Neighborhood inequality in the prevalence of reported and substantiated child maltreatment

BackgroundPrior research documents spatial concentration in the incidence of child maltreatment reported to and confirmed by Child Protective Services (CPS), but without estimates of the prevalence of such reports, the extent of CPS contact in different communities is unknown.ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of CPS reports during early childhood and substantiated investigations during childhood for children living in different types of neighborhoods.Participants and settingChildren who experienced CPS reports and substantiated investigations in Connecticut.MethodsThis study uses synthetic cohort life tables to estimate the cumulative risk of CPS reports before age five and substantiated CPS investigations before age 18, by neighborhood poverty rate and neighborhood racial composition.ResultsThe analysis reveals substantial stratification in the prevalence of CPS contact by the demographic characteristics of children’s residential neighborhoods. For example, while 7% of children in low-poverty neighborhoods (under 10% poor) experience a substantiated CPS investigation at some point during childhood at 2014 and 2015 rates, this risk more than doubles to 17% for their peers in moderate-poverty neighborhoods (10–20% poor) and more than triples to 26% for their peers in high-poverty neighborhoods (over 20% poor). Similar trends emerge when examining CPS reports in early childhood as well as when comparing neighborhoods with different proportions of White residents.ConclusionsCPS reports and substantiated investigations are a widespread and disproportionately experienced life event for children in poor neighborhoods and children in non-White neighborhoods.     

Intimate partner violence among female caregivers of children reported for child maltreatment

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence among female caregivers of children reported to child protective services. METHOD: Data were derived from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a national probability study of children investigated for child abuse and neglect in the United States. Caregivers were interviewed about demographic characteristics, mental health, substance use, and physical violence by a partner. RESULTS: The lifetime and past year prevalence of intimate partner violence was 44.8 and 29.0%, respectively. Caregiver major depression and history of prior reports of child maltreatment were strongly associated with violence against women. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the need for effective screening and identification of intimate partner violence in families in which child maltreatment has occurred.     

大学生心理适应障碍的分析及对策

随着社会的不断发展,其各种因素影响着大学生的心理健康。而目前校园内不断地出现由大学生心理健康问题引起的恶性事件,由此可知,我们要重视大学生心理素质教育问题。对心理素质来讲,大学生的心理适应能力是其核心内容,如果心理适应出现障碍,就会严重影响着大学生的身心健康。因此,对大学生心理适应障碍进行分析,并提出科学合理的解决对策非常重要。     

Impact of child maltreatment and interadult violence on children's emotion regulation abilities and socioemotional adjustment

The present investigation sought to examine the unique and interactive effects of child maltreatment and interadult violence on children's developing strategies of emotion regulation and socioemotional adjustment, as well as the mediational role of emotion dysregulation in the link between children's pathogenic relational experiences and behavioral outcomes. Person-oriented emotion regulation patterns (EMRPs) were determined based on children's emotional behavioral and self-reported responses to simulated interadult anger. One hundred thirty-nine 4- to 6-year-olds (88 maltreated, 51 nonmaltreated) and their mothers served as participants. Maltreatment history predicted children's EMRPs, with approximately 80% of the maltreated preschoolers exhibiting dysregulated emotion patterns (i.e., undercontrolled/ambivalent and overcontrolled/unresponsive types) compared with only 37.2% of the nonmaltreated controls. Undercontrolled/ambivalent EMRPs were associated with maternal reports of child behavior problems, and were found to mediate the link between maltreatment and children's anxious/depressed symptoms. The present study's findings increase understanding of process relations in pathogenic relational environments, and provide insight into emotion regulation deficits that may impede the development of psychological well-being in maltreated children with varying histories of interadult violence exposure.     

Long-term effects of interparental violence and child physical maltreatment experiences on PTSD and behavior problems: A national survey of Taiwanese college students

ObjectivesThis study investigated the joint long-term impact of witnessing interparental violence and experiencing child physical maltreatment on young adults’ trauma symptoms and behavior problems. It also explored Chinese traditional beliefs as a possible contributor to young adults’ trauma and behavior.MethodsThis study used self-reporting measures to collect data from a national proportionate stratified sample of 1,924 college students in Taiwan. The sample was divided into four groups: no violence; interparental violence only; child physical maltreatment only and dual violence, to compare the combined effect of dual violence on long-term outcome with the no violence group and the one type of violence group.ResultsThe results indicated a significant association of interparental violence and child physical maltreatment, and 11.3% of participants reported witnessing partner violence between parents and experiencing physical maltreatment during childhood. Participants experiencing dual violence reported more trauma symptoms and behavior problems than did those experiencing only one form of violence or none at all. Exposure to both interparental violence and child physical maltreatment during childhood is a significant predictor of young adults’ trauma symptoms and behavior problems, after controlling for other potentially confounding risk factors. Cultural factors also play a significant role in predicting young adults’ trauma symptoms and internalizing behavior problems, after accounting for control variables and violence-related variables. Moreover, cultural factors interact significantly with dual violence experiences in predicting young adults’ externalizing behavior problems.ConclusionsThis study extended Western co-occurrence study findings with large Taiwanese community samples. The results demonstrated that dual violence experiences during childhood have long-term detrimental impact on young adults’ trauma symptoms and behavior problems. Cultural beliefs and their interaction with dual violence experiences play a significant role in young adults’ trauma symptoms and behavior problems as well.Practice implicationsThe present findings underscore the need for interventions for young adults exposed to childhood dual violence. Moreover, the findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive interventions to address the cultural factor impact on young adults’ trauma symptoms and behavior problems.     

浅谈大学生学习动机问题及其调适

学习动机问题是大学生经常遇到的学习心理问题之一。本文对学习动机问题的类型进行了总结,然后分别对学习动机不足和学习动机过强的原因进行了分析,浅析大学生学习动机问题及其调试,并提出了相应的调适策略。     

Community interaction and child maltreatment

The way in which parents interact with their environment may have implications for their likelihood of abuse and neglect. This study examines the parent–environment relationship through community involvement and perception, using social disorganization theory. We hypothesize mothers who participate in their communities and have positive perceptions of them may be less likely to maltreat their children because of the potential protective capacity of neighborhood supports. Using information from the 5 year Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 2991), the mother's self-reported acts of psychological and physical maltreatment and neglect are measured. A mother's community involvement index is the number of community activities a mother was involved in, and community perception is measured by two five-item Likert scales assessing perception of community collective efficacy. We analyze the relationship between community variables and each of mother's maltreatment behaviors as well as the interaction between community factors using a series of nested logistic regressions. Higher levels of community involvement are associated with lower levels of psychological aggression. More positive perception of community social control is associated with lower levels of physical assault. A moderation effect of community perception suggests that a mother's perception of her community changes the relationship between community involvement and psychological child abuse. The results provide important policy and empirical implications to build positive and supportive communities as a protective factor in child maltreatment. Getting parents involved in their communities can improve the environment in which children and families develop, and decrease the likelihood that maltreatment will occur.     

成人高校学生思想政治工作的思路

成人教育是我国国民教育的重要组成部分之一,其主要的招生和培养对象是已经从事工作的在职人群,这些人主要的入学目的是为了进一步的提升自身的专业水平和学历水平。由于进入成人教育学校的学生在入学前已经具备了一定的工作经验,他们带着自身的经验和对社会生活的认知进入学校,这些学生对于教育教学的目的性和实用性和有一定的要求,对于成功学的追求和欲望相比较于传统的全日制的学生更加明显,成人教育的学生对于知识的学习具有明显的职业性的要求和实用性的要求,这些学生把自己的学习看做是高等教育的延续或者是对知识和学历和投资。但是由于其自身的经历和背景,成人教育的学生具有明显的自我意识,对于教育的接受和批判明显的淡化,因此,其思想政治教育工作的教育方式明显不同于全日制的教学,长期以来,成人教育思想政治工作被忽视,在教务教学管理中的地位模糊,没有被真正纳入到成人教育的教学管理中去。     

Children's reasoning about disclosing adult transgressions: effects of maltreatment, child age, and adult identity

A total of two hundred ninety-nine 4- to 9-year-old maltreated and nonmaltreated children of comparable socioeconomic status and ethnicity judged whether children should or would disclose unspecified transgressions of adults (instigators) to other adults (recipients) in scenarios varying the identity of the instigator (stranger or parent), the identity of the recipient (parent, police, or teacher), and the severity of the transgression ("something really bad" or "something just a little bad"). Children endorsed more disclosure against stranger than parent instigators and less disclosure to teacher than parent and police recipients. The youngest maltreated children endorsed less disclosure than nonmaltreated children, but the opposite was true among the oldest children. Older maltreated children distinguished less than nonmaltreated children between parents and other types of instigators and recipients.     

Variation in prevention of child maltreatment by Dutch child healthcare professionals

Child maltreatment (CM) is a common condition with a large impact on the victim and society. In the Netherlands, the preventive child healthcare (CHC) aims to protect children against such threats. However, several studies indicate that the efficacy in this area may be suboptimal for many CHC professionals. Therefore, this study aims to map the practice variation in the primary and secondary prevention of CM, by CHC physicians and nurses. This mixed-methods study used interviews to identify relevant topics and develop an online questionnaire. All CHC organizations in the Netherlands (n = 45) were asked to forward this questionnaire to their professionals. Practice variation was described with domain scores and item response distributions. Multi-level analysis was used to assess case mix-corrected variance between organizations. Interview participants (n = 11) expected suboptimal care in 35 topics which they considered important for prevention of CM, resulting in a 15 min questionnaire. Nearly two-thirds of the organizations (n = 29) agreed to forward the questionnaire to their employees. The response rate was 42% (n = 1104). Suboptimal care and practice variation was found in all domains (i.e. communication, medical expertise, collaboration, involvement in prevention of CM, and improvement opportunities), mostly caused by intra-organization variance. Significant inter-organization variance was found for collaboration (variance partition coefficient 6–7%) and involvement (2–3%). Furthermore, the majority of the respondents (96%) reported fear in acting upon suspicions of CM. Substantial suboptimal care and practice variation in prevention of CM warrant action from authorities, CHC training institutes, CHC organizations, and professionals.     

Prevalence of different forms of child maltreatment among Taiwanese adolescents: A population-based study

Reported cases of child maltreatment are increasing in Taiwan. Yet, comprehensive epidemiological characteristics of adolescents’ exposure over the wide spectrum of violence are still lacking. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and magnitude of child maltreatment among Taiwanese adolescents. A population-based study was conducted with 5,276 adolescents aged 12–18 from 35 schools in 17 cities and townships to determine the prevalence of five forms of child maltreatment in Taiwan. A total of 5,236 adolescents completed anonymous, self-report, structured questionnaires. Most adolescents (91%, n = 4,788) experienced at least one form of maltreatment with 83% (n = 4,347) exposed during the previous year. Violence exposure was the most common type of child maltreatment experienced, followed by psychological abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. Adolescents reported an average of 7.4 (SD = 5.87) victimizations over their lifetime and 4.8 (SD = 4.82) victimizations during the past year. Females reported a higher rate of neglect, while males reported a higher rate of sexual abuse. Most of the sexual abuse perpetrators were known by their victims. Adolescents’ victimization and polyvictimization from child maltreatment in Taiwan deserves a review and modification of national control and prevention policies.     

Evidence for a relationship between child maltreatment and absenteeism among high-school students in Sweden

School absenteeism is a potent predictor of academic failure. Maltreated adolescents have been found to be more absent from school compared to their peers. However, it is scarcely studied in what degree a general population of students with high levels of school absenteeism has been exposed to child maltreatment. Furthermore, it is not known if maltreated school-absentees have specific characteristics compared to not-maltreated absentees. In this article, the first objective was to present and compare the prevalence of six types of child maltreatment in a general population of high school students reporting no, moderate or excessive absenteeism. The second objective was to compare maltreated and not-maltreated students who report absenteeism in respect to mental health, perceived school environment and peer victimization in school. Data from 667 girls and 649 boys (mean age 14.3) was used from the longitudinal multidisciplinary research program LoRDIA (Longitudinal Research on Development In Adolescence). Data was collected via self-report questionnaires in classroom settings. All six types of child maltreatment were overrepresented among absentees. Roughly 25% of absentees reported one subtype of maltreatment (16% in the total population) and a mean of 22% of absentees reported two or more types of maltreatment (11% in the total population). Maltreated absentees reported more mental health problems, personal harassment and worse relationship with their teachers than not-maltreated absentees. There might be specific correlates of school absenteeism among maltreated adolescents and professionals involved in preventing school-absenteeism should be made aware of the relationship between maltreatment and absenteeism.     

Self reported awareness of child maltreatment among school professionals in Saudi Arabia: impact of CRC ratification

Objectives

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was ratified by Saudi Arabia 15 years ago; yet addressing the issue of child maltreatment only began in more recent years. School professionals play a significant role in children's lives, as they spend a great deal of time with them and are hence essential to protecting and identifying those in danger or at risk. The objective of this study is to identify school professional's awareness of child maltreatment and the existing national policies and procedures to examine the extent of efforts made in Saudi Arabia and to activate the roles of schools and school professionals in protecting children from violence and implementation of Article 19 of the CRC.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study, where school professionals from randomly selected schools throughout the country were invited to participate in a self-administered questionnaire.

Results

A total of 3,777 school professionals participated in the study. Fifty-five percent of professionals had at least 10 years of work experience. A low-level of awareness of child maltreatment was found in about 1/3 of school professionals. Only 1.9% of school professionals had ever attended any sort of specific training on child maltreatment, though 69.3% of those who had not, were willing to attend future training. With regards to awareness of CRC Article 19 or policies and procedures addressing child maltreatment, only 22% reported being aware of it.

Conclusion

The majority of school professionals in Saudi Arabia have a low-intermediate level of awareness of child maltreatment, ratification of CRC, and related national policies and procedures, yet most are willing to attend training programs on this subject matter. Efforts need to be made in the country to fill this gap.     

The impact of a college counseling program on economically disadvantaged gifted students and their subsequent college adjustment

The impact of a college and career counseling program on economically disadvantaged gifted students and their subsequent college adjustment was assessed. Fifty‐five students from public high schools in a major urban school district in the midwest were compared to a group of economically advantaged students who participated in a special summer program for high school students at a private midwestern university. Results indicate that both before and after the program, the groups were similar with respect to the basis for their college choices, motivation to attend college, and career readiness. The economically disadvantaged students changed their plans to finance college as a result of the program and expected college to be significantly more lonely. A three‐year follow‐up revealed that economically disadvantaged gifted students were more likely to enroll at in‐state colleges, to experience college as significantly more boring, dull, and snobbish, and to have more difficulty adjusting socially and forming attachments to their universities.     

对"专升本"政策调整的思考

用限制专升本通道、以堵代疏的方式来规范专升本教育并不能从根本上解决 "专升本"存在的一些问题,理智的态度应是"疏导"而不是"堵塞",即应在提高政策制定的科学化、民主化水平的基础上,既要对现行的"专升本"制度进行改良,克服其问题与不足;又要在时机成熟的条件下,积极探讨其替代或部分替代方案.     

日本大学生社会实践的主要形式及动机探究

参与社会实践是大学生全面发展的一个重要途径,日本大学生也活跃于一系列的实践活动中。问卷调查的结果显示,社会兼职、社团活动和志愿服务是日本大学生社会实践的三种主要形式,其参与社会实践的动机主要集中在自我兴趣和就业两个方面。结合调查数据和相关理论,由此从家庭教育、经济形势和就业环境、学校教育三个方面详细分析日本大学生社会实践参与动机的形成机理。     

ADHD and achievement: meta-analysis of the child, adolescent, and adult literatures and a concomitant study with college students

This article presents results from two interrelated studies. The first study conducted a meta-analysis of the published literature since 1990 to determine the magnitude of achievement problems associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Effect sizes were significantly different between participants with and without ADHD (sample weighted r = .32, sample weighted d = . 71; p = .001). Effects were also examined according to the moderators of age, gender, achievement domain (reading, math, spelling), measurement method (standardized tests vs. grades, parent/teacher ratings, etc.), sample type (clinical vs. nonclinical), and system used to identify ADHD (DSM-III-R vs. DSM-IV). Significant differences emerged from the moderator comparisons. The second study, using averaged effect sizes from the first study as a baseline for comparison, investigated achievement levels for an understudied age group with ADHD, namely, college students. Unlike previous studies at the college level, the sample incorporated both student and parent ratings (N = 380 dyads). The results were comparable to outcomes from the meta-analysis for college students and adults. Analyses demonstrated modest (R = .21) but meaningful predictive validity across 1 year to end-of-first-year grades. However, unlike earlier studies with children and adolescents, student ratings were as predictive as parent ratings. Findings are discussed in terms of the impact of moderator variables on ADHD and achievement.     

高校专业调整与就业市场要保持"适度距离"

随着社会经济结构的进一步调整,就业市场对大学毕业生的要求在不断变化。为适应市场需求,作为培养高级专门人才的高等学校,对科类专业结构不断地进行大规模的调整和改革。然而,我们必须理性地认识大学生就业市场变化与高校专业结构调整的关系。教育的普遍规律和历史的经验、教训警示我们:不要在眼花缭乱、复杂多变的社会变革面前忘掉了大学教育的本质特性。让我们记住德国学者雅斯贝尔斯的话:“学校越开放,对外部要求就越敏感,从而过于轻率地适应眼前需要而舍弃长远责任的危险就越大。”