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This study was conducted to peruse and analyze the experiences of physically handicapped students studying at different Higher Education Institutions in Lahore regarding social marginalization and exclusion. Physically handicapped students are an integral part of the population and their experiences and problems need to be studied. The researchers then conducted the requisite in-depth study into the matter concerned. A detailed interview constituted of open-ended questions was employed to garner the required information from a sample of 30 respondents studying at numerous Higher Education Institutions in Lahore. Their responses were subjected to scrupulous thematic analysis and the ensuing results aligned with the opinions of the researchers. The disabled students of these institutions are indeed marginalized and are at risk of being socially excluded. There is a need for resolving and alleviating their problems and the urgency of this need can’t be underemphasized. Keywords: Disabled, Social Exclusion Theory, Higher Education, Stigma theory, Social Marginalization, Exclusion.

Child labour among school children is a critical issue which effects their education and future success. This research study was focused on identifying the presence of labour activities among public school children, analyzing the labour factor with the chance/risk of school dropout and to assessing the prospects of school social workers in public schools particularly in facilitating the school children. A Mixed method approach with convergent parallel design was adopted. Total 100 students from grade 6 and grade 10 from public schools of tehsil City, district Lahore were selected by using proportional stratified random sampling technique. For qualitative part, teachers and parents of the students were interviewed. The inclusion Criteria for the students was poor attendance and poor grades. Result of this study indicates that students who were involved in labour had 1.83 times more chances to dropout from school as compared to those who were not involved in labour. This study suggests that the education policy should recognize the challenges confronted by students and should introduce school social work to address these issues. Keywords: Child labour, School Attendance, Academic Achievement, School Dropout, School Social Work.

Academic stress is a common issue among students that strongly affects students’ mental health and academic outcomes. In order to determine the impact of academic stress on students’ emotional wellbeing and academic performance, this study, being quantitative in nature, was carried out in two public-sector universities, namely; University of Sargodha and University of Peshawar and a total sample of 800 students (i.e., 400 students from each university) were taken from both. All the students at the graduate and postgraduate levels made up the total population of the study. The study found that academic stress carried a significant impact on students’ emotional wellbeing and their academic performance. The study also found that students from both universities experienced an equal level of academic stress, which carried a significant impact on their emotional well-being and academic performance. The female students were more likely to face academic stress than the male students. Students of BS programs were much more prone to academic stress than M.Phil. and PhD students who studied physics experienced more academic stress than the students of chemistry, sociology and management sciences. Furthermore, students who were in their fourth year of studies were more likely to experience academic stress, emotional distress, and academic destruction as compared to the students in their 3rd, 2nd, and 1st years. In conclusion, the study revealed a substantial impact of academic stress on students’ emotional wellbeing and academic performance, with significant variations based on gender, academic program, subject, and year of study. Keywords: Academic stress, Emotional well-being, Academic performance, University of Peshawar, University of Sargodha.

Health is a state of complete psychological, physical, and social well-being. To gain a healthy life, one must have a balanced diet and has to exercise regularly. The knowledge and promotion of healthy eating habits is a key component of health promotion strategies. Poor eating habits, like consuming excessive junk food and late-night eating, can lead to many health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, destroyed appetite, high obesity, and depression. The present study is designed to examine the relationship between health promotion literacy, healthy eating habits, and junk food behavior among educated youth in Punjab, Pakistan. A quantitative research design was used. A well-structured questionnaire was developed by using 3 adapted scales, including the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS), the Eating Habits Questionnaire, and the Diet and Behavior Scale (DABS), for data collection. The study utilized a sample of 310 university students from Sargodha, Lahore, and Islamabad. The data were analyzed using correlation, regression, and the Chi-square test through SPSS software. Findings revealed that high levels of health promotion literacy were associated with reduced junk food behavior and increased adoption of healthy eating habits among educated youth in Punjab, Pakistan. This study identified the significance of health literacy and its promotion and proposed interventions to improve health literacy services, expand understanding about nutrition, and empower educated young people to make good decisions related to their dietary practices. Keywords: Health Promotion Literacy, Nutrition Knowledge, Dietary Behavior, Junk Food, Eating behavior

With the rise of online interaction among young people, cyberbullying has become a pressing issue. Key social influences like friends, family, and university figures significantly shape adolescent behavior in this digital space. This research delves into the root causes, environments, and conditions that contribute to cyberbullying, along with the coping mechanisms employed by victims and the aftereffects of those strategies. To investigate these questions, researchers collected data from a randomized sample of 200 students. The self-developed questionnaire was divided into four parts with 32 questions about cyberbullying and 8 questions about the students themselves, i.e. age, gender, program, social media involvement, and physical & mental health. This helped them see if things like mental health or social media use affected the answers. To keep everything anonymous, they assigned codes to each survey instead of using names. They compared answers from different groups of students to see if there were any differences. This study is important because it can help us figure out how to stop teens from misusing technology and getting cyberbullied. Additionally, it aims to give the public the right direction to overcome cyberbullying if it happens to them. Keywords: Peer support, cyberbullying, university students, recovery, reforms, higher education.

Cultivation theory posits that heavy exposure to violent media content can lead to increased aggressive behavior, as well as heightened anxiety and fear regarding personal safety, particularly among young people. This study investigates these effects by focusing on the impact of violent TV news on sensitization, insecurity, mistrust, and fear among Pakistani youth. Adopting a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional research design, data was collected from 518 students (both male and female) across 12 public sector universities in Pakistan. The findings support the tenets of Cultivation Theory, showing that exposure to violent TV news sensitizes youth and cultivates a perception of an unsafe world. Additionally, the study identifies a significant rise in anxiety, depression, fear, mistrust, and insecurity among university students, with female participants exhibiting greater sensitivity to these effects than their male counterparts. These results underscore the critical need for awareness and intervention strategies to mitigate the negative psychological impacts of violent media content on young individuals. Keywords: Television, News, Sensitization, Fear, Anxiety, Mistrust, Advocacy against violence, Well-being

Females face challenges in balancing their professional responsibilities with their family responsibilities. Work-family conflict (WFC) always remained a critical area of study. It has profound implications for organizational behavior and employee well-being. This research study investigated the impact of WFC on the job performance (JP) of female university employees. Using a causal-comparative research design, the focus of the study was the female teaching staff working in Islamabad public sector universities. The participants of the study were 300 female university teachers, providing data on the Work Family Conflict Scale and the Job Performance Scale. Data were analyzed using regressions model. Findings revealed a significant negative correlation between work family conflict and job performance. It underscored the importance of addressing work-family conflicts to enhance organizational outcomes and the effectiveness in the performance of the employees. The recommendations were given about the implementation of tailored support mechanisms such as in-service training and counseling so that female university employees can be assisted in effectively managing work-family conflicts. KEYWORDS: Job Performance, Higher Education, Work Family Conflict, Islamabad, Female Teachers.