Social Review

Autism-specific emergency management for law enforcement and public service intervention

Brigitta McNeill — 2024-06-30

There are several components of emergency treatment for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that are currently unresolved in our country due to the lack of a developed protocol. It includes emergency care, intervention by law enforcement, forensic tools, specific preparedness of disaster management and crisis intervention by social work. In this study, we would like to highlight the special role of law enforcement and disaster management in emergency situations and the need for coordinated practical training of these professions in addition to their preventive work. In the case of autism spectrum disorder, it is extremely difficult to establish a uniform protocol, a problem that arises from the specific nature of the condition, as its symptoms are spread across the spectrum. However, our professional recommendations are designed to enable emergency professionals to intervene quickly and effectively in two specific areas for the majority of people with autism spectrum disorder. These two major areas of emergency management of people with autism spectrum disorder requiring law enforcement and public intervention explored in more detail are: the role of emergency management in the search for missing people with ASD and the ASD-specific tasks of emergency health. Our aim is to summarise the most basic professional recommendations for those working in the field, which they can use in their daily practice.

In memoriam Zsuzsa Ferge

Zsombor Farkas — 2024-06-30

Attitudes toward ethnic minorities among Thai students in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Vijittra Chaosan Lanham — 2024-06-30

The increase of cultural diversity in Chiang Mai society has generated the need for introducing intercultural education in the educational system. It is crucial to prepare the young generation to interact with those perceived as “different.” The aim of the current study is to examine the majority attitude of Gen Z school students toward ethnic minority groups in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The study was based on an online survey with 14- to 19-year-old adolescents from the members of the majority group (Khon Muang). Data was collected from 265 students across two schools, a multicultural school (MS) and a predominantly Thai school (PTS). The study gathered demographic information, attitudes toward minorities, and intergroup contact experiences. Our results show generally positive attitudes toward ethnic minorities among the participants, with a significant proportion supporting social inclusion. However, students from the predominantly Thai school (PTS) demonstrated statistically significant, more negative attitudes regarding realistic threat, compared to the students from the multicultural school (MS). Gender differences in attitudes were contrast to our expectation, showing that the acceptance of intergroup marriage was positively higher in male groups. The study showed an expected association between the number of outgroup friendships and more positive outgroup attitudes. Lastly, factors such as gender and maternal education were explored by regression analysis on the perceptions of realistic threat, but these did not significantly predict attitudes toward ethnic minorities among Thai students. The findings point to the importance of supporting cultural diversity in schools and promoting multicultural education in the classroom.

Challenges to participatory development: The Mongolian example

Unurmaa Uuganbayar — 2024-06-30

The aim of the study is to identify some barriers to strengthening direct citizen participation in Local Development Funds, a mechanism to involve local people at the decision-making level by evaluating public participation. The IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum, developed by the International Association for Public Participation was used in the study. This study will contribute to explaining citizens' participation level in LDF. The results may suggest potential legislative and structural changes for the fund and defining new community social worker roles in Mongolia. Furthermore, the results will clarify what actions are needed for sub-administrative units to increase citizens’ participation.

BBM Gardens: Experiences of a social organization's social garden experiment

Szilvia Nyers — 2024-06-30

How to revitalise and start to rebuild social relations in an integrated way in an ever-changing urban context is becoming an increasingly timely question. First and foremost, to ensure that individuals do not live alienated and isolated, but socially embedded and organised in community. Secondly, to promote their economic well-being and thirdly, to promote adaptation to environmental challenges. This holistic approach is represented by the Budapest Bike Maffia, a grassroots initiative in the capital city, who use social gardening as a tool to make the relationship between vulnerable groups and their environment more sustainable. In the context of urban agriculture, they are not only building seedlings, but also trust and a network of relationships between members of society.

Psychosocial aspects of premature birth

Dóra Monostori — 2024-06-30

Social work with families raising premature children is a special field that requires in-depth knowledge of the aspects of premature birth. Premature birth has a prevalence of about 9% in Hungary; thus, social work has numerous areas where this knowledge is required in family counselling. Premature birth as a loss event results in a unique coping strategy that is associated with both short- and long-term effects. In line with studies from the scientific literature and our results, suddenness, unpreparedness, trauma chain, stress and difficulties of the parent-child bonding are important elements of the process.

Messages of “care policy”

Nóra L. Ritók — 2024-06-30