EurekAlert! News by Subject: Social & Behavior - News by Subject: Social & Behavior

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 12-Sep-2025 11:11 ET (12-Sep-2025 15:11 GMT/UTC)

Immigration detention for children: Research says no form is safe

University of Sydney
Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Sydney psychologists have examined 21 studies into the psychological impact of immigration detention on children across eight countries and found no form of detention is safe. With global population displacement on the rise due to wars, poverty, climate change or natural disaster, the review highlights an urgent need to consider alternatives to the detention of children and families seeking asylum.

Journal: The British Journal of Psychiatry

Dr. Venkataramana Gadhamshetty appointed Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Engineering Science

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
Business Announcement

Environmental Engineering Science, a premier peer-reviewed journal dedicated to critical advancements in environmental engineering and science, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Venkataramana Gadhamshetty, PhD, PE, BCEE, MASCE, as its new Editor-in-Chief. Environmental Engineering Science is the official journal of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP).

Journal: Environmental Engineering Science

Lack of services, stigma leave male survivors of intimate partner violence out in the cold, SFU study finds

Simon Fraser University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Using survey data from the Statistics Canada General Social Survey on victimization as well as interviews with 16 male survivors, the study found men were significantly less likely to seek outside help compared to women.

“When intimate partner violence happens to men, it often feels like they're left to cope alone,” says Alexandra Lysova, SFU criminology professor and co-author of a new study published in the Journal of Family Violence. “Many deny the abuse, withdraw from social activities and relationships, and throw themselves into work to avoid what’s happening at home.”

Journal: Journal of Family Violence

Holy shift: More Americans finding faith outside church

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cornell-led research finds that large numbers of Americans are leaving organized religion – not in favor of secular rationality, but to pursue spirituality in ways that better align with their individual values.

Journal: Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World

Do “harm reduction” interventions for substance use lower or raise trust in government?

Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A paper by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center suggests that public perception of governmental support for comprehensive drug policies, including harm reduction, is a postive predictor of trust in local government.

Journal: Harm Reduction Journal
Funder: NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

New Concordia research shows social networks are vulnerable to relatively simple AI manipulation and polarization

Concordia University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent study by Concordia University researchers reveals that social media platforms are highly susceptible to manipulation by relatively simple AI techniques. By employing reinforcement learning and systems theory, the researchers demonstrated how bots can be strategically placed to exploit platform algorithms, intensifying polarization with minimal intervention. The study aims to enhance detection mechanisms and raise awareness among policymakers and tech companies about the vulnerabilities inherent in current social media infrastructures.

Journal: IEEE Access

New study may help detect early signs of autism in the first year of life

University of Missouri-Columbia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Autism is typically diagnosed in children ages 3 to 5 years old, but researchers at the University of Missouri’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment are exploring whether signs of autism could be detected as early as the first year of life.

In the first report from their longitudinal study, researchers Erin Andres and Stephen Sheinkopf found that behavior at 9 months old can indicate the likelihood that a 1 year old will be at risk for autism.

Journal: Nature