Differences in help-seeking tendency in intimate partner violence between Jewish and Arab women in Israel.

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has many consequences for the physical and mental health of the victims. One strategy for coping with IPV is to turn to formal and informal sources for help. The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in help seeking tendency in cases of IPV between Jewish and Arab women in Israel and the connection to their mental health. Method: We administered a structured quantitative questionnaire to a sample of 357 Jewish (44.8%) and 439 Arab (55.2%) women. Results: The findings indicate that Jewish women tend to seek help more often than do Arab women, and that there are differences in the targets they approach. Jewish women turn more frequently to unofficial sources, such as friends, relatives, and associations, whereas Arab women approach more often official sources such as social workers and clergy. Conclusions: We propose an explanation for the differences based on socio-cultural factors. This study illustrates that it is necessary to act with cultural sensitivity and adapt the help options offered to the culture to which the women belong. This adjustment may encourage more women to apply for support to escape the world of violence.

Public perceptions of medical cannabis diversion: A legal and moral dilemma.

The study examined public perception in Israel of the severity of medical cannabis diversion, its morality, and normativeness. The sample included 380 participants who completed a quantitative questionnaire to respond to four scenarios about diverting medical cannabis to a person with/without a license and with/without a small payment (a 2×2 design). The findings show that although the participants received advance information about the severity of medical cannabis diversion as a drug trafficking offense, they perceived the severity of the offense as moderate, and as an act that is at least moderately moral and normative. The findings are explained based on moral theories. We discuss the implications of the findings in relation to the gap between public attitudes and legal policy.

Public perception of guilt and deserved punishment in medical cannabis diversion.

INTRODUCTION: Illegal drug diversion is a well-documented social problem that has received little research attention, despite the growing use of medical cannabis (MC) worldwide. This study examines public attitudes towards the punishment of MC diversion in Israel. METHOD: We used a quantitative method. Participants were 399 Israelis who were given five scenarios of MC diversion to persons with and without a licence, with and without payment, and for personal profit. RESULTS: Respondents' attitudes differed with respect to the guilt and deserved punishment of the traffickers as a function of whether the recipient did or did not have a licence and did or did not pay for the MC. Transfers to individuals without a licence and for payment were judged more harshly than those to individuals without payment, whether or not they had a licence. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The discussion addresses the findings with reference to Kohlberg's moral development theory. The findings of the study attest to the importance of public attitudes in shaping legal policy in Israel.

Substances as Self-Treatment for Cognitive Test Anxiety among Undergraduate Students.

This research investigates associations between cognitive test anxiety (CTA) and use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and medical and non-medical prescription stimulants (MNPS) among undergraduate students in Israel. A structured, self-report, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 814 undergraduate students in Israel. According to the test anxiety questionnaire, 16.6% of participants were found to experience CTA. CTA was higher among users of MNPS than among students who did not use MNPS. Students with CTA were 2.21 times more likely to engage in use of MNPS than students who did not have CTA (OR 2.21, 95% CI: 1.50-3.26; P < 0.001). A significant association was found between CTA and use of MNPS among the entire sample and among non-medical use of prescription stimulants (NPS). In addition, a significant negative correlation was found between CTA and attitudes toward cannabis and MNPS, such that students with higher CTA had more positive attitudes towards MNPS. A logistic regression model was found to be significant, predicting about 24.7% of the variance in MNPS use. Counseling services for students should be focused on consulting and treatment programs for students with CTA. In addition, preventive educational programs should be formed to target substance habits, especially NPS use.

The Relation Between a Sense of Meaning in Life and Suicide Potential Among Disadvantaged Adolescent Girls.

The study examines the influence of the sense of meaning in life, or its absence, on the suicide potential of disadvantaged adolescent girls in Israel who reside in boarding school ( n = 50) compared with adolescent girls in a rehabilitation project ( n = 31), and between them and normative adolescent girls ( n = 128). The research findings indicate a negative relation between meaning in life and suicide potential, which exists only among the normative adolescent girls and the disadvantaged adolescent girls residing in the boarding school. This relation does not exist among the disadvantaged adolescent girls in the rehabilitation project. The explanation for this unusual finding is, apparently, the early stage of rehabilitation at which the adolescent girls are found. In conclusion, this study joins previous studies that propose prevention, intervention, and therapy programs based on increasing adolescent (disadvantaged and not disadvantaged) strength factors by finding meaning to their lives.

Differences in Psychoactive Substance Abuse Between Youths Residing in and Outside Conflict Zones as a Function of Level of Religiosity and Political Commitment.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of the unique characteristics of residing in security and political conflict zones on the willingness to use and on the actual abuse of psychoactive substances. The study focuses on the differences between youths residing in and outside conflict zones in Israel. The present study examines the link between the adolescents' level of psychoactive substance abuse and town size as well as the youths' level of ideological commitment and religiosity. 1032 adolescents aged 14-18 participated in the study. 595 (57%) lived in the nonconflict zones and 437 (43%) in conflict zones. The findings reveal that the level of psychoactive substance abuse among youths residing in conflict zones is significantly lower than that found among youths living outside conflict zones. Moreover, although town size and level of religiosity are linked to psychoactive substance abuse, no such link was found with the level of ideological commitment or place of residence (within or outside conflict zones). The study findings underscore the important effect of social supervision and perceived norms in the adolescents' environment with regard to their willingness to use psychoactive substances and to their actual abuse of such substances.