The therapeutic use of videogames within secure forensic settings: a review of the literature and application to practice

Engagement in leisure pursuits that involves the use of tools and objects and the exploration of a new environment can provide a success experience that leads to increased feelings of competence and mastery. Such experiences are considered important in the rehabilitation of forensic clients. The findings from videogame research within a general population are compared with those among mental health and forensic clients. Within the general population, videogames may provide opportunities for social interaction and the expression of creativity and humour as well as offering a graded approach to building computer skills. Within a forensic population, videogames have been found to be a normalising, age-appropriate and culturally appropriate activity, useful in engaging clients and improving self-concept and locus of control. The findings suggest that videogame play offers access to a safe virtual environment that encourages exploration and mastery and that it may be a useful therapeutic tool in secure settings where such opportunities are often limited. The use and potential contraindications of videogames within a forensic setting, the content of certain games and their possible influence on behaviour and the implications for future research are also discussed

Focus on the Right of Children with Disabilities to Live in the Community

[Excerpt] The European Coalition for Community Living believes that all children have the right to live in the community and be included in society. However, this is far from reality for many children with disabilities. Across Europe, thousands of children with disabilities are placed in large residential institutions which are often situated in remote areas so that residents have little or no contact with the outside world. Thus these children are excluded from community life and separated from their families. It is unacceptable to place any child in such segregated environments. ECCL therefore considers that urgent action is required at all levels of government to ensure that appropriate quality community-based services and family supports are available as alternatives to these institutions

The ICLARM-CLSU integrated animal-fish farming project: poultry-fish and pig-fish trials

The two papers in this report contain the progressive results of experiments in integrated animal-fish farming at the Freshwater Aquaculture Center of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Philippines, a collaborative project between ICLARM and CLSU.Integrated farming, Fish culture, Philippines, Sarotherodon niloticus, Cyprinus carpio, Ophicephalus striatus

ICLARM annual report

A report of the Center's activities during the year.ICLARM, Annual reports

Productivity in the Forest Products Sector: A Review of the Literature

The present literature review is an attempt to gather and summarize the extent of our knowledge of the productivity trends and levels in the forest products sector. We consider single factor as well as total factor productivity definitions. The studies ?from around the world but mainly focusing on the Canadian and American forest product industries ?have been regrouped in sections: (1) general, (2) logging, (3) saw milling, lumber and wood products, and (4) pulp and paper studies.The report also synthesizes the findings of the studies along two lines: (1) the overall productivity growth trends in Canada and other countries and a comparison between forest products sectors in Canada and the United States; and (2) the determinants of productivity growth.Forestry, Forest Products, Logging, Wood Products, Primary Manufacturing, Primary Industries, Pulp and Paper, Paper Products, Forestry Industry, Canada, United States, Productivity, Productivity Growth

hy-fi

https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/bcs/1402/thumbnail.jp

Wages: A working conditions and industrial relations perspective

[Excerpt] This paper looks at wages from two different angles: from the perspective of individual employees, discussed in conjunction with their working conditions, and from the perspective of the industrial relations system. After a brief overview of EU-level policy developments with a potential impact on national level pay determination, this report gives a comparative overview of the levels of collective wage setting and how they are set throughout Europe and goes on to report on reforms, changes or debates linked to these processes between the different actors at both the Member State and the European level in 2011 and 2012. This includes, for instance, debates on potential changes of indexation mechanisms in Belgium, Luxembourg and Cyprus, as a result of the Commission’s recommendations within the Euro Plus Pact. While in some countries (Estonia, Bulgaria) social partners resumed collective bargaining (either on wages or on minimum wages) and came to agreements, in other countries (Lithuania, Romania), no agreements could be reached. Some changes in the way collective bargaining is organised were recently introduced in Spain, Romania, Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Information on these issues stems from the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO). Furthermore, this paper also summarises the current changes and debates among the social partners and governments in relation to the setting and the level of minimum wages across Europe. It then looks into the area of ‘working poor’, that is people who are in employment but still at risk of poverty. To what extent do governments and social partners put forth policy responses to address the issue of in-work-poverty? And to what extent did the crisis have an impact? In order to answer these questions, the paper draws on Eurofound research on the situation of the ‘Working poor’. Finally the paper presents a collection of recent ‘information updates’ from the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) on various issues in relation to pay from Member States

Foundation Focus: Job Creation, Job Preservation or Job Loss? The Future of Europe\u27s Labour Market

This issue of Foundation Focus looks at the state of play of the European labour market and what governments, social partners and companies are doing to overcome the crisis. Over the last few years, many jobs have been lost, and mass unemployment has become the reality in some Member States. Eurofound’s latest European Quality of Life Survey points to growing inequalities and social exclusion. At the same time, the EU remains committed to the idea of creating and maintaining high-quality jobs. So where are these jobs going to come from? And is job quality being compromised in the attempt to cut costs and maintain competitiveness? All this and more in this issue of Foundation Focus