Social Work Commons^™

“There’S A Connection That Is Just Beyond Words”: A Qualitative Study Of Therapy Dogs In A Child Trauma Assessment Center, Angela M. Moe

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

The utilization of animal-assisted interventions with trauma survivors is a growing field of practice and research. This study explored staff perceptions of the impact of therapy dogs in comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessments of children who have experienced significant maltreatment. Such victimization causes devastating and long-term consequences across physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral domains. Trauma assessments have been used as a means of understanding the impacts of maltreatment and in guiding treatment. Following a go-along qualitative approach, the study occurred over 16 months wherein experienced therapy dogs were incorporated into assessments of 323 children. Data were collected through field interviews and participant …

Childhood Experiences Of Family Violence Among Racialized Immigrant Youth: Case Studies, Purnima George George, Archana Medhekar, Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Sophia Schmitz, Allyson Nodin, Gillian Grant

Books

Envisioned to serve as a training tool for human service professionals, the book, “Childhood experiences of family violence among racialized immigrant youth: Case studies,” provides narratives of the direct and indirect experiences of family violence, its impacts and survival by racialized immigrant youth in their childhood. The case narratives have been constructed from the phenomenological interviews conducted with twelve racialized immigrant youth as they described and interpreted their experiences of violence. Guided by theoretical frameworks such as Anti-Colonialism, Critical Race Theory, A rights-based approach to children and Anti-Oppressive practice, with concepts of the Best Interest of the Child …

Attention To Attendance At Marina Vista, Jaylord Gapol

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Marina Vista Arts Elementary school has a high rate of absenteeism among students, which is negatively affecting their education. Problems associated with chronic absenteeism include illness, communication issues between schools and parents, and socioeconomic status. Consequences of chronic absenteeism include being at an academic disadvantage, increased risk of not graduating, and potential involvement with the criminal justice system. The capstone project created an educational flier that standardized the expectations for student attendance and highlights the negative consequences of chronic absenteeism. A database of 50 students were selected for the project with their attendance inputted into a database for tracking. Results …

An Introduction To The Special Issue, Megan S. Paceley, Candace Christensen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

What Works? A Qualitative Exploration Of Play Therapy For Children In Pediatric Oncology, Caitlyn Dorsey

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study seeks to understand the use and perceived effectiveness of play interventions for patients with socio-emotional issues brought about by their treatment of pediatric cancer by exploring the perceptions of nine Certified Child Life Specialists and one Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who works with this population. Interviews, done over Zoom with each participant, were semi-structured, and between thirty minutes to an hour in length. Questions asked explored what socio-emotional issues they see develop in their patients throughout their treatment, and their perceived effectiveness of play in mitigating those socio-emotional issues. After transcription nof each interview analysis …

Severe Emotional And Behavioral Problems: Barriers For Texas Youth Accessing Mental Health Court Programs, Justin Joseph

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

Conduct disorder is a constellation of continuous emotional and behavioral problems observed in children and adolescents, which may involve violent and non-violent antisocial behaviors. The symptomology of this psychological disorder includes: disregarding rules without clear reason, cruel or aggressive behavior toward people or animals (e.g., bullying, fighting, using dangerous weapons, forcing sexual activity, and stealing), skipping school, excessive substance use, pathological lying, manipulation, running away, and vandalism (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2013). Texas Juvenile Mental Health Courts are designed to reduce the number of detained youth, divert at-risk children, maintain community safety, and utilize multidisciplinary approaches to treat conduct disordered …

Children As Mischievous Spirits: Legitimizing Child Cruelty And Filicide In Contemporary Africa, Chima Agazue

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The belief that certain humans are spiritual entities and the belief that some people are spiritually possessed can be found across histories and cultures. While these individuals are not always viewed in the negative or treated inhumanely, cases abound whereby degrading and inhumane treatments are meted out to some of them. In the African continent, certain groups of people, particularly children are linked to certain mischievous spirits due to their unusual appearance, aberrant behavior, disability, chronic illness, psychopathology or exceptional ability. Some are also suspected and consequently mistreated due to events surrounding their birth. Such children are known by different …

Experiences And Challenges In Single Fatherhood: A Literature Review On Single, Custodial Fathers, Emily N. Janikowski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Households led by single, custodial fathers (SCFs) are increasing in the United States, so the need for further research into this population is critical. To best serve this population, it is important for social work professionals to understand the challenges facing these families, their unique experiences, and the best practices. For this purpose, 33 academic journal articles about SCFs were reviewed and the following seven areas were discussed: (1) fatherhood experiences, (2) overall challenges for SCFs, (3) overall perception of SCFs, (4) economic impact, (5) deviance of youth, (6) academic achievement of the children of SCFs, and (7) applicable interventions. …

Supported Families Grow Healthy Children: Branching Out Services To Support Children, Families, And Communities Impacted By Punitive Practices In The Criminal Justice System, Patrick Clark, Janet Meegan, Troy Potter, Holly Schmitt, Jesse Valentin

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

The well-being of Minnesota’s children and families is negatively impacted by punitive practices. Investing in programs that divert parents from the criminal justice system ensures parental accountability while contributing to healthy children, families, and communities.

A Thematic Analysis Of Adults’ Reflection On Childhood Experiences Being Parented By An Adult With Mental Health Issues, Jennifer Luja, Meg O'Malley

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Children are impacted by their relationships with caregivers. The objective of this research was to develop awareness of the impact on children being cared for by caregivers with mental health issues by examining the experiences of individuals who had a caregiver with severe and persistent mental health issues during childhood. Researchers also gained insight on how social workers can be more supportive to children in these circumstances. The researchers conducted interviews with five participants, the recordings of which were then transcribed and coded to identify themes. Prevalent themes include critiques of available services, resiliency and challenges of family members as …

Stories Of Children, Youth, And Families’ Adaptation To Community Living In The First Year After Involvement With Children’S Residential Mental Health Programs, Karen M. Frensch, Gary Cameron

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

Twenty-two youth between the ages of 14 and 18 years old who were involved with residential programs from participating children’s mental health organizations in Southern Ontario, Canada during 2015 to 2017 participated in a study of adaptation to community living in the first year following program exit. Youth, parents, child welfare workers, and mental health workers took part in qualitative interviews up to three times during the study period. Interview comments were used to construct a narrative or “story” of the year following program exit that integrated multiple informants’ perspectives of how each youth was functioning within that timeframe. Stories …

Prevention Of Violence Against Children: A Systems Readiness Assessment In Côte D’Ivoire, Marie-Kaye Soletchi Seya-Sery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Violence against children (VAC) is a global problem with significant consequences. Recognizing the need to better understand the problem of VAC in Côte d’Ivoire (CI), the government of CI recently completed a survey on violence against children. The recent data will support an evidence-based national action plan for the prevention of VAC. Research shows that initiatives tackling specific problems will only be as successful as the community’s readiness to take action. This study applied the community readiness model to assess the readiness of the multisectoral task force (MSTF) to implement the national action plan in CI. Eight MSTF participants’ interview …

Pornography As A Public Health Issue: Promoting Violence And Exploitation Of Children, Youth, And Adults, Elisabeth Taylor

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The pornography industry is expanding exponentially as a result of ongoing technological advances. The ability to stream videos over the internet and the ubiquity of the smart phone have meant that pornography producers are able to use algorithms to target potential consumers, to cultivate new sexual tastes and to deliver content to a more diverse audience over mobile devices. The advent of virtual reality pornography with interactive sex toys and sex robots imbued with artificial intelligence promises to unleash a further step-change in the extent to which pornography influences ‘real-world’ sexual culture. The critical analysis of pornography undertaken over decades …

Parentified Then Removed: A Teenager’S Conceptualization Of Family Identity, Katherine Bernard Melcher

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Family identity construction and the socially accepted definition of family have evolved over time. From the idyllic nuclear family of the 1950s to the contemporary examples that include step parents, grandparents, same sex parents and legal guardians have transformed the way family is conceptualized. The current research is typically concerned with creating an operational definition of family, particularly for divorced families; however, there is a gap in the research focused on how children experience and identify with family identity construction. This is especially consequential for children who have been removed from their family home by child protective services. This narrative …

“Dad, Do You Want To Play With Me?” The Impact Of Fathers Who Make Time For Play, Michael S. Sitton

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

With an increase in the pace of life in the United States, there comes a recognition of the importance of prioritizing time, especially for fathers. Of the two-thirds of children who live with their father, only a percentage of them have fathers who report regular play time with their children. However, literature in the field does not explain specifically whether or not this play between father and child influences the child’s later risk taking behaviors in high school. Using data from the 2003 Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), waves 3, 4, and 6, this quantitative study sought to …

"No Other Choice": A Baseline Study On The Vulnerabilities Of Males In The Sex Trade In Chiang Mai, Thailand, Jarrett D. Davis, Elliot Glotfelty, Glenn Miles

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Social and cultural norms often assume men and boys to be inherently strong and/or invulnerable to sexual exploitation. As a result, sexual violence against men and boys is often ignored in programs and policy, with the efforts of organizations providing for the needs of male victims often left under-supported. Among the studies that have been conducted on males, most have primarily focused on sexual health, seeing males as agents of their own lives and careers, and largely ignored holistic needs and vulnerabilities. This study attempts to take a holistic approach to understanding the needs and vulnerabilities of young males working …

Growing Up With Porn: The Developmental And Societal Impact Of Pornography On Children, Gail Dines

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Homo Faber Juvenalis: A Multidisciplinary Survey Of Children As Tool Makers/Users, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The overall goal of this paper is to derive a set of generalizations that might characterize children as tool makers/users in the earliest human societies. These generalizations will be sought from the collective wisdom of four distinct bodies of scholarship: lithic archaeology; juvenile chimps as novice tool users; recent laboratory work in human infant and child cognition, focused on objects becoming tools and; the ethnographic study of children learning their community’s tool-kit. The presumption is that this collective wisdom will yield greater insight into children’s development as tool producers and users than has been available to scholars operating within narrower …

How Do Children Become Workers? Making Sense Of Conflicting Accounts Of Cultural Transmission In Anthropology And Psychology, David F. Lancy, Christopher A.J. Little

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This article uses children’s work as a lens to examine methodological concerns in the study of cultural transmission and children’s learning of useful domestic and subsistence skills. We begin by providing a review of the relevant literature concerning cultural transmission in the context of the ethnographic record, as well as more recent studies originating largely from psychology. We then offer an ethnographic case study concerning Asabano (PNG [Papua New Guinea]) childhood to make an important methodological contribution in the interdisciplinary study of cultural transmission. The case study centers on the paradox that Asabano parents, in interviews, claim that their children …

Comparative Parental Perceptions Of A Mentally Retarded Child, Edward Gumz, Jaber F. Gubrium

Edward J. Gumz

No abstract provided.

Teaching Is So Weird, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Direct active teaching by parents is largely absent in children’s lives until the rise of WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized rich, democratic) society. However, as mothers become schooled and missionized – like Kline’s Fijian subjects – they adopt “modern” parenting practices, including teaching. There is great variability, even within WEIRD society, of parental teaching, suggesting that teaching itself must be culturally transmitted.

Playing With Knives: The Socialization Of Self-Initiated Learners, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Since Margaret Mead's field studies in the South Pacific a century ago, there has been the tacit understanding that as culture varies, so too must the socialization of children to become competent culture users and bearers. More recently, the work of anthropologists has been mined to find broader patterns that may be common to childhood across a range of societies. One improbable commonality has been the tolerance, even encouragement, of toddler behavior that is patently risky, such as playing with or attempting to use a sharp-edged tool. This laissez faire approach to socialization follows from a reliance on children as …

Children As A Reserve Labor Force, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Human life history is unique in the great length of the juvenile or immature period. The lengthened period is often attributed to the time required for youth to master the culture, particularly subsistence and survival skills. But an increasing number of studies show that children become skilled well before they gain complete independence and the status of adults. It seems, as they learn through play and participation in the domestic economy, children are acquiring a “reserve capacity” of skills and knowledge, which they may not fully employ for many years. The theory offered here to resolve this paradox poses that, …

When Nurture Becomes Nature: Ethnocentrism In Studies Of Human Development, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This commentary will extend the territory claimed in the target article by identifying several other areas in the social sciences where findings from the WEIRD population have been over-generalized. An argument is made that the root problem is the ethnocentrism of scholars, textbook authors, and social commentators, which leads them to take their own cultural values as the norm.

Strengthening Family Practices For Latino Families, Karen G. Chartier, Lirio K. Negroni, Michie N. Hesselbrock

Social Work Publications

The study examined the effectiveness of a culturally-adapted Strengthening Families Program (SFP) for Latinos to reduce risks for alcohol and drug use in children. Latino families, predominantly Puerto Rican, with a 9–12 year old child and a parent(s) with a substance abuse problem participated in the study. Pre- and post-tests were conducted with each family. Parental stress, parent-child dysfunctional relations, and child behavior problems were reduced in the families receiving the intervention; family hardiness and family attachment were improved. Findings contribute to the validation of the SFP with Latinos, and can be used to inform social work practice with Puerto …

The Benefits Of Holidaying For Children Experiencing Social Exclusion: Recent Irish Evidence, Bernadette Quinn, Jane Stacey

Articles

There is a general assumption in contemporary society that holidaying is beneficial in many ways. Yet, even in affluent societies, access to holidaying opportunities continues to be constrained by a variety of factors relating to inter alia income, gender, health and race. This is problematic because it means that sizeable minorities within advanced societies are being denied the benefits that researchers have attributed to the practice of holidaying. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in problematising the exclusionist nature of holidaying with researchers arguing that a lack of holiday opportunities may compound social deprivation, reinforce social problems and heighten …

Protect Our Children, Jenny Meyen, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Rhode Island Left Out Of Fbi Initiative, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Our Opinions Matter: An Action Research Project With Parents And Children In The Canal Communities: Final Report, Noirin Hayes, Jonathan Ilan, Sinead Kelly

Reports

No abstract provided.

New Mothers’ Psychological Experience And Behavioral Interactions With Their Infants In The First 12 Months, Timothy Page, Terri Combs-Orme, Daphne S. Cain

Social Work Publications and Other Works

We examined the psychological dimensions of parents’ perceptions of their infant children and their own abilities as parents at two observation points in a racially and socio-economically diverse sample of 174 mothers. Parenting perceptions and life circumstances were hypothesized to predict interactive behavior observed in the home. Baseline assessments were conducted in hospital, within 36 hr of delivery. Follow-up assessments were conducted in their homes when the children were 6 to 12 months old. Of five major psychological constructs studied, only parents’ perceptions of children, represented particularly by empathic responsiveness and absence of role-reversal, predicted the quality of behavioral interactions …