Conduct Problems Among Children at Battered Women's Shelters: Prevalence and Stability of Maternal Reports

The present research was designed to (1) replicate prevalence estimates of clinical levels of conduct problems in a large (n = 401) sample of children residing at a shelter for battered women, and (2) assess the stability of mothers' reports of child conduct problems following shelter departure. According to mothers' reports on standardized questionnaires and diagnostic interviews obtained during shelter residence, approximately one third of the children between 4 and 10 years of age exhibited clinical levels of conduct problems. Prior research has demonstrated elevated maternal distress during shelter residence and suggests that such distress may influence mothers' reports of child conduct problems. To examine this issue, a subset of families with children exhibiting clinical levels of conduct problems (n = 68) was reassessed following their shelter departure. Mothers' reports of child conduct problems remained stable despite significant reductions in mothers' distress after shelter exit.     

Cerebral traumatism with a playground rocking toy mimicking shaken baby syndrome

Shaken baby syndrome (SBS), one of the most deadly and devastating forms of child abuse, is caused by violent shaking. The combination of subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, brain swelling, and diffuse axonal injury is highly typical of this syndrome and faced with these autopsy findings, induced traumatic lesions are strongly considered. However, it is known that motor-vehicle accidents and falls from great height can also produce this pattern of injury. Nevertheless, stories of arms fall, couch fall, or bumped head while the baby is being carried are generally considered incompatible with SBS. We here report a case of a 2-year-old boy presenting with all the classic autopsy findings of SBS from a playground rocking toy shaken by an older child.     

FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCES

Family group conferencing has emerged as a child welfare system–transforming practice that fosters new collaborations between families, child welfare practitioners, and the courts. The key components of the model are explained. This article highlights the strengths and challenges associated with incorporating family group conferencing into traditional child welfare agency and court practice. It suggests future practice considerations and outcome-based study that are necessary to strengthen and sustain family group conferencing as a prevention/intervention strategy.     

"儿童读经运动"质疑--与南怀谨先生商榷

儿童读经运动以"填鸭"、"填牛"之强制灌输方法,让儿童死记硬背、生吞活剥古代"经典",企望以此使儿童获取"一生取之不尽,用之不竭"、"一劳永逸"之学问,这公然悖离了儿童教育的近现代观念,是走历史的回头路.儿童读经运动是不可能扫陋习、除时弊、正世风、开新学的,更不可能建设现代化、全球化之文化中国.南怀谨先生对儿童读经运动的支持,对传统教育中记诵方法的推崇,对新旧教育的某些认识和评论,以及退回旧式教育的主张,都是值得商榷的.南怀谨先生主张的儿童读经运动之所以能够大行其道,是因为当代中国文化尚未从根本上接纳近现代形态的儿童教育观念.     

The impact of social class and parental maltreatment on the cognitive functioning of children

The purpose of the present investigation was to compare the cognitive functioning of maltreated children with two groups of nonmaltreated children: those matched for age and SES and those matched only on age. All of the children ranged in age from 6 to 16 years. The rationale for employing two comparison groups was to examine the role of maltreatment and SES separately to determine which factor, if any, is associated with children's cognitive functioning. Additionally, the present investigation sought to expand on previous work by employing both global measures of cognitive functioning (WISC-R) as well as measures designed to tap specific abilities (e.g., selective attention, short-term memory). Results indicate that maltreated children demonstrated deficits in cognitive functioning but that these are no more pervasive than those found in children from the same low socioeconomic backgrounds. These findings suggest that it may be deprived family circumstances common in maltreating families, not maltreatment per se, that is responsible for the cognitive deficits often noted in maltreated children.     

Infant Homicide: Victim/Offender Relationship and Causes of Death

The phenomenon of infant homicide (infanticide) has been examined, explained, justified, and treated according to physiological, psychiatric, and psychological correlates. There has been little examination of the social correlates directly pertaining to infant homicide. However, social correlates are often indirectly addressed in the medical and psychiatric literature. This paper tests relationships between social correlates often asserted, but typically not tested, in the medical and psychiatric literature. Using a sample of 380 infant homicides in Texas from 1981 through 1991, a multivariate analysis between victim/offender relationship, cause of death, and victim's age at time of fatal injury, predicts the age at which an infant (34 months) is likely to be fatally injured. The findings support the following hypotheses: (1) as the age of the victim increases, the level of violence used to fatally injure the infant increases; and (2) as the level of relational intimacy decreases, the level of violence used to fatally injure the infant increases.     

Degrees of Memory of Childhood Sexual Abuse Among Women Survivors in Therapy

Past and current memory for childhood sexual abuse reported by a clinical sample of 160 women survivors was assessed utilizing a structured clinical interview. Response alternatives for memory were ordered along a continuum. To minimize treatment effects, participants were interviewed as early in therapy as possible. Fairly complete recollection both in the past and currently was reported by 26.3% of the sample, 36.9% apparently lost and subsequently recovered sexual abuse memories, and 36.9% endorsed intermediate degrees of memory. Only 2.5% indicated a decrease in degree of recollection over time. Age at onset was the only abuse characteristic found to differentiate participants with fairly complete memory from the rest of the sample. Findings are interpreted as illustrating that conclusions about memory for abuse are highly dependent on the way inquiries are conceptualized and worded.     

Parenthood,Childhood and Injury: Some Dilemmas for the Law of Torts

This paper looks at some recent developments in the law of torts. It looks in particular at the emergence of civil claims with respect to child abuse and the confinements effected by traditional limitation periods in relation to those claims. It examines in particular in the first section the House of Lords decision in Stubbings v. Webb to the effect that civil claims over child sex abuse were time barred, and the subsequent unsuccessful appeal to the European Court of Human Rights which ruled by seven votes to two that there had been no violation of articles 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is also noted that the Court ruled unanimously that there had been no violation of article 8; and by eight votes to one that there had been no violation of article 14. The paper turns in the second section to what have been called actions for wrongful birth, arguing that here we see the law of torts taking a more protective role, one which must be set side by side with the child abuse actions examined in the first part of the paper. Throughout the paper, both English and Australian law is canvassed. The major claims in this paper relate to what the author terms a singularly adult picture or rights and wrongs reflected in the law of torts.     

THE CALM AFTER THE STORM: USING MEDIATION TO RESOLVE PARENTING DISPUTES IN THE WAKE OF NATURAL DISASTERS

Hurricane Katrina not only tore apart communities along the Gulf Coast, it displaced hundreds of thousands of families throughout the country. Included in the massive numbers of displaced families were children from divorced, separated, or unmarried parents. As a result, many children have since relocated far away from one of their parents without court permission, causing an influx of parenting disputes among the unmarried parents. Litigation concerning parenting disputes that follow natural disasters is not only expensive, but is emotionally taxing on both parents and children and floods the already drained court system. This Note discusses alternative ways in which parenting disputes can be resolved following natural disasters. It explains how children are affected by relocating away from one of their parents and how those effects are comounded by natural disasters. Further, it explains how alternative dispute resolution methods help alleviate the effects of parenting disputes, specifically relocation disputes, on children. Finally, this Note proposes that all parents should be mandated to mediate any parenting disputes following natural disasters.     

论《西游记》的隐含读者

浪漫主义杰作《西游记》是吴承恩创作的经典神魔小说,但一批儿童文学作家和理论家基于《西游记》为历代儿童所喜爱的事实,力主《西游记》为童话作品(或准童话作品),或认为《西游记》具有童话特质和童话价值。本文根据接受美学的观点,从作家的创作动机和童年经验着手,结合《西游记》的具体内涵,从童话学视角探讨和论证《西游记》的隐含读者中必然包含着儿童。