This study is on the effectiveness of three different P/CVE practices in Germany on Neo-Nazi movements from 1990. This study applies an adapted theoretical framework to this topic. The theoretical...Show moreThis study is on the effectiveness of three different P/CVE practices in Germany on Neo-Nazi movements from 1990. This study applies an adapted theoretical framework to this topic. The theoretical framework bases effectiveness on (1) appropriateness, (2) impact, and (3) sustainability. The answers to the question of effectiveness were previously unclear as they were based on different indicators. By applying this framework to make a codebook for a qualitative content analysis of several different types of documents, a threefold answer was found. Firstly, the adaptations of the German Criminal Code are effective. Secondly, the policy on limiting freedom of assembly and speech is not effective. Thirdly, the policy programs are effective. These findings show which P/CVE practices should be adapted to improve the effectiveness and it shows which P/CVE practices are effective as they are.Show less
This thesis analysed the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in terms of its legitimacy and effectiveness. First, it outlines why the OSCE can be defined as a security network and...Show moreThis thesis analysed the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in terms of its legitimacy and effectiveness. First, it outlines why the OSCE can be defined as a security network and provides a literature review on both topics. The theoretical framework concludes that the OSCE is analysed in terms of its legitimacy using the criteria of transparency, independent monitoring, public involvement and consensus. Structural, cultural, political, technological and relational dimensions were identified as criteria for effectiveness. The analysis revealed two main challenges. The first challenge is the consequences of a system based on consent. The second challenge is building and maintaining trust among the 57 participating states. Due to its size, a lack of trust makes it difficult to reach consesnus on matters discussed and can have severe consequences. The scope of this work is limited and further research is needed on these issues.Show less
Somalia and Nigeria have been struggling economically and politically in the past decades, mainly due to the rise of the insurgent groups Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. The counterinsurgency efforts by...Show moreSomalia and Nigeria have been struggling economically and politically in the past decades, mainly due to the rise of the insurgent groups Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. The counterinsurgency efforts by both the Somali and the Nigerian government have been a topic of debate since the start of the conflict, discussing recommendations and best practices to bring back peace and prosperity in the region. This study, however, aimed to shift this debate to discuss the effectiveness of their counterinsurgency strategies, while focusing heavily on context. Thus, analyzing the contextual factors of Somalia and Nigeria through several dimensions has resulted in an understanding of how the context influences the outcome. These dimensions are economics, domestic politics and international politics. The findings of this research show that Somalia lacks the funds, political willingness and functioning governmental institutions to effectively engage in non-military counterinsurgency. However, due to international assistance, their military efforts to fight Al-Shabaab have been more successful. On the other hand, Nigeria has a stronger economy and more organized government, but faces the issue of unhappiness among the population leading to a rise in insurgency recruitment. Developmental and humanitarian aid provided by the international community can help the country in the long-term, as long as the unrest within the population is resolved.Show less
In March 2020, the Dutch government began implementing measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and to reduce the burden to the national healthcare system. Historically, Dutch mental...Show moreIn March 2020, the Dutch government began implementing measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and to reduce the burden to the national healthcare system. Historically, Dutch mental healthcare has been slow to implement and utilise digital interventions, however, the new public health policies regarding social distancing presented an acute and emergent need to do so. Despite therapists’ concerns regarding its efficacy and potential technical challenges, countless mental healthcare professionals turned to videoconference therapy to conduct generalistic Basic Mental Healthcare outpatient treatments. This paradigm shift presented a rare opportunity to examine whether videoconferencing therapy yields comparable results to in-person interventions for common mental health disorders. Arkin, a large mental healthcare facility and research institute in central Amsterdam, collects routine outcome monitoring data for patients under its care, to support shared decision-making. For the purposes of this study, basic mental healthcare patients (N = 1392) were divided into three cohorts: Treatments performed prior to, treatments performed partially during, and treatments performed entirely during the COVID-19 lockdown; and pre- and post-test data were used to compare outcomes. Across the three cohort conditions, there were no differences in the treatment outcomes for videoconferencing therapy conducted during lockdowns, as compared to in-person interventions done prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, or blended treatments that had commenced as in-person treatment before the pandemic and then transitioned to videoconferencing during the lockdown. This observational study seems to indicate that videoconferencing and in-person therapies can produce similar clinical results in Basic Mental Healthcare patients with common mental health disorders, bolstering the findings of other meta-analyses and randomized controlled studies investigating this topic.Show less
Background: Social-emotional skills are pivotal for children’s intra- and interpersonal well-being. Social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions have been shown to improve these skills, with self...Show moreBackground: Social-emotional skills are pivotal for children’s intra- and interpersonal well-being. Social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions have been shown to improve these skills, with self-awareness (SA) being the most influential intervention component. However, these interventions apply varying conceptualizations and operationalizations of SA. Therefore, the defining characteristics of SA interventions and their effect on children’s well-being are unknown. Identifying these could help educators, policy makers and researchers to optimise content and accessibility of SA intervention to the benefit of children’s mental health. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyse the characteristics and effectiveness of currently available interventions targeting SA in children, and to examine children’s cultural background as potential moderator. Method: Eight electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, EMCARE, ERIC, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science and Academic Search Premier) were searched for intervention studies investigating SA interventions in September 2019. Children’s SA was the primary outcome of interest, positive and negative mental health were the secondary. Of 7050 identified studies, 42 were included in the systematic review and 29 in the meta-analysis. Results: It was found that SA interventions had a small to moderate effect on children’s SA (g = 0.31 (0.05), 95% CI [0.21, 0.40], p < .001). Furthermore, they had a positive effect on children’s mental health. Cultural background did not significantly moderate SA intervention effectiveness. There was no evidence for publication bias. Conclusion: Overall, interventions targeting SA can positively influence the level of SA and mental health in children irrespective of their cultural backgrounds.Show less
Parentally bereaved adolescents constitute a high-risk group susceptible to many short and long term negative outcomes, such as prolonged grief and depression. Numerous different interventions have...Show moreParentally bereaved adolescents constitute a high-risk group susceptible to many short and long term negative outcomes, such as prolonged grief and depression. Numerous different interventions have been proposed and implemented aiming to support this population. However, there has been no comprehensive review or empirical support for all of them. This thesis aims to systematically review intervention studies for parentally bereaved adolescents and report on their effectiveness. Time interval between loss and treatment, symptom severity at baseline, interventions’ structure, therapeutic confrontation, participants’ age, and percentage of parental death were examined as plausible moderators. The dataset was extracted in December 2019 from nine electronic databases. Study characteristics regarding the interventions, samples, measures, and outcomes were extracted from 30 articles. Based on the sufficiently reported statistical data of 25 studies an overall effect size was estimated for the interventions and moderator analyses were conducted. A pooled effect size of -0.397 was found, indicating a small to moderate positive effect of these interventions on the participants’ life. Therapeutic confrontation, unstructured interventions, and targeting severely distressed participants were the intervention characteristics that positively moderated the intervention effectiveness. Different effect sizes were reported for separate outcome constructs, ranging from g = -0.029 to g = -1.203. Trauma-related outcomes reported the largest point estimate, while cortisol levels the smallest. To summarize, interventions targeting parentally bereaved adolescents can positively affect their participants during the difficult period following the loss of their parents. However, further and more targeted research is required to achieve larger effects.Show less
This research aims to identify the challenges to the effectiveness of a Cyber Security Raad (CSR) to understand the applicability of the concept “security networks” in real-life. Security networks...Show moreThis research aims to identify the challenges to the effectiveness of a Cyber Security Raad (CSR) to understand the applicability of the concept “security networks” in real-life. Security networks are collaborations between interdependent structures with a shared goal. This type of organizational structure is recent and under-researched making it extremely important to test this theoretical foundation. Therefore, a case study of CSR is chosen to explore the effectiveness of the security network. Next to that, a document analysis provided an overview of the council, its tasks, and its outcomes. This thesis demonstrates that there are three challenges to the effectiveness of CSR as a security network. First, a CSR does not provide an overview of the financial and bureaucratic proceedings raising the question of accountability. Second, the council lacks research planning leading to the absence of activity overview and tasks allocation. Third, a CSR does not clearly explain cooperation with other actors and what these actors do. This study is significant as it informs about the possibility of applying “security networks” to a case. It also provides valuable feedback on research design for academia and recommendations for CSR, respectively.Show less
The French language has always played an important role in French identity construction. Language related laws are highly appreciated until today. Toubon Law (1994) is one of the latest French...Show moreThe French language has always played an important role in French identity construction. Language related laws are highly appreciated until today. Toubon Law (1994) is one of the latest French language laws that concern many areas. Whether this law has been effective needs more research and due to its broad nature many domains have to be examined. Audiovisual media, education and commerce have been the focus of this study. Quantitative and qualitative research methods demonstrate that the evaluation of this law remains difficult and conflicting.Show less
In 2014, the European Union enforced sanctions against Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine. The theory on sanctions provides multiple theories on their potential effectiveness. These...Show moreIn 2014, the European Union enforced sanctions against Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine. The theory on sanctions provides multiple theories on their potential effectiveness. These theories are applied in the case of Russia to answer whether they can be successfull in achieving their goal.Show less
