Policy Currents | The latest RAND updates
View in Browser: [link removed]
** RAND research and commentary on the issues that matter most
------------------------------------------------------------
Jun 3, 2021
The Risk of Sexual Assault to Sexual Minorities in the U.S. Military
U.S. service members who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual and others who did not indicate that they identify as heterosexual represented 12 percent of the active-duty population in 2018. But they accounted for an estimated 43 percent of all sexually assaulted service members. That's according to a new RAND study.
"We know in the civilian world that sexual minorities are often targeted for bullying, intimidation, and sexual assault," lead author Andrew Morral tweeted. "There are indications the same occurs in the military." Understanding the risk that sexual minorities in the military face could help identify and prevent behavior that often precedes assault.
Read more: [link removed]
Most Buprenorphine Prescriptions Written by Small Number of Providers
Buprenorphine is a drug that helps people with opioid addiction manage their illness and refrain from illicitly using opioids. A new RAND study finds that most prescriptions for buprenorphine are written by a small number of health care providers. This suggests that providing targeted support to current prescribers who are willing to safely treat more patients may be a more effective strategy than focusing on boosting the number of new prescribers.
Read more: [link removed]
Improving Security in America's Schools
A secure environment in schools is not only essential to student and teacher safety, but also to effective teaching and learning. The Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center operated by RAND conducted an analysis to identify obstacles to developing and implementing school security plans. Findings show that limited funding and staff expertise are the most-common challenges in security planning. On top of that, existing policies on school safety are a disconnected set of statutes, regulations, and resources.
Read more: [link removed]
How to Transform Mental Health Care
Elevated rates of anxiety and depression have persisted in the COVID-19 era. According to RAND's Ryan McBain, this moment is an opportunity to "cut short the pandemic's long tail of mental illness by taking decisive action." In particular, there are three key areas that policymakers and others could address, he says: continuing to expand telehealth to increase access to mental health care, screening for mental disorders in primary care, and reducing stigma, starting in schools.
Read more: [link removed]
Is Micromobility Delivering on Its Promise?
A few years ago, sharable bikes and scooters took cities by storm. It seemed like the micromobility revolution had arrived. According to proponents, these new modes of transportation would solve many urban problems, such as traffic congestion, pollution, and transit deserts. But is micromobility living up to the hype? To help answer this question, RAND experts devised a checklist of nine key considerations to help cities and companies understand whether micromobility can work in certain locations.
Read more: [link removed]
Countering Russian Propaganda
There is a wide array of published guidance aimed at addressing Russian disinformation and other state-sponsored propaganda. To help policymakers make sense of this body of work, RAND experts identified and coded recommendations from dozens of policy reports. They found that the most common recommendations focused on expanding media literacy initiatives, enhancing social media platforms' policies for detecting and removing foreign propaganda, and improving social media advertising practices.
Read more: [link removed]
** Trending Reports
------------------------------------------------------------
America's 5G Era: Gaining Competitive Advantages While Securing the Country and Its People
[link removed]
Climate Control: International Legal Mechanisms for Managing the Geopolitical Risks of Geoengineering
[link removed]
** RAND in the News
------------------------------------------------------------
New Data on the Ways Full-Time Remote Learners Lost Out
Education Week
[link removed]
Allegheny County's Struggles Against COVID-19 Reflect Racial, Economic Disparities, Study Shows
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
[link removed]
China's Space Ambitions Target Satellites, a U.S. Vulnerability
Nikkei Asia
[link removed]
** Subscribe to the Policy Currents Podcast
------------------------------------------------------------
You already get the latest insights from RAND in your inbox. Why not your earbuds?
Policy Currents is available as a weekly podcast. New episodes every Friday.
Subscribe now: [link removed]
** FOLLOW RAND
------------------------------------------------------------
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
[link removed]
Twitter
[link removed]
Facebook
[link removed]
LinkedIn
[link removed]
Instagram
[link removed]
Privacy statement
[link removed]
Unsubscribe
[link removed]
Manage your subscriptions
[link removed]
RAND Corporation
1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401-3208
RAND is a registered trademark.
