Social Work Commons^™

Cultural Differences: Their Effect On Social Skill Development, Ashley Jay

Social Work Theses

The level of social skill that is acquired by a child can be determined by the culture in which they are brought up. The culture of a country provides certain “guidelines” for the upbringing of children and, most importantly, the structure of their schooling. Within this schooling, children are taught the proper social behaviors. The external environment competes with natural born, biological tendencies of a child along with their home/family influences. The potential connection between culture and social skill development was examined through daycare surveys in which teachers from two countries answered questions regarding the social skill level of their …

A Study Of Abuse Recovery Programs: Perceptions Of Mothers In Recovery, Michelle Larkan

Social Work Theses

There is a strong correlation between parental substance abuse and child maltreatment, and many substance abusing parents do not or are not able to access treatment recovery programs. The literature indicates that 8.3 million children are living with a substance abusing parent in the United States, and of these parents 2.4 million do not receive substance abuse treatment and recovery programs (Carlson, 2006, p.97). As a result, many of these children are removed from their homes due to child maltreatment. This research study examined what mothers in recovery (with children in state custody) in a Northern Rhode Island social service …

Father Absence And Self-Esteem Amongst Economically Disadvantaged Children, Casey Kevorkian

Social Work Theses

Children begin to build self-esteem in early childhood based on social and emotional development. Previous research has shown that children inhabiting homes where the biological, adoptive, or step father are present have shown to exhibit higher levels of self esteem and social functioning. However, further information regarding the positive male influence, lesbian parenting, or the absence of “paternal absence” stigmas have show to contradict the previous research. This study investigated the self-esteem of economically disadvantaged children using results from the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment as it relates to the levels of father involvement. 115 children ages 3-5 involved in a …

The Advantages Of Single-Sex Vs.Coeducational Environments For High School Girls, Kristen Hartman

Social Work Theses

100 female college students attending a small Catholic college in the Northeast were surveyed in order to find the relationship between attending single-sex high school and the females’ level of self esteem, motivation in the academic and career life, and gender role beliefs. Of the 100 female college students surveyed sixty attended coeducational high schools and forty attended single-sex schools. The survey questions were organized in a way which would ultimately help decide whether attending single-sex high school was more beneficial for high school girls than attending coeducational schools. The findings revealed that girls who attended single-sex high school have …

Working Report #6: Values In Child Welfare Work: Perspectives Of Child Welfare Service Providers In Central And Accessible Service Delivery Models, Nancy Colleen Freymond

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

This report identifies what service providers across institutional settings say about the values that guide the work that they do with families and children, as well as their perspectives on professional identities and roles in the day to day delivery of child welfare services.

Sex Education: The Effectiveness Of Comprehensive-Based Compared To The Effectiveness Of Abstinence-Only, Caitlin Motherway

Social Work Theses

Sex education has the potential to be a powerful way to educate children and adolescents about the risks and implications of sex. There currently is a debate about what type of information should be appropriately delivered to students in school; supporters of Comprehensive-Based sex education argue that information regarding Sexually Transmitted Diseases and contraceptives should be delivered to students, while supporters of Abstinence-Only sex education hold that the only method of safe sex that should be taught to students is abstinence. There are an alarming number of children and adolescents dealing with the consequences of unprotected sex, so sex education …

Working Report #8: Services And Supports (Parent Perspectives), Lirondel Hazineh, Gary Cameron, Karen Frensch

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

In this study, differences between accessible settings and centralized settings in terms of the range of services and supports that were reported to be available to clients were investigated. The numbers, types and variety of services described differed, as did the amount of advocacy and support in connecting with services. Also, client satisfaction with the services provided appeared to be somewhat different across models.

Number, Types and Variety of Services In accessible settings families were being connected with at least twice as many different services and supports as in the centralized sites. There were a few exceptions to this trend …

Athletics And Violence Against Women: A Study Of Relationship, Meeghan Mercurio

Social Work Theses

This study looked to explore the correlation of violence and being a student athlete. The study was conducted at a small, private, Catholic college in the Northeastern part of the United States. There were 18 female participants and 24 male participants. The participants completed a 27 question survey pertaining to attitudes about violence against women. An independent T –test and a Pearson correlation was used. However, both tests proved the null hypothesis and the data proved not to be statistically significant. Yet, the negative reactions of the participants were significant. Research determined that more data and research is needed.

Gender Specific Skills Promote Female Adolescent Well-Being, Jessica Jones

Social Work Theses

The literature on the middle school years for girls has indicated that it is both a critical and arduous developmental period. This is important to social work practitioners because middle school‐aged girls are an at‐risk population that needs to be helped in a unique way. One preventative method that is often extremely beneficial to this population are small, gender‐specific, skills groups which openly discuss issues in a safe, informative, and therapeutic way. More specifically, an agency in Rhode Island that serves at‐risk girls conducts a community‐based mentor program. The program meets with the same small cohort of girls over approximately …

An Assessment Of Social Worker Attitudes Regarding The Domestic Sex Trafficking Of Children In America, Becky Bergeron

Social Work Theses

Human sex trafficking, defined as a “modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years” (USDHHS, 2009) is a problem that many people do not think is issue in America, but in fact is. This study investigated the attitudes of social workers towards domestically sex trafficked children in the United States, as well as towards pimps and johns, and federal and state policies regarding the safety of sex trafficked children. It was hypothesized that …

A Comparative Study Of Academic Achievement, Social Skills, Autonomy: College-Aged Males With Or Without Their Biological Fathers, Peter Baron

Social Work Theses

There is a growing problem in today’s society of children growing up in father-less households. One demographic at risk is young developing males who grow up without their biological father due to incarceration, divorce, separation, and death. This can affect the cognitive development of child which can lead to the decline of social, academic, and self regulation capacities. Once this young man enters college, he must exercise these capacities to the best of his abilities in order to succeed. This research study provided an overview of the issue of absent fathers on their sons and their long-term effect on their …

Transitioning The Needs Of Children With Chronic Illness: Exploring Communication Between Hospitals And School Settings, Christina Marchitto

Social Work Theses

Chronic illnesses like cancer, sickle cell anemia, HIV, hemophilia, and metabolic disorders are on the rise. Chronic illness can be defined as an ongoing health condition that requires specialized treatments and may cause limitations in functions, activities or social roles. There are multiple phases that individuals with chronic illness progress through while learning to cope with their condition. Children with chronic illness are likely to spend a great deal of time in doctor’s offices and in the hospital. This study hypothesized that there is limited support for and understanding of the needs of children with chronic illness once they leave …

Healthy And Affordable Food In Low-Income Neighborhoods: A Community Food Security Assessment Of Smith Hill, Kelly Bevis

Social Work Theses

Community food security refers to a situation where all residents in a community can access affordable and nutritionally adequate foods. When a community has difficultly accessing healthy and affordable food, it is an issue of community food insecurity; low-income and urban communities experience this problem greatly. Key indicators of food insecurity include households with incomes below the poverty line, minority households, female-headed households, households with children, a lack of a supermarket and lack of adequate transportation. This study examined the issue of community food security in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence, RI. It was hypothesized that the Smith Hill …

Predicting Secure Detention Placement For African-American Juvenile Offenders: Addressing The Disproportionate Minority Confinement Problem, Christopher A. Mallett, Patricia A. Stoddard Dare

Social Work Faculty Publications

Disproportionate minority contact and confinement (DMC) are significant problems within the juvenile justice system in the United States. Minority youth are more often arrested, court referred, placed in locked facilities, and transferred to adult criminal courts. In fact, African American youth are 6 times more likely than White youth to experience a secure facility placement. Standardized risk assessments have been used, in part, to reduce these biased placement outcomes. The purpose of this article is to determine if DMC impacts secure detention placement even when a standardized risk assessment is used to determine youths' risks and needs in 1 Midwest …

Denial In Alcohol And Other Drug Use Disorders: A Critique Of Theory., Patricia A. Stoddard Dare, Leaanne Derigne

Social Work Faculty Publications

Despite the centrality of the construct in the field of alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction, denial remains poorly conceptualized. One reason for this narrow conceptualization is the recent unilateral devotion to the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). In an effort to demonstrate denial’s theoretical complexity, the TTM and five additional intuitively appealing theories of denial will be summarized.The strengths and weaknesses of each theory and possible treatment implications based on each theory will also be presented. The article concludes with a recommendation for future research to evaluate multiple theories of denial using consistent and rigorous research methodology in order to develop …

Human Trafficking And Prostitution: A Comparative Review Of Swedish And Dutch Policy, Emilie Davidson, Kelsey Perry, Jini Roby

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

1.2 million children are trafficked every year (UNICEF), and and the total number of prostituted children could be as high as 10 million (The Lancet). Trafficking is the second largest source of illegal income worldwide, exceded only by the sale of illegal drugs (Belser, 2005). A study of women trafficked to the European Union found that 95% of victims had been violently assaulted or coerced into a sexual act, and over 60% of victims reported fatigue, neurological symptoms... back pain, vaginal discharges, and gynecological infections (Zimmerman, 2006). Definitions: Trafficking refers to “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, …

Neither Foster Nor Orphanages, Tami Thayne, Judy Norman

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Clearly, there are circumstances requiring out-of family placement for children. Foster care in the U. S. and orphanages in numerous countries remain available or the only alternative for care of some children at-risk. The mental status of children while in alternative care has received little research attention while much research has focused on the post-care, long-term negative consequences of such care, including developmental delays or impairment (Norman & Park, 2009; Pearce & Pearce, 2001). Research suggests a significant negative psychological impact for children raised in orphanages. While foster care has been viewed as an improvement in the care of vulnerable …

Measuring Father Involvement With Adolescents In Botswana, Kerianne Dyer, Jini Roby

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Emerging research suggests that father involvement is a multifaceted concept, often driven by cultural mandates. In this study, survey data were collected from 704 adolescents aged 14-16 in Botswana. Fathers who provided both co-residence and financial support were perceived at the highest level of involvement. When considered separately, financial support rather than co-residence was associated with higher levels of perceived father involvement. Maternal gate keeping was also found to be a significant influence on perceived levels of father involvement. Implications for policy, practice and research are discussed.

Predictors Of Caregiver Burden Of Parents Of Children With Disabilities, Richard Alboroto, Susanne O. Roper

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Parents of children with disabilities experience elevated stress, which may contribute to their caregiver burden. Factors related to caregiver burden may be child or parent related. In this study, we investigated how income, economic hardship, age of the child with a disability, number of children in the family, and family cohesion were associated with mothers’ and fathers’ caregiver burden. Participants consisted of parents of 192 children; 155 of the children had some form of disability. The results show that family cohesion was negatively related to mothers’ and fathers’ burden. Economic hardship was also strongly associated with burden. Results suggest that …

Potret Pembangunan Prasarana Kesejahteraan Sosial: Profil Prasarana Pelayanan Kebutuhan Dasar Dan Pembangunan Ekonomi Di 45 Kabupaten/Kota Di Pulau Jawa, Sofyan Cholid

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

No abstract provided.