men was 1.85% and in women, it was 2.34 times higher. Participants who had previously reported experiencing coronary heart diseases (AOR = 7.79, 95% CI [4.96-12.23]), urinary incontinences (AOR = 7.90, 95% CI [4.93-12.66]), and liver cirrhosis (AOR = 7.50, 95% CI [4.90-10.42]) were approximately eight times likely to have depressive symptoms. Similarly, participants with Alzheimer's disease (AOR = 6.83, 95% CI [5.11-8.42]), kidney problems (AOR = 6.63, 95% CI [4.05-10.85]), and history of allergies (AOR = 6.35, 95% CI [4.28-9.23]) had approximately seven-fold odds of reporting episodes of depressive symptoms. The odds of presenting with depressive symptoms amongst participants aged >= 50 were higher than in individuals aged <= 49 years. ConclusionAt individual level, gender and general health status were associated with increased odds of depression. Furthermore, a history of any of the chronic diseases, irrespective of age, was a positive predictor of depression in our study population. Our findings could help to serve as a reference for monitoring depression amongst individuals with chronic conditions, planning health resources and developing preventive and screening strategies targeting those exposed to predisposing factors

MENTÖRLÜK PROGRAMLARI İLE TOPLUMDA KÖPRÜLER KURMAK

Mentoring is a form of structured trusting relationship, which aims to match disadvantaged at-risk youth with caring individuals who offer guidance, direction, support, motivation, encouragement and reassurance. When kind, concerned individuals serve as role models, it is more likely that youth will become healthy, successful adults who are integrated into society. In this article, the author argues the importance of providing supportive social relationships provided through mentoring programs to help reduce the outcome of adverse childhood experiences of neglected and abused children living in institutions

A Case Study Review on Social-Emotional Problems Affecting Gifted and Talented Students

In recent times, studies focusing on the issue of gifted and talented students in Turkey have gained much traction. However, so far, these appear to have been limited in terms of the intervention strategies they offer. The question of how to respond to the social and emotional issues of gifted and talented students remains an issue, which is a source of debate, based on the experiences on the field and the directions offered by the latest studies. While giftedness is associated with positive thoughts and beliefs, these come a number of challenges that require closer examination. Consequently, the aim of this case study is to discuss the social-emotional issues experienced gifted and talented children, with regards to effective intervention programs which are often overlooked and not thoroughly examined. Determining the type of acceleration practice could be a very subjective decision and possible risk and resources should be analyzed in order to determine what is best for the child’s needs. As outlined by this case study, the proper identification of intervention strategies should respond to the problems experienced by students in the social and emotional realm. The review concludes with recommendations that could help school counselors, families and educators in assisting gifted and talented students, based on existing relevant literature

Health system in Turkey: Socioeconomic factors and inequalities in access to health services

Bu kitap bölümünün amacı, sosyo-ekonomik faktörlerin Türkiye’de karşılanamayan sağlık ihtiyaçları ve bu karşılanamayan sağlık ihtiyaçlarının neden olduğu sağlık hizmetlerinde görülen eşitsizlikler üzerinde etkilerini belirlemektir. Bu faktörler, bireylerin karşılanamayan sağlık ihtiyaçlarını etkileyen yaş, gelir, cinsiyet, medeni durum, eğitim, vatandaşlık, sağlık güvencesine sahip olma, çalışma durumu, genel sağlık durumu, fiziksel ağrı durumu ve depresyon gibi bağımsız değişkenleri içerir. Karşılanamayan bu sağlık ihtiyaçlarına hastaların sosyo-ekonomik durumları, sağlık kurumlarının fiziki imkanları, sağlık kurumlarındaki personel sayısı, randevu yoğunluğu ve hastanın fiziksel lokasyonu gibi engeller oluşturabilmekte / neden olmaktadır. Dezavantajlı gruplarda yer alan hane halkı, sağlık hizmetlerine erişimdeki bu eşitsizliklerden en çok etkilenen gruplar arasında yer almaktadır. İlgili alanlarda çalışan araştırmacı ve politika yapıcıların sağlık kalitesini değerlendirmelerine yardımcı olan bazı göstergelerden faydalanmak mevcut kararlara ışık tutabilir. Bu sistematik literatür taramasında araştırmacı, politika yapıcı ve sağlık yöneticilerine kanıta dayalı kararlar verebilmeleri için mevcut durumun literatür ekseninde analiz edilmesi amaçlanmaktadır

Attachment relationships and learned resourcefulness levels of institutionalized adolescents

Attachment as a very important regulator of both emotions and the self and learned resourcefulness (LR) as a both cognitive and emotional-regulation strategy seems very interrelated. It is thought that, more secure attachment relationships lay the foundations of high capability of learned resourcefulness. This cross-sectional survey study aims to investigate the relationship between LR and attachment relations among adolescents according to whether they reside in care or with their families. To this end, data was collected from 61 adolescents with convenience sampling method, including 31 living with their families from Istanbul's Huseyin Avni Sozen High School and 30 residing at foster care institutions. The total number of participants in this study came to 61, with an average age of 17. The Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA)-Short Form and Rosenbaum's Learned Resourcefulness Scale (RLRS) were used for data collection. It was found that institutionalized adolescents (IA) had a higher sense of insecurity in their attachment relationships than adolescents who stayed with their families (ASF). In addition, while there was a significant relationship between learned resourcefulness and attachment styles, those living with their families had higher scores on a number of RLRS sub-dimensions than those who stayed in institutions (p<.05). Discussion: The study findings already present in current literature on the issue were discussed and interpretations drawn, and it was deemed that institutional factors were important in terms of attachment relations and learned resourcefulness in adolescents living in care homes

Mentoring as a systematic peer relationship model for teens

Bu çalışmada mentörlük programlarının bir akran ilişki modeli olarak etkililiği ile ilgili bir durum tespiti yapılarak Türk gençleri için neler sunabileceğinin tartışılması ve bir çerçeve sunulması amaçlanmıştır. Ayrıca, gençler için bir sistematik akran ilişki modeli olarak mentörlüğün özellikle risk altındaki ve dezavantajlı konumda olan ergenlerin ihtiyaçlarını karşılama ve sorunlarını çözme konusunda neler sunabileceği tartışılacaktır. Türkiye’de gençliğin mevcut durumuna dair gerçekleştirilen en kapsamlı çalışmalardan birisi olan Türkiye’de Ergen Profili Araştırması (2008, 2013) mentörlük konusunun ne denli önemli olduğunu; sosyal, psikolojik ve akademik ihtiyaçlar doğrultusunda etkili bir mentörlük modeli kullanmanın bu gençlerin toplumsal entegrasyonu için çok kritik öneme sahip olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Nitekim mevcut alanyazında, mentörlüğün tamamen ya da en azından kısmen etkili olduğuna gösteren birçok araştırma mevcuttur (örneğin, deAnda, 2001; DuBois, Holloway, Valentine, ve Cooper, 2002; Grossman ve Tierney, 1998). Söz konusu araştırma sonuçları mentörlük programlarının etkililiğini ölçmek için standardize edilmiş yöntemleri kullanmanın önemini vurgulamaktadır.The purpose of this literature review is to assess the existing literature and discuss what mentoring programs can offer Turkish youth. Use of an effective mentoring model seeking to meet the social, psychological and academic needs of Turkish youth as underlined with research (i.e., Adolescent Profile in Turkey, 2008, 2013), is instrumental for their integration in the society. Many studies in the literature demonstrate that mentoring is fully or partially effective in this regard (e.g., deAnda, 2001; DuBois, Holloway, Valentine, & Cooper, 2002; Grossman & Tierney, 1998). These results highlight the importance of using standardized methods to measure the effectiveness of mentoring programs. Examining exiting literature on the effectiveness of mentoring programs, the authors discuss the value and role of mentoring programs as a systematic peer relationship model for disadvantaged adolescents, specifically for at risk youth in Turkey

Gender role socialization: Depression and gender ınequality among women

Bu kitap bölümünde, bir sosyo-demografik değişken olarak depresif belirtilerin cinsiyet farklılıklarına bağlı olarak görülme durumunu değerlendirmek amaçlanmıştır. Mevcut literatür depresif belirtilerin yaygınlık ve seyrinin cinsiyet faktörüne bağlı olarak değişkenlik gösterdiğine işaret etmektedir. Ruh sağlığı sorunları nedeni ile kadınlar cinsiyet eşitsizliklerinden olumsuz yönde etkilenen bir grup olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu nedenle cinsiyet faktörü nedeni ile dezavantajlı bir grupta yer alan kadınlar, örneğin, sağlık hizmetlerine erişim konusunda sosyo-ekonomik zorluklar ya da etiketlenme korkusu sonucu duygularını ifade etmede çeşitli sıkıntılar yaşayabilmektedir. İlgili alanlarda çalışan araştırmacı ve politika yapıcıların sağlık hizmetlerine erişimde kaliteyi artırmak amacı ile bazı göstergelerden faydalanarak yapılacakları değerlendirmeler gelecekte bu noktada yapılacak reform ve iyileştirme kararlarına ışık tutabilir. Bu sistematik literatür taraması ile, ruh sağlığı alanında çalışan araştırmacı, uygulayıcı, politika yapıcı ve sağlık yöneticilerinin konuya dikkatlerini çekerek, mevcut durumu değerlendirebilmelerine yardımcı olmak amaçlanmaktadır

Interdisciplinary use of argumentation among religious education and philosophy teachers-in-training

Using document analysis, religion and philosophy pre-service teachers' reflections on argumentation and in-class argumentation practices, which were received online, during the Special Teaching Methods course were examined. These documents included reflections of pre-service teachers on argumentation and in-class argumentation practices. Findings emerged in three dimensions: (a) the benefits of the use of argumentation (awareness and motivation skills, teaching via argumentation-based instruction), (b) difficulties in using argumentation (learning environment and motivational factors), and (c) suggestions, in which themes and codes were created in light of such dimensions. The acquired dimension of the use of argumentation consists of the themes of awareness, motivation, skills, and teaching. With regards to suggestions that can be drawn from this document analysis, both religious education and philosophy pre-service teachers stated that preliminary preparations should be made to apply the argumentation technique to the teaching process. The results offer insight on the integration of this technique into teaching as an instructional tool. As an important epistemological exercise, argumentation can be attained as a skill set during formal school education which may facilitate the integration of knowledge

Attachment-focused evidence-based mentoring model

Sosyoekonomik faktörler, hane halkı ve yaşanılan sosyal çevre / mahalle özellikleri, öğrenme deneyimlerini, okula yönelik tutumları, genel ruh sağlığı ve refahı etkilediğinden çocuk ve gençlerin genel iyilik hali için kritik öneme sahiptir. Mentörlük programları çocuk ve gençlerin pozitif gelişimini destekleyen sistemli programlardır. Araştırmalar, mentörlük programlarının bireyleri sosyal, duygusal, akademik ve istihdam alanlarında desteklemek adına faydalı olduğunu; koruyucu ve önleyici faktörleri teşvik ettiğini göstermektedir. Amaç: 1990’lı yıllardan beri bu amaçla pek çok mentörlük programı hayata geçirilmiştir. Günümüze dek niceliksel olarak ciddi anlamda artış gösteren mentörlük programlarının niteliğinin nasıl olması gerektiği ile ilgili ciddi kaygılar doğmuştur. Söz konusu kaygıların sonucu kanıta dayalı mentörlük programlarının nasıl olması gerektiği sorusu gündeme gelmiştir. Bu bağlamda, mentörlük programlarının teorik çerçevesinin bağlanma temelli bir yaklaşım ekseninde formüle edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem/Tasarım / Metodoloji / Yaklaşım: Bu teorik araştırmada ilgili literatür ekseninde, etkili ve nitelikli mentörlük programlarının özellikle mentör ve menti eşleştirme sürecinde bağlanma temelli bir yaklaşımın ve bu yaklaşımın tüm süreçteki sürekliliği açısından süregiden süpervizyon desteğinin önemi teorik olarak tartışılmıştır. Bulgular: Sonuç olarak, aşırı yapılandırılmış bir çerçevede sadece hedef odaklı mentörlük programlarından ziyade yine belirli bir çerçevesi ve hedefi olan ama ilişkiyi merkeze alan daha menti odaklı bir yaklaşım gençliğin pozitif gelişimi için gereklidir. Özellikle riskli arka plandan gelen çocuk ve ergenlerin ‘riskli’ oluş durumları bireysel faktörlerden ziyade çevresel faktörlerden kaynaklanıyorsa bağlanma temelli mentörlük programlarının çok iyi bir koruyucu / tampon işlevi gördüğünü belirlenmiştir. Özgünlük: Bir mentörlük programında olması gereken süreçlerin yapılandırıldığı, hedef menti kitlesinin özelliklerinin, barındırdığı bireysel (ör. bağlanma tarzı, psikopatoloji) ve çevresel risk faktörlerinin dikkate alındığı bir nevi bireyselleştirilmiş mentörlük programları tartışılmaya başlanmıştır. Bağlanma konusunda yapılan birçok deneysel araştırma güvenli bağlanan bireylerin İÇM’lerinin ‘olumlu’ benlik ve öteki tasarımları içerdiğini gösterdiğinden dolayı, güvenli bağlanan bireyler ideal birer mentör adayıdırlar. Bir akran destek modeli olarak mentörlük programları sistematik eğitimler ile desteklenmelidir. Program kapsamında düzenli bir süpervizyon desteği sunularak standardize ve sürdürülebilir programlar olmaları sağlanmalıdır. Kanıta dayalı bağlanma temelli mentörlük programları pozitif gelişimi destekleyen sürdürülebilir bir modeldir.Socioeconomic factors, household and social environment / neighborhood characteristics affect learning experiences, attitudes towards school, general mental health, and well-being. Therefore, it is critical to the general well-being of children and young people. There are socio-economic education areas, education households and livable social environment / neighborhood characteristics, education, school-purpose education, general mental health and education, and child education that is critical for the general well-being of students and youth. Mentoring programs offer are systematic structures targeting positive youth development. Studies demonstrate the effectiveness of mentoring programs in support of individuals socially, emotionally, academically and in employment areas, promoting protective and preventive factors. Purpose: Wide range of mentoring programs have been put into practice since 1990s. Despite a rapid increase in these programs up-to-date, serious concerns have been raised regarding their quality. As a result of these concerns, the question of how effective and evidence-based mentoring programs should be is coming forward. Hereafter, more structured mentoring programs have been discussed, considering personal (e.g., attachment styles, psychopathology, etc.) and environmental risk factors of mentees independently. Method/Design/Methodology/Approach: Examining the existing literature, mentoring programs are discussed theoretically by focusing on the importance of attachment relationships. To establish an effective mentoring program, which is maintained by evidence-based results, it is crucial to pair mentors and mentees according to their attachment patterns. Sustainability of mentoring programs should be supported by systematic and standardized trainings and ongoing supervision service provided for mentors. Findings: Studies indicate that mentoring programs are effective in promoting positive development not only for mentis but also for the mentors by enhancing a positive climate and cooperative atmosphere. It has been determined that the mentoring relationship functions as a very good protector / buffer, especially when children and adolescents’ conditions which pose risks due to environmental factors rather than individual factors. Originality: More relationship focused mentee-based mentoring programs are found to be more effective in promoting positive youth development instead of excessively structured and goal-oriented mentoring programs. Individuals with secure attachment patterns are ideal mentor candidates, as many empirical studies on attachment have shown that the IWMs of securely attached individuals include 'positive' self and others. As a peer counseling model, mentoring programs should have structured and standardized programs supported with systematic training. Program sustainability is maintained by providing regular supervision assistance. In brief, evidence-based attachment focused model offers standardization that supports positive youth development