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Purpose: Parent-focused interventions (PFIs) are a promising method for supporting parents and promoting children's well-being. Few PFIs in the USA, however, include physical health promotion content and are universal programs. The purpose of this paper is to describe a universal health-promoting PFI for parents of elementary school-aged children and demonstrate proof of concept. Design/methodology/approach: The program emphasizes positive parenting practices, stress management skills and physical health promotion strategies and recommendations, and is part of a larger initiative that includes a continuum of universal, developmentally appropriate, health-promoting PFIs for civilian and military parents. The program was implemented at two community sites in rural Pennsylvania with 20 civilian parents completing pretests and posttests. Study measures assessed parenting, stress and stress management and physical health promotion related outcomes. Findings: Parents reported decreases in suboptimal discipline and feeding practices, stress and child internalizing behavior. They also reported increases in their sense of control in managing child behavior, coping socialization, child's outdoor playtime and health recommendations met. Research limitations/implications: While these preliminary findings may not be generalizable, they serve as proof of concept, which suggests that more rigorous research on the program is warranted. Practical implications: Implementing a universal, health-promoting PFI within the USA is viable and has the potential to impact multiple short-term outcomes. Originality/value: Parents are among their child's earliest and most influential educators, and this study lends further support to their role as health educators. Given the significant public health benefits of holistically promoting child health, the time has come for universal PFIs to begin including physical health promotion content.

This article explores the experiences of adolescent males in Cambodia who, simultaneous to their maltreatment and marginalization within the family and community, have reduced opportunities to produce identities of sociomoral value through access to cultural capital. It draws on ethnographic data gathered from adolescents boys aged 9 to 16 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, through in-depth interviews and participant observation. The article examines why and how these so-called "bad boys" are forming gang subcultures as a site of resistance, stressing their role as social actors who make competent and considered lifestyle choices as per their social constraints and opportunities. Gang membership is demonstrated to offer bad boys varying benefits. Yet significant individual and societal risks also arise from these boys' gang involvement. In conclusion, therefore, it is advocated that development practitioners work with bad boys through, rather than against, their subcultures, supporting them to identify alternative means of negotiating social inclusion.

Qualitative researchers are often confronted by ethical challenges when making research decisions because current guidelines and principles guiding research ethics do not wholly cover the concerns that can arise in complex social research situations. In this article, the authors explore this dilemma in relation to our experiences of conducting sensitive qualitative research with vulnerable groups in developing countries of Asia and the Pacific. With a focus on informed consent, the authors offer three case examples to explicate the difficulties faced in matching ethics theory with proforma approval requirements, which may limit the application of more expansive approaches to research design. To conclude, the authors put forth recommendations for modifications to the ethics system as a whole to promote greater collaboration and inclusion of qualitative researchers to the review and practice of research ethics in Australia. (Contains 3 figures and 2 notes.)

This paper relates to the Australian government's community awareness campaign, as part of the Action Plan to Eradicate Trafficking in Persons, which was announced in October 2003 in response to evidence of human trafficking in Australia. The authors explore the challenges that are likely to be encountered during the implementation of the campaign using empirical data from two Victorian studies, the first of which explored community awareness of trafficking and the second of which examined Victoria Police and local government's responses to trafficking. We conclude that there are significant barriers to both the community and authorities identifying suspicious activities and acting on reports by community. In addition, institution challenges faced by Victoria police and local government in dealing with referred information appropriately will jeopardise the success of the initiative. Keywords: Human trafficking, Australia, Introduction Human trafficking' (hereinafter referred to as trafficking) is a human rights issue of grave concern that has, befittingly, received increasing global attention over recent years. In saying this, trafficking [...]

This article explores the experiences of adolescent males in Cambodia who, simultaneous to their maltreatment and marginalization within the family and community, have reduced opportunities to produce identities of sociomoral value through access to cultural capital. It draws on ethnographic data gathered from adolescents boys aged 9 to 16 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, through in-depth interviews and participant observation. The article examines why and how these so-called bad boys are forming gang subcultures as a site of resistance, stressing their role as social actors who make competent and considered lifestyle choices as per their social constraints and opportunities. Gang membership is demonstrated to offer bad boys varying benefits. Yet significant individual and societal risks also arise from these boys' gang involvement. In conclusion, therefore, it is advocated that development practitioners work with bad boys through, rather than against, their subcultures, supporting them to identify alternative means of negotiating social inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]