Scientific interest in the positive aspects of aging and the development of healthy aging has increased, given the need to ensure older people well-being and quality of life. In this sense, social support and some sociodemographic variables may have a not yet entirely clear role. The main objective of this work was to analyze the predictive relationships of age, marital status, social support and subjective well-being on the general perception of the health of a group of elderly people. The participants were 137 people (77.4% women) between 61 and 91 years old (M = 73.11; SD = 6.22); 56.9% of them had a partner and 40.1% did not. The path analysis tested indicates that social support has an indirect predictive value on perceived overall health through its influence on subjective well-being. Age and life satisfaction are the most important direct predictors of perceived overall health. Conclusions highlight the need to delve into the study of explanatory factors of the general perception of the health of the elderly and promote interventions to facilitate the development of an appropriate social support network and increase the subjective well-being of this group.

Propuestas teóricas en la investigación sobre acoso escolar: una revisión

In order to prevent bullying, research has characterised the adolescents involved in terms of their social skills, maladjustment and popularity. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the relationships between these variables and how these relationships predict bullying involvement. Moreover, the literature has focused on pure bullies and victims, despite the fact that bully-victims are known to be the most troubled. The aim of this work is to study the relationships between these variables and their predictive value, focusing on the bully-victim role. The sample (N = 641) is made up of adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years. The results mainly indicate that the level of maladjustment and social skills predicts sociometric popularity, which is a significant predictor of bullying involvement. Differences in the social roles were observed, suggesting that social skills and maladjustment serve a different purpose for bully-victims than for the other roles involved.

The literature reveals multiple benefits of emotional education in adolescents’ development. This study examines the effects perceived by participants in the Emotional Education Programme for Adolescents (PREDEMA), which is based on the ability model of emotional intelligence and assumes a dialogical paradigm geared at meaningful learning. A total of 293 students aged 11 to 15 participated in the programme. A mixed methodology was used to evaluate the intervention, analysing participants’ perceived learning and exploring their subjective experience in depth. The results indicate significant learning in all four emotional competences described by the emotional intelligence model, as well as in related areas. The contribution of the qualitative methodology in combination with quantitative analysis is discussed to explore the effects of emotional education programmes that promote adolescents’ emotional awareness.

Todos los actos antisociales, incluidos la violencia y el acoso escolar, lo son dentro de la colectividad en la que se producen y son un reflejo de esa colectividad. Este estudio se centra en el discurso espontáneo de 406 adolescentes entre 15 y 21 años sobre el acoso escolar. El análisis cualitativo de los datos permite inferir cuatro principios discursivos que se articulan desde la inicial negación de la violencia (“eso no pasa”), a la negación de la responsabilidad (“si pasa, no soy yo, somos todos”), la negación de la gravedad (“si es broma, no hace daño), y la atribución a la víctima (el acoso tiene más que ver con la víctima que con el agresor). El análisis del discurso espontáneo adolescente contribuye a definir su contexto interpretativo respecto a la violencia entre iguales. Incluir este conocimiento en el modelo científico es necesario para dar lugar a programas de intervención eficaces. All antisocial acts, including violence and bullying behavior, are such thing within the community where they occur; they are a reflection of that community. This study aims to analyze the spontaneous discourse about bullying at school of 406 adolescents aged between 15 and 21 years. Qualitative analysis of the data permitted to derive four discursive principles: denial of the existence of violence (“it doesn’t happen”), denial of one’s own responsibility (“if it happens, it isn’t me, everybody does it”), denial of seriousness (“if it is a joke, it doesn’t hurt”), and attribution to the victim (bullying behavior happens to the victim for a reason). The analysis of adolescent’s spontaneous discourse contributes to the definition of interpretive context regarding peer violence. This knowledge should be included in the scientific model in order to help developing effective intervention programs.