Sexual Harassment in Universities: Situational Analysis in Pakistan

The purpose of the study was to analyze "sexual harassment and its psychological effects on the students at the university level." The objectives of the study were to identify the awareness and the causes of sexual harassment among university students. The main purpose of the study was to identify the factors that caused the increasing rate of sexual harassment in educational institutions. The data was collected with a five-point Like rt scale that consisted of thirty-nine (39 statements). The statements were further divided into five (05) factors. The factors related to ethnicity and gender, awareness about sexual harassment act, causes of sexual harassment, reporting of sexual harassment, psychological impacts of sexual harassment. A sample of three hundred (300) students was randomly selected out of the whole population of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, from fifteen departments with equal ratios, male (150) and female (150) students were selected. The obtained scores were analyzed using different statistical methods. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) was used for statistical data analysis. The results show that at university, girls try to impress others with their styles and gestures. This research indicated that psychological effects on the students are notable as they suffered mental trauma, stress, and anxiety.

Personified program for correction of post-stress disorders in different categories of survivors (combatants and volunteers)

Combat stress has a significant impact on the individual. It is a major cause of combat mental trauma and stress disorders development. According to the World Health Organization, combat mental trauma is a direct cause of stress disorders in 80 % of survivors of hostilities, and in its long term are often observed: maladaptation, autoaggressive behavior, anxiety and depression, addiction. Against the background of use of the developed program, positive dynamics of mental state, decrease in levels of anxiety and depression, decrease in the level of groups of PTSD symptoms on the Impact of Event Scale were noted. Reducing level of maladaptation according to the method of K. Rogers and R. Diamond and level of social frustration. Thus, the developed personalized program for the correction of post-stress disorders contributes to the productive dynamics of psychopathological symptoms, reducing emotional tension, restoring a sense of psychological well-being, creating a new cognitive model of life.

Mass Atrocities and Their Prevention

Counting conservatively, data show about 100 million mass atrocity-related deaths since 1900. A distinct empirical phenomenon, mass atrocities are events of enormous scale, severity, and brutality, occur in wartime and in peacetime, are geographically widespread, occur with surprising frequency, under various systems of governance, and can be long-lasting in their effects on economic and human development, wellbeing, and wealth, more so when nonfatal physical injuries and mental trauma also are considered. As such, mass atrocities are a major economic concern. Given the multidisciplinary nature of the subject matter, the pertinent conceptual, theoretical, and empirical literatures are voluminous and widely dispersed, and have not been synthesized before from an economics point of view. We address two gaps: a “mass atrocities gap” in the economics literature and an “economics gap” in mass atrocities scholarship. Our goals are, first, to survey and synthesize for economists a broad sweep of literatures on which to base further work in this field and, second, for both economists and noneconomists to learn how economic inquiry contributes to understanding the causes and conduct of mass atrocities and, possibly, to their mitigation and prevention. In drawing on standard, behavioral, identity, social network, and complex systems economics, we find that the big puzzles of the “how” and “why” of mass atrocities, and mass participation therein, are being well addressed. While new research on such topics will be valuable, work should also progress to develop improved prevention approaches. (JEL D72, D74, K38, N40, Z13)

Let Me Out of Here: A Story of Using Comics to Heal During the Pandemic

This autobiographical graphic essay details my experience with the hardships I facedduring Covid as a comics studies scholar who moved across the country to starttheir Ph.D. in history. It highlights the importance of comic-making incombating present-day isolation and hardship and in aiding in trauma recovery. Covid and quarantine continued to bring with them and compound new, tragedy-specific traumas that left me desperately seeking ways to cope. During the first year ofmy Ph.D. I experienced a miscarriage, my step-grandfather passed away due to Covid, and, at the start of my second semester, I was sexually assaulted,resulting in a physical injury that has yet to heal. The emotional and physicaltrauma resulting from these incidents put me behind in my coursework. To cope, I engaged in art therapy and started a trauma recovery program. Often, myrecovery has been aided in and expressed through comics I create, which aredigital in format and usually, but not always, take the form of a poetry comic. Creating thesecomics aided in an emotional release by enabling me to create spaces of ‘escape’outside the walls of my one-bedroom apartment. The creative process also helpedme find freedom from the confines of my anguished mind. For instance, shadingthe skin of my attacker and myself allowed me to own the narrative of myassault and regain ownership of my body. Further juxtaposing these images withwords provides a method for me to express the pain and deep isolation that thevarious traumatic incidents incited. By expressing the weight of thesetraumatic incidents both visually and through written text, I am able to properly acknowledge their significance and consequently I have found somerelief and self-consolation in this act. I have also sharedmy experience with the outside world through social media. This act lessened myfeelings of isolation and gave me the support network I so desperately cravedand needed, especially with the comics and comics studies communities.  In sharing myexperience, I hope to impart why comics are so important now by showing how thecreative helped me process trauma created and exacerbated by the pandemic.Intro:In January of this year, I was assaulted twice withina four-day period. These two incidents resulted in physical and mental trauma andextreme change in how I view myself, my life, and those around me. These two incidentsweren’t the only traumatic ones had experienced in recent time. I had also experienceda miscarriage, which was made worse by the circumstances of isolation (due tothe pandemic) and abandonment. My step-grandfather passed away from Covid. However,what occurred in January was a sort of catalyst to a personal breakdown. I lostmyself.Being a woman is difficult enough. I always feel as ifI am battling with my femininity. There is always some distinct, un-femininestandard by which I must define myself but can never quite reach in order tohave a voice in this patriarchal society. It is hard to love something aboutyourself that can so easily be used against you. And the man who assaulted meused it against me in the worst way. What resulted was an immense sense ofself-hatred and dissociation. It was hard to see the point of it all. But Ihave worked hard to regain a sense of purpose. Recovery is a choice, and it is not an easy one tomake. It’s a confusing process with no roadmap. It’s easy to get lost and I donot judge anyone who gives up or takes detours along the way. I often feel thatI am surrounded by walls. I cannot go around them and I cannot climb them. Icannot break them down. I am trapped. However, with my art I started seeingthrough these walls, and I feel in making these comics they have become rathertransparent. I can see more clearly what has happened to me and how and why Ihave reacted the ways that I have. I may not have a found a map that can takeme through my recovery process, but I have can see my next steps.  Making this comic, and the art that came before it,has allowed me to make sense of and establish some sort of order concerning myvery recent past. What has emerged from this process is a sense of calm. Iwouldn’t say I found happiness (and I’m not much interested in the pursuit of thatemotion), but I do, at times, feel good. I have found a voice. There is a pleasure,or a sense of relief, in sharing my voice with you through the images and wordscontained in this comic. References:Chivington, L., 2021. Signifying Silence: The EmptySpeech Balloon. Image Text 12. https://imagetextjournal.com/signifying-silence-the-empty-speech-balloon/

Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic on the Quality of Life of Migrant Slum Dwellers of India: a Qualitative Study in Delhi State

Background: During the COVID pandemic, migrant workers had experienced harsh livelihood and socio-economic crises which amplified their challenges of life and significantly affected their mental health. However, there is a lack of in-depth evidence on how the mental trauma and shock of the loss of job and livelihood crisis affected men and women migrant workers differently. This study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID pandemic and lockdown on migrant workers who had faced psycho-social and financial challenges during the pandemic and lockdown and the effects of these challenges on their health. Methods: A formative research method comprising of iterative approach was used by conducting in-depth interviews of men and women migrant workers residing in randomly selected 2 blocks of a slum called Madanpur Khadar JJ Colony of Delhi, India. The respondents were chosen using a respondent driven purposive sampling depending on those who had faced severe loss during the pandemic. The migrant workers were interviewed about their challenges until saturation point was reached. In total 25 men and 25 women migrant workers were interviewed. Results: The financial constraints due to loss of employment, closing down of small scale self employment ventures, salary cuts and loans, threw life out of gear, further marginalizing the already disadvantaged community, who live from hand to mouth. To further aggravate the damage, COVID brought with it social stigma, discrimination, fear, stress, and anxiety. Women migrant workers bore the brunt of the burden of household responsibilities, increased demand without support and emotional abuse at home. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for unified social protection system with preventive, promotion-stricken, protective, and transformational measures designed through a crisis-responsive lens is required to provide an ecosystem of support to migrant workers.

Influence of personal and social characteristics on the formation of mental trauma in police officers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Relevance. Due to the peculiarities of professional activity, the COVID-19 pandemic for police officers was associated not only with a high risk of infection, but also pronounced mental stress and emotional destabilization, with higher risk of developing severe psychological consequences. In police officers, incidence of a new coronavirus infection, according to departmental statistics, was 6.6 times higher than in general population and close to that of healthcare workers of the Ministry of Health of Russia. High risk of COVID-19 infection in police officers during performance of their duties contributes to the symptoms of psychoemotional maladjustment and a constant state of chronic tension and emotional stress. Identification of the causes of professional maladjustment is important for justification of preventive measures and search for markers of professional success in employees of internal affairs bodies.Intention. To identify the influence of personal and social characteristics on the formation of mental trauma in police officers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methodology. A complete empirical study of 371 male employees of the divisions of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Moscow was conducted. Three groups were identified: 1st – 127 police officers with positive test results and clinical manifestations of COVID-19; 2nd – 118 persons released from duty and quarantined due to their contacts with COVID-19 patients; 3rd – 126 police officers who were on duty to protect public order in crowded places during the COVID-19 pandemic. An experimental psychological survey of the police officers was conducted using electronic digital resources to comply with anti-epidemic measures.Results and Discussion. Symptoms of emotional burnout against the background of stressful service were shown to contribute to the formation of mental trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic in all surveyed police officers. Specifically, Group 1 typically demonstrates anxiety-phobic reactions; Group 2 – dysthymic-pessimistic outlook; and Group 3 – decreased neuropsychiatric stability, pronounced exhaustion and fatigue associated with official duties.Conclusion. The obtained data should be taken into account when conducting psychocorrection and medical and psychological rehabilitation of police officers in emergency situations associated with the long-term psychosocial and occupational stress.

Melancholia in the Time of War: Analysing the Efficacy of Psychosocial Aid in Post-Conflict Liberia

The continent of Africa, since the advent of its colonial subjugation and beyond, has been replete with conflicts, be it intra or inter state. Such armed and violent hostilities not only disrupt the quotidian lifestyle of civilians, but also render them vulnerable to great levels of stress and severe mental trauma. This article, through pure qualitative research, attempts at investigating the mental health issues and disorders, individual or collective, prevailing among the inhabitants of such conflict settings in the Dark Continent. The article further stresses the importance of said mental illnesses as a direct consequence of the conflagrations and claims its stance to be at par with physical traumas sustained by the post conflict African society. By placing emphasis on the country of Liberia, which has been subjected to a myriad of brutal conflicts in the last century, the article seeks to understand the effectiveness of the resolution schemes across the post conflict regions with respect to the provisions made for the aid of such mental health issues and the viability of its awareness among the Liberian populace regarding its knowledge and treatment.

Prosthetic Arm using Force Sensor

An Upper limb amputation causes a severe reduction in lifestyle of the affected individual due to inability to perform activities of daily lifestyle. This is a devastating occurrence that limits human activity which can result into physical or mental trauma. In order to provide assistance to the amputee, use of prosthetic devices is becoming more popular. Prosthetic devices can be mechanical or electromechanical devices that mimic the ordinary movement of human parts. In this research work, to mimic the function of the human arm for disabled people and stroke patients, a portable lightweight device which offers automatic, integrated easy to use bionic arm is designed and implemented. By using the concepts of Mechatronics and Robotics in this project aims for a functional prosthetic affordable to everyone.

PSYCHOTRAUMATIC EVENTS AS A FACTOR OF TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE OF PERSONALITY

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to scientifically study and systematize the experience of working with traumatic events as a factor in the traumatic experience of the individual. Disclosure of the essence of the concept of “traumatic experience” to prevent its further devastating consequences for the individual. Methods. The methodologicalbasis of the article are scientific concepts of studying the syndrome of post-traumatic stress disorder, mental trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, mono trauma, poly trauma, multi trauma and models of overcoming post-traumatic growth of different countries in working with traumatic people. Features of psychological traumas in children and adults which have destructive influence on mentality and development of the victim are considered. Despite the similarity of the definitions of experiencing stress and trauma, the difference is highlighted, where stress becomes a psychological trauma, when the effect of the stressor is a violation of the mental sphere of man. Psycho-traumatic situations are described as the interaction of personality and environment (the leading role of subjective factors) and traumatic events (external factors). There are four types of response to traumatic events. The view of mental trauma as an internal state and psychological trauma as a deeply individual reaction is highlighted. The role of social factors in the formation of psychological trauma that threatens the physical integrity of man is emphasized, depending on this, the main reactions to stressful situations, their forms and manifestations are determined. Potentially traumatic situations in different living conditions are analyzed. The destructive influence on the personality of psychotraumatic factors of single and repeated traumatic events, the consequence of which is the development of negative mental states, is considered. Models of post-traumatic growth are described, which describe the subjective positive personality changes of an individual after traumatic, crisis and stressful events. Describes the areas in which positive personality changes can be made after mental trauma. Translated into Ukrainian and depicts the original model of post-traumatic personality growth. The processes of post-traumatic growth in the model are distinguished. The scientific novelty of the article is to generalize and systematize the results of research in working with manifestations of psychotrauma of a victim of psychotraumatic situations. Results. The result of the study is to reveal the essence of the concept of “traumatic experience”, to determine further important conditions for overcoming the traumatic experience of the individual. Conclusions. The conclusions formulate the key factors of the impact of psycho-traumatic events on the individual, which create difficulties for the integration of the coordinated work of different personality structures and tasks for further empirical research.Key words: post-traumatic stress, trauma, mental trauma, emotional trauma, event, situation, state, post-traumatic growth. Мета статті – наукове вивчення та систематизація досвіду роботи із психотравмувальних подій як чинника травматичного досвіду особистості. Розкриття сутності поняття «травматичний досвід» для запобігання його подальшим руйнівним наслідкам для індивіда. Методи. Методологічну основу статті становлять наукові концепції вивчення синдрому посттравматичного стресу, психічної травми, посттравматичного стресового розладу, монотравми, політравми, мультитравми та моделі подолання посттравматичного зростання різних країн у роботі з особами, що зазнали травматичного досвіду. Розглядаються особливості психологічних травм у дитячому і дорослому віці, які здійснюють деструктивний вплив на психіку і розвиток постраждалої особи. Попри подібність визначень переживання стресу і психотравми, висвітлюється різниця, де стрес стає психологічною травмою, коли наслідком дії стресора стає порушення у психічній сфері людини. Описуються психотравмувальні ситуації як взаємовплив особистості та середовища (провідна роль суб’єктивних чинників) і травматичні події (зовнішні чинники). Виокремлюються чотири типи реагування на травматичні події. Висвітлюється погляд на психічну травму як внутрішній стан та психологічну травму як глибоко індивідуальну реакцію. Підкреслюється роль у формуванні психологічної травми соціальних чинників, що загрожують фізичній цілісності людини, залежно від цього визначено основні реакції на стресові ситуації, їх форми та вияви. Проаналізовані потенційно психотравмувальні ситуації в різних життєвих умовах. Розглядається руйнівний вплив на особистість психотравмувальних чинників поодиноких та повторюваних травматичних подій, наслідком яких є розвиток негативних психічних станів. Висвітлюються моделі посттравматичного зростання, які описують суб’єктивні позитивні особистісні зміни індивіда після травматичних, кризових та стресових подій. Описуються напрями, у яких можуть здійснюватися позитивні особистісні зміни після психічної травми. Перекладена українською мовою та зображена оригінальна модель посттравматичного зростання особистості. Виокремлюються процеси посттравматичного зростання в моделі. Наукова новизна статті полягає в узагальненні та систематизації результатів досліджень у роботі з виявами психотравми постраждалої особи від психотравмувальних ситуацій. Результати. Результатомдослідження є розкриття сутності поняття «травматичний досвід», визна-чення подальших важливих умов подолання травматичного досвіду особистості. Висновки. У висновкахсформульовано ключові чинники впливу психотравмувальних подій на особистість, що створюють труднощі для інтеграції узгодженої роботи різних особистісних структур та завдання для подальшого емпіричного дослідження.Ключові слова: посттравматичний стрес, травма, психічна травма, емоційна травма, подія, ситуація, стан, посттравматичне зростання.