Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal最新文献

Yazidis, an ethnic and religious minority group from Northern Iraq, are a distinctive population of highly traumatized refugees who have been persecuted for centuries. In 2014, the 74th recorded genocide was committed against the Yazidis. In response to the genocide, the Government of Canada has assisted in relocating, and committed to supporting, the Yazidis. However, to date, little is known about the factors Yazidi youth find helpful in promoting their mental, physical, and social well-being, or their integration. This study uses concept mapping, a form of participatory action research, to explore factors that have promoted adjustment for Yazidi youth refugees in Canada. 12 Yazidi youth between the ages of 15 and 24 participated in interviews and a subsequent group sorting activity. Seven concepts to represent the responses were generated, including: experiences at school, connection with family and friends, accepting it takes time, sense of security, community agency support, feeling liberated, and feeling like I belong. These findings were compared and contrasted with existing literature. Using the youths’ perspective and needs as a guide, recommendations have been made for continued support, facilitated through policy revisions, that centre on fostering connections to Yazidi culture and community here in Canada and promoting family reunification.

Reports estimate that approximately 35 percent of U.S. adolescents have dated or are currently dating, making the fact that over a third of those youth have reported experiencing some form of adolescent dating violence (ADV) in their relationships, incredibly concerning. An estimated 31 percent (~4.5 million) of dating youth report perpetrating ADV and 35 percent (~5.1 million) report ADV victimization. Childhood exposure to intimate partner violence (eIPV) and child maltreatment have both been linked with the experience of ADV, however, results vary greatly across studies, particularly regarding ADV perpetration. This study is additive by improving upon ADV measurement limitations from past studies, considering co-occurring child maltreatment and eIPV as a predictor of ADV, and drawing from theory in the selection of protective factors. Applying social learning theory and the intergenerational transmission of violence model, this study examines the mediating effect of dating violence acceptability on the links between childhood eIPV, child maltreatment, and ADV perpetration using structural equation modeling. Preliminary findings indicate significant relations between co-occurrence (child maltreatment & eIPV) and ADV, as well as eIPV alone and ADV. Mediation by youth acceptability of dating violence was not identified. The results of this study provide additional evidence of significant relations between childhood violence exposures and ADV perpetration, and higher prevalence rates of all violence types than previously found in the literature, emphasizing the need for prevention and intervention.

While postsecondary educational outcomes and college support for youth in foster care have been the subject of systematic reviews, there are no systematic reviews that examine the outcomes of participating in pre-college programs tailored specifically for youth with lived experience in foster care. This review addresses this significant gap by examining peer-reviewed studies published until 2023 and relevant grey literature. Following the PRISMA methodology, we identified six peer-reviewed articles and six grey literature reports that met inclusion criteria. Results show pre-college programs vary in duration, from one-day events to two-year events and are primarily held on college campuses with many employing former youth in foster care as mentors. Findings suggest these programs enhance college preparedness, attendance, and retention while increasing self-efficacy. Despite these positive short-term outcomes, long-term degree attainment remains challenging. To improve college access for youth in foster care, there is a need to conduct further methodologically rigorous research of pre-college programs across diverse higher education institutions.

The adolescent-adult caregiver relationship is arguably one of the strongest influences on adolescent parents’ development and parenting abilities. In Cape Town, South Africa, an evaluation of a parenting programme targeting school-going adolescent parents, considered the intervention effects on parenting and adolescent wellbeing, in three low-income communities. Adolescent parents resided with their adult caregivers. This paper draws on seventeen qualitative interviews with the caregivers of these adolescent parents. The qualitative interviews formed part of a wider parenting programme evaluation. This study explored the nature of the adolescent-caregiver relationship, and the potential effects of these relationships on adolescents’ wellbeing and parenting competencies. The findings suggest that while caregivers played co-parenting roles, they were often not emotionally supportive, placed multiple demands on the adolescents, and portrayed authoritarian approaches. The adolescent-caregiver relationships were often complex, hierarchical, and reflected negative parenting. Caregiver behaviours possibly left adolescents feeling unsupported, restricted in their parental autonomy, and undermined. Caregivers reported adolescents’ use of harsh discipline measures with their children. The findings highlight the indelible imprint that older generations, particularly those upholding traditional values, have on adolescent parents and their parenting. The authors conclude that caregiving environments that lack supportive interactions may lead to an elevated risk of compromised mental health and lowered parental competency for adolescent parents. Caregiver-adolescent relationship quality should be considered in interventions targeting adolescent parents. Interventions should be inclusive of adolescents’ caregivers, emphasising that support relationships should nurture both the adolescent and their young children.

Education is a transformative process that extends beyond the acquisition of knowledge, fundamentally reshaping an individual’s relationship with themselves, others, and the world. In this context, open youth work serves as a vital socio-educational field of practice. Through life-world-oriented and subject-centered educational approaches, open youth work supports young people in developing their identity, navigating adolescent crises, and assuming social responsibility. This article explores the transformative potential of open youth work as a socio-pedagogical educational actor. It draws on the theory of transformative education and is based on a qualitative empirical study that includes participatory observations and focus group discussions with young people in seven youth centers. The study aimed to identify the topics, triggers, and conditions that enable young people in these settings to experience formative and transformative educational processes. The findings of the study emphasize the significance of open youth work’s low-threshold, situational, and flexible educational approaches. These approaches empower young people to overcome developmental challenges, build resilience, and make autonomous decisions—key processes that are often overlooked in formal educational institutions. Particularly notable is the participatory nature of open youth work, which provides young people with safe and supportive spaces to articulate their concerns, reflect on their experiences, and explore their perspectives. In this way, open youth work not only fosters the personal development, well-being, and autonomy of young people but also plays a crucial role in cultivating a resilient and solidaristic society.