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Set in the fictitious African nation of Wakanda, the six volumes of the Black Panther comic book weave plots that are faithful to superhero tropes and aware of Black nationalist discourses. The storylines focus on deterring white dominance, tribal warfare, and mineral exploitation. Creating characters conscious of the threats to their autonomy is an opportunity to reframe the "Black power" trope. This photo essay explores how iterations of raced and gendered figures in mainstream and independent comics are used to mediate and meditate on certain social anxieties. The images and their associated captions explore how Afrofuturism in "Black" comics not only provides illustrative cases of actual Black social life and political crossings engaged with cultural Black archives, but stimulates complex engagements with Black feminist thought in order to advance the liberation struggles of mutant, racialized, and gendered bodies seeking empowerment and social justice.

Purpose– Offenders with a learning disability present with greater clinical need than those without a learning disability. However, for this client group, access to and engagement with psychological and criminogenic interventions are often limited. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a potentially useful approach to this issue.Design/methodology/approach– A single case study design was used to evaluate an introductory group programme, delivered over 12 weekly sessions, in a forensic learning disability service. Semi-structured interviews were used alongside psychometric measures, which were completed prior to, and following completion of, the group, in order to assess the individual's experience of the group, their emotional understanding and difficulties, and readiness to change.Findings– Readiness to change and emotional understanding improved following completion of the programme. Self-reported emotional difficulties showed improvement, although not all staff reports corroborated this. Notably, the service user reported a positive experience, with increased confidence and motivation to attend further groups.Research limitations/implications– Generalisation from the results of single case studies is limited. Although results suggest that motivation to engage further has increased, more research is required to assess whether this impacts on actual ability to engage.Practical implications– Offering an introductory programme prior to further, more criminogenically focused intervention may be more effective than offering these interventions as the first stage of treatment.Originality/value– An introductory group programme may be potentially helpful in providing the foundation knowledge, confidence and motivation necessary to attend further intervention focusing on criminogenic need for offenders with a learning disability.

PurposeHigh levels of anger have been associated with forensic learning disabled populations. The role of gender within the experience of anger is not clear. This study aims to start exploring the question "Do female forensic patients with learning disabilities have different needs in relation to anger?"Design/methodology/approachThis study used a between‐subjects design with one independent variable: gender. The Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory was applied. Scores obtained by 12 females were compared with those of 23 males within a forensic psychiatric service for learning disabled patients.FindingsSignificant differences were found between scores, suggesting female forensic patients with learning disabilities experience higher levels of anger than do males, particularly in the arousal domain, and demonstrate difficulties in regulating anger.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of a single measure of anger and the small, forensic nature of the sample limits this study. It is recommended that further research address these issues and extend the exploration of this issue to non‐forensic populations.Practical implicationsGender specific differences, and the potential influence of learning disabilities should be considered when assessing and treating anger difficulties. Female forensic patients with learning disabilities may benefit from a greater emphasis on anger arousal reduction work.Social implicationsThis study highlights how the impact of gender and learning disabilities on the experience of anger is currently insufficiently understood.Originality/valueThis study forms a preliminary study of anger in the under‐researched population of females with learning disabilities.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe a study which investigated the diverse needs of multiple stakeholders in an adapted sex offender treatment programme (ASOTP) and then evaluated a pilot programme set up to respond to the identified needs efficiently and effectively. The paper reports on an innovative approach to delivering ASOTP in secure learning disability services. It aims to address many of the criticisms and concerns of conventional closed format programmes, particular in the climate of value for money and payment by results.Design/methodology/approachThe multiple views of stakeholders were identified by means of questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews in order to ascertain the key issues necessitating change. Stakeholders included purchasers of Partnerships in Care Learning Disability Services (PiC LDS), referred clients, internal and external clinicians involved in their care, group facilitators and, in some cases, clients' families or advocates. A rolling format ASOTP (based on the content of the Prison and Probation Service ASOTP) was designed and piloted to address highlighted needs, including time frames for the commencement and completion of treatment.FindingsInitial feedback obtained by means of structured interviews and discussions with all stakeholders has been positive. In particular, participants have shown an increase in motivation, knowledge, and, unexpectedly, enhanced levels of risk disclosure. Facilitators have reported increased satisfaction and decreased stress levels. These findings are tentative in light of the small numbers involved and the absence of a randomised control trial.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has a number of implications for future research in terms of improving treatment effectiveness by means of increasing knowledge retention and enhancing risk disclosure, as well as a reduction in facilitator burnout.Originality/valueThe programme was tailored to respond to individual treatment needs within a group setting whilst ensuring programme integrity and effective risk management within a forensic learning disability service.

Purpose
– Standardised approaches to the management of aggression and violence are critical for all stakeholders of intellectual disability services. The purpose of this paper is to describe the Management of Aggression Care Plan (MoACP). The care plan aims to reduce levels of restrictive interventions, to ensure any interventions relative to aggression and violence are the least restrictive possible, and to promote adaptive behaviours and support life enriching opportunities, in a manner which is personalised to the unique profiles of every patient.


Design/methodology/approach
– The MoACP was first described by Thomas et al. (2005). This paper describes the rationale, theoretical basis, structure and benefits of the care plan, and provides details of revisions made to the plan in response to evidence-based practice recommendations.


Findings
– The value of implementing a structured approach to the care planning of management of aggression and violence, in reducing the frequency and impact of restrictive practices, and promoting life enriching opportunities is described.


Practical implications
– The paper describes a number of practical features of the care plan which most support its continued effectiveness, including patient involvement, individual patient focused training, and audit.


Originality/value
– Although many services undertake localised approaches to the care planning of management of violence and aggression in forensic intellectual disability services, few have been described in the published literature.

Purpose.To ascertain the effectiveness of a behavior-change weight management program offered to teachers and state employees in North Carolina (NC).Design.Fifteen-week weight management program with premeasures and postmeasures.Setting.State agencies and public K-12 schools in five NC counties.Subjects.A total of 2574 NC state employees enrolled in 141 classes.Intervention.Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less (ESMMWL) is a 15-week weight management program delivered by trained instructors. Lessons inform, empower, and motivate participants to live mindfully as they make choices about eating and physical activity.Measures.Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, confidence in ability to eat healthy and be physically active, changes in eating, and physical activity behaviors.Analysis.Descriptive statistics, t-tests, χ2tests, and analyses of variance.Results.Data are reported for 1341 participants in ESMMWL who completed the program, submitted an evaluation, and had not participated in the program in the past; 89% were female and mean age was 48.8 years. Average BMI and waist circumference decreased significantly. Confidence in eating healthfully and being physically active increased significantly. The percentage of participants with a BMI < 30 kg/m2increased from 40% to 45% and those with a normal blood pressure increased from 23% to 32.5%. Participants reported being more mindful of what and how much they ate (92%), being more mindful of how much daily physical activity they got (88%), and eating fewer calories (87.3%).Conclusion.This project demonstrated the feasibility of implementing a behavior change–based weight management program at the worksite to achieve positive outcomes related to weight, blood pressure, healthy eating, and physical activity behaviors. Programs such as this have the potential to provide health care cost savings.