Child and Adolescent Social Work

Prevalence of Substance Use, Housing Instability, and Self-Perceived Preparation for Independence Among Current and Former Foster Youth Abstract This study assesses prevalence of substance use, and the impact of housing instability. and independence preparation on substance use in two samples: youth currently in-care and former foster youth. Both samples were from a mid-Atlantic state with youth currently in-care residing in rural jurisdictions and former foster youth residing in the state's largest urban jurisdiction. A cross-sectional design utilizing paper and web-based surveys was used to collect data. Findings indicate youth in-care are consuming substances that are on average with national prevalence statistics. However, former foster youth are consuming substances at alarmingly high rates well above the national prevalence. A high rate of housing instability after leaving child welfare was reported for former foster youth. In addition, greater preparation for independence among former foster youth was associated with less substance usage. Implications for social work practice, independence preparation, and life skills classes are presented.

Association of School Engagement, Academic Difficulties and School Avoidance with Psychological Difficulties Among Adolescents Admitted to a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit Abstract Mental illness is a pressing public health concern, particularly when the onset is during childhood or adolescence. Many youth admitted to hospital-based psychiatric care experience school-related difficulties. The purpose of this report was to explore the associations of academic difficulties, school avoidance and school engagement to total psychological difficulties and emotional problems. Youth completed surveys that included standardized measures of school-related factors and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire while in hospital. Psychiatrists provided the primary diagnosis and diagnosis most responsible for the current admission. In total, 161 patients participated in this study (mean age 15 years, SD 1.4; 75% female). All three school-related variables were significantly associated with emotional problems; however, only school avoidance and academic difficulties were associated with total difficulties. School-related concerns were significantly associated with the severity of mental health symptoms. Patients may benefit from attention to school-related difficulties before discharge from psychiatric care that continues beyond school reintegration.

Examining Parental Alienation Treatments: Problems of Principles and Practices Abstract When children of high-conflict divorced parents prefer one parent and resist or refuse visitation with the other parent, some authors have spoken of this situation as parental alienation (PA). PA refers to cases of avoidance of a parent in which the preferred parent is alleged to have manipulated the child's thinking and created antagonism toward the non-preferred parent, and in which neither abuse nor neglect has been substantiated. Advocates of the PA concept have offered treatment methods that entail court-ordered separation of the child from the preferred parent, followed by intensive treatment and aftercare through specialized counseling, with separation and treatment sometimes lasting years. This paper examines the published evidence and other material related to the safety and effectiveness of PA treatments, and concludes that the treatments have not been shown to be effective, but are in fact potentially harmful. Suggestions are made for research approaches that could help to explain avoidance of a parent and that could yield effective treatment for such avoidance.

My Path Towards Living on My Own: Voices of Youth Leaving Dutch Secure Residential Care Abstract Youth departing from secure youth care are often not well prepared for living on their own. This study aims to provide more insight into youth's perspectives on what they need to improve their chances for successful return to and participation in Dutch society. The study is a first necessary step on a journey to develop a tool for these youth to evaluate the development of autonomy and participation. We chose for a participatory research methodology. Youth participated as co-researchers in all steps of the research. Sixteen adolescents aged 15–20 years participated in open in-depth interviews using an autobiographical life story method. They were treated as partners and future owners of the tool to be developed. The interviews were transcribed and analysed. Realizing trustworthy social bonds appeared essential for developing autonomy. Youth started to move when they were socially connected and had found out what they value. Then they started "to do their thing" and "to find their own path", which was their language for experiencing autonomy. An interesting new finding was the importance of rest for youth to enable them to develop self-insight and to find their own path. The findings imply that staff in secure residential care should invite youth to develop their own ideas about their life and future, stimulate exploration and reflection, and a dialogue with people around them. Opportunity for acting, trying and doing is also needed, so that youth can discover in practice what works for them.

Foster Care Alumni and Higher Education: A Descriptive Study of Post-secondary Achievements of Foster Youth in Texas Abstract In 1993, Texas became one of the first states to adopt a post-secondary tuition and fee waiver for foster youth. In the present study, we examine the post-secondary achievements of a cohort of foster youth in Texas. Youth formerly in care were followed from age 18 to 24. Academic data reveal that only 1.5% of the youth received a bachelor's degree and 2% received an associate's degree or certificate, despite the state tuition and fee waiver. While we cannot assess causality, our descriptive data indicate potential waiver benefits in terms of post-secondary enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. However, results reveal that a significant percentage of emancipated youth who enroll in college (all waiver eligible), do not utilize the waiver (46%). In addition, the graduation rate for waiver recipients, while higher than non-recipients, is low. Study findings suggest that waivers may be a viable strategy for promoting higher education among foster youth. However, to substantively improve post-secondary outcomes for foster youth, tuition legislation must be supplemented with initiatives specifically designed to promote waiver utilization as well as college retention and graduation.

Needs of Newcomer Youth Abstract The journey following migration for adolescent youth can consist of psychosocial and sociocultural difficulties with acculturating and integrating into the new host society. The family unit, however, has been identified to be a source of strength and wellbeing for youth during the integration process. This study explores factors that are suggested to make the home environment more supportive after migration. Newcomer youth between 15 and 18 years of age within a medium-sized Canadian city, living in Canada for no more than 2 years were interviewed in a group setting. Mixed methods were utilized and collected data was analyzed using concept mapping. Participants stated wanting more positive feedback from and increased communication with parents, in addition to having a home that is more open and welcoming to friends. The needs of youth can be sourced in the effects of the migrant journey and acculturation process. By improving the degrees of understanding, warmth, communication and cultural integration in the home, youth and their families can develop a greater sense of cohesion which can assist with supporting their migrant experience. Implications for practitioners working with newcomer youth and their families are provided, in addition to research and policy-related implications.

Sense and Sensibilities: Schoolboys Talk about Sex in the Private Conversational Space Abstract This article focuses on the narratives of 18 adolescent boys as they engaged with issues of sex, sexuality and peer relations in their daily lives. The ethnographic research was conducted in two public secondary schools in a working-class community within KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Participants were boys aged between 16 and 19 years, who self-identified as either Black African or Indian. Theories of positioning are employed in this paper to delve into the complexity and intricacies of boys enacting their masculinities and sexual identities within a one-to-one interview space with one of the researchers. Identity performance in this private space is read in relation to public positions (in the company of peers), exposing the malleable nature of positioning and its subjective use in different spaces. Findings suggest that boys' struggle with the concept and social practice of 'masculinity', and that while they may not want to be seen as aspiring to certain ideals regarding male sexuality, these values remain a standard against which to evaluate self and other. In the individual interviews, authenticity as a heterosexual man is negotiated through various rhetorical strategies, namely a tendency to self-position as mature and sensible. It is argued that positionality is a useful conceptual tool for highlighting diversities in the performance of masculinities, and that intervention strategies need to pay attention to how spaces are constructed and nurtured for boys to engage with the ideological dilemmas in their identity development.

Adolescent–Parent Communication Among Youth Who Have and Have Not Experienced Dating Violence Abstract The current study examines the impact of adolescent–parent communication, which can play a significant role in alleviating risk behaviors, especially adolescent dating violence (ADV). Adolescents (N = 55; 28 males and 27 females), majority of whom were Latinos, were recruited from social service agencies serving youth and families. Adolescents completed a paper survey on the Parent–Adolescent Communication (comprised of open and problematic subscales) and Revised Conflict Tactics scales. T-tests and ANOVAs were conducted revealing that youth with ADV experience reported lower overall communication levels with their parents and increased problematic communication, especially with their mothers than adolescents with no ADV experience. No significant difference emerged by age or gender but Latino youth who experience ADV had lower levels of problematic communication with both parents. Teens, whose mothers were receiving domestic violence-related services, versus who were not receiving services, reported more overall communication with their mothers. Implications for educators, practitioners, and research are provided.

They Don't Listen: A Qualitative Interpretive Meta-synthesis of Children's Sexual Abuse Abstract Although the literature is copious with studies using qualitative methodology to retrospectively explore issues related to child sexual abuse (CSA) from the adult's perspective, there is a dearth of qualitative literature regarding the child's perception of sexual abuse. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) is to inform practice and research to understand how children make sense of sexual abuse, the factors that influence their disclosure experiences, and coping methods used after disclosure. The QIMS included studies from various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, social work and medicine, to understand the experiences of childhood victims of sexual abuse. Three themes and five subthemes emerged: (1) phases of CSA: (a) initial onset of symptoms, (b) maladaptive coping, and (c) paralyzing fear; (2) types of disclosure: (a) healthy disclosure and healing and (b) destructive disclosure, and; (3) traumatizing "helping" process for CSA victims. In an effort to reduce negative outcomes associated with CSA, it is imperative to explore one's perception of sexual abuse while still a child to inform prevention and intervention efforts of their specific understanding of the experience.

Validation of the Abbreviated Socio-Political Control Scale for Youth (SPCS-Y) Among Urban Girls of Color Abstract This study tested and validated the factor structure of the abbreviated Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth (SPCS-Y) among a sample of urban girls of color. Participants include (N = 830) urban girls of color from a northeastern United States community. Confirmatory Factor analyses (CFA) were conducted using AMOS Structural Equation Modeling Software. Cluster groups were created using Latent Class Cluster Analysis (LCA) and tested using Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with conceptually related variables. CFA results supported the two-factor structure of the abbreviated SPCS-Y among the sample. Following the creation of cluster groups, MANCOVA analyses revealed significant heterogeneity among cluster groups of participants on neighborhood sense of community, social support, ethnic identity, and lower levels of drug use. Findings support the factor structure of the SPCS-Y and its use to measure empowerment among girls of color. Results contribute significantly to the field of social work and encourages the importance of promoting strengths-based approaches among girls of color. Implications for social work practice with girls of color are conveyed in light of the need for reliable measurement tools for practitioners.

Alexandros Sfakianakis
Anapafseos 5 . Agios Nikolaos
Crete.Greece.72100
2841026182

6948891480

alsfakia@gmail.com