Influence of specialized hotels on employees’ perception of abuse in the selective tourism destination

Purpose This paper aims to determine to what extent there is a difference in employees’ perception of abuse in the selective tourism destination in various types of specialized hotels. Design/methodology/approach A survey of employees in specialized hotels in the selective tourism destination has the sample of 1,796 cases. Multivariate analysis of variance is used for testing the level of perception’s differences. Findings There is a statistically significant difference in the perception of abuse among employees in various types of specialized hotels such as wellness hotels, sport hotels, business hotels and congress hotels. Research limitations/implications The results offer employees’ perception of differences about abuse in various types of specialized hotels in the selective tourism destination. There is a possibility of practical usage of methodology for identification of the most often types of abuse in specialized hotels. The identification of abuse is to protect specific social structures such as employees in specialized hotels in the selective tourism destination. Originality/value Research could serve as a good example for future practical and theoretical research in the field of abuse and specialized hotels. The paper can be used as a methodological tool to show how to identify the most often types of abuse in specialized hotels in a concrete selective tourism destination.

Emotionally Abusive Behavior in Italian Middle School Teachers as Identified by Students

The aim of this article was to estimate the prevalence of psychological maltreatment in Italian middle school students by their teachers, and to test the applicability of surveying instruments for this phenomenon in Italian educational settings. The sample consisted of 105 teachers and 128 middle school students, who were asked about their experiences with emotionally abusive behaviors (i.e., demeaning, discriminating, dominating, destabilizing, distancing, and diverse) in the Italian school system. Teachers did not tend to perceive their behavior as abusive, while the students showed a very high perception of abuse (98%). Males were more likely to be victims of abuse, and they also reported lower scores in the Achievement scale. Emotional child abuse is highly present in Italian educational settings, and there is a strong need for interventions aimed at supporting teacher education, in the hopes of increasing the general well-being in schools.

Detection and Intervention Strategies by Primary Health Care Professionals in Suspected Elder Abuse

<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> Primary health care professionals are in a privileged position to recognize and manage cases of suspected elder abuse. The purpose of this study was to provide some insight of these professionals’ views and knowledge on this subject.<br /><strong>Material and Methods:</strong> A questionnaire was elaborated and sent to physicians and nursing staff practicing in 12 different health care units in Coimbra. The data collected included parameters related to demography, perception of abuse and management strategies, personal experience and training on this subject.<br /><strong>Results: </strong>The global response rate was 67.9% corresponding to 127 validated questionnaires. From the results found, we highlight the following: there was a significant contact between these professionals and older people; most (64.6%) considered the abuse as more prevalent in the familiar context and 32.3% signed negligence as the most common type; the majority of professionals considered themselves as useful (97.6%); the uncertainty in the diagnosis was one of the most important causes for non-reporting; there were doubts concerning mandatory report of abuse to judicial authorities. It was also found that 87.4% of the respondents stated they would<br />feel more comfortable having formal protocol to handle these cases and this subject was not included in the training curriculum of 70.9% of the respondents.<br /><strong>Discussion:</strong> The significant contact between older population and health care professionals allows for an early diagnose and<br />intervention. The professionals showed knowledge in accordance to some studies, namely, as to the context and prevalence of abuse. Doubts as to the best way to manage these cases could be solved by implementing protocols and by specific training, which is a fundamental cornerstone for preparing professionals to deal with these kind of cases.<br /><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Health care professionals seemed to be aware of the relevance of elder abuse, as well as the importance of their role in preventing and diagnosing these abuses. However, a more extensive approach on this subject during clinical training and the definition of general clinical guidelines are important to increase the professionals’ confidence in managing suspected cases.</p>

Professionals' Criteria for Detecting and Reporting Child Sexual Abuse

Professionals who are likely to come into contact with children play an essential role in the protection of children, thus we aimed to study the criteria they use to identify and report child sexual abuse cases. Based on the Factorial Survey design, we presented 974 Spanish (90%) and Latin American professionals from six fields (Psychology, Social Services, Education, Health, Law and Security) with hypothetical situations of sexual interaction with minors (systematically varying the type of sexual act, the child's and the other person's sex and age, the use of coercion and the type of strategy employed to involve the child), in order to examine their perception of abuse and willingness to report. According to results, the factors or criteria that most impact assessments are age asymmetry and use of coercion. Specifically, professionals are significantly more likely to perceive abuse and intend to report it if the other person involved in the interaction is much older than the minor and/or uses a coercive strategy, especially force, drugs or blackmail. Another relevant criterion is the type of sexual act, since acts involving intercourse, digital penetration or oral sex are significantly more likely to be deemed as abuse and reported.