How Queerness Goes Online

In this chapter, the author challenges the commonsense claim that the internet provides equally accessible resources that are free from stigma, prejudice, or discrimination. Through the stories of university students in their own words, this intersectional analysis explores how the internet certainly offers substantial benefits to queer and nonconforming youth; however, interpersonal bias and systems of oppression pervade online forms of communication and social media applications. Additionally, the author troubles the notion that the internet is experienced as a ‘safe space' for anonymous or uninhibited explorations of queer identity. In fact, despite the internet's practical affordances of identity work, there are severe limits to tolerance and inclusion in online sociality, and because of this, doing queer identity work online has the potential to exacerbate the isolating effects of homophobia and discrimination.

A Literary Diplomat

Chapter 3 discusses Mary Crawford Fraser and her Japan-related literary works to highlight political affordances of literature for cross-cultural female friendship and solidarity. Fraser opened up her writing space to her Japanese friends and enabled her readers to hear their voices in her writings. It examines Fraser’s friendships with Japanese people in A Diplomatist’s Wife in Japan (1898) and analyses the influence of these friendships on her fictional works. It brings to light the existence of a long-forgotten international reading society of women in Meiji Japan. It provides real-life examples of cross-racial, international female friendship, an underdeveloped resource in recent scholarship on Victorian travelogues. It demonstrates how Fraser mobilized literature as a safe space for a woman to carry out diplomatic tasks during the tumultuous period of treaty revision and the conclusion of Anglo-Japanese Alliance and strove to redress demeaning stereotypes of Japanese women.

Unhoused Persons: Perspectives on Perceived Benefits of Music Therapy

There is limited literature to support the use of music therapy with unhoused persons and more research is needed to deepen the understanding of music therapy with this population. This researcher aimed to gather information from music therapists who work with unhoused persons to gain more perspective on the perceived benefits of the music therapy treatment process. Three music therapists were interviewed; interviews were then transcribed and coded to find themes regarding perceived benefits of music therapy with unhoused persons. The four themes derived from the data were increased resilience factors, facilitating connections, creating a safe space, and increased expression. Findings support music therapy attending to many levels of human need for unhoused individuals. These findings can be used as recommendation for practice and program development for the use of music therapy with unhoused persons and also point to a need for more research to understand the benefits of specific music therapy techniques and treatment methods with unhoused persons and subgroups of the unhoused community.

Student Motivation in the Latin Classroom

It has been argued that learning a second language requires more self-motivation than other courses (Horwitz, 1995). This article reviews literature on motivation in foreign language classrooms and discusses reasons for the lack of motivation among students in second language classes. Particular attention will be given to addressing reasons why students in Latin classrooms may have less motivation than in other classes. Specifically, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation will be discussed in terms of a Latin classroom. Additionally, this article will discuss what steps can be taken by the teacher to increase motivation and engagement through gameplay, creating a safe space to make mistakes, and turning extrinsic motivation into intrinsic motivation.

Role of safe space in improving menstrual awareness and menstrual hygiene practices among adolescents in Zamfara: a case study of REACH project intervention

Background: Menstrual awareness and hygiene practices have been a challenge for adolescent girls in African countries and Nigeria inclusive which subsequently affects their health, and wellbeing. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of REACH project intervention in improving knowledge and practice of menstrual care among adolescent girls.Methods: A post-test only non-equivalent groups quasi-experimental design was adopted with Kaura Namoda and Talata Mafara as the intervention Local Government Authorities (LGAs) and Bungudu and Maru as the control LGAs conducted between August 2021 to October 2021. Quantitative approach was employed using self-developed questionnaire for data collection. Multi-stage sampling technique was used. A total of 400 questionnaires were administered with 200 each for control and intervention LGAs.Results: The result of the study shows that, adolescents in the REACH Project intervention communities have higher level of awareness and more likely to practice menstrual hygiene as compared to non-REACH intervention communities. Therefore, it is recommended that, safe space strategies should be adopted in any matters related to adolescents sexual and reproductive health.Conclusions: Safe space is effective in improving adolescents sexual and reproductive health.

Impact and Return on Investment of the Take Kare Safe Space Program—A Harm Reduction Strategy Implemented in Sydney, Australia

Safe spaces are increasingly utilized to reduce alcohol-related harm, violence, crime and improve public safety in nightlife settings. This study aimed to determine the impact and return on investment of the Take Kare Safe Space (TKSS) program—a harm reduction program implemented to address alcohol-related violence and disorder in three locations in Sydney’s night-time economy between 2014 and 2019. TKSS ambassadors provided support at static safe spaces and patrolled designated nightlife precincts to provide practical assistance to vulnerable and intoxicated people. Ambassadors recorded information relating to these interactions including ‘client’ age, gender, perceived level of intoxication, time and length of engagement with the program. Costs of program implementation and benefits of major incidents averted were obtained to allow calculation of return on investment. From December 2014 to April 2019, 66,455 people were supported by TKSS ambassadors. Most users were male (62%) and aged 18–25 years (66%). Of 3633 interventions by ambassadors, serious risk of harm was averted in 735 cases (20%). The program’s return on investment is estimated at 2.67, suggesting that a $1 investment results in $2.67 in benefits. Safe Spaces are extensively utilized, particularly by young males with high levels of intoxication, and represent a positive return on investment. Despite the growth of such services, there remains a notable absence of rigorous, independent evaluation regarding the outcomes and/or social benefit of safe space programs. From a policy perspective, there is a need for more high-quality economic evaluations to better inform decisions about competing uses of limited resources.

A Sandbox Approach to Regulating High-Risk Artificial Intelligence Applications

This paper argues for a sandbox approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI) to complement a strict liability regime. The authors argue that sandbox regulation is an appropriate complement to a strict liability approach, given the need to maintain a balance between a regulatory approach that aims to protect people and society on the one hand and to foster innovation due to the constant and rapid developments in the AI field on the other. The authors analyse the benefits of sandbox regulation when used as a supplement to a strict liability regime, which by itself creates a chilling effect on AI innovation, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. The authors propose a regulatory safe space in the AI sector through sandbox regulation, an idea already embraced by European Union regulators and where AI products and services can be tested within safeguards.