Lisa Marzano, Karen Ciclitira and Joanna R. Adler
The purpose of this paper is to understand the needs and motivations of incarcerated men who self-harm with no apparent suicidal intent. These have received little attention in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the needs and motivations of incarcerated men who self-harm with no apparent suicidal intent. These have received little attention in research and policy, despite men accounting for a high and increasing proportion of self-harm in prisons.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 adult male prisoners with a recent history or thoughts of non-suicidal self-harm. The interviews were analysed drawing on principles of thematic analysis and discourse analysis.
Findings
Against a backdrop of early traumatic experiences and more recent adverse events (including prison-related ones), self-harm was described by many as a desperate – but meaningful – coping strategy; both a means of releasing tension, sadness and frustration, and of being heard in an unresponsive system.
Originality/value
These findings echo those of research conducted with women (including women prisoners) who self-harm, but challenge some of the more negative ways in which non-suicidal male prisoner self-harm has been portrayed in the (scant) previous literature. As well as pointing to the need for greater awareness of the complex needs of men in prisons, they underscore the importance of (also) exploring – and perhaps addressing – the issue of self-harm separately from suicide, and of striving to make prisons, as well as prisoners, “healthier” and better able to cope with pressure.
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Claire Powell, Karen Ciclitira and Lisa Marzano
Imprisoned mothers are at increased risk for poor psychological health and psychological distress when separated from their children, so staff need to be highly skilled to support…
Abstract
Purpose
Imprisoned mothers are at increased risk for poor psychological health and psychological distress when separated from their children, so staff need to be highly skilled to support the women. However, there is a paucity of research focusing on staff experiences around sensitive issues such as mother–child separation. This study aims to understand the challenges faced by staff and how these might be addressed.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative interview study explored the views and experiences of 24 prison-based staff in England working with female prisoners separated from their infants.
Findings
Staff emphasised the challenges of working with separated mothers, specifically the emotional impact of this work, and the impact of the wider criminal justice system on their sense of agency.
Originality/value
A focus on the experience of separation highlights the broader problem of incarcerating women in general. Reducing the number of mother–child separations would mitigate the impact on both women and staff.
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Lisa Marzano and Joanna R. Adler
Research has consistently shown that staff working with people who self‐harm tend to experience a range of anxieties and negative emotions. Very little has been written on the…
Abstract
Research has consistently shown that staff working with people who self‐harm tend to experience a range of anxieties and negative emotions. Very little has been written on the particular issues and needs of staff in prisons, where rates of self‐harm are high. The current study gathered information about existing sources of support for staff dealing with prisoners who self‐harm, and identified positive practice examples. A postal survey was sent out to the Suicide Prevention Team Leaders from every HM Prison Service Establishment in England and Wales (139 in total). Fifty‐four surveys (38.8%) were completed and returned. Findings indicate that staff support services were reportedly in place in virtually all 54 establishments. However, the data suggest that even when present, provisions may not have adequately met the needs of staff working with prisoners who self‐harm, particularly when dealing with ‘repetitive’ self‐harming behaviours. These findings are discussed in relation to organizational health literature. Their practical and theoretical implications are considered, together with directions for further studies in this under‐researched area.
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Dave Neumann, Nicole Gilbertson and Lisa Hutton
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) invite students to engage in close reading of primary source texts from American history, but an overly rigid definition of close reading…
Abstract
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) invite students to engage in close reading of primary source texts from American history, but an overly rigid definition of close reading that excludes providing background knowledge threatens to undermine these efforts. This approach flies in the face of decades of research on successful reading comprehension strategies. It also rejects the extensive literature on discipline-based learning in history, which has routinely affirmed the importance of context for understanding primary source texts. Primary sources are typically drawn from a world different from that of the students in time or place, or both. Teachers should provide historical context to their students by giving them information about the time, location, and purpose for the creation of the source. They should also situate the source in a specific location—whether local, national, or international—and examine the source in relation to other events of the time. Context is not the enemy of close reading of primary sources; context is the very thing that makes close reading possible and meaningful.
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Ray Bloxham, Lisa C. Ehrich and Radha Iyer
Education reform aimed at achieving improved student learning is a demanding challenge for leaders and managers at all levels of education across the globe. In 2010, the position…
Abstract
Purpose
Education reform aimed at achieving improved student learning is a demanding challenge for leaders and managers at all levels of education across the globe. In 2010, the position of Assistant Regional Directors, School Performance (ARD-SP), was established to positively impact upon student learning across public schools in Queensland, Australia. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of the role and leadership understandings of ARDs in Queensland in order to understand more fully the tensions and opportunities they face within this reasonably newly created position.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study is based on interviews with 18 ARDs and two of their supervisors to gauge a better understanding of the nature of the role as it relates to leadership and management in the Queensland context.
Findings
Interview data revealed three key themes pertaining to the nature of the role and these were performance, supervision, and professional challenges. A key finding was that the notion of supervision was experienced as problematic for ARDs-SP.
Research limitations/implications
This study has limitations and these include a sample that focused on ARDs within one State of Australia and one schooling system (i.e. public education); and interviews were the primary data collection source.
Originality/value
Although there have been studies of supervisors of principals (referred to as superintendents, directors) in other countries and other systems, this study is a first to explore the tensions and opportunities faced by executive leaders in Queensland.
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TribalCrit permits the recognition of colonization as pervasive in our American society impacting all aspects of our societal structures, including the educational system. Forced…
Abstract
TribalCrit permits the recognition of colonization as pervasive in our American society impacting all aspects of our societal structures, including the educational system. Forced boarding schools for Native learners touted the goal of “Kill the Indian, Save the Man” as the mission of education in the United States, leaving an indelible strain between Native learners and the US educational system. Research from Native American scholars offers classroom instructional practices and strategies that support inclusive experiences based on truth and acknowledgment of racial and political liminal spaces. Implementing these strategies begins with informed lesson planning to ensure engagement in the instructional core between teacher, student, and content.
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Stefan Brauckmann and Petros Pashiardis
The overall purpose of the European Union‐funded Leadership Improvement for Student Achievement (LISA) project was to explore how leadership styles, as conceptualized in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The overall purpose of the European Union‐funded Leadership Improvement for Student Achievement (LISA) project was to explore how leadership styles, as conceptualized in the developed dynamic holistic leadership framework, directly or indirectly affect student achievement at the lower secondary level of education in seven European countries. This paper seeks to address this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
In its methodological design the study is a mixture of research methods and collaborative action research shared by acting school leaders and researchers. A series of statistical analyses was carried out in order to gather evidence whether the data from the LISA project supported the initially developed holistic leadership theoretical framework. Consequently, first some descriptive statistics are introduced in order to acquaint the reader with the kind of data the survey used from the schoolteacher questionnaires. Further, some explanations are laid out with regard to the methodologies employed in order to analyze the data, such as the treatment of missing data and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis structural equation models (SEM); then, a description of the main findings is offered through the analyses, which were conducted in order to predict school performance level from the relevant leadership style, followed by between‐countries comparisons and analyses. Finally, an in‐depth discussion and interpretations of the main findings – both integrative and concludive in nature – are offered.
Findings
The quantitative analyses stemming from confirmatory factor analysis and SEM identified five robust underlying dimensions of practised leadership styles across the seven participating European countries. Furthermore, the findings stemming from the logistic regression analyses pointed out clearly the complementary inter‐relationships of the main research questions of the study and analytical strands, especially with regard to the impact of certain intermediate variables on student achievement.
Originality/value
The expected results of this approach are predominantly assumed/seen as an enrichment in the grounding of hypothetical and theoretical ideas as well as professional development for both school principals and researchers. Such an equal contribution of school leaders and school leaders' organizations and researchers could probably provide a model for future professional development programs for both groups of professionals.
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Emma Marie Heard, Allyson Mutch, Lisa Fitzgerald and Rob Pensalfini
This research aimed to investigate the impacts of the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble Prison Project (QSEPP) on the health and wellbeing of participants, specifically with regard…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aimed to investigate the impacts of the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble Prison Project (QSEPP) on the health and wellbeing of participants, specifically with regard to social support.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with prisoners participating in the project to gain insight into perceived sense of support within the QSEPP and across the prison context more broadly.
Findings
The QSEPP encouraged participants to foster a range of support networks through the development of relationships built on trust, respect and shared experiences. Participants also developed communication skills which may assist with establishing and maintaining supportive relationships inside and outside of prison.
Research limitations/implications
This research highlights the inevitable challenges for researchers working within the prison context, including: correctional services’ limitations, time and space restrictions and small sample sizes. This research offers some potentially innovative ways to combat such challenges.
Practical implications
The study highlights the potential of theatre-based interventions in the prison context and their role in fostering social support and enhancing wellbeing.
Social implications
The research explores the potential role theatre may play in improving the health and wellbeing of a disadvantaged and marginalised group, providing skills to enhance access to supportive networks inside and outside prison.
Originality/value
To the best of our knowledge this is the first research of its kind and provides valuable insights into the role that theatre may play in fostering social support in the prison context.
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Alexandra DePalma, Deborah Noujaim, Emil Coman, Dorothy Wakefield and Lisa C. Barry
Older incarcerated persons are an especially vulnerable segment of the prison population, with high rates of multimorbidity. This study aims to determine the impact of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Older incarcerated persons are an especially vulnerable segment of the prison population, with high rates of multimorbidity. This study aims to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older incarcerated persons’ mental and physical health.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants were 157 currently-incarcerated persons age ≥50 years who were enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study before the pandemic. Anxiety symptoms (seven-item generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire), depressive symptoms (eight-item patient health questionnaire) and self-rated health (SRH) were assessed during in-person interviews completed before the pandemic and via mailed surveys during the pandemic (August–September 2020). A mediation model evaluated the relationship among anxiety, depression and SRH.
Findings
Participants were 96% male, racially diverse (41% White, 41% Black, 18% Hispanic/Other), with average age 56.0(±5.8) years. From before to during the pandemic, anxiety symptoms increased (worsened) (from 6.4 ± 5.7 to 7.8 ± 6.6; p < 0.001), depressive symptoms increased (worsened) (from 5.5 ± 6.0 to 8.1 ± 6.5; p < 0.001) and SRH decreased (worsened) (from 3.0 ± 0.2 to 2.6 ± 0.2; p < 0.001). The total effect of worsening anxiety symptoms on worsening SRH (−0.043; p < 0.001) occurs entirely because of worsening depressive symptoms, i.e. the direct effect was statistically non-significant −0.030 (p = 0.068).
Practical implications
Older incarcerated persons experienced worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic which was associated with worsening SRH. These findings have implications for health-care costs and services needed to care for this vulnerable group.
Originality/value
This is the first study to evaluate change in older incarcerated persons’ mental health from before the COVID-19 pandemic to during the pandemic.