Social Welfare
Year:2006 | Volume:5 | Issue:19|Papers Count:18

Objective: The objective of this study was to systematically review the findings of researches on the prevalence and patterns of drug use among students. Method: The reviewed documents included scientific papers published in indexed journals as well as internal non-indexed journals, theses, presentations in seminars and reports released by researchers and organizations. Findings of studies about three indicators including "lifetime use", "current use" and "daily abuse" on opium, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, hailucinogens, ecstasy and steroids have been presented in this paper. Findings: This review shows that almost all studies have been conducted after the year 1999. Many studies have methodological problems that limit their utility. Nevertheless it can be concluded that alcohol followed by opium and cannabis are the most common illegal drugs used by this population. In Iran, the number of students that are dependent to opium estimated to be between 6000 to 10000. Result: Conducting national good quality studies as well as developing an accurate monitoring system for assessing changes in prevalence and patterns of drug use in students are recommended.

Objectives: The present study aimed to recognize the character and temperament dimensions of personality, the intermediate psychological risky and protective variables of drug use in boy adolescents, and to achieve a model for defining the types and rates of interactions between those aforesaid factors with the drug abuse itself on the other hand. Method: The sample included n=725 adolescent boys aged 16 to 18 years divided into three groups of adolescent those who had not used drugs, and those who had. The experiences of drug use, but stopped drug use in the year before, and finally those who were drug users. Data were collected by filling in the short form of Temperament Character Inventory (T.C.I), Youth Self Report (Y.S.R) check list, drug use attitude questionnaire, and drug use questionnaire. The Amos-4 soft ware was applied for Structural Equation Modeling (S EM).Findings: Significant differences were found between the groups, given some qualities in their temperaments, characters, affective I behavioral and attitude problems. On the other side, the drug use model in adolescent boys contained fitness in the psychological level. Result: The results by Structural Equation Modeling indicated that measurement indices of the components have acceptable validity and reliability accordingly, based on these components, one can present a model in the psychological level as to define the drug use in adolescent boys.

Objective: Divorce as a phenomenon leading to instability of the families can affect children's life in different aspects, and have been studied in different researches. This study is on mental health and self-esteem of children from intact families, children under paternal custody and children under maternal custody. Method: In this study ninety students (boys) in three groups of thirty from Islamshahr junior high schools were chosen (boys under paternal custody and boys under maternal custody and boys from intact families) and careful attention was paid to matching. The tools in this study were Cooper Smith self-esteem questionnaire (adolescence form) and General health questionnaire (GHQ-28). Findings: The result demonstrated a higher degree of self-esteem and mental health in children from intact families then in children from divorced families (both for paternal custody or maternal custody). Taking about self-esteem although, there weren't any considerable differences between boys under paternal custody and those who were under maternal custody, but the total of mental health score in the second group (e.g. boys under maternal custody) was more than the former one. Furthermore, the subscales in the first group have gotten higher ranks.      

Objective: The present study was designed for prediction of adolescents risk behaviors on the basis of positive & negative mental health. For this purpose 6 domains of risk behaviors were studied: violence, suicide, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, substance abuse and unsafe sexual relationship. Method: Subjects were included 385 adolescents (197 girls & 188 boys) 14 - 16years old that were students in grade one to three of high schools in region 5 of Tehran in 83-84 educational year. In order to collect the data, demographic characteristic questionnaire, GHQ-28, psychological well-being scale (p.w.s) and risk behaviors checklist were used. Findings: The findings indicate that there is significant difference in most of positive and negative mental health indicators between adolescents with risk behaviors and those haven't. Result: The results of this research demonstrated that both of positive and negative mental health's involve in incidence of adolescent risk behaviors. Therefore both of dimensions of mental health should be paid attention for designing of preventive interventions.      

Objective: Although self-concept and its different dimensions have recently received scholars and researchers' attention, factors affecting on this concept have not been yet recognized completely. This research aims to study the role of mothers' employment, Parent's disputes, separation, Parents' education and the number of children of high school students on students' family self-concept. Method: 3935 public school students were selected randomly from high schools across the country. Findings: The analysis of data revealed that the parents disputes, parent's separation, mothers' employment, fathers' education, and gender have significant relationship with family self-concept. However, there was no significant relationship between the number of children and mothers' education with self-concept. Result: The multi-variance regression revealed that the two variables of: parents disputes and parents' education have more prominent role in predicting family self-concept. Parents' disputes is the best predictor in this respect.      

Objectives: This project studies the direct & indirect impact of social self-efficacy on depression of Iranian Adolescents. Method: The subjects of the study were 946 students (471 girls and 475 boys) of Tehran. Child Depression Inventory (CDI), Children Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, Social Avoidance Scale, Peer Rejection Questionnaire & Child Social Support Questionnaire were used Data were analyzed by Lisrel project path analysis. Findings: The direct impact of social self-efficacy on depression was not significant but the indirect impact of social self-efficacy on depression by social avoidance, peer rejection & social support were significant. Result: The Social self-efficacy impact on depression was not shown directly but indirectly by social avoidance, peer rejection and social support.      

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the coping strategies among adolescents in different identity status based on Marcia theory in Tehran. Method: Four hundred sixty- seven adolescents (235 girls and 232 boys) were selected from four schooling regions in Tehran by cluster sampling. The subjects were the grade high school or pre- university courses. They were assessed using the questionnaire "Ego identity process" and "Adolescents coping strategies". Findings: The findings of this study realed that, there was a significant difference in the coping strategies in adolescents in different identity status. Considering the importance of coping strategies in reaching identity achievement and solved identity crises, it is strongly suggested that coping skill training with an emphasis on specific coping strategies.    

Objective: This research was conducted to investigate factors related to value conflict between parents and children (fathers and students in the fourth year of high school). Method: The method is survey research. The basic variables of this research are contradiction of norms, individualism family contradiction with the reference group, value diversity and identity crisis, as independent variables, and value conflict as dependent variable. Samples of research are pre-university students in Amol. 240 students were chosen by simple random sampling. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation) were used. Findings: It was found that there are significant relationships between variables such as contradiction of norms, fathers as reference groups, family conflicts, individualism, educational styles, identity crisis, and value conflict.      

Objective: Children of the street is such a problem that concern many of contemporary societies, whether it is developed or underdevelopment. Method: This research had studied "children of street" phenomena in five big cities (Tehran, Mashhad, Ahvaz, Shiraz, Rasht) with surrey method. Findings: Research findings indicates that some factors includes, misconduct of socializing institutions such as families and schools, economic poverty of children's families and their disability in adapting and coping with big cities' way of life, pollution and pathos of marginal communities, not to being controlled by responsible organizations, and mischievous patterns of interaction between citizens and the children, all are working together to raising, spreading, and to be continuing of children of the street as an involving problem in many of our big cities.      

Objective: Street children problem is one of the most serious issues of underdeveloped communities in the world such as Iran, nowadays. Method: This paper tries to review international concepts, approaches and Iranian governmental programs for street children and presents a definite evaluation of official policies regarding street children in Iran at the same time. Findings: This evaluation shows tendency of change in governmental policies for street children from gathering toward attracting them to the supportive centers and separating the working street children from the children of the street in one hand, and a little attention to basic reasons of the problem, weakness in holding children's trust to governmental centers, poor services and weak following up of children's situation after discharging of the centers. Result: Then, reducing street children's problem needs programs that focus on resolving its basic reasons, evaluation and promotion of supportive programs.      

Objective: Considering the importance of Coping with stressor changes in life and the effect of Dysfunctional attitudes in using avoidance mechanism and passive coping (runaway) and forming schema in traumatic family situation and expressing them on critical period of adolescence, the purpose of this research is to study the effect of dysfunctional attitudes on runaway girls. Method: The design used in this research was the ex post facto. The subjects consisted of 60 runaway girls organized in shelters and 60 normal girls at Tehran night schools that in three domains (age, educational and economical status) were similar to them. Both groups were selected through stratified random sampling and responded to weissman and beck Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS). Findings: The results showed that the DAS score and scores of runaway girls in different lower scales were significantly higher than normal. The results, also, showed that there was not a significant relationship between DAS score with age and economical status, but we found significant relationship between DAS and educational situation. Result: The results showed that, Dysfunctional Attitudes may serve as vulnerability factors that placed individuals at greater risk for runaway. Also considering the formatting cognitive schema in child period (beck theory) we can say that the age of runaway girls have no effect on their cognitive distortion. Also, the results showed relationship between running away and education level.      

Objective: This article studies the relationship between child abuses by parents and the appearing of wickedness in their children in future. This survey and its questionnaire are framed on observational learning theory of Bandura & Berkowitz (learning of crime and delinquency with observation. of parents behaviors by children). Method: the statistical community is the whole of wicked guilty persons who had been delivered to Khuzestan prisons in 2005. The sample consists of eighty convicted prisoners that were selected randomly, then they responded to child abuse questionnaire and their judicial dossiers were studied. Findings: The main hypothesis was confirmed. There is a significant relation between above variables. The other related variables consist of literacy, single parenthood, and early divorce in family. With reduction in age and literacy of the prisoners, their crime' intensity increased. Subjects mainly (98%) were male because of specific social circumstances and girls position for parents. A great majority of prisoners (90%) referred to being abused by parents (mainly by fathers) in childhood. Result: The abuse consists of child abuse, sexual abuse and neglect or prevention of food and recreation. Coefficient of child abuse questionnaire by even-odd method obtained 82%. The mean of score in the questionnaire was 60 while low and high range was 20-100 respectively. That it was higher than median of questionnaire score. Researchers suggest the formation of a comprehensive social work system with powerful legal & judiciary tools for following, prevention child abuse cases. Other recommendations consist of recording of child abuse in family, planning and teaching child abuse texts for students.      

Objective: Social Security as an essential element for modem life, formed in follow of world wide evolutions in concepts of rights and political thoughts of governing. In spite of many researches in the field of social security from social, economic, political and historical view points, there were not often legal analyses in this matter. Method: The purpose of this paper is to study the social security creation and completion process according to the history of global conventions and provisions. Findings: There are two per-suppositions for this research: the relation between rights and duties, afterwards social security as one part of human rights.      

Objective: The purpose of this paper is a performance assessment of health system in IRAN based on its financial function. The measurement of achievement in fairness of financial contribution starts with the concept of a household's contribution to the financing of the health system. The health financial contribution of a household is defined as the ratio of total household spent on health to its income above subsistence. Method: The distribution of households' financial contribution is calculated using household survey data which includes information on income (individual level) and household expenditure (by goods and services including health).To allow for comparisons of the fairness of financial contribution, the distribution of health financial contribution across households has been summarized using an index that known as Fair Financial Contribution (F.F.C.I.). Findings: This research shows that in 2002 FFCI in IRAN was 0.815 and there were more than 3.9 percent of population, under catastrophic expenditure. We applied econometrical instrument to analysis the characters affect the risk of catastrophic expenditure. Result: This analysis shows that the insurance protection has a meaningful effect on this risk.      

Objective: Nowadays social participation is the most controversial and challenging subject in underdeveloped countries and the Third World, and the internal conditions in such communities plus international requirements make its fulfillment and institutionalization a double priority. According to during development planning is not a subject that must be treated merely from physical and economical development viewpoint but is a change in the political power development of technology and rationalization of lifestyle. The experience of Islamic Revolution in 1979 from on side and the diversity of tribes in Iran and widespread immigration to cities from towns and particularly to Tehran and the juvenile nature of the country's population and expansion of science and education on the other side renders social participation a pressing necessity There are two types of social. Participation: psychological participation and sociological. In this article we are examining the theory of Rogers, a famous psychological theoretician, and are trying to experiment his thesis from the point of view of realities prevailing in Iranian community in the past several decades (from geographical, historical, social, philosophical, cultural and psychological aspects), and want to see whether that theory reflects the realities in the process of social participation in Iran or not. Method: Our method of study is a combination of library and field studies. In our field survey our statistical community is composed of the citizens of Tehran at the age of 15years old and above. Findings: our studies have, to some extent, revealed a meaningful relationship between the individual personality features (rural subcultures) and social participation. As statistics have shown there is a meaningful relationship between rural subcultures and the mental desire for social participation whereas the relationship direction is negative. In other words the more the people are impressed by rural sub-culture, the more they are willing to participate in the society, whereas in its outward aspect there is no meaningful relationship between rural-subcultures and social participation, and this lack of relationship emanates from several factors including lack of confidence against higher institutions and lack of necessary conditions for social participation.