Social Work Commons^™

Protestant Church Workers' Knowledge Of Child Abuse Reporting And Reporting Behavior, Rachel Juedes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child abuse is a prevalent problem on many levels. Mandated reporting laws exist to promote earlier intervention. Studies have shown that mandated reporters are more likely to report if they receive effective training. Protestant church workers interact with many children and need to have enough knowledge to detect and report child abuse. This study utilized a quantitative online survey to answer the question: What are Protestant clergy and church workers’ knowledge about child abuse reporting? Child abuse reporting knowledge was measured in categories of victimization, detection, and reporting. A convenience sample was obtained from attendees at a church conference. Correlational …

Parent Physical And Psychological Aggression And Youth Dating Violence: A Latent Class Analysis Approach, Heidi Adams Rueda, Kaitlyn Paxton Ward, Steven Hoffman

Social Work Faculty Publications

Adolescent dating violence is a national public health issue and research suggests that aggressive parenting may predict the likelihood that a child will subsequently experience abuse. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of parent physical and psychological aggression on adolescent dating violence perpetration and victimization. Data derived from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study resulted in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adolescents in dating relationships at the age of 15 years (N = 952). Utilizing both parent and adolescent data which assessed parenting practices at ages 3, 5, 9, and 15, …

Prevent Child Abuse, Kristen Jenkins

Creating Change: The Online Journal of Zines about Social Movements

No abstract provided.

The Movement To Prevent Child Abuse And Neglect, Kristen Jenkins

Creating Change: The Online Journal of Zines about Social Movements

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Child Abuse Investigation Outcomes, Kelly Gasso

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic essentially changed every system in America. In particular, it has created many unfamiliar challenges for child welfare agencies because they had to make immense changes to how they conducted their established practice. These changes aimed to keep the safety of children at the forefront, and simultaneously integrate higher safety protocols for social workers without putting children at risk. In response, the focus of this research proposal was to understand the effect COVID-19 had on child abuse investigations.

This research project utilized qualitative data in the form of interviews from a convenience sample of child welfare emergency response …

Louisiana Children's Trust Fund Annual Report 2021-2022, Elizabeth Winchester, Jada Thomas-Smith, Harleen Sandhu, Aimee H. Moles, Judith L. F. Rhodes

Reports

Child abuse and neglect is a leading factor in the staggeringly high rates of child mortality in Louisiana. In 2017, Louisiana had 44,793 total referrals for child abuse and neglect of which 19,851 were investigated (CWLA, 2019). Child abuse and neglect can have multiple detrimental effects on a child’s physical, psychological, and behavioral health. Effective prevention efforts are critical to ensuring the immediate and long-term safety and well-being of children in Louisiana. Each year, LCTF selects high-quality proposals and funds a range of prevention efforts to protect children, strengthen family well-being, and educate the public about children’s safety. Local, national, …

Foster Youth In The Mountain West, Zachary Billot, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Sofia Takhtadjian, Joshua Padilla, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines population trends for foster youth and their experiences with foster care in the Mountain West region. The data are sourced from the report “State-level Data for Understanding Child Welfare in the United States” which cites the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and the “State-by State Data” report by the Casey Family Programs from FY 2020. This fact sheet highlights the number of foster youth in the Mountain West (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) and their demographic composition.

Child Protection Policy Dimensions Across Catholic Archdioceses And Civil Statutes : A Comparative Content Analysis, Jeffrey Trant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Since 2002, the Catholic Church in the United States has enacted a national child protection framework to address child sexual abuse. However, child protection policies within the context of the Catholic Church are currently not well understood. This study was guided by the following questions: (1) How do child protection policy dimensions differ in Catholic archdioceses in the United States? (2) How do child protection policy dimensions differ across and between Catholic archdioceses and civil statutes? The present study utilized a generic qualitative methodology employing comparative content analysis to conduct a policy analysis using publicly available child protection policies from …

Which Interventions Do Social Workers Believe Are Most Effective When Working With Child Abuse Victims?, Ellen Davis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child abuse is often a very traumatic experience that can create long-lasting psychological and emotional effects for some individuals. Social workers often provide treatment services, such as therapy and/or case management services, with the goal of assisting child abuse victims in coping with and overcoming the negative impact of the trauma they’ve experienced. This study evaluates the types of interventions social workers utilize when working with child abuse victims, how the interventions address the resulting trauma of child abuse, which interventions social workers believe are most effective when working with this population, and why those interventions are believed to be …

Child Abuse And The Implementation Of Preventative Services, Kayla Graves, Kimberly Macias

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Parental attitudes towards child protection have proven to be essential to engagement in safety seeking measures. Studies indicate when parents feel motivated about participating in child abuse prevention services that the effects of child abuse prevention programs can be beneficial for both parents and children. Previous research suggests that parents are the change agent for their children and gauging parents’ ideas about child abuse prevention programs (CAP). This is essential because parents are a pivotal partner in lowering the rate of child abuse. This research aims to identify when parents feel positively about the benefits of CAP, parents will feel …

Providing Trauma-Informed Care For Children In The Foster Care System, Hannah Genn

Senior Honors Theses

Foster parents need to be trained in trauma-informed approaches and how to identify previous traumas in order to understand how their foster children’s past experiences of abuse or neglect manifest as mental disorders, social challenges, or behavioral concerns. Warning signs for depression or post-traumatic stress disorder should be noted, and youth should be taught how to foster healthy relationships in order to prevent substance abuse, irresponsible sexual activity, or academic failing. Foster parents can provide additional support by creating reasonable expectations for their foster children, teaching effective coping skills, and connecting with available resources.

For Advocates, Raquel Magadan-Sanchez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The mission of the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Cruz (CASA) program is to provide children in the foster care system a volunteer advocate who spends time with the child to ensure they are receiving the services they need (CASA of Santa Cruz County, 2019). The problem addressed is the high volume of foster children in Santa Cruz county and the three causes of the problem are substance abuse, poverty, and abuse and neglect. The consequences are how abuse affects a foster child’s mental health, what it means to be a dual-status youth (a child involved in the welfare …

The Economically Disadvantaged Speak: Exploring The Intersection Of Poverty, Race, Child Neglect And Racial Disproportionality In The Child Welfare System, Angela Gail Cause

Dissertations and Theses

The relationship between poverty and child maltreatment has long been addressed in the literature. Disproportionally, children, especially those of color, are more likely to live in poverty than adults. It has been established that the risk of child maltreatment increases the longer impoverishment is experienced. Thus, the likelihood that racial disproportionality may have negative impact upon the child welfare system is potentially increased. Much attention has been given to the overrepresentation of certain children of color within the child welfare system when cared to their representation within the general population. This study explores the intersection of poverty and race upon …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Coping Methods For Social Work Students, Treyveon Parks, Alex Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of the following study was to explore and examine the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and coping methods among social work students at a Southern California university. The literature on ACE scores suggests that higher levels of ACE can impact well-being and functioning in adults, yet, provides limited information relating to social work.

A quantitative survey instrument constructed by Felitti and colleagues (1998) and two additional questions relating to coping methods and strategies were constructed by the researchers were used to gather data for the purpose of this study. Data for the following study was collected through …

Supporting Father Involvement: An Intervention With Community And Child Welfare–Referred Couples, Marsha Kline Pruett, Philip A. Cowan, Carolyn Pape Cowan, Peter Gillette, Kyle D. Pruett

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Objective: To expand the evidence base of the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) intervention to include child welfare families. Background: Taking a preventive father-inclusive approach, SFI aims to strengthen coparenting, parent–child relationships, and child outcomes. This study replicates 4 prior iterations of the program using the same 32-hour curriculum facilitated by clinically trained staff, case managers, and onsite child care and family meals. Method: Participants (N = 239) included low-income (median = $24,000) coparenting pairs, typically mothers and fathers/father figures, half of whom were Mexican American, with toddlers (median age < 3 years). Questionnaires assessing multiple family domains were administered verbally over an 18-month period. Intervention effectiveness was tested through a randomized control trial with immediate treatment or waitlist–control groups using a moderated mediator structural equation model. Results: The model explained 49% to 56% of the variance in children's problem behaviors (intervention and autoregressive effects). The intervention reduced couple conflict, which reduced anxious and harsh parenting, leading to better child outcomes. The intervention was equally effective for community and child welfare–referred families and family dynamics pathways were similar across conditions. Conclusion: With its intentional outreach and inclusion of fathers, SFI offers an effective intervention for lower risk child welfare–involved families. Implications: Results argue for the utility of treating community and child welfare parents in mixed-gender prevention groups that focus on strengthening multiple levels of family relationships.

Child Abuse, Mental Health And Sleeping Arrangements Among Homeless Youth: Links To Physical And Sexual Street Victimization, Kimberly A. Tyler, Rachel Schmitz

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Physical safety is a primary concern among homeless youth because they struggle to secure basic necessities and a permanent place to live. Despite this, studies have not fully examined the numerous linkages that might explain risk for victimization within the context of material insecurity. In this study, we examine multiple levels of both proximal and distal risk factors at the individual (e.g. mental health), family (e.g. child abuse), and environmental levels (e.g. finding necessities) and their associations with physical and sexual street victimization among 150 Midwestern homeless youth. Results from path analyses show that child physical abuse is positively associated …

How Social Workers' Perceptions As Mandated Reporters May Impact Reporting Suspected Child Abuse, Dorothy Goulart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child maltreatment is a worldwide concern. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, social workers are mandated reporters. When there is reasonable suspicion, they are required by law to report suspected child maltreatment to the appropriate Child Protective Services office. In this study, the research problem was the underreporting of child maltreatment, even when reasonable suspicion existed. The purpose of this study, as reflected in the research questions, was to understand social workers' perceptions of their role as mandated reporters, to explore how their perceptions impacted reporting, and to develop recommendations that could be implemented to help ensure appropriate reporting. An action …

Preschoolers And Pandas Making Friends: A Journey About Healing From Brain Injury, Barbara Anne Doucette

Museum Studies Projects

Preschoolers that have obtained Non-Accidental Injury (NAI) from familial child abuse are in need of having a unique place for neurorehabilitation in correlation with traditional therapies. My thesis project suggests adding an exhibit annex to an existing giant panda exhibit that will give preschoolers an opportunity to help develop new neuropathways when exposed to mediation and creative activities. Meditation and creative activities are being examined by neuroscientists as an aid in neuroplasticity after brain injury. This thesis reviews the neurotypical preschooler’s milestones and the playful means by which they are achieved. Conjoining the contemporary museums’ and zoological gardens’ outreach to …

Factors That Increase Successful Parenting Skills In Adult Survivors Of Childhood Trauma, Neglect, And Abuse: A Systematic Review, Victoria A. Christian

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

In this systematic review, I explored the topic of the parenting skills of adults who had experienced childhood abuse, trauma, and neglect and how that experience impacts their ability to become effective parents to their own children. The literature review provided information showing that adults who experienced childhood abuse may have a difficult time parenting their own children if they don’t have the ability to form attachment, develop resilience and protective measures, and learn parenting skills. A focused literature search found twenty-three articles, three books, and various government websites that provided the information used in this research paper. A theme …

Crossing The Line: Is Corporal Punishment Child Abuse?, Jade R. Wallat

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore when corporal punishment crosses the line into abuse. Qualitative interviews were conducted with five child protection workers who work hand in hand with families and children where abuse allegations have been made. These audio-recorded interviews took place over a period of two weeks and the data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. The most common themes that emerged were lack of resources, financial hardships, upbringing and MN State Statute. Given the high number of abuse allegations that are made, as well as the number of open child protection cases, it is important …

Attune With Baby: An Innovative Attunement Program For Parents And Families With Integrated Evaluation, Sara Beth Lohre

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Infants speak in their own language; sounds, screeches, cries, and howls that help them to communicate their caregiving needs. Unaware, parents may develop a checklist of caregiving approaches to the baby. The infant tells the adult directly what they need, and waits for the parent to respond. Infant talk may change from soft and quiet to loud and aggressive; coos and cries become crying and screams as the infant’s caregiver—communicating the intensity of emotion, urgency of their request, or their frustration with varied and sometimes inadequate, failed, or missing caregiving patterns the infant has no choice but to accept. When …

Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Youth Reported To Child Welfare: Results From The National Survey Of Child & Adolescent Wellbeing, Antonio R. Garcia, Meera Gupta Md, Johanna K.P. Greeson, Allison E. Thompson, Christina Denard

Johanna K.P. Greeson, PhD, MSS, MLSP

How Do People In Animal Welfare Fields Respond To Family Violence Situations?, Bethanie Allison Poe

Doctoral Dissertations

Cross-reporting refers to the idea that people working in human welfare and people in animal welfare fields who observe or have suspicions of abuse or neglect of children, domestic violence, elderly or disabled people, or animals, respectively, are obligated to report their observations to the appropriate agencies. This exploratory study investigates the types of maltreatment witnessed or observed while at work by people in animal related fields; what responses these workers are making to what they are seeing; and the factors influencing their responses. Using an open online survey, this study found that 21% to 29% of the participants indicated …

Qualities That Influence Guardian Ad Litem Effectiveness, Ilana Kornfeld

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The use of Guardians ad Litem (GALs) in child abuse and neglect cases has become increasingly common throughout the world. It has, in fact, become standard procedure in child welfare proceedings in the United States. GALs are charged with presenting children's best interests in court and ensuring that each child has a voice in the process. Ideally, GALs are consistently effective in doing so. However, GALs have extremely high caseloads that potentially limit the time they can spend with their children. In addition, little research has been done on what qualities make an effective GAL. Knowing what qualities increase GAL …

Accessing Alternative Response Services : A Multi-Level Examination Of Family And Community Characteristics On Racial Equity, Tana D. J. Connell

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Although research has identified factors associated with child welfare involvement, less attention has been given to how Black families are assigned to types of child welfare services. The advent of alternative response pathways allows child protective workers to assign child abuse prevention services to families based on the type and seriousness of the maltreatment, history of prior reports and age of the child. Given the history of disparate outcomes in child welfare for Black families and the fact that alternative response pathways are a promising approach for improving outcomes for families, this study examines the effect of family and community …

Beliefs Among Licensed Clinical Social Workers About Assessing Parents Abused As Children, Emma Celina Duarte

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child abuse is a pressing national issue that affects thousands of children every year in the United States. The lifelong implications of child abuse been well documented in the literature, which identifies psychopathology, interpersonal violence and suicide risk, and substance abuse as a prominent triad of the negative sequelae of child abuse. Parents abused as children represent a subgroup that introduces additional domains of clinical interest and unique needs, including parenting stress and perceived parenting competence. These complex clusters of needs are clinically significant, and the beliefs licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) hold about parents abused as children can significantly …

The Lived Experience Of The Mandated Reporter, Courtney J. Duvick

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research study was to explore the lived experience of the mandated reporter. The research question for the study was as follows: What is the lived experience of the mandated reporter? This question was explored through the use of a qualitative research design, which in the case of this research project, included the use of interviews to obtain the necessary data to answer the research question. This research is important to the field of social work because all social workers are mandated reporters, whether they specifically work with children or not. The sample in this study consisted …

Development And Testing Of The Home Safety And Beautification Checklist With Mothers Referred For Child Neglect And Substance Abuse, Michelle Pitts

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children in the United States accounting for nearly 40 percent of deaths in this age group. Approximately 50 percent of nonfatal injuries, and 40 percent of fatalities, occur in and around the home. Elevated rates of child injury in the home environment are associated with parental substance abuse and neglectful behaviors. Childhood injuries are preventable, yet practical and cost-effective measures to identify child home safety risks are limited. This study involved a retrospective preliminary examination of the Home Safety and Beautification Checklist (HSBC) in a sample of drug-abusing mothers referred by …

Children's Cognitive Processing Of Abuse As Described In Investigative Interviews., Kayleen A. Willemsen, Kim P. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A great deal of research has examined ways in which investigative interviewers can elicit accurate information from children. More recently, research has studied children’s own thoughts or comprehension of abuse, and how these types of statements relate to disclosure, others’ perceptions of child witnesses, and psychological trauma. However, little research has investigated multiple types of children’s thoughts about abuse as they occur in an actual investigative interview. The current study examined seven types of statements children made about their abuse in a sample of 86 transcripts of investigative interviews conducted by Child Protective Services and a police department in a …

12. Interviewing Victims And Suspected Victims Who Are Reluctant To Talk., Irit Irit Hershkowitz, Michael E. Lamb, Thomas D. Lyon

Thomas D. Lyon