Can the actions of child welfare case managers predict case outcomes?

This study examined the effect of efforts made by child welfare case managers to involve parents in case processes on two divergent case outcomes: reunification and the termination of parental rights (TPR). The sample was comprised of a cohort of children who received child protection services while in out-of-home care during fiscal year 2009–2010 and were randomly selected by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) for their case management quality of practice reviews. Findings revealed that when child welfare case managers made efforts to encourage and support parents in participating in child-related decisions and activities, there were increased chances for timely reunification. However, these same efforts were only associated with a lower risk of TPR for mothers and not for fathers. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

浅谈人权入宪后的人权保障

在全国人大十届二次会议上通过的宪法修正案中增加了“国家尊重和保障人权”，使我国的人权保障有了宪法依据，但仅仅有宪法保障是不够的，只有通过推进宪法司法化、构建完备的人权法律体系、设立人权监督和协调机构、加大人权宣传教育力度才能使人权得到切实、充分的保障。     

Barriers to and strategies for parental involvement in the education of children with disabilities in primary schools in Bahir Dar City Administration,Ethiopia

This study explores barriers to and strategies for parental involvement (PI) in the education of children with disabilities, using a qualitative case study design. Using the purposive sampling technique, five parents and five teachers were selected for interviews. Data obtained through semi-structured interviews have been analysed thematically. The findings demonstrated that PI was hindered by various barriers related to parents (including parents’ low level of education, income and negative attitudes), schools (such as principals’ and teachers’ negative attitudes, the lack of invitations given to parents, and the lack of a welcoming environment) and children (including their unwillingness to pass school invitations on to their parents). In addition, the study identified strategies to increase PI, including effective communication and partnership, training, a welcoming environment, sending invitations, and establishing and utilising resource centres and individual education plans. Overall, the study highlighted the barriers to PI and tactics to increase PI. It is apparent that educative programmes should be designed by schools and other relevant bodies to address the barriers to PI.     

The Theory of Planned Behaviour as a framework for understanding parental experiences with homework

Research into parental homework-related experiences has predominantly focused on parental attitudes to homework. This research has shown that parental attitudes can affect the formation of attitudes in children and subsequently their academic success. Most research has focused on a secondary school context, but there is still a lack of knowledge within primary school contexts. The present study qualitatively investigated parental homework-related experiences in a Scottish primary school context and the factors influencing these experiences, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 Scottish parents (12 mothers, mean age [M] = 35, standard deviation [SD] = 2.7; and one father, age = 38 years) and were analysed using a hybrid approach to Thematic Analysis. The three themes identified were: “theory of planned behaviour”, “factors influencing parental control” and “coping mechanisms”. Parents provided help with homework regardless of their attitude to homework but their homework experience was influenced by factors encountered during homework and the coping mechanisms adopted.     

老年人权益保障的福利思考

老年人生活护理作为老年人基本生活的重要组成部分,通过法律由“社会责任”承担,以满足老年人生活护理的福利需求。在社会福利转型时期,“社会责任”理念将成为谋求老年人福利的基本思想。“社会责任”的明确关系到老年人生存权利的有效保障、也关系到老年人生活质量的提高。护理福利是老年人追求幸福的权利,实现法律上的保障是增进老年人福利的重要步骤。     

现代化进程中的中国农民权利保障——从国家与乡村社会关系的视角审视

中国社会是一个乡土社会,国家通过对乡土社会的整合进行现代国家的建构。但在国家建构过程中,农民的主体地位严重缺失,呈现“国家农民”的倾向,农民权利难以保障。而我国的城乡二元结构政策致使农民许多法定权利缺失,其权利便被制度性的消解。只有通过国家与乡村的互动,改革户籍制度,重塑农民权利主体的独立品格,加强农民群众的文化素质教育,完善农民利益表达机制,实现农民的组织化,才能确保农民权利的实现。     

Risk for reading disability as a function of parental history in three family studies

Inverse Bayesian analyses were applied to data from three large family studies of reading disability to estimate the posterior probability that an offspring will be affected, given that a parent reported a history of learning problems. Prior analyses presented elsewhere (Pennington et al., 1990), suggest that family transmission in these three studies is consistent with major gene or polygene influence. Posterior probability rates are presented in this paper for male to female sex ratios of 3.5:1 and 1:1, with population incidences estimated at 0.05 and 0.10. Results indicate that offspring risk rates are significantly elevated if a parent reports a history of RD. Specifically, an offspring's risk was increased 2 to 80 times over population expectancies when there was an affected parent. While the posterior probabilities and relative risk rates were fairly similar across studies, there was also some variation, which may reflect the different genetic mechanisms operating in these families. This study concludes that both absolute and relative risks are sufficiently increased in families with RD parents to warrant use of family history as a component in clinical evaluation. It is also evident from these results that consideration of the apparent mode of genetic transmission in families may provide even better information as to offspring risk, when family history is obtained.     

The complexity of child protection recurrence: The case for a systems approach

ObjectiveResearch on child protection recurrence has found consistent child, family, and case characteristics associated with repeated involvement with the child protection system. Despite the considerable body of empirical research, knowledge about why recurrence occurs, and what can be done to reduce it, is limited.MethodThis paper reviews the empirical literature and analyses the approaches of prior recurrence research. Four related conceptual challenges are identified: (1) a tendency to conflate child protection recurrence with repeated child maltreatment; (2) uncertainty about how best to operationalize and measure child protection recurrence in research; (3) inconsistency between prevailing explanations for the most frequently observed patterns of recurrence; and (4) difficulty in developing coherent strategies to address child protection recurrence based on research.ResultsAddressing these challenges requires a greater consideration of the effects of decision-making in the child protection system on recurrence. This paper proposes a methodology based in systems theory and drawing on existing administrative data to examine the characteristics of the child protection system that may also produce recurrence.     

Screening for potential child maltreatment in parents of a newborn baby: The predictive validity of an Instrument for early identification of Parents At Risk for child Abuse and Neglect (IPARAN)

For preventive purposes it is important to be able to identify families with a high risk of child maltreatment at an early stage. Therefore we developed an actuarial instrument for screening families with a newborn baby, the Instrument for identification of Parents At Risk for child Abuse and Neglect (IPARAN). The aim of this study was to assess the predictive validity of the IPARAN and to examine whether combining actuarial and clinical methods leads to an improvement of the predictive validity. We examined the predictive validity by calculating several performance indicators (i.e., sensitivity, specificity and the Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve [AUC]) in a sample of 4692 Dutch families with newborns. The outcome measure was a report of child maltreatment at Child Protection Services during a follow-up of 3 years. For 17 children (.4%) a report of maltreatment was registered. The predictive validity of the IPARAN was significantly better than chance (AUC = .700, 95% CI [.567–.832]), in contrast to a low value for clinical judgement of nurses of the Youth Health Care Centers (AUC = .591, 95% CI [.422–.759]). The combination of the IPARAN and clinical judgement resulted in the highest predictive validity (AUC = .720, 95% CI [.593–.847]), however, the difference between the methods did not reach statistical significance. The good predictive validity of the IPARAN in combination with clinical judgment of the nurse enables professionals to assess risks at an early stage and to make referrals to early intervention programs.     

Meaningful participation for children in the Dutch child protection system: A critical analysis of relevant provisions in policy documents

Policymakers are increasingly focusing on the participation of children in the child protection system (CPS). However, research shows that actual practice still needs to be improved. Embedding children’s participation in legislation and policy documents is one important prerequisite for achieving meaningful participation in child protection practice. In this study, the participation of children in the Dutch CPS under the new Youth Act 2015 is critically analyzed. National legislation and policy documents were studied using a model of “meaningful participation” based on article 12 of the UNCRC. Results show that the idea of children’s participation is deeply embedded in the current Dutch CPS. However, Dutch policy documents do not fully cover the three dimensions of what is considered to be meaningful participation for children: informing, hearing, and involving. Furthermore, children’s participation differs among the organizations included in the child protection chain. A clear overall policy concerning the participation of children in the Dutch CPS is lacking. The conclusions of this critical analysis of policy documents and the framework of meaningful participation presented may provide a basis for the embedding of meaningful participation for children in child protection systems of other countries.     

Psychological maltreatment: maltreatment of the mind: a catalyst for advancing child protection toward proactive primary prevention and promotion of personal well-being

Objective

Child protection, as primarily applied toward narrow corrective intervention, has been judged to be inadequate in dealing with the wide variety of forms and levels of physical, psychological and sexual violence to which children are subjected throughout the world. Concern about this state of affairs has grown as a part of a global increase in commitments and expectations for nations and their societies to be accountable to and for children, particularly in association with the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. A reconstruction of child protection is needed.

Method

Recently, a child rights approach to child protection has been gathering support to drive a transformation of child protection toward primary prevention capable of securing and promoting the rights, safety, well-being, health and development of children. This vision has been given concrete form by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child through its recently adopted guide (General Comment 13) to fulfilling national obligations to the right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence.

Results/Conclusions

Here, it is argued that the desired transformation of child protection can be greatly facilitated by appreciation and application of knowledge about the psychological domain, in particular, psychological maltreatment, by promotion of an enlightened public health approach, and by giving high priority to determining the origins of violence and to establishing widespread commitment to full development of the uniqueness of each person.     

残疾人体育教育本真意义的失落与回归

生活世界是残疾人体育教育的现实基础和意义之源.目前我国残疾人体育教育发展迅速,但也表现出了一个误区就是脱离残疾人的生活世界,这样就会使残疾人体育教育的发展丧失存在的意义基础.本文力图通过对残疾人体育教育的反思和生活世界内涵意蕴的阐释,探究残疾人体育教育的本真意义,使残疾人体育教育摆脱隔离和遗忘生活世界的现代困境,进而使残疾人体育教育向生活世界的回归成为可能.     

An Australian study of graduate outcomes for disadvantaged students

Whether or not disadvantaged students are realising the same benefits from higher education as their peers is of fundamental importance to equity practitioners and policymakers. Despite this, equity policy has focused on access to higher education and little attention has been paid to graduate outcomes. The Australian study reported here used national data to investigate relationships between disadvantage and graduate outcomes. The study provides critical insights into how access to higher education does, or does not, lead to improvements in post-graduation equity. The study reveals that outcomes are not equal for all students and that higher education disadvantage persists for many students after they have completed their studies. Whilst the specific findings relate to the Australian university sector the broader discussion of the article is relevant to higher education policy more generally, especially in terms of how governments align institutional processes to measure and scrutinise achievement in relation to public policy objectives.     

The protective role of mentalizing: Reflective functioning as a mediator between child maltreatment,psychopathology and parental attitude in expecting parents

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment impacts parenting and has intergenerational consequences. It is therefore crucial to identify clinically responsive resilience-promoting factors in pregnant women and expecting men with history of childhood maltreatment. Mentalization, or reflective functioning, appears as a promising concept to understand risk and resilience in the face of childhood maltreatment.ObjectiveThis study evaluated the multivariate relationship between exposure to childhood maltreatment, reflective functioning, psychological symptoms and parental attitude in expecting parents.MethodsTwo hundred and thirty-five pregnant women and 66 expecting fathers completed self-report assessment measures of childhood trauma, reflective functioning, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, parental sense of competence and antenatal attachment. Twenty-eight percent (n = 85) of the community sample reported personal histories of childhood maltreatment.ResultsStructural equation modeling indicated that reflective functioning (a) partially mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and psychological symptoms during pregnancy and (b) independently predicted participants’ perception of parental competence and psychological investment toward the unborn child.ConclusionOverall, this study provides empirical evidence of the protective role of reflective functioning during the prenatal period in parents with histories of childhood maltreatment.     

The new UN CRC General Comment 13: "The right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence"--changing how the world conceptualizes child protection

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child established CRC General Comment 13 (April 2011) to address today's unabating high rates of violence against children globally despite CRC advances. GC13 provides clear interpretations and stronger detail to supplement the legal language of CRC Article 19, intended to establish protection of children from all forms of violence. Through GC13, the Committee seeks to strengthen policy and practice implementation for all children, including every nation's most vulnerable, by clearly establishing measurable indicators: structure, process and outcomes to children-through improved technical information, expertise and assistance. Based on knowledge and experience gained over the 22 years since the CRC was adopted, GC13 advances best practice approaches and technical resources for States Parties and professionals on preventing violence against children, and on strengthening protection programs, systems, services, research, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. This article addresses child rights and protection issues which have been raised during this period, as well as during the consultation and resulting dialogues, such as the rights of children in early/forced marriage, and the role of the State Party as responsible caregiver when parents or families are not capable of providing protection.     

An interview study of why parents conduct intensive ABA home training for their child with autism spectrum disorder. An analysis from the lens of the dialectical disability model

The number of parents undertaking an intensive home training programme of children with disabilities (e.g. Applied Behavioural Analysis) has increased. It reveals a paradox in current disability research and policies. On the one hand, policies in general are aimed at inclusion through movement of social barriers for participation, grounded in the social model of disability. On the other hand, intensive home training is based on the aim of rehabilitation through intensive training of individual cognitive and social skills, an approach grounded in a bio-medical model. Intensive home training programmes are supported by political legislation that enables parents to partake the training and hire the necessary helpers. How is this paradox viewed from the perspective of the parents? From the departure of the dialectical model of disability – and its central concepts of developmental incongruence, developmental time and social agency – two mothers practising home training with their children with autism disorder were interviewed about their motives for home training and subsequent experience with their child. Results showed that the motive to home training was to create a local congruence that allowed the child to thrive. Intensive home training also restored the mothers’ sense of agency vis-à-vis their child’s development. However, home training might not abolish the need for adaptations of the child’s social practices outside the family. It is discussed how societal support to home training risks to hinder higher order reorganisation of developmental opportunities that are necessary to actualise policy statements of inclusion.     

政府履行残疾人受教育权保障职责评估指标体系的构建

建立可量化评估的指标体系监测地方政府履行残疾人受教育权保障职责的情况,能够反映各地残疾人教育事业的发展状况,可以为中央调整政策和财政支持力度提供参考.以省域内政府为评估对象,以推进融合教育为核心目标,运用法学规范分析法,依据法律法规内容、政策标准要求,以权利和义务对应、实体与程序并重为逻辑主线设计指标.在国内外邀请法学...     

Reasons for placement decisions in a case of suspected child abuse: The role of reasoning,work experience and attitudes in decision-making

Child welfare and child protection workers regularly make placement decisions in child abuse cases, but how they reach these decisions is not well understood. This study focuses on workers’ rationales. The aim was to investigate the kinds of arguments provided in placement decisions and whether these arguments were predictors for the decision, in addition to the decision-makers’ risk assessment, work experience and attitudes towards placement. The sample consisted of 214 professionals and 381 students from the Netherlands. The participants were presented with a vignette describing a case of alleged child abuse and were asked to determine whether the abuse was substantiated, to assess risks and to recommend an intervention. The participants’ placement attitudes were assessed using a structured questionnaire. We found that the participants provided a wide range of arguments, but that core arguments – such as the suspected abuse, parenting and parent-child interaction – were often missing. Regression analyses showed that the higher the perceived danger to the child and the more positive the participants’ attitudes towards placement, the more likely the participants would be to propose placing the child in care. Arguments related to the severity of the problems (i.e., suspected abuse, parenting and the child’s development) as well as the parents’ perceived cooperation also influenced placement decisions. The findings indicate trends in the decision-making process, in the sense that participants who decided to place the child out-of-home emphasized different arguments and had different attitudes towards out-of-home placement than those who did not. We discuss the implications of our findings.     

The co-occurrence of adverse childhood experiences among children investigated for child maltreatment: A latent class analysis

Children investigated for maltreatment are particularly vulnerable to experiencing multiple adversities. Few studies have examined the extent to which experiences of adversity and different types of maltreatment co-occur in this most vulnerable population of children. Understanding the complex nature of childhood adversity may inform the enhanced tailoring of practices to better meet the needs of maltreated children. Using cross-sectional data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (N = 5870), this study employed latent class analysis to identify subgroups of children who had experienced multiple forms of maltreatment and associated adversities among four developmental stages: birth to 23 months (infants), 2–5 (preschool age), 6–10 (school age), and 11–18 years-old (adolescents). Three latent classes were identified for infants, preschool-aged children, and adolescents, and four latent classes were identified for school-aged children. Among infants, the groups were characterized by experiences of (1) physical neglect/emotional abuse/caregiver treated violently, (2) physical neglect/household dysfunction, and (3) caregiver divorce. For preschool-aged children, the groups included (1) physical neglect/emotional abuse/caregiver treated violently, (2) physical neglect/household dysfunction, and (3) emotional abuse. Children in the school-age group clustered based on experiencing (1) physical neglect/emotional neglect and abuse/caregiver treated violently, (2) physical neglect/household dysfunction, (3) emotional abuse, and (4) emotional abuse/caregiver divorce. Finally, adolescents were grouped based on (1) physical neglect/emotional abuse/household dysfunction, (2) physical abuse/emotional abuse/household dysfunction, and (3) emotional abuse/caregiver divorce. The results indicate distinct classes of adversity experienced among children investigated for child maltreatment, with both stability across developmental periods and unique age-related vulnerabilities. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.