Objective: The present study investigates, for the first time in a wealthy country of Central Europe, the prevalence of poly-victimization (exposure to multiple forms of victimization within the past year) in an adolescent population. It further examines associations between single victimization types (such as sexual or physical assaults) with emotional and social functioning when poly-victimization is controlled for. Method: Data from a large and near-representative national school survey in Switzerland (N ϭ 6,749, 52.2% male, M age ϭ 15.5 years) were examined using descriptive and multiple regression analysis. Results: When poly-victimization was controlled for, individual victimization types showed largely diminished association with emotional and social functioning measures. Particularly weak associations were found for physical and sexual victimizations. By contrast, emotional assaults (including emotional bullying by peers and emotional abuse by parents) and maltreatment by parents retained the strongest links with levels of functioning. This general pattern of results held even when chronic individual victimization types were considered. Conclusions: Many previous studies may have underestimated adolescents' capacities to cope with physical and sexual victimizations where these experiences happen in an otherwise functional environment. Meanwhile, concurrent exposure to multiple kinds of victimization serves as a strong indicator of declined emotional and social functioning. Taken together, the findings embolden practitioners in general to avoid the pitfalls of overspecialization and to promote holistic treatment approaches toward adolescent victims of violence. In the Swiss context, professionals working with vulnerable children and youth may feel encouraged to overcome the fragmentarization of services that currently characterizes the children and youth welfare system in this country.

We report a five-nations project in comparative child protection to provide recommendations on policy and practice to inform the redevelopment of the Swiss child protection system. The Swiss Federal Government and the Optimus and Oak Foundations commissioned the project-collective title: Association Programme National pour la Protection de l'Enfant. We identify the historical developmental trajectories of child protection systems together with common drivers: the evidential basis for the prevalence and effects of child abuse, the co-joining of social and economic policies and practices to promote early investment in children, the influence of children's rights and comparative international league tables on child well-being. We describe the cross-national project methodology and analysis of results. Three key indicators for the performance of national child protection systems are indicated: creating a culturally sensitive child protection governance framework, building a relational heart and using evidence to inform policy and practice. These encapsulate the recommendations made with respect to the Swiss child protection system. The results provide a prototype model with potential utility in similar

<span class="fett">Fragestellung:</span> Im Jahr 2002 wurde in der Schweiz ein neues Spielbankengesetz implementiert, welches mit erhöhter Zugänglichkeit zu Glücksspiele verbunden ist. Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte, in welchem Ausmaß die Bevölkerung indirekt von problematischem Glücksspielverhalten betroffen ist und auf welche Weise die Glücksspielsucht als Problematik wahrgenommen wird. </p><p> <span class="fett">Methodik:</span> Eine für die deutschsprachige Schweiz repräsentativen Stichprobe von 706 Personen ab 18 Jahren wurde im September 2005 telefonisch befragt. </p><p> <span class="fett">Ergebnisse:</span> Es zeigte sich, dass häufiger internale als externale Attributionen zur Erklärung des Verhaltens Glücksspielsüchtiger vorgenommen werden und dass soziodemografische Eigenschaften, indirekte Betroffenheit und persönliche Glücksspielerfahrung das Attributionsverhalten beeinflussen. Vergleiche mit bereits verfügbaren Daten zur Haltung gegenüber substanzgebundenem Suchtverhalten machten deutlich, dass Heroinabhängigkeit der Bevölkerung mehr Sorgen bereitet als Alkohol- oder Glücksspielsucht. </p><p> <span class="fett">Schlussfolgerungen:</span> Die Notwendigkeit einer verstärkten Problemsensibilisierung im Sinne einer Gleichstellung von Glücksspielsucht mit substanzgebundenen Süchten wird diskutiert.

No abstract