Attributions for Improvement in Children Bullied at School

ABSTRACT

This mixed methods study describes attributions for improvement following reductions in victimization for children who were bullied at school. It also tests hypotheses from attribution theory about attributions associated with improvements. The sample was a subset of families who participated in an RCT of a family cognitive-behavioral program to reduce victimization; to be included, both the parent and child needed to report reductions in child victimization at 9 months. Attributions were compared across conditions, respondents (parents versus children) and time. Both parents and children attributed improvements most often to actions by the target child. Intervention families were more likely than control families to attribute changes to their own efforts than to external factors. The relevance of internal attributions for the success of interventions is discussed.     

Undergraduate Courses and Graduate Programs in Community Research and Action

SUMMARY

The days when psychotherapy was practiced as a lone endeavor are nearly gone. Today therapists, particularly family therapists, interface with a variety of other community professionals; many of these professionals are from our legal system. Judges, attorneys, and guardians are calling on the expertise of family therapists to assist with difficult cases. A relatively new population of clients being seen by family therapists are parents involved in the divorce process who are struggling to work out issues regarding their children. Court-ordered therapy is now required for many divorcing couples. The authors describe their work with parents who are court-ordered to therapy for issues regarding the well-being of their children. In addition to describing their working assumptions and therapeutic techniques, the authors explore the common pitfalls of working with families court-ordered to family therapy.     

Design and Implementation of Parent Programs for a Community-Wide Adolescent Alcohol Use Prevention Program

SUMMARY

Project Northland is a comprehensive community trial designed to evaluate programs for the primary prevention of alcohol-related problems during adolescence. It uses a community-wide model, that includes both demand and supply reduction techniques. The first phase of Project Northland (grades 6-8) was completed with the effective implementation of multiple, complementary programs including a multi-year social behavioral curriculum, intensive parental involvement components, peer leadership opportunities, and community-level changes through the formation of local task forces. This article describes the process used for developing and implementing the comprehensive parent interventions used during the first phase of the research, highlighting the elements that led to the successful implementation of the programs with very high participation rates by parents, their young adolescents, teachers, and community members.     

Federal Support for Adoption Subsidies

ABSTRACT

Federal Title IV-E Adoption Assistance is an essential resource for states moving children from foster care to adoption. Secondary analyses indicate that federal funds support nearly half the costs of all adoption subsidies. Due to variations in eligibility, federal matching rates, and states' use of the program, the proportion of total subsidy costs supported by Title IV-E funds ranges from 25 to 72 percent among states. Multivariate analyses of recent adoptions demonstrate the importance of Title IV-E utilization for adopted children and their families, in that Title IV-E-eligible children are more likely to receive subsidies and to receive larger subsidies, compared to children who are not Title IV-E eligible. Variations in Title IV-E utilization have potential impacts on children, adoptive families and state child welfare agencies.     

Children's After School Arrangements

SUMMARY

Developmental correlates of children's after school arrangements were examined with suburban seventh graders and their mothers. Self-care children identified as unsupervised and “hanging out” had more difficulties than supervised children or unsupervised self-care children “at home” in terms of school achievement, susceptibility to peer pressure, self-reported behavior problems, and experimentation with alcohol. The study failed to identify any benefits of leaving children unsupervised after school in terms of adaptive behavior or competence. The findings have implications for providing more supportive services to working families as a means of increasing family competence.     

Parental Self-Efficacy and Social Support as Predictors of Parenting Practices and Children's Socioemotional Adjustment in Mexican Immigrant Families

SUMMARY

The current study examined the hypotheses that (1) parental self-efficacy partially mediates the relationships between social support and both parental warmth and control, and (2) these parenting variables relate positively to children's socioemotional adjustment. First-generation, Mexican immigrant mothers were interviewed regarding social support, parental self-efficacy, parenting practices, and their child's socioemotional adjustment. Overall, results from path analyses suggest that, for Mexican immigrant families, social support relates to parenting practices partly because those with greater social support feel more efficacious as parents. Findings also showed that parenting characterized by warmth or control is associated with greater socioemotional adjustment among children. This research supports the idea that, for programs designed to influence parenting practices, simply providing social support may be less important than taking steps to enhance parental self-efficacy.     

Characteristics of School Violence and the Value of Family-School Therapeutic Alliances

Abstract

This article discusses the problem of school violence and the fear about school safety that have been reinforced by extensive news media coverage of the recent series of school shooting incidents. Various factors associated with school violence are addressed, including sociocultural influences on adolescents that pose a challenge to counselors and therapists working with this clientele. In order to reduce violence and aggression in schools and to ease concerns about safety, steps must be taken not only by schools but also by parents and communities. Families can play an important protective role in minimizing at-risk behavior by young people. In fact, many of the most effective youth violence interventions include family components. Several of these programs are described as well as a number of collaborative approaches that demonstrate the potential synergy of school counselors and family therapists working together. With the addition of more courses in family dynamics in counselor education programs, school counselors will be in a better position to collaborate with family therapists in helping reduce violence in the nation's schools.     

The Role of Community in Facilitating Service Utilization

SUMMARY

Guided by an integrated theory of parent participation, this study examines the role community characteristics play in influencing a parent's decision to use voluntary child abuse prevention programs. Multiple regression techniques were used to determine if different community characteristics, such as neighborhood distress and the community's ratio of caregivers to those in need of care, predict service utilization levels in a widely available home visiting program. Our findings suggest that certain community characteristics are significant predictors of the extent to which families utilize voluntary family supports over and above the proportion of variance explained by personal characteristics and program experiences. Contrary to our initial assumptions, however, new parents living in the most disorganized communities received more home visits than program participants living in more organized communities. The article concludes with recommendations on how community capacity building might be used to improve participant retention.     

Intersectional Disadvantage: Exploring Differences Between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Parents with Intellectual Disability in the New South Wales Child Protection System

Background: Parents with intellectual disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents are overrepresented in child removal but research has not explored the intersection of Aboriginality and intellectual disability in child protection.

Methods: A case file review of 45 parents with intellectual disability (n = 14 Aboriginal and n = 31 non-Aboriginal) engaged in care proceedings in New South Wales was undertaken. Parent and child demographics and investigation triggers and outcomes were compared.

Results: Aboriginal parents were significantly younger than non-Aboriginal parents at initiation of an investigation, twice as likely to be investigated due to concerns about parenting capacity, and more likely to have children removed than non-Aboriginal parents.

Conclusion: The intersection of Aboriginality and intellectual disability appears to increase the risk of negative encounters with child protection systems. Targeted support for young Aboriginal parents and greater disability awareness and cultural sensitivity by child welfare workers are needed.     

A Multidimensional Ecological Examination of a Youth Development Program for Military Dependent Youth

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to conduct a multi-method evaluation to investigate the effectiveness of a youth development program for military dependent youth entitled, Youth Action Program. The dimensions of an ecological program are used to examine the program post-de-facto. The comparison with elements of ecological programming provided reasons as to this program's perceived impact and its weaknesses. A multi-dimensional evaluation is employed that examines the processes and outcomes in their natural settings. Youth and parents overwhelmingly believed that this program had made a positive difference in their lives. Youth demonstrated an improvement, although not significant, in their self-concept; however, participating youths' levels of social isolation and withdrawal from social contact remained at a high level. The results and need for future research are presented related to evaluating youth development programs and the ecological model.     

The Effectiveness of a Self-Teaching Asthma Self-Management Training Program for School Age Children and Their Families

Summary

This study tested the hypothesis that an inexpensive, self-teaching asthma management training program, usable in the home environment, will be well received and prove beneficial to children with asthma and their families. A total of 321 subject families were recruited at 13 sites across the country to participate in the one year longitudinal study of the SUPERSTUFF program. Children ranged in age from 5-12, and their families constituted a heterogenous cross-section of the population. The impact of the SUPERSTUFF program was studied in relation to five major dependent variables: asthma knowledge, self-concept, asthma-related problems, asthma attitudes, and school attendance patterns. The results supported the hypothesis.     

Context Matters: Reactive and Proactive Bystander Action to Prevent Sexual and Dating Violence in High Schools

ABSTRACT

Given high rates of relationship violence among adolescents, there is a need to understand variables that influence adolescents’ helping behaviors to reduce risk for dating and sexual violence (reactive) and promote prevention before violence happens or risk factors are evident (proactive). The current paper examined individual and school variables related to greater actionism in a large sample of high school students. Baseline, cross-sectional data used in the current analyses were gathered before intervention as part of a prevention program evaluation across 25 high schools in New England from students in grades 9–12 (N= 3,404). Students who self-reported a greater number of proactive actions taken were students who identified as sexual minorities, had a history of victimization, and were in schools with supportive peer norms. The current findings suggest a model for prevention that might include training individuals and attending to school level variables.     

Family Problems and Children's Competencies Over the Early Elementary School Years

SUMMARY

Problems experienced by families from a sample of at-risk, urban children were observed and recorded by social workers over a two year period. Four groups of families were distinguished through social worker case notes based on family problems and needs; families were grouped into stable high needs, stable low needs, change for better and change for worse categories. Children were then followed for three years, from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of second grade, and assessed on classroom competence and academic achievement outcomes. Classroom competence included the teacher's rating of both the child's social skills in the classroom, and the academic competence of the child. Academic achievement included a standardized assessment of both math and reading skills. Results indicated that children from families with stable low needs consistently perform with more competence in the classroom than children from families with stable high needs or those whose need status increased. Children from families with stable high needs score comparably to children from families with stable low needs on math, and no difference between groups were found in reading. Implications of these findings for strengthening family competence is discussed.     

Assessing the Relationship Between a Peer-Mentoring Program and Case Outcomes in Dependency Court

Building successful family-centered programs to support families whose children have been removed can be especially challenging to child welfare agencies. Peer-mentoring programs match families new to the dependency system with a mentor who has successfully reunified with their children. The current study examines the relationship between a peer-mentoring program, Parent for Parent (P4P), engagement levels of parents, and case outcomes for these families. Findings revealed that participants in the peer-mentoring program experienced increased engagement levels and improved outcomes for their cases. Specifically, mothers and fathers who participated in P4P increased their compliance with case plans and visitation, as well as increased presence at court hearings. Reunification rates increased for all families who participated in the peer-mentoring program, compared to those who did not. Few associations were found between racial and ethnic groups and program participation. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Thurston High School

Abstract

On May 21, 1998 Kipland Kinkel entered Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, gunned down two students and injured scores more, after murdering his parents the night before. There is a dearth of research focused on the effects of such violence in school settings where the perpetrator is a peer of his victims. We do not know if, how, or under what circumstances adolescents exposed to this violence are psychologically changed, or if the changes are temporary or long-lasting. This study explores the incidence of post-traumatic effects of such an incident. These effects are hypothesized to be influenced by both distal (physical) (Pynoos & Nader, 1986) and emotional proximity (Terr, 1990). Emotional proximity is, in this study, measured by connectedness to the school. Effects of peritrauma dissociative responses in the immediate aftermath of the incident on longitudinal effects are also explored. Participants include 80 respondents who completed a lengthy survey at two to three years post incident. The sample was predominantly recruited from three Oregon institutes of higher learning. It includes adolescents who were enrolled at Thurston High School at the time, young adults who had graduated from Thurston in the five years prior to the incident and a control group from another college town 40 miles away. Findings support the hypotheses that distal proximity at the time of the event predicts the longitudinal direct effects of distress from hyper arousal, intrusions, and avoidance. Controlling for distal proximity, emotional proximity to Thurston High School predicts peritrauma dissociative response and alexithymia. Further, elevated peritrauma scores predicts distress from intrusions at two to three years. These results suggest there can be long-lasting effects from one instance of acute school violence. Limitations of the study and future research are discussed.     

Barriers Experienced by Kinship and Non-Relative Caregivers During the Foster and Adoptive Parent Licensure and Home Study Process

The shortage of foster/adoptive parents being licensed to care for children in the public welfare system prompted an evaluation of the Licensure and Home Study Process (LHSP). Ecological systems theory framed the barriers-to-resources interplay among kinship and non-relative caregivers who withdrew or completed the LHSP. This mixed-methods study examined differences in applicant characteristics and types of barriers experienced. Results indicated that applicants responsible for other children in the home paired with welfare system barriers served as a tipping point for withdrawal. Relatives encountered the most barriers and all grandparents withdrew from the LHSP prior to licensure.     

Weapons in an Affluent Suburban School

Abstract

This is an exploratory study designed to describe the self-reported violence and weapon carrying behaviors of suburban teenagers from a largely affluent community in the San Francisco Bay area. The paucity of research on the weapon carrying behaviors of suburban adolescents suggests this is a population for which issues related to violence have been ignored. However, the school shootings that have occurred across the United States in recent years have forced a shift in attention to this population. The results of this investigation indicate the weapon carrying behaviors of suburban and urban adolescents are similar with distinct profiles emerging for males and females.     

Enhancing Family Competence Through Literacy Activities

SUMMARY

The present paper describes the range of positive family outcomes found when the parents of low-income preschoolers engage in literacy activities with their children. One hundred parents attended a series of family literacy workshops designed to instruct parents on the use of effective book sharing techniques to use with their children. The goal of the program was to increase the children's school readiness and emergent literacy skills by training parents to be more effective and self-confident “first teachers” of the type of literacy skills necessary for early school success. Parents reported that both the amount of parent-child book sharing increased and the time spent reading was more interesting and enjoyable. Children's language skills as well as their interest in books and learning increased. Personal benefits to the parent included enhanced self-esteem and self confidence, increased knowledge of normative child development and sense of efficacy as a parent, heightened understanding of the importance of parental involvement, increased feeling of literacy competence and interest in improving their own education, and sense of increased social support. Other family members (spouses and siblings) also increased their literacy activities. Family relationships, communication, and feelings of togetherness were also enhanced. Implications for individual and family competency enhancing interventions are discussed.     

The Mark of a Food Allergy Label: School Accommodation Policy and Bullying

ABSTRACT

This study examines the extent to which specific school accommodation policies relate to bullying victimization among children with food allergies using a labeling framework. Data were collected through a web-based survey of parents of children with food allergies from several online support groups (N = 622). Using logistic regression, results reveal that school the self-carry rescue medication and hand-washing food accommodation policies are related to increased odds of bullying victimization. Potential policy implications of these findings are discussed.     

Issues Surrounding Post-Adoption Contact in Foster Adoption: The Perspective of Foster-to-Adopt Families and Child Welfare Workers

Current research on open adoption gives less consideration to issues surrounding post-adoption contact with birth parents for children adopted from care. Yet, it is widely recognized that the profile of the children and their birth parents, as well as the quality of post-adoption contacts, vary considerably depending on the context in which the adoption takes place. This article is based on interviews with 32 child welfare workers and 16 foster-to-adopt families. It focuses specifically on aspects and conditions that should be taken into consideration when determining whether or how contact between the adopted child and the birth family should be maintained. Our results show that there are distinctive challenges and dilemmas for open adoption in situations where the adopted child comes from a maltreating family, under the responsibility of child welfare services.