Child & Family Social Work最新文献

Research shows differences in gendered caring expectations between mothers and fathers across countries and how they are affected by the development of different family forms and cultural practices. In this study, we explore the meaning that 14 children and youths in long-term non-kinship foster care in Spain ascribe to their birth mothers. We found three main perspectives among the participants. Within these perspectives, age, gender and socio-cultural context seem to be intertwined in how children and youths in foster care perceive their birth mother's role in their lives. The analysis gives insight into the complexity of child–mother relationships and how young people navigate these. In light of these findings, we discuss some practical implications for social workers in child protection services.

This article offers a cross-national comparison of social work in two countries, Australia and Canada, about the care of Indigenous children within the context of colonization and the evolving profession. The discussion is based on data from two empirical studies that examined professional discourse relating to the removal of Indigenous children from their families and Indigenous peoples more broadly within key historical time frames. The studies involved a content analysis of the flagship journals of the Australian and Canadian professional associations. It is argued that a critical interrogation of professional discourse within these historical and national particularities provides insights that can inform a broader understanding of how practices and constructions of social work are shaped within contemporary practice contexts. The studies revealed that very little attention was paid to problematizing colonial policies and practices, including the state-sanctioned forcible removal of countless Indigenous children from their biological families, while the professions in both countries were complicit in the oppressive treatment of Indigenous peoples that have left a legacy of intergenerational trauma. The findings suggest a way of understanding social work as a discipline beyond the historical specificities of the two countries that has relevance to social work across the globe.

The infants of women with histories of problematic alcohol and other drug use are among the most vulnerable children known to statutory child protection services, which they enter at a younger age, and in which they remain longer. The net results include overwhelmed child protection systems and the birth of subsequent children conceived to ease women's grief at the loss their infants. Without adequate and appropriate support to the mother and her family, the pattern repeats. Obstetric services have an important role to play in the assessment of risk and protective factors in the perinatal period and in determining pathways to service provision. A comprehensive assessment considers the availability and quality of informal support prior to activation of formal systems of support, both statutory, where engagement is mandated, and non-statutory, where support is offered on a voluntary basis. This paper uses quantitative methods to explore the social networks of women with problematic substance use in the transition to motherhood and the relationship between formal and informal support systems and infant outcomes. Surveys were held with two counsellors from the Women's Alcohol and Drug Service (WADS), a specialist obstetric clinic in Melbourne, Australia, and with 18 child protection workers. In addition, the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (Norbeck, 1984; Norbeck et al., 1983) was administered with 20 participating mothers to measure levels of formal and informal support, as well as the type and quality of support available to mothers over a 12-month period, and to consider the provision of social support against known outcomes for infants. The findings demonstrate that WADS counsellors made several referrals for most women but that there was little in the way of long-term follow-up by non-statutory service providers, with most women experiencing a dramatic drop in support over the 12-month period. Women whose main informal support was from a domestically violent partner, and those who had been in out-of-home care in their own childhood, were particularly vulnerable to losing the care of their infant. The role of child protection varied markedly across the 12-month period, particularly in relation to the extent that a relationship between formal and informal systems of support for mothers and their infants could be established. Overall, the study findings demonstrate that mothers experienced diminishing formal and informal support over time and that the quality of social support available to the mother was more important in terms of outcomes for women and their infants than the quantity.

This study explores parental mediation of smartphone use by rural-to-urban migrant children in China. A total of 16 migrant parents participated in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis is conducted to analyse the transcribed interviews. Findings indicate that migrant parents are highly concerned about the harmful impact of smartphone use on their children. Three parental mediation strategies mentioned in previous studies are confirmed, that is, restriction mediation, monitoring and active mediation, whereas a new mediation strategy, namely, activity substitution, is identified in this study. This study finds that the parents use a combination of different strategies for parental mediation. Furthermore, four themes identify the challenges in parental mediation: Lack of time, skills and helper for parenting and father's absence, inconsistency between parents' restrictive mediation and own overuse practices, the adverse effect of COVID-19 and the need for professional help. Finally, implications for social work practice are discussed.

Adolescent girls placed in residential care are often the victims of childhood experiences of maltreatment. Their history of relational trauma may subsequently limit their ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with others, a central component for their development and adaptation. The goal of the present study was to determine the nature and strength of associations between adolescent girls' relationship quality with their parents at admission to care and their perceptions, 3 months later, of the therapeutic alliance and group climate within their unit. The sample consisted of 156 adolescent girls between the ages of 12 and 18 living in residential care. Path analysis using structural equation modelling examined significant associations between variables. Results revealed that adolescent girls' perceptions of greater relationship quality with their mothers were associated with more positive perceptions of (a) their therapeutic alliance with their mentor, (b) their relationships with other care workers, and (c) the care practices of their unit. Perceptions of greater relationship quality with their fathers were associated with more positive perceptions of their relationships with the other girls in their unit. Relationship quality with parents as a significant factor to consider in the context of out-of-home care for adolescents is discussed.

Tailoring support for first and second-generation immigrant families with young children necessitates understanding the extent to which immigrant families initiate access to community resources and perceived support from formal and informal stakeholders in their ecology. As part of an exploratory analysis, we surveyed bilingual, immigrant parents (n = 54) in a mid-Atlantic urban community in the United States. We examined factors that may correlate with seeking child-related advice and/or emotional support. Sixty-one percent of the sample approached at least one formal or informal contact for emotional support or advice in the past year, and willingness to do so was correlated with having a child with a suspected or diagnosed delay or disability. Stronger parent–stakeholder rapport was more likely to be reported with informal supports among younger parents (aged 20–30). Respondents with greater perceived parenting stress and child behaviour concerns were more likely to seek out stakeholders and less personalised sources. We discuss noteworthy implications for research and practice.

There is growing recognition, in the UK and internationally, of the huge costs of recurrent appearances of parents in local authority care proceedings. This paper contributes to pressing policy and practice concerns to reduce recurrence. It presents qualitative longitudinal data from the first study of fathers' experiences of recurrent care proceedings in England. Demonstrating the emotional impact of repeat proceedings and successive loss of children on fathers, in terms of grief, loss and shame, we highlight the trauma and abuse in their developmental histories. We consider complex connections between anger and shame for these fathers, including within the arena of family justice. With the use of literature on complex trauma, shame and parental disengagement, we explore ideas for re-framing fathers', and professionals', resistance to engagement and for better understanding fathers' intense emotions. We suggest that the link between shame and complex trauma and the value of shame reducing, dignity promoting practice in response provide a valuable way forward for working with fathers. As is recognized to be the case for mothers, without holistic, empathic interventions to address the vulnerabilities of such fathers, the risks for children, mothers and fathers are unlikely to reduce.

Studies report an increase in self-harm, and engagement in risk content online has gained growing attention. This study aims to synthesize qualitative studies on youths' (12–25 years of age) engagement in self-harm content online (SCO). We conducted a systematic database search of studies on first-person experience and included 16 studies. The meta-synthesis resulted in two meta-themes: 1) “Belonging to a community – online engagement with peers who self-harm” and 2) “Self-development – online engagement to get to know myself”. Following Winnicott's (1953) thinking, digital activity is discussed as an extended peer arena with a “transitional” quality – neither completely internal, nor external, and potentially bridging an inner and outer world. Engagement in SCO is discussed as a transitional object or activity that enables relatedness and self-definition – important developmental experiences for the exploration of social roles, borders between self and others and self-identity during adolescence. However, engagement in SCO comes with a risk for deterioration of mental health. Clinicians should ask directly about digital activity and meet those engaged in digital risks with respect.

The prevalence and intensity of grandparenting have continued to increase in the era of rapid aging. However, little is known about grandparents with different health statuses as primary caregivers and their implications for children's health. A nationally representative cohort of over 8990 Chinese children interviewed from 2010 to 2018 was used. Random effects logit models were constructed to assess the association of the primary caregiver type (grandparents vs. parents) and caregiver health with child health. Subsequently, additive interactions between the primary caregiver type and caregiver health were estimated to determine whether children cared for by grandparents with poor health were the most vulnerable children in terms of health. Deterioration of health status was found among children cared for mainly by grandparents, manifested as a higher likelihood of illness, depressive symptoms and unmet health care needs. However, children looked after by healthy grandparents tended to exhibit better health than their counterparts who were cared for by unhealthy parents. Grandparents as primary caregivers might not have a universally detrimental effect on child health. Thus, interventions to prompt child health could consider grandparents as caregivers, especially healthy grandparents.

Children with disabilities and their families are often socially isolated. To integrate them into society, it is important to improve their access to services and encourage families to participate in society. It is effective to incorporate information and communication technology in providing information access and care services for children with disabilities and their families. Therefore, this study explores parental satisfaction with and demand for information and communication technology-based care services for children with disabilities. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed method design. A total of 99 parents of children enrolled in two schools for special education or rehabilitation hospital participated in the study. Data were collected from parents through either a questionnaire survey or interviews. The study was conducted from 5 November to 5 December 2018. More than 50% of the participants found it inconvenient to search for services and reported below-average satisfaction because of a lack of information and the results being inappropriate, abstract, difficult to understand, insufficient and scattered. More than 70% of the participants were dissatisfied with the services because of their high cost and the limited frequency of use. Participants expressed a need for information and communication technology-based services to address these issues, including services to help the child's development, with low eligibility requirements and easy access to treatment that can enhance networks and services. Parents had high care burdens and difficulties accessing services for their children, which highlights the need for alternative services.