Netcitizenship: addressing cyberevenge and sexbullying

This article discusses the phenomena of Cyberevenge, sexbullying, and sextortion, especially among young people. The discussion, based on extensive review of books, research reports, newspapers, journal articles and pertinent websites, analyzes these challenges. The article suggests some remedies to counter these online social ills which pertain to promoting responsibility of netcitizens, schools, governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and social networking sites

California's Health Care Safety Net: A Sector in Transition

The health care safety net is a patchwork of programs and providers that serve low-income Californians without private health insurance. Changes in the economy, government budgets, and health care policy can influence how the safety-net population gets medical care.This report covers a period of transition with the 2014 implementation of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which expanded Medi-Cal eligibility to most adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level and established state exchanges where individuals can purchase health insurance, often with federal subsidies

Sextortion: Psychological Effects Experienced and Seeking Help and Reporting Among Emerging Adults

Sextortion is a phenomenon that has made an impact on the digital technology domain. Sexting is a transmission of sensual messages or performances, provocation, and schemes exhibited through an array of sexual behaviors. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the psychological effects experienced of sextortion and to uncover the willingness to seek help and report the incident to authorities. Arnett\u27s emerging adulthood theory provided the framework for this study. The sample consisted of N = 27 responders between 18-24 years of age who have engaged in sexting behaviors and may or may not have experienced sextortion. Simple and multiple regressions were performed using convenience samples to test predictor variables, emotional distress, self-esteem, general help-seeking, reasons for calling the police, disclosure expectations, and self-stigma to seek help and outcome variable, sextortion. Statistically significant correlations existed among variables. Overall, the results displayed insignificant effects of the predictor variables on the outcome variable. The effect of sextortion on the difference in the level of emotional distress revealed no significance, F(1, 25) = 1.96, p = .174. The effect of sextortion on self-esteem exhibited no significance, F(1, 25) = .054, p = .818. The effects of sextortion on general help-seeking, reasons for calling the police, disclosure expectations, and self-stigma to seek help collectively uncovered no significance, F(1, 25) = 3.105, p =.109. The sample size used based on the respective predictor variable, presented challenges to achieve significance at acceptable levels. This study provided a foundation for the implementation of mental health services, prevention programs, and support for those who were found to have experienced sextortion

A participação dos cidadãos nos média portugueses : estímulos e constrangimentos

Tese de doutoramento em Ciências da Comunicação (área de especialização em Sociologia da Comunicação)Será porventura intrínseco à natureza dos meios de comunicação social um determinado apelo à implicação daqueles a quem se dirigem (Wolton, 2009; Carpentier & Cleen, 2008). No caso específico do jornalismo, discute-se hoje a natureza de uma eventual maior propensão de trocas comunicativas entre os média e os cidadãos, por via de condições técnicas e tecnológicas favoráveis (Cruz & Bragança, 2002; Harley, 1996), capazes de retroalimentar os processos comunicativos, transfigurando os estáticos papeis de emissor e recetor (Cloutier, 2002). No seio dos estudos em Comunicação, este movimento dialético entre o jornalismo e o público associase frequentemente ao conceito de ‘participação nos média’, como o momento em que as audiências conseguem inscrever a sua voz no discurso jornalístico num determinado formato (Carpentier, 2011; Pinto, 2010; Deuze, 2006, Huesca, 1996). Ora, recortando apenas uma dessas esferas onde este complexo termo intervém, esta investigação problematiza, em primeiro lugar, o conceito de cidadania enquadrado no espaço público e mais concretamente nos média para, num segundo momento, refletir sobre os condicionalismos tecnológicos que servem audiências potencialmente mais ativas e envolvidas no discurso jornalístico. Desta forma, o presente trabalho procura avaliar de que forma está montado o ‘cenário participativo’ nos média portugueses, conhecendo os cidadãos que dele tomam parte e compreendendo as políticas levadas a cabo pelos responsáveis mediáticos. Para tal, convocámos uma amostra que procura representar uma abordagem multidisciplinar do jornalismo, concretizada em diversos espaços participativos: na rádio, o Fórum TSF da TSF – Rádio Notícias; na televisão, o Opinião Pública da SIC Notícias; na imprensa, o Jornal de Notícias com as Cartas do Leitor, e na imprensa online a edição do PÚBLICO com as caixas de comentário às notícias. Resgatando um conceito tradicionalmente associado ao campo político (Dahlgren, 2006), procuramos atualizá-lo numa perspetiva reconfigurada, num novo paradigma comunicacional, conscientes de que poderá ser crucial repensar esta relação em épocas de contenção orçamental e financeira, uma vez que estará inclusivamente em causa a própria sobrevivência dos meios que dependem inexoravelmente das audiências.It is in the essence of the media some sort of contribution from their audiences (Wolton, 2009; Carpentier & Cleen, 2008). In the particular case of journalism, new communicative dialogues between media and citizens are said to be fostered as social and technological possibilities (Cruz & Bragança, 2002; Harley, 1996) are keen to alter the traditional roles of the sender and receiver (Cloutier, 2002). In the grasp of several studies in Communication Studies, this relationship has been also posed in terms of the concept ‘citizens’ participation in media’ as the particular moment where audiences are able to include their voices in the media discourse (Carpentier, 2011; Pinto, 2010; Deuze, 2006, Huesca, 1996). Thus, as we may include this concept in numerous areas of social life, this research tries to question the role of ‘citizenship’ in an overall perspective within the public space, focusing then in the media scope. Subsequently a discussed will be made on how those technological conditions are in fact promoting an evolutionary process inside passive audiences, turning them into active ones. Consequently this investigation will try to evaluate how Portuguese media are working to build the participative opportunities for their audiences in a journalistic level, as well as observe what kind of characteristics are typical in those whom participate, questioning media productions about their real motivations for opening the gate to the public opinion and participation. In this regard, an observation was proceeded into some participative formats held by the media, in a multidisciplinary approach: in radio, Fórum TSF from TSF – Rádio Notícias; in television, Opinião Pública from SIC Notícias; in press, Jornal de Notícias and their Letters-to-theeditor; and in online press, the news’ comment sections from the newspaper PÚBLICO. As the concept of ‘participation’ is traditionally analysed from a political point of view Dahlgren (2006), this research aims to save this concept from this tendency, updating it in this particular media scope, in a renewed communicational paradigm, thus it may be crucial in such difficult times, to define clearly how media productions can work towards a better inclusion of their audiences, as every journalist organization depends obviously on those whom they work