Preface

The Journal of Family Social Work holds a strong commitment to strengthening families and supporting the clinicians and administrators who provide services to families in need. This issue presents four articles that contribute to the knowledge base on both accounts. In an “Exploratory Study of Childhood Adversity and Delinquency among Youth in the context of Child-to-Parent and Sibling-to-Sibling Violence,” author Eva Nowakowski-Sims explores the childhood experiences of 83 adolescents who are involved in family violence. Her research distinguishes among variables such as experiencing versus witnessing family violence and adds to the growing body of knowledge that will further early intervention and treatment. Authors Leanne Kelly, Lyndon Walker, and Julie Knowles question the nature of services that are provided to a wide range of families. In “Family Characteristics as Predictors of Intensity in Family Services,” the authors research family characteristics such as illness, family violence, and the worker/family relationship and develop a predictive model that has great potential for agencies. Decisions to place children out of their family are of the utmost importance but remain variable and often unpredictable. In “Factors Associated with the Decision-Making Process in Kinship Diversion,” authors Qi Wu and Susan Snyder question the factors that influence decisions to use kinship care versus the foster care system. The authors note the importance of the child’s age, assessment of risk and the caseworker’s educational background as factors that drive the decision. Author Robyn Mairoza explores the specific challenges created by unemployment. “Family Challenges Created by Unemployment” delves beyond financial stress to consider the changes in roles and other sources of stress that are endured by families. These problem areas may not be clearly understood by family members but effect children and parent alike. Together, these articles contribute to the ways that we can best provide services for the families we are privileged to serve.