Social Work Commons^™

Children's Ideas About The Moral Standing And Social Welfare Of Non-Human Species, Gail F. Melson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Moral and social welfare issues related to humane treatment of animals confront children and continue to be important societal issues through adulthood. Despite this, children's moral reasoning about animals has been largely ignored. This paper addresses six questions concerning how children reason morally about non-human animals: (1) How do children think about the moral claims of animals? Is there a developmental progression in such reasoning? (2) How does moral reasoning about animals differ from moral reasoning about other life forms-plants and ecological systems? (3) What is the relation, if any, between children's moral reasoning about non-human animals and their moral …

Seed For Oklahoma Kids: Experimental Test Of A Policy Innovation In A Full Population, Lisa Reyes Mason, Yunju Nam, Margaret Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

The Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis has implemented an ambitious policy demonstration: SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK). This initiative uses multiple research methods, including a scientific experiment in a full population, to test a policy innovation. The innovation is providing a Child Development Account (CDA) to all children at birth. In SEED OK, randomly selected newborn children in Oklahoma received a college savings account “seeded” with a $1,000 initial deposit, plus additional components of the SEED OK intervention. This case study describes the multiyear process of designing and implementing SEED OK and sheds light …

Social Workers' Use Of Bibliotherapy With Children & Issues Of Diversity, Andrea R. . Lichtsinn

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research project was to explore how social workers use bibliotherapy with children, and how they consider issues of diversity in their selection of books. A mixed mode survey was sent through email to 270 social workers who work primarily with children. Sixty-eight surveys were completed and the data was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings lend support to the widespread use of books as a therapeutic tool, with 99% of respondents reporting that they use books in therapy with children. Participants reported using books for a variety of therapeutic purposes, however, the majority (62%) …

Remarital Chances, Choices, And Economic Consequences: Issues Of Social And Personal Welfare, Kevin Shafer, Todd M. Jensen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Many divorced women experience a significant decline in financial, social, physical, and psychological well-being following a divorce. Using data from the NLSY79 (n= 2,520) we compare welfare recipients, mothers, and impoverished women to less marginalized divorcees on remarriage chances. Furthermore, we look at the kinds of men these women marry by focusing on the employment and education of new spouses. Finally, we address how remarriage and spousal quality (as defined by education and employment) impact economic well-being after divorce. Our results show that remarriage has positive economic effects, but that is dependent upon spousal quality. However, such matches are rare …

Effectiveness Of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Therapists’ Perspectives, Nichole M. Budahn

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Animal-assisted therapy has frequently been used with children who have autism spectrum disorder. This study examined animal-assisted therapists’ perceptions of effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy with children who have DSM-IV mental health diagnoses. The researcher recruited self-identified animal-assisted therapists using social media sites LinkedIn and Facebook. Two therapists completed the fourteen question qualitative survey in full. Three themes were found in this study; comfort, confidence, and benefits. While this study produced definite themes, more research needs to be conducted on animal-assisted therapy and children with DSM-IV mental health disorders. Very few studies have been conducted on the impacts of animal-assisted therapy …

Disorganized Attachment And Trauma In Children, Anya K. Esch

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Children who experience trauma often experience a disruption in the formation of attachment with their primary caregiver. This research aims to address how this disruption may lead to attachment disorders in children, and what developmental challenges children exposed to trauma may face. Using a qualitative interview case study of a children’s’ mental health professional, this study examines the impact of trauma on attachment, based on the experiences of this clinician. This study set out to investigate what treatment methods are currently used to treat children with histories of trauma and attachment disorders. From the qualitative interview 4 main themes were …

How Do School Social Workers Provide Support To Children Of Divorce?, Kimberly Johnson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The ongoing impact of divorce on elementary school-aged children has been associated with lower academic achievement, behavioral problems, relational issues, depression, and risk of developing short-and long-term mental health symptoms. School-based divorce support groups are one way children may receive support to cope with ongoing stressors associated with growing up in divorced or separated families. The purpose of this project was to explore elementary school social workers perspectives regarding what services they are able to provide to children who come from divorced, separated, or never married households and at what frequency. If divorce groups were offered in an elementary school …

Cultural Coping Strategies And Their Connection To Grief Therapy Modalities For Children: An Investigation Into Current Knowledge And Practice, Philip D. . Kuehn

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Dealing with the death of a loved one can be a difficult time in the life of an individual, especially a child. In certain cases, adults and children can develop extreme grief responses as a result of this significant loss. An individual’s culture can play a major role in the way they understand and respond to the death of a loved one. To find out more information regarding the interplay between culture and grief responses, it was useful to interview professional grief therapists on this topic. These interviews sought to discern whether or not there was a useful connection between …

The Effectiveness Of Preschool Mental Health Day Treatment On Attachment Pattern Skills, Stefanie Kuhnmuench

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Young children ages three to six, who have insecure or disorganized attachment styles, are more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Research implies that improving attachment can lead to improved functioning. One mode of treatment for young children with emotional and behavioral disorders is day treatment, specifically day treatment that focuses on attachment. In this study, a secondary data analysis was used to assess the effectiveness of a day treatment program in a community mental health agency in the Midwest for children age’s three to six. Scores from the Attachment Pattern Scale (APS) at three points in time, …

What Do Therapists Think Is The Uniqueness Of Animal Assisted Therapy That Engages Children?, Megan Marie Mensink

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

What do therapists believe is the uniqueness of animal assisted therapy that engages children? This is the main question this research aims to answer. The purpose of this study was to get the opinions of therapists on how animal assisted therapies benefit children. In this qualitative study, the researcher interviewed six therapists who actively practice Animal Assisted Therapies with clients. These therapists were able to identify the benefits that children encounter when participating in animal assisted therapies. The therapists have been educated and certified to practice AAT using the EAGALA model. The findings of this research produced five main themes: …

The Impact Of Perpetrator Gender On Child Protective Services Sexual Abuse Cases: A National Picture, David Axlyn Mcleod

Theses and Dissertations

Child sexual assault is a problem of epidemic proportions in the United States with some research suggesting up to one fifth of our nations children being victimized before reaching adulthood. Research has suggested females could be responsible for up to 20% of child sexual abuse cases, and at the same time only represent only 1% of sexual offenders incarcerated the US. This creates a situation where a large group of relatively under-researched offenders are evading detection. Numerous calls for further research have been made, but relatively few studies have had the ability to shed significant light on this phenomenon on …

Mental Health Practitioner’S Perspective Of Early Intervention Treatment Barriers For Young Children And Their Families, Melissa J. Mccanney

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Young children are showing an increase in behavioral and emotional disturbances. Children are showing precocious knowledge of information about drugs, sex and violence. This research project reviews previous findings for causes and intervention for these behaviors. Early intervention, family barriers and access barriers concerning mental health treatment were themes that were continuously discussed in the existing research. This study focused on those themes and surveyed 29 professionals about the family and access barriers that families and children face in regards to preschool mental health treatment. The participants were surveyed anonymously and the findings were analyzed for common themes. The results …

Youth And Their Health In Ghana, Gina Chowa, Rainier Masa, Isaac Osei-Akoto

Center for Social Development Research

Youth and Their Health in Ghana

Preserving The Bond: Child Welfare Professionals' Perspectives On The Opportunities And Challenges Of Parent-Child Visitation, Lina M. Munoz

Dissertations

The foster care system was designed to be a temporary placement for children when their parents are unable or unwilling to provide proper care and supervision. A permanency plan must be established for all children in care, stating clear goals for a permanent living arrangement to facilitate the child's reunification with his/her family. The current Illinois Child Welfare Practice Model promotes a family-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based practice approach when providing child welfare services to families in foster care with the caseworker serving as the primary vehicle for facilitating change.

This study explored how this child welfare practice model is reflected …

Child Poverty In A Conflict Situation: A Multidimensional Profile And An Identification Of The Poorest Children In Western Darfur, Jean-Francois Trani, Timothy I. Cannings

Brown School Faculty Publications

Darfur is currently in a very complex situation making humanitarian intervention a very challenging endeavour. The civilian population is caught in the middle of armed confrontation resulting in massive forced displacement as well as in food shortage, lack of access to safe source of water and sanitation facilities, shelter, essential health services. Children are particularly vulnerable in conflict situation as they are higher risk of physical and sexual violence or emotional abuse. Applying the Alkire and Foster index of multidimensional poverty to a selected set of dimensions of deprivation identified through a large scale household survey in Western Darfur carried …

Predictors Of Practice Approaches And Activitives Of Louisiana School Social Workers : Toward A Model Of Practice, Laura Richard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT The purpose of the current exploratory-descriptive study was to examine the role of school social workers in Louisiana (N = 378) and the relationship of roles in different school settings and with different caseload sizes. The information gained was used to develop a conceptual model of practice and a job description for Louisiana school social workers. In addition, predictors of the types of practice approaches and practice activities used in the different school employment settings and with different caseload sizes were also included. The school social workers were employed in school districts in Louisiana and completed an online or …

Family-Related Risk Factors And Their Associations With Behavior Problems Of Children In Foster Care, Jena Leigh Ourso

LSU Master's Theses

Children in foster care are at risk for problems associated with breakdowns in their ecological system. Possible explanations for this may be that children’s daily interactions in early childhood are primarily with their parents. The relationship between child and parent (the dyad) is a crucial part of the way children grow and develop. Past research focuses on the child’s behavior problems as separate and isolated instead of focusing on the behavior problems as a symptom of the dysfunction in the dyad. This study explored the role of two specific risk factors for children in foster care and how these may …

Identification Of Effective Play Techniques For Use With Children In A Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Jan Schwarzrock

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project was to identify which play techniques are the most effective and produce good outcomes for children. Children enter therapy for a number of reasons to improve their emotional and cognitive wellbeing, however engaging them can be challenging. During a therapeutic session, children use play to share experiences through the toys they choose, whereas adults verbally express themselves. The Allina Health/NUMC Outpatient Therapy Department was interested in the identification of play techniques that they could be used to enhance their work with children with the intent to explore the impact of using play techniques on …