https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/54959 2026-04-27T20:01:04Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/55042 Title: Book reviews [International Journal of Emotional Education, 12(1)] Abstract: The themes of resilience and agency in the face of adversity and at the point of transition from one stage to another recur in these reviews of recent books, each one of which has important things to say to the readers of IJEE. Bauman and Rivers celebrate the opportunities offered by the digital age while not downplaying the potential risks to the mental health of children and young people. Lamericks, Danby, Bateman and Ekberg use exciting, child-centred methods to access the experiences and perspectives on mental health of young people in a range of institutional settings. This innovative book has a wealth of information that is relevant to practitioners and researchers alike. Next, two books, one quantitative and the other qualitative, demonstrate convincingly the extreme impact of poverty on children’s well-being. Evans, Ruane and Southall, members of the Radical Statistics Group, argue that powerful individuals and institutions control statistical data to serve their own ends. In fact, the authors propose, governments often mislead us through their manipulation of statistical findings. Consequently, physical and mental health difficulties, especially among poor families, are perpetuated. Kerry Hudson gives the inside view of the child growing up in poverty and the longstanding impact on her emotional and social development. Through her own determination and resilience, she not only survived but became a successful writer. However, on her return to the places of her childhood, she found that many families continue to experience dire poverty and deprivation. Her book is a moving testament to her journey and the people who helped her along the way but it is also a plea for action to be taken in the present day. In the context of higher education, Lee and LaDousa report on the continuing patterns of discrimination experienced by students from non-traditional backgrounds, not only from fellow students but also from the universities themselves. The section on the institutional lens to marginalisation gives disturbing insights into the ways in which inequalities are perpetuated. Finally, from a more theoretical perspective, Paul Downes presents the case for a spatial phenomenology in our conception of human development. Transitions between different spatial systems, according to his theory, are a means of understanding agency. He presents a powerful argument that challenges the domination of time over space by developmental psychologists. By contrast, he considers movements from one space or system to another as offering a much deeper understanding of agency and lived experience. Each book is challenging and offers us new ways of thinking about our field. I hope that you find the reviews insightful. If you would like to review books for IJEE, please write to me and let me know your areas of interest. 2020-04-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/55041 Title: Editorial [International Journal of Emotional Education, 12(1)] Abstract: The increasing awareness of the importance of social and emotional learning in the curriculum and the role of education in promoting students’ mental health and wellbeing is gradually being accompanied by the realisation that the teachers’ own wellbeing needs to be addressed as well in efforts to promote children’s wellbeing in school. Teachers’ wellbeing and social and emotional competence are related to students’ social, emotional and academic learning as well as to quality teaching and teachers’ own commitment and satisfaction at work. This issue is addressed in three of the papers in this edition. 2020-04-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/55040 Title: An exploratory study of Hungarian university students’ sexual attitudes and behaviours Authors: Keresztes, Noemi; Piko, Bettina F.; Howard-Payne, Lynlee; Gupta, Himanshu Abstract: Sexual health is the integration of the somatic, emotional, intellectual and social aspects of sexual being that may positively enrich personality (WHO, 1975). It includes not only the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unwanted and unplanned pregnancy, coercion, violence and discrimination, but also a positive approach to sexuality (Edwards & Coleman, 2004). Given the apparent inadequacies of the global approach to sexual health education (SHE) for young people (UNESCO, 2009), it is unsurprising that the prevalence of STIs have increased worldwide (WHO, 2018). Although Hungary is still among the countries with low HIV/STISs infection rate, sexually active young people are at higher risk of infection (Goodwin et al., 2003; Gyarmathy, McNutt, et al., 2002; UnAIDS, 2018). 2020-04-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/55039 Title: Mental health promotion in schools : a comprehensive theoretical framework Authors: Cavioni, Valeria; Grazzani, Ilaria; Ornaghi, Veronica Abstract: Recent decades have seen a rise in mental health problems among children and adolescents. Despite a proliferation of studies describing effective school-based mental health programs, reviews of current research in this field suggest a strong lack of consensus concerning the definition of school mental health and its constructs. In the present paper, we set out to fill this gap via a two-step process: first, we offer a critical overview of recent research around the concept of school mental health; second, we propose a comprehensive theoretical framework for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers involved in mental health promotion and school prevention programs. The proposed framework comprises three key domains: the first two, cover the promotion of social and emotional learning and resilience, while the third concerns the prevention of behavioural problems. 2020-04-01T00:00:00Z