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This study aims to examine social determinants and social strains of cyberbullying victimization among expatriate populations in high-income countries such as Qatar. The authors argue that expatriate students will be exposed to stains and pressures due to several factors, such as feeling alienated, lonely, homesick, insecure and helpless. This study examines a partial assumption of general strain theory (GST), which posits that expats’ cyberbullying victimization can create negative stimuli that lead to negative feelings and, as a result, to delinquent behavior. The delinquent behavior can be seen as a coping method in encountering strains. Logistic regression analysis is applied (using SPSS v. 21) to test the hypothesis that the victimization of expats’ cyberbullying could lead to strain and delinquency.

A sample of 2,428 expatriate students (46% males and 54% females) was randomly selected from seven public schools in Qatar. The average number of siblings in the household was 2.7. Around 10.8% of the sample reported victimization by cyberbullying. Most came from intact families (80.6%) compared to 19.4 living in broken homes. Concerning the birth order of the student in the family, 25% of the sample were firstborn, and 20% were middle-born. Students’ mother relationships were higher than students’ father relationships (69% vs 51%, respectively). Fathers were higher in undergraduate education than mothers (60% vs 49%, respectively). Considering that 58% of women did not have a job, most fathers work in administrative positions (47% in administrative work and 39% in professional positions) as opposed to mothers’ positions (15% and 21%, respectively). The survey was distributed among expatriate students by trained researchers, teachers and social workers in public schools. The researchers explained the purpose of the study, confidentiality and potential risks and provided directions for completing the survey. Parents and their children provided signed informed consent before participation, following the institutional review boards of Qatar University’s Human Subject Research Committee and the Ministry of Social Development. The victimization of cyberbullying is measured at the dichotomy level by asking a general cyberbullying question (In the last 12 months, had you been bullied by other students using mobile messages, email, voice or video messages? Responses were 1 – yes and 0 – no). A definition of cyberbullying was included in the questionnaire. Independent measures are as follows: (1) demographic variables: gender, belief, health, number of friends and exposure to violence; (2) family variables: delinquent family, coercive parenting, family relations, family disputes, father absence and family ties; (3) school variables: school satisfaction, school violence, student fighting, teachers' violence, school truancy and going late to school; (4) imprudent behavior: smoking, alcohol, not using a seat belt, gambling, stealing less than 100 QR, chewing tobacco, stimuli, volatile drugs, sexual harassment, throwing garbage out of the car, cheating, vandalism and victimization.

Findings showed that n = 255, 10.8% of the expats’ sample N = 2,428 reported victimization of cyberbullying, of whom 46% were males and 54% were females. A total of 24% of the victims of cyberbullying were males, and 5.8% were females. About a third of the sample were cyberbullying perpetrators (n = 716, 29.5%). Victims of cyberbullying came from intact families (62.4%) compared to broken families (37.6%). A round third of the victims reported the absence of a father during their childhood (n = 78, 31.7%). Most of the victims came from a typical community compared to the delinquent community (71.2% vs 28.2%). About a third of the victims reported it was easy to talk with the father when needed (32% compared to 42.7%), who said it was easy. More than half of the victims do not use seat belts. A low percentage of them were gambling (n = 68, 27% or 2.9% of the total sample). Regarding escaping imprudent and delinquent behaviors, findings showed that a third and more than a tenth of the cyberbullying were smokers and alcoholics (n = 69, 27.4% and n = 42, 16.7% respectively). Moreover, among the most serious, widely spread student problems, around a quarter of the victims reported using chewing tobacco (Sweeka is the local name) (n = 54, 21.4%). Finally, drug use among victims was more than a tenth of them (n = 41, 16.3%). About a quarter of the victims reported stealing less than 100 QR (n = 67, 26.8% or 2.9% of the total sample). Concerning the crimes committed by victims, findings showed that more than forth of them committed assault (n = 71, 28.3%), student fights (n = 202, 80.8%), school violence (n = 117, 46.6%) and half of the victims (50.2%) were also victims of face-to-face bullying. Little below half of the sample was exposed to violence (n = 120, 48.6%) and was the victim of violence in the past 12 months (n = 100, 40.8%). A significant gender differences was found in the victimization of cyberbullying (1 = yes, 0 = no) (a = 000). Moreover, significant mean differences were found between expatriates student victimization of cyberbullying at (a = 000) in all strain variables. Using binary regression analysis to examine the equality of probability of being a victim of cyberbullying as accounted for by the independent variables, the model’s predictability was 89.4%. The Hosmer and Lemeshow test and omnibus tests support the model’s fit (a = 000). Nagelkerke R² shows that the stain variables accounted for 24% of the variance in the expat's student victimization of cyberbullying.

Conceptualization and determination of what constitutes cyberbullying from the criminal law perspective are needed. Cyberbullying is defined as a form of violence and crime involving new technologies (Sun et al., 2016, p. 62). Policymakers should provide accessible and equitable access to the criminal justice system, the integration of expatriates and the provision of support services to avoid delinquency.

A social cohesion, inclusion and well-being policy is needed for expatriate students and their families in Qatar. In particular, cultural diversity policy and programs, a source of strength and enrichment should be promoted in educational settings. Social inclusion and cultural diversity programs could ease the alienation and marginalization that expatriate students may encounter in their host societies to prevent stains and negative emotions that lead to delinquency and criminal behaviors. Access to support services without discrimination to avoid health and psychological strains and risk factors. This includes but is not limited to avoidance of stigmatization, embarrassment, sense of helplessness, humiliation and other negative feelings toward expatriates. Awareness and promotion of cultural diversity values are needed to enhance cultural acceptance to reduce victimization among the expatriate population. Criminal law and security implications conceptualization and determination of what constitutes cyberbullying from the criminal law perspective are needed. Cyberbullying is a form of violence and crime involving new technologies (Sun et al., 2016). Policymakers should provide accessible and equitable access to the criminal justice system, integrating expatriates and providing support services to avoid delinquency. There is a pressing need for further research within the realm of crime and law to establish the precise legal boundaries surrounding cyberbullying and to delineate the potential scope for legislative measures aimed at safeguarding against victimization in Qatar. Although the state of Qatar has taken steps to address cyberbullying by incorporating it into relevant legal frameworks, there remains a gap in terms of specifically targeting cyberbullying involving children and adolescents. Despite the introduction of the new Cybercrime Prevention Law, the issue of cyberbullying among these vulnerable groups is not adequately addressed.

Social implication includes but is not limited to avoidance of stigmatization, embarrassment, sense of helplessness, humiliation and other negative feelings towards expatriate. Awareness and promotion of cultural diversity values is needed to enhance cultural acceptance to reduce victimization among expatriate population.

The present study examines some strain theory assumptions and the victimization of the cyberbullying expatriate population. This study tests a partial assumption of GST, which states that the expatriate population’s exposure to the victimization of cyberbullying can lead to negative stimuli that, in return, create negative feelings and, as a result, imprudent and delinquent behavior. The cyberbullying behavior can be seen as an escaping and coping method in encountering strains. This study underscores the presence of cyberbullying within high schools among expatriate students, exerting significant effects on their personal, social and emotional behaviors. The novel insights gleaned from this investigation contribute substantively to the comprehension of both the pervasiveness and repercussions of cyberbullying on the well-being of expatriate students. This contribution is particularly vital, given the dearth of research in the field, largely attributable to the growing dependence of students on the internet for various cyber activities. This study examines a partial assumption of GST (in non-Western country). Moreover, it uses an advanced statistical analysis and large sample.

The majority of emerging adults in the United States spend time in cohabiting unions. Prior research has suggested that higher levels of sexual non-exclusivity may exist among those in cohabiting relationships compared to marital unions. Although these basic patterns have been explored in prior work, research examining the potential reasons why levels of sexual non-exclusivity differ by union status has been limited. Drawing on a relational perspective and using the fifth wave of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), the present study found that higher levels of sexual non-exclusivity in cohabiting relationships were explained by intimate relationship characteristics and sexual histories rather than sociodemographic factors, partner heterogamy, or partner- and couple-level drug use. These findings highlighted that understanding the higher rates of sexually non-exclusive experiences in cohabiting relationships, compared to marital relationships, requires attention to specific dynamics of the intimate partnership and prior relational experiences of both partners. The study concluded that cohabitation has a unique place in emerging adults’ relationship landscape and may set the groundwork for future relationship functioning.

The purpose of this study is to extend Bippus and Young’s (2005) study and examine the effectiveness of the “I-you,” “I,” “You,” “We,” “But” and Question-based “Why” statements from Winer’s (2021) verbal coding program of conflict management using Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory (SLT).

Mixed methods were used using 175 university students from Texas and New York. A cross-sectional convenience sampling approach was conducted. Survey data was collected using Qualtrics.

Descriptive results demonstrated that the “We” statement was the most passive, the “I-you” statement was the most assertive and the “But,” “I,” “You” and Question statements were perceived to be aggressive. In addition, assertive “I-You” statements were perceived to be more effective in resolving the conflict and maintaining a relationship, whereas aggressive statements were less likely to resolve the conflict and maintain the relationship. Qualitative themes also support the “I-You” statement as the most assertive, while the “But,” “You” and “I” statements were found to be the most aggressive statements.

Implications and applications are discussed to stimulate future research among researchers and practitioners when addressing conflict. Being aware of the verbal statements that de-escalate conflict may be helpful in solving conflict in interpersonal, family and professional relationships. Future trainings can adopt effective verbal statements to resolve conflict when experiencing anger issues. Future research can continue to investigate verbal communication statements using SLT to help practitioners and managers address conflict in interpersonal relationships.

This study examines verbal statements in relation to communication styles and conflict management.

Ayahuasca ceremonies are currently practiced all over the world. This study aims to investigate ayahuasca ceremonies in Colombia (where ayahuasca use is culturally entrenched) and Italy (where ayahuasca use has only recently spread).

In total, 32 Italian (53% males; 47% females) and 28 Colombian (79% males; 21% females) ayahuasca ceremony participants completed an online survey. Ceremonial setting and set (motivations for ayahuasca use, ayahuasca perceived effects and features of participants, i.e. drug use and problematic use, interpersonal dependency, spiritual orientation and quality of life) were investigated. Mann–Whitney U test, Pearson’s χ² test and Fisher’s exact test were used to compare the Italian and Colombian samples.

No differences emerged in the ceremonial setting. Slight differences were observed in motivations for ayahuasca intake and religious beliefs, but not in the preparation for ceremonies, quality of life, interpersonal dependence and spiritual orientation. Italians showed greater use of other psychoactive substances and more drug use problems.

Prevention regarding safer practices of consumption should be promoted to avoid improper uses.

Few studies have explored ayahuasca ceremonies (set and setting characteristics) in countries with different traditions on ayahuasca consumption. The results highlight that the use and experience of ayahuasca can take on different meanings depending on the cultural context.

The protective aspects of relationships for health have been extensively studied. Here, we assess whether different dimensions of partnership status at the time of a child’s birth are associated with better self-assessed health later in mid-life. Data are from three countries with different social welfare policies relating to union status and parenting: the US, the UK, and Norway. Results indicate that women who were partnered at first birth had better health at midlife in all three countries than women who were unpartnered. The analysis indicates no differences in the mid-life health of Norwegian women who were married or cohabiting at birth, whereas for US and UK women, being married at the birth of a first child is more beneficial for mid-life health than bearing the child in a cohabiting union. In the US, women who are least likely to marry do not demonstrate better mid-life health if they had wed relative to cohabiting. In the UK, in contrast, the women least likely to be married at the birth experience better returns if they marry. These findings highlight the importance of paying closer attention to heterogeneous treatment effects as they relate to childbearing, relationship status, and mid-life health.

Throughout the world, women encounter strong patriarchal values that promote the virtue of women's chastity. Within numerous conservative societies, such as certain regions of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the intactness of the hymen in a young woman is viewed as emblematic of her dignity, righteousness, and pride. Participants in our investigations highlighted that hymen rupture stigma remains prevalent in many parts of Pakistan, often leading to social consequences or disapproval of women who want to participate in sports. Additionally, participants disclosed that some women had internalized the hymen rupture stigma, and families might reinforce it. This chapter contributes to the limited scholarship concerning how social norms, hymen rupture stigma, and family values influence Muslim women's participation or lack of participation in sports in Pakistan.