Child Psychology Commons^™

Child Sexual Abuse, Anna Maria Opperman

Graduate Research Papers

Reports of child sexual abuse are increasing in the nation and the state of Iowa. Negative effects of child sexual abuse include low self-esteem, contracting sexually transmitted diseases, promiscuity, pregnancy, psychological disorders, eating disorders, and suicide. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2006), two out of every one thousand children in the country have experienced sexual abuse. The author will describe the types of sexual abuse, the abuse process, characteristics of offenders, and manifestations of child sexual abuse. Possible treatment for victims will also be addressed.

Attachment Disorders In Residential Treatment, John Church

Graduate Research Papers

Various aspects of developmental attachment are explored in this power point presentation. Attachment is defined and differentiated from bonding. The variations of attachment are described as they relate to the work of Mary Ainsworth (1978) and Katharine Leslie (2004). Trauma is also explored as one of the major contributors to attachment disorders. The trauma information is also linked with how the brain develops and ultimately is affected by trauma. Lastly, the symptoms of reactive attachment disorder are discussed and explored as they relate to other diagnoses such as depression and oppositional defiant disorder.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Children And Adolescents, Mary R. Driscoll

Graduate Research Papers

Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents has only been researched for the past fifteen to twenty years. Despite the estimates from state and local child protective services that approximately 896,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in 2002 (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect, 2002), the vast majority of research and techniques used in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents has stemmed from research focused on adults. This report will provide a summary of current perspectives on the definition, assessment, and treatment of PTSD in adolescents.

Nebbe's Nature Nest : A Summary Of An Animal Assisted Therapy Camp, Trisha L. Ames

Graduate Research Papers

Two graduate students conducted a small animal assisted therapy camp. The main goal for this camp was to enhance and promote the campers' socialization skills and self-esteem through the use of animal assisted therapy. Two pre and post measurement scales were used to evaluate the children's loneliness and self-concept. The campers participated in a one-week camp lasting approximately three hours a day. To meet desired lesson goals, the campers engaged in direct animal contact and specific animal assisted activities. The following is a complete description and reaction to the animal assisted therapy camp led by Trisha (Hobbiebrunken) Ames, Nicole Whisler, …

Childhood Sexual Abuse Among University Students In Tanzania, Denis Mccrann, Kevin Lalor, Joviter K. Katabaro

Articles

Objectives: There are no prevalence data for childhood sexual abuse among Tanzanian university students. This investigation addressed this paucity. The nature of sexual abuse was also investigated. Method: Participants (N= 487) from a university in Tanzania completed a questionnaire which assessed abusive childhood sexual experiences, gathering information about age of victim, duration of abuse, perpetrators, amount of force or persuasion involved, and potential causes of child sexual abuse. A number of individuals were also interviewed about their experiences. Results: The overall prevalence rate for child sexual abuse was 27.7%, with rates being higher for females than for males. The average …

The Inaugural Issue Of The Journal Of Knowledge And Best Practices In Juvenile Justice And Psychology

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Communicating Feelings: Links Between Mothers' Representations Of Their Infants, Parenting, And Infant Emotional Development, Katherine L. Rosenblum, Carolyn Joy Dayton, Susan Mcdonough

Social Work Faculty Publications

In the present chapter we explore how mothers' internal working models of their seven-month-old infants organize emotions in the parenting context, and ultimately, influence infant emotion regulation. We propose that mothers' internal working models of their infants function as emotion regulators, and influence a variety of components of the affective organization of parenting, including a) maternal emotion activation, b) qualities of maternal emotional engagement with their infants, and c) emotion regulation strategies mothers employ during emotionally challenging interactions. Results underscore the important role played by emotional processes in explaining the correspondence between maternal and infant emotion regulation strategies.

Parent-Adolescent Involvement: The Relative Influence Of Parent Gender And Residence, Daniel Hawkins, Paul R. Amato, Valarie King

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The 1995 wave of the Add Health study is used to investigate the relative influence of parent gender and residence on patterns of parental involvement with adolescents. Adolescent reports (N = 17,330) of shared activities, shared communication, and relationship quality with both biological parents are utilized. A multidimensional scaling analysis reveals that parent gender explains most of the variance in parent-adolescent involvement, with residential status playing a secondary yet fundamental role in accounting for these patterns. Resident mothers who do not live with adolescents’ biological fathers engage in the broadest range of activities with their children. Unpartnered resident fathers display …

Shame In Body Image In Children's Literature, Joy Mauldin

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Even though children's books have been around for centuries, no research has addressed shame dynamics in children's literature. Psychologists can play an important role in the illumination of shaming content in literature, which will shape a child's perception of the world around her. In this qualitative study, five volunteers, non- psychologist adults ranging in ages 26-58 years, discovered that shame exists in children's books. The volunteers noted that shame can be both explicit and implicit in fashion. This study informs us that when given an understanding of shame, a non- psychologist layperson can identify shaming content in children's literature. This …

Literature Review: Mental Health Outcomes Associated With Exposure To Ethnic Discrimination, Peer Victimisation And Peer Rejection : Gender Differences In Internalising And Externalising Behaviour. Research Project : Gender As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Perceived Discrimination And Problem Behaviour Among Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Children, Jarrod Turner

Theses : Honours

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between gender, perceived discrimination, and mental health among young ethnic-minority children. To address this aim, 32 participants (mean age= 10.8 years), with an even sample across gender and cultural backgrounds, were asked questions relating to two types of discrimination (day to day and lifetime experiences) and their' primary caregiver was asked questions relating to child internalising (e.g. anxiety, withdrawal) and externalising (aggression, breaking things) behaviour. Almost all participants reported exposure to at least one type of discrimination. Girls, on average, scored higher on all measures compared to boys. Regression …

Bullying And Victimisation In Primary Schools: Relations Between Bully Status, Empathy, And Gender, Teresa B. Sapienza

Theses : Honours

Bullying and victimisation at school has been associated with increased reports of psychological and psychosomatic health issues. As such, schools have sought to implement programmes to reduce the prevalence of bullying. These programmes commonly include empathy-raising strategies which are expected to reduce the incidences of bullying. The present paper reviews the empathy and bullying literature, focussing on the suggested relationship between the two. The literature revealed that the concepts of empathy and bullying have undergone rapid development over recent years and as a result, there is much methodological variation between studies, culminating in inconsistent results. However, early research pertaining to …

Online Story Comprehension Among Children With Adhd: Which Core Deficits Are Involved?, Kate Flory, Richard Milich, Elizabeth P. Lorch, Angela N. Hayden, Chandra Strange, Richard Welsh

Psychology Faculty Publications

Children with ADHD have difficulty understanding causal connections and goal plans within stories. This study examined mediators of group differences in story narrations between children ages 7-9 with and without ADHD, including as potential mediators both the core deficits of ADHD (i.e., inattention, disinhibition, planning/working memory) as well measures of phonological processing and verbal skills. Forty-nine children with ADHD and 67 non-referred children narrated a wordless book and completed tasks assessing the core deficits of ADHD, phonological processing, and verbal skills. Results revealed that, although no shorter than those of non-referred children, the narratives of children with ADHD contained fewer …

A Holistic Self-Identity Model, Jacquelyne R. Joens

Graduate Research Papers

Parents, educators, business leaders, political leaders, and mental health professionals all appreciate the impact positive self-esteem has on a person's ability to strive and grow. Self-esteem is a complex, multifaceted component of human existence. It is possible to identify and observe the result of a healthy self-esteem or even the outcome of a damaged self-esteem, but the term self-esteem may be antiquated and no longer exemplary of a complete picture of self. This paper examines research and attempts to define a multi-dimensional model of self-esteem, a Holistic Self-Identity Model, which will help to bring into focus the concept of self-identity …

Museum Visitors’ Understanding Of Evolution, Amy N. Spiegel, E. Margaret Evans, Wendy Gram, Judy Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

In spite of overwhelming scientific evidence supporting evolution, a large percentage of the Ameri-can public does not understand or accept the fundamental principles of evolutionary theory. Museums have an important role in educating children and adults about evolution. This paper reviews recent museum visitor studies, which suggest that while visitors are interested in learning about and less likely to reject evolution than the general public, they tend to have a limited understanding of evolutionary concepts. A new conceptual framework, based on developmental research, indicates that visitors reason about evolution differently depending on the type of organism they are considering, applying …

Fármacos No-Estimulantes Para El Tratamiento Del Trastorno Por Déficit De Atención-Hiperactividad En Niños [Non-Stimulant Drugs For Treatment Of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd)], Joaquín A. Peña, Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Juan D. Velásquez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Existe una gran cantidad de estudios que ofrecen soporte a la utilización de medicación noestimulante para el tratamiento de los síntomas del TDAH. A pesar de las diferencias entre los compuestos empleados en esta entidad clínica, todos comparten una actividad noradrenérgica y dopaminérgica común. En aquellos pacientes que no toleran o presentan una respuesta limitada a los psicoestimulantes, o en las familias que prefieren otras alternativas terapéuticas; se han realizado ensayos clínicos con medicación no-estimulante. En este trabajo se revisa la literatura acerca del tratamiento no-estimulante para el manejo de los síntomas de falta de atención, hiperactividad e impulsividad propios …

Predictors Of Paternal Involvement In Childcare In Dual-Earner Families With Young Children, Julie N. Jacobs, Michelle L. Kelley

Psychology Faculty Publications

Dual-earner parents (N = 119) of preschool children enrolled in licensed childcare centers completed anonymous questionnaires that examined work and family variables as related to paternal involvement in three areas: engagement (i.e., one-on-one interaction with the child), responsibility (i.e., taking care of the child’s needs), and accessibility (i.e., being available to the child without directly interacting). Paternal responsibility was predicted by beliefs about fathering and structural variables (e.g., hours fathers and mothers worked). The percentage of time fathers spent as their child’s primary caregiver was predicted by structural variables (e.g., mothers’ work hours) and belief variables (e.g., men’s beliefs about …

Providing Appropriate Social Interventions For Preschool-Age Children With Mild Autism Spectrum Disorders, Angela M. Riesberg

Graduate Research Papers

This paper provides a variety of appropriate social interventions to use with preschool-age children with mild Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Regardless of his or her diagnostic label, each individual child requires an individualized approach to treatment. Typically, multiple interventions are necessary for a successful program.

The questions this project will address include: (a) What are some possible social interventions to use with preschool-age children who have mild autism spectrum disorders, (b) what research supports current successful social interventions, ( c) which social interventions could provide the most benefits and success, and (d) how can inclusion and interacting with typically developing …

A Policy Analysis Of Two Preschool Prevention Programs In Ontario, Seema Aggarwal

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to examine issues relevant to best practices for preschooler mental health prevention policy so as to inform future prevention policy. Data were gathered through the examination of two preschool prevention programs, Ontario Early Years Centres (OEYCs) and Healthy Babies, Healthy Children (HBHC). These prevention programs were examined with respect to four major issues: (a) the ideology and origins of the program, (b) theoretical underpinnings, (c) research base, and (d) implementation and adaptation issues. To explore these four issues, qualitative methods were used in the form of document reviews (two documents for the Early Years …