学龄前流动儿童行为问题与父母婚姻质量研究

考察学龄前流动儿童行为问题的现状及其与父母婚姻质量的关系。方法:采用Rutter儿童行为问卷和Olson婚姻质量问卷对学龄前流动儿童及其父母进行了测查。结果:(1)学龄前流动儿童行为问题的检出率为32.6%;(2)行为问题组和行为正常组儿童的父母婚姻质量在过份理想化、夫妻交流、解决冲突的方式、经济安排、子女和婚姻、与亲友的关系以及角色平等性上都存在显著的差异;(3)学龄前流动儿童行为问题与父母婚姻质量呈显著负相关;夫妻交流、子女和婚姻两个因子对学龄前流动儿童的行为问题具有显著负向预测作用。结论:学龄前流动儿童行为问题与父母婚姻质量之间关系密切,婚姻质量越低,学龄前流动儿童发生行为问题的概率就越高。     

“Migrating” or Being “Left Behind”: The Education Dilemma of Rural Children in Mainland China

Abstract

Rural children belong to an educationally disadvantaged group whether they migrate or remain in their villages. Using a specially designed questionnaire, this paper surveyed more than 2,500 migrant and left-behind children in the Xixiangtang District of Nanning in Mainland China on issues relating to education and mental state. Through comparisons of migrant and nonmigrant children and those who had and had not been left behind, this study found that migrant children are unable to enter public schools due to incomplete documents, and also experience problems with a safe commute to and from school, after-school care, etc.; left-behind children are more likely to experience problems with emotional deprivation, dull after-school life, susceptibility to disease, and poor habits. With respect to mental state, some of the survey questions showed no significant differences, whereas others displayed significant divergences. It can be seen that both migrant and left-behind children experience problems with educational difficulties, poor discipline, and poor mental adaptability, and are in a clearly disadvantaged position. This paper recommends that the government, schools, society, and families jointly cooperate to strengthen emotional guidance for migrant children and left-behind children and ensure that no child is abandoned, allowing migrant children to grow and learn healthily in their respective environments.     

Unstable and multiple child care arrangements and young children's behavior

Growing evidence suggests that child care instability is associated with child behavior problems, but existing studies confound different types of instability; use small, convenience samples; and/or control insufficiently for selection into child care arrangements. This study uses survey and calendar data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study to estimate the associations between three different types of child care instability—long-term instability, multiplicity, and the use of back-up arrangements—and children's internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors at age 3, controlling for a large number of child and family background characteristics. Long-term instability between birth and age 3, as measured in both the survey and calendar data, is associated with higher levels of externalizing behavior problems. Current multiplicity at age 3 (as measured by survey data) is associated with higher levels of both externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, but stable multiplicity over time (as measured using calendar data) is not. Finally, the use of back-up arrangements at age 3 is associated with higher levels of internalizing behaviors. We find no consistent differences in these results by the timing of instability, child gender, family income, or type of care.     

Life with (or without) father: the benefits of living with two biological parents depend on the father's antisocial behavior

The salutary effects of being raised by two married, biological parents depend on the quality of care parents can provide. Using data from an epidemiological sample of 1,116 5-year-old twin pairs and their parents, this study found that the less time fathers lived with their children, the more conduct problems their children had, but only if the fathers engaged in low levels of antisocial behavior. In contrast, when fathers engaged in high levels of antisocial behavior, the more time they lived with their children, the more conduct problems their children had. Behavioral genetic analyses showed that children who resided with antisocial fathers received a "double whammy" of genetic and environmental risk for conduct problems. Marriage may not be the answer to the problems faced by some children living in single-parent families unless their fathers can become reliable sources of emotional and economic support.     

Teasing apart the child care conundrum: A factorial survey analysis of perceptions of child care quality, fair market price and willingness to pay by low-income, African American parents

Child care quality plays a crucial role in children's social and cognitive development. While child care quality is a critical issue for all children, it matters more for low-income children. Policy makers have increased the emphasis on allowing parents, not government, to make decisions about the type of care they want for their children. Yet most research on child care quality has focused on how child care professionals, not parents define high quality care. This study investigates how low-income families evaluate child care quality by examining the child care preferences of a sample of low-income African American parents. We employ the factorial survey method, a method used in sociological research to assess people's perceptions and rankings of individual attributes associated with complex multidimensional phenomena. The factorial survey method permits a simultaneous assessment of how respondents evaluate and make tradeoffs among multiple child care characteristics. We assess the impact of child care characteristics on respondents’ perceptions of child care desirability, fair market value, and willingness to pay. Findings indicate that parents’ definition of quality focused squarely on the care giving environment, specifically the qualifications, experience, training and behavior associated with the child care provider. The type of care facility—family, center, relative or neighbor care was largely irrelevant to this sample of parents. Parents believed that the characteristics they defined as desirable child care situations were worth more, and parents were willing to pay more for these characteristics. These parents also defined quality in terms of race and class, and they wanted racial and economic diversity. This research suggests parents may choose lower quality care, not because they do not know what quality is or because they define quality care differently, but because such care may be neither available nor affordable in their communities.     

Children and youth in foster care: distangling the relationship between problem behaviors and number of placements

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to provide a prospective look at the relationship between change in placement and problem behaviors over a 12-month period among a cohort of foster children. METHOD: The sample contained 415 youth, and was part of a larger cohort of children who entered foster care in San Diego, California and remained in placement for at least 5 months. The Child Behavior Check List was used to assess behavior problems. Every change of placement during the first 18 months after entry into the foster care system was abstracted from case records. RESULTS: The results suggest that volatile placement histories contribute negatively to both internalizing and externalizing behavior of foster children, and that children who experience numerous changes in placement may be at particularly high risk for these deleterious effects. Initial externalizing behaviors proved to be the strongest predictor of placement changes for the entire sample and for a sub-sample of those who initially evidenced problem behaviors on at least one broad-band CBCL scale. Our findings also suggest that children who initially score within normal ranges on the CBCL may be particularly vulnerable to the detrimental effects of placement breakdowns. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these findings we argue for an analytical approach that views behavior problems as both a cause and as a consequence of placement disruption. Children who do not evidence behavior problems may in fact constitute a neglected population that responds to multiple disruptions of their primary relationships with increasingly self-defeating behaviors.     

School functioning of children in residential care: The contributions of multilevel correlates

ObjectiveThis study, using an ecological approach, examines the relationships between problems in school functioning (including academic and behavior problems) of children in residential care with a number of variables describing the child and the care setting.MethodsThe study reports on 4,061 children and youth (ages 6–20) in 54 Israeli residential care facilities supervised by the Ministry of Welfare. It is based on data derived from an ongoing system of monitoring care based on annual reports by social workers on children in care settings. Additionally, data on the characteristics of the settings were collected through a structured questionnaire completed by the supervisors at the Ministry of Welfare. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was utilized to examine how characteristics of the individual children and the care settings were related to problems in school functioning among the children.ResultsMost of the children (about 62%) had at least one problem in school functioning. The most vulnerable children were boys, children who were taken from parental homes by court decree, children with problems in quality of contact with their biological parents, and children who stayed in the care setting for shorter periods. The settings’ characteristics most associated with poor performance at school are group structure (vs. mixed and family home structures), higher levels of peer violence, fewer after-school activities, and settings in which children tend to stay for shorter periods of times.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate the need for an ecological perspective in addressing children's problems in school functioning within the care system. The results help to identify the types of placements that should benefit from additional resources in order to promote adaptive performance in school among the children.Practice implicationsSocial workers in residential care should give high priority to children's positive academic involvement. The study demonstrates the need for identifying the intersection of the individual, familial and institutional contexts in which problems in school functioning are more prevalent. Therefore, it is important to allocate sufficient resources to care settings which serve these children. The study suggests some priorities and directions for policy and practice with children in residential care.     

离异家庭学生的心理疏导方法摭探

离异家庭的日渐增多使得离异家庭孩子的心理问题已经上升到重要的社会问题,关爱和疏导离异家庭的孩子显得尤为重要。教师必须用真心、爱心、耐心和细心引导、鼓励、帮助这些离异家庭的孩子,并要根据学生的不同心理问题合理施教,疏导学生的心理问题,使学生更好地成长。文章对离异家庭学生的心理疏导方法进行论述。     

农村留守儿童心理与教育问题及其成因分析

农村留守儿童由于长期与进城务工的父母分隔两地,缺少父母关爱和家庭温暖,其心理和教育问题正日益显露出来.调研分析农村留守儿童存在的心理与教育问题,探讨其形成的原因,可以在一定程度上为建立这些问题的解决机制提供依据.     

Predictors of foster parents’ stress and associations to sensitivity in the first year after placement

In Germany, almost 70 000 children are living in foster families (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2016). Many foster children show mental health problems as they were exposed to an accumulation of risk factors. Hence, foster parents are often faced with challenging parenting situations. The current study focuses on the predictors of foster parents’ stress and examines longitudinally whether parenting stress is associated with foster parents’ sensitivity. The sample consisted of 55 children (aged from 1 to 6 years) and their foster caregivers. Foster parents’ sensitivity was observed during home visits. Caregiver reports were used to assess parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index) as well as foster children’s externalizing behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist). For main caregivers’ stress at the beginning of placement, regression analyses revealed both, foster children’s externalizing problems as well as partners’ stress as predictive. For main caregivers’ stress one year after, only initial parenting stress and partners’ stress were predictive. Foster parents’ sensitivity was correlated with their parenting stress one year after placement. Regression analyses revealed no longitudinal effects of initial parenting stress on overall sensitivity. However, supportive presence was predicted by initial supportive presence and by the interaction between parenting stress and children’s externalizing problems at placement. The findings highlight the role of the partner in experiencing parenting stress when taking care of a foster child. Furthermore, they emphasize that foster parents who care for children with behavior problems need adequate support that can buffer initial parenting stress and thereby promote sensitive caregiving.     

The medical and psychosocial needs of children entering foster care

The estimated three to four hundred thousand children in foster care represent a population at high risk for medical and psychosocial problems. Their problems are compounded by the lack of adequate resources available to them while in foster care. This study provided a medical and psychosocial screening of 149 abused and neglected children entering the foster care system. The goal was to generate a profile of the medical and psychosocial needs of children entering the foster care system as a first step toward development of a better health care delivery system. Results indicated that these children have a much greater incidence of chronic medical conditions, are likely to weigh significantly less and be significantly shorter than the general population, require significant amounts of medical sub-specialty care, have a high incidence of developmental delays, and major deficits in adaptive behavior and have a large number of behavioral problems often associated with psychiatric disorders. Results are discussed in terms of the development of a regional model to effectively manage the health care needs of children entering foster care.     

Behavior problems of children in foster care: Associations with foster mothers’ representations,commitment, and the quality of mother–child interaction

This study investigated different environmental and contextual factors associated with maltreated children's adjustment in foster care. Participants included 83 children (52 boys), ages 1–7 years, and their foster caregivers. Quality of interaction with the foster caregiver was assessed from direct observation of a free-play situation; foster caregiver attachment state of mind and commitment toward the child were assessed using two interviews; disruptive behavior symptoms were reported by foster caregivers. Results showed that quality of interaction between foster caregivers and children were associated with behavior problems, such that higher-quality interactions were related to fewer externalizing and internalizing problems. Foster caregivers’ state of mind and commitment were interrelated but not directly associated with behavior problems of foster children. Type of placement moderated the association between foster caregiver commitment and foster child behavior problems. Whereas greater foster caregiver commitment was associated with higher levels of adjustment for children in foster families (kin and non-kin), this was not the case in foster-to-adopt families. Finally, the associations between foster child behavior problems and history of maltreatment and placement related-risk conditions fell below significance after considering child age and quality of interaction with the foster caregiver. Findings underscore the crucial contribution of the foster caregiver–child relationship to fostering child adjustment and, thereby, have important implications for clinical services offered to this population.     

Biting Behaviors Among Preschoolers: A Review of the Literature and Survey of Practitioners

Biting behavior occurs frequently among young children in child care settings. Research indicates several possible reasons for biting behavior including developmental as well as emotional issues. This study examines procedures that have been established to handle childhood biting by early childhood education child care facilities in a southeastern state of the United States. We were interested in whether these child care providers considered biting a normal developmental behavior or an abnormal, dysfunctional behavior. Additionally, how did their philosophy about childhood biting relate to their handling of biting incidents in their facilities?     

Disentangling the effect of out-of-home care on child mental health

BackgroundChildren in out-of-home care are consistently found to have poor mental health compared to children in the general population. However, UK research has so far failed to disentangle the impact of the care system on children’s mental health outcomes from the effects of the adverse circumstances that led to their admission to care.ObjectiveThis research investigated the association between care placement and the presence of child mental health problems after controlling for children’s pre-care experiences. It also identified factors associated with mental health problems among children in care.Participants and SettingThe sample comprised three groups of children involved with child welfare services due to maltreatment, including children in out-of-home care (n = 122), reunified children (n = 82) and those who had never been in care (n = 159).MethodsThe mental health of the children in the three groups was compared, using information collected from their parents/foster carers and social workers.ResultsThe odds of a child in out-of-home care having a mental health problem were not significantly higher than those of a child who had never been in care (AOR = 1.24; p = 0.462). However, the odds of a child in out-of-home care having reactive attachment disorder (RAD) were significantly higher than those of a child who had never been in care (AOR=1.92; p = 0.032).ConclusionsThese findings make an important contribution to international debates about whether placing children in care is beneficial or detrimental to their wellbeing, and highlight a range of inter-linking factors associated with the mental health of children in out-of-home care.     

A pilot study of early childhood mental health consultation for children with behavioral problems in preschool

This study reports the findings of a pilot demonstration project called Together for Kids, which used a mental health consultation model to address the needs of young children with challenging behaviors who are identified in preschool classrooms. The study was conducted in four preschool programs and one Head Start program serving children ages 3–5, including both private-pay families and those using public subsidies. Rates of significant behavior problems as assessed by preschool teachers using a standardized scale were high, with 34% of all children enrolled in preschool classrooms in these sites over a 3-year period identified at-risk of externalizing or internalizing problems. Classroom teachers, as well as individual children and families identified as at-risk, were provided services, including, classroom observation and teacher training, individual child assessment and therapy, family assessment and support, and referrals for other family needs. Analysis of outcomes for 47 children and families with externalizing behavior problems who received individualized consultation, compared to 89 control children, and analysis of outcomes of a matched group of 19 intervention and 19 control children, revealed that the intervention was associated with significant improvements in classroom aggressive and maladaptive behavior, and growth in adaptive behavior. Improvements in child behavior were associated with total hours of individual child services provided, and with improvements in child developmental skills. Significant reductions in the rate of children suspended or terminated from child care programs were also found. Implications for further development of models of early childhood mental health consultation are discussed.     

Achievement,sociometric status,and personality characteristics of children selected by their teachers as having learning and/or behavior problems

This study examined the relationships among academic, sociometric, and personality variables of 242 children who were selected by their teachers as having behavior problems, learning problems, learning and behavior problems, or no problems. The results were generally supportive of teachers' ability to distinguish between children with problems and children without problems. Children without problems and those with behavior problems only were more similar than different. Children with learning problems and those with learning and behavior problems were also more similar than different, yet differed significantly from children with no problems and those with behavior problems only. The unique characteristics of each group were identified and contrasted.     

Do Stability of Care and Teacher–Child Interaction Quality Predict Child Outcomes in Early Head Start?

Research Findings: This study examined whether children’s outcomes at age 3 were predicted by their experiences in Early Head Start (EHS), focusing on 2 key features of infant and toddler care: (a) stability of care and (b) teacher–child interactions. This study further explored potential interaction effects between stability of care and teacher–child interactions in predicting child outcomes. Three main results were found from secondary analyses of the recently released EHS longitudinal data set the EHS Family and Child Experiences Study (Vogel & Boller, 2009–2012). First, children who had stability of care (no teacher change) were rated as having fewer behavior problems and higher social competence. Second, children were rated as demonstrating better orientation/engagement and emotional regulation when they were in EHS classrooms observed to have higher emotional and behavioral support. Third, teacher–child interactions that are emotionally and behaviorally supportive may mitigate the potential drawbacks of experiencing instability of care on early social-emotional development. Study implications are discussed. Practice or Policy: Both stability and quality teacher–child interactions are important in center-based infant and toddler care, and ensuring quality teacher–child interactions is particularly important for children who experience teacher changes during their infant and toddler years.     

Training,experience, and child care providers’ perceptions of inclusion

Teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs have been shown to affect their behavior. This study investigated center- and home-based child care providers’ perceptions of inclusion-related needs and barriers and (a) the providers’ participation in disability-related training, and (b) their current experience working with children with disabilities. A mailed survey was used to gather demographic data, information on training and experience, and to rate a list of needs and concerns. Younger and African American caregivers working in center-based programs were more likely to attend training and serve children with disabilities. Participating in training and serving children with disabilities was positively associated with caregivers’ perceptions of needs and barriers, but not with child care providers’ attitudes. Results indicate that program and provider characteristics are related to participation in disability-related training and serving children with disabilities that, in turn, are related to perceptions of needs and barriers. Further investigation of the mechanisms associated with training and its influence on attitudes, beliefs and practice of parents and special education teachers, as well as child care providers is indicated.     

农村留守儿童问题调研报告

通过调查分析农村留守儿童的生活和学习情况,发现农村留守儿童存在由于监护人对留守儿童学习介入过少导致的学习问题,由于缺乏亲情导致的生活问题,由于缺乏完整的家庭教育导致的心理问题。这些问题的形成有社会方面的原因,家庭方面的原因,学校方面的原因。解决这些问题要从以下几方面入手:逐步消除城乡差距,加大社会力量帮助儿童的力度,建立农村社区儿童教育和监护体系,加强农村寄宿制学校的建设,在农村学校教育中增设心理课程。     

农村留守儿童积极心理品质的调查--基于一般儿童的比较

文章使用自编积极心理品质问卷、青少年亲社会倾向量表和儿童长处和困难问卷,抽取安顺市6所学校4－6年级学生,通过与一般儿童的比较,梳理留守儿童的积极心理品质。研究发现,留守儿童中主动帮助他人、主动求助、经常帮助做家务的人数比例高于一般儿童。除了在同伴交往方面留守儿童得分高于一般儿童,在亲社会行为和情绪行为问题各因子上,留守儿童与一般儿童均没有差别。结果表明,尽管留守儿童“亲情缺失”,但他们并没有表现出较多的心理行为问题。最后提出促进留守儿童积极心理品质发展的教育建议。