Prevalence and Correlates of HIV-Risk Behaviors among Homeless Adults in a Southern City

This paper aims to describe the prevalence and correlates of HIV-risk behaviors among adults receiving transitional and emergency housing services in Memphis, Tennessee. A cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey was conducted with a convenience-based sample (N=116) of homeless adults. Sex without a condom, sex while on drugs or drunk, and sex with an unknown person emerged as the three most prevalent HIV-risk behaviors. Sex while drunk or high on drugs was also assessed as a significant predictor for sex without a condom and sex with an unknown person. Multivariate logistic regressions revealed that mental health status, duration of homelessness, incarceration history, and sex while drunk or high on drugs were significant predictors of HIV-risk behaviors. Consideration of these important correlates in designing HIV prevention programs for this vulnerable sub-group of adults is warranted

Neighborhood Influences on Perceived Social Support Among Parents: Findings from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods

Background: Social support is frequently linked to positive parenting behavior. Similarly, studies increasingly show a link between neighborhood residential environment and positive parenting behavior. However, less is known about how the residential environment influences parental social support. To address this gap, we examine the relationship between neighborhood concentrated disadvantage and collective efficacy and the level and change in parental caregiver perceptions of non-familial social support. Methodology/Principal Findings: The data for this study came from three data sources, the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) Study's Longitudinal Cohort Survey of caregivers and their offspring, a Community Survey of adult residents in these same neighborhoods and the 1990 Census. Social support is measured at Wave 1 and Wave 3 and neighborhood characteristics are measured at Wave 1. Multilevel linear regression models are fit. The results show that neighborhood collective efficacy is a significant ($\beta$ = .04; SE = .02; p = .03), predictor of the positive change in perceived social support over a 7 year period, however, not of the level of social support, adjusting for key compositional variables and neighborhood concentrated disadvantage. In contrast concentrated neighborhood disadvantage is not a significant predictor of either the level or change in social support. Conclusion: Our finding suggests that neighborhood collective efficacy may be important for inducing the perception of support from friends in parental caregivers over time

A Test of Evolutionary Policing Theory with Data from Human Societies

In social groups where relatedness among interacting individuals is low, cooperation can often only be maintained through mechanisms that repress competition among group members. Repression-of-competition mechanisms, such as policing and punishment, seem to be of particular importance in human societies, where cooperative interactions often occur among unrelated individuals. In line with this view, economic games have shown that the ability to punish defectors enforces cooperation among humans. Here, I examine a real-world example of a repression-of-competition system, the police institutions common to modern human societies. Specifically, I test evolutionary policing theory by comparing data on policing effort, per capita crime rate, and similarity (used as a proxy for genetic relatedness) among citizens across the 26 cantons of Switzerland. This comparison revealed full support for all three predictions of evolutionary policing theory. First, when controlling for policing efforts, crime rate correlated negatively with the similarity among citizens. This is in line with the prediction that high similarity results in higher levels of cooperative self-restraint (i.e. lower crime rates) because it aligns the interests of individuals. Second, policing effort correlated negatively with the similarity among citizens, supporting the prediction that more policing is required to enforce cooperation in low-similarity societies, where individuals' interests diverge most. Third, increased policing efforts were associated with reductions in crime rates, indicating that policing indeed enforces cooperation. These analyses strongly indicate that humans respond to cues of their social environment and adjust cheating and policing behaviour as predicted by evolutionary policing theory

Common trends in the US state-level crime. What do panel data say?

This paper aims to investigate the long-run relationship between crime, inequality, unemployment and deterrence using state-level data for the US over the period 1978- 2013. The novelty of the paper is to use non-stationary panels with factor structures. The results show that: i) a simple crime model well fits the long run relationship; ii) income inequality and unemployment have a positive impact on crime, whereas deterrence displays a negative sign; iii) the effect of income inequality on crime is large in magnitude; iv) property crime is generally highly sensitive to deterrence measures based upon police activities

Exploring the geographical palimpsest of place through fieldwork

Fieldwork offers students unique opportunities to encounter different landscapes and environments. Such opportunities are invaluable for exploring physical, human and applied geographies. Students can apply theory learned in class to the real-world, develop awareness and understanding of the differences inherent in places, recognise the changing nature of environments and explore the complexity of geographical issues and processes. In particular, the development of a sense of place is often pivotal to students acquiring a better understanding and deeper learning of geographical issues. Fieldwork encounters will vary by individual and environment, influencing the affective domain, and the behavioural and academic responses of students to (un)familiar environments. This chapter examines, firstly, the need to reconnect students to fieldwork in post-pandemic times and support their experiences, as some express anxiety. Secondly, the use of a palimpsest approach is explored as a method to better understand and engage with place and to facilitate deeper levels of meaning. Thirdly, two teachers of A-level geography apply a palimpsest approach in creating a fieldwork investigation of Hessle Road in Hull, UK, with their students. They reveal the benefits of the approach which can be modified for use at a variety of educational levels. The palimpsest offers a holistic approach to reveal the traces and meanings of the past that exist in the present. It encourages deeper learning by revealing potential avenues of investigation to inform a greater sense of place

Young people’s employability skills: the impact of STEMNET’s programmes

In August 2015, the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) was commissioned by STEMNET (the Science, Engineering, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network) to investigate the impact of the STEM Ambassador and STEM Clubs programmes on young peoples’ employability skills. STEM Ambassadors are individuals who use STEM skills in their work, and volunteer to support the provision of STEM education to young people. STEM Ambassadors register with STEMNET and receive an induction from a local Contract Holder. They are required to engage in at least one activity annually. STEM Ambassadors are drawn from a wide range of disciplines and career stages, including apprentices. STEM Clubs are extra-curricular sessions that allow pupils to explore elements of STEM subjects in alternative formats outside the curriculum. STEM Clubs take place in secondary schools, mostly for Key Stage 3 students, with some provision for Key Stage 4 or primary students. They may focus on one particular STEM discipline or be cross-cutting. Activities can include practical experiments, investigations, group work, competitions and discussions. The ensuing report details the key findings concerning the impact of the STEM Ambassadors Programme and the STEM Clubs Programme on young people’s employability skills