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The quality of parenting program implementation significantly affects the extent to which a program is delivered effectively as well as the likelihood of it becoming embedded in everyday services. The group based Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children (PLH-YC) program for parents of children aged 2–9 years was developed specifically for implementation in low- and middle-income contexts, has been tested in five randomized trials, and incorporates a number of strategies to encourage fidelity of delivery. This paper reports on the introduction of PLH-YC to Montenegro, including initial work to engage government agencies and service providers, adapt the program and, following initial evidence of effectiveness, implement strategies to promote effective delivery and embed the program. Following program adaptation and initial facilitator training, eight groups were run, supported with resources and supervision and independently evaluated. The successful pilot led to program training accreditation by national professional agencies and a series of steps to successfully further embed it into routine settings in Montenegro, including by recognizing the program in national policy documents. This led to further facilitator trainings, now numbering 97 facilitators and the certification of ten coaches and two trainers. By the end of 2023, 1278 parents, across 13 municipalities (half of all municipalities in Montenegro) and a range of service providers, have received the program. The paper describes the project phases and key fidelity components that underpinned the successful introduction and embedding of the program in Montenegro. The plan has resulted in Montenegro having its own domestic resources to continue to implement the program effectively and further plan for widespread dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since all policies address problems, they necessarily include implicit or explicit constructions of these problems. This paper explores how child maltreatment has been constructed in New Zealand's child protection policies. It questions the underlying assumptions of this problem construction and seeks to shed light on what has been omitted. Utilizing a qualitative content analysis of eight key policy documents, this study reveals the construction of child maltreatment has been dominated primarily by a child-centric, risk-focused approach. This approach assigns blame and shifts responsibilities onto parents and families. In addition, the vulnerability discourse and social investment approach underpinning this perspective have allowed important structural factors, such as poverty and inequality, to remain unaddressed. This paper also highlights the one-dimensional focus on the lower social class to control future liabilities. We suggest that the harm inflicted by corporations on children's well-being is another form of child exploitation currently omitted from the problem construction. We suggest that child abuse should be defined and understood in policy as harm to children's well-being and argue that the state should prevent and mitigate harm by addressing structural forces of the problem as well as protecting children against corporate harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the experiences of US child welfare professionals during the COVID pandemic. Using an online survey, we report on a convenience sample of 444 child welfare workers. The majority reported receiving adequate guidance on staying safe; 86.3% were given access to face masks. Workers reported 75.8% of clients used masks; 10.7% reported contracting COVID through work. About 80% worried that child clients were more at-risk. Workers who felt the most supported and least at-risk were those with stay-at-home orders. Results are discussed in terms of supporting child welfare professionals during periods of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with a history of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are at risk of subsequent cannabis use. However, at present no existing systematic review explores ACEs as they relate to cannabis use. The aim of this systematic review paper is to examine how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact rates, patterns, and the nature of cannabis use in adulthood. Guided by the PRISMA statement, this systematic review focuses on longitudinal studies that report cannabis use in adulthood. Databases searched include PubMed and Embase. Ultimately, 28 manuscripts were selected for inclusion, ranging in scope from smaller community-focused studies to nationally representative longitudinal surveys; 22 of 28 studies occurred in the United States, with sample size ranging from 303 to 15,960 participants. Instruments used to assess ACEs and cannabis use varied considerably across studies, leading to loss of consistency. Nevertheless, presence of ACEs–childhood sexual abuse in particular–was consistently associated with cannabis use later in life. Frequency and severity of ACEs was found to exert an additive cumulative effect on severity of cannabis use. This systematic review lays the foundation of the current state of the science regarding ACEs and cannabis use, which can provide further insight into a better understanding of this relationship and provide potential intervention opportunities. • Childhood adversity correlates with cannabis use, with more severe ACEs increasing risk of adult cannabis use disorder. • Inconsistent methods of measuring cannabis use and ACEs hinder result comparison, affecting reliability. • Adult primary care screening can identify those needing specialized care due to childhood trauma. • Studying causation and ACEs' impact on cannabis use in diverse groups are curcial for better understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Child welfare organization websites exhibit different bureaucratic cultures. • Child protective agencies with high rates of maltreatment have bureaucratic websites. • Content analysis of website indicated alignment between culture and maltreatment. • State child protective agencies symbolically conveyed culture in online presence. Child welfare organizations work directly with families to intervene in response to community concerns about child abuse and neglect. Other aspects of their services are symbolically conveyed through online presence. This paper explores the mediated culture of state-operated child protective services agencies with a focus on bureaucracy and gendered power. Our findings reveal alignment between mediated cultures that signify rigid, penalty-oriented bureaucratic cultures and those states with the highest substantiated rates of child maltreatment. Similarly, this content analysis indicated alignment between more family-oriented collaborative bureaucratic cultures of online websites for states with the lowest rates of substantiated child maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporal punishment (e.g., spanking) remains a highly debated yet common form of discipline in the United States. A body of research exists investigating the prevalence and effects of corporal punishment; however, less attention has been devoted to factors influencing individual perceptions of corporal punishment. The current study explores college students’ perceptions of corporal punishment with a specific focus on students’ experiences with physical discipline and factors that may influence students’ intentions to use physical discipline with their own children. Relying on a convenience sampling methodology, the current research is based on a sample of 318 students, who participated in a pen-and-paper survey. Findings reveal that most students experienced corporal punishment (86.8%) and roughly three-quarters intend to use physical discipline with their children. Moreover, positive attitudes towards physical forms of punishment were positively associated with intentions to use corporal punishment (OR = 1.494; ***p < 0.001). Despite most participants reporting experiences with corporal punishment and intending to use physical discipline with their children, many felt better disciplinary methods were available. Given that attitudes were correlated with intention to use, educational programs and curricular endeavors to inform individuals of the negative impact of corporal punishment, as well as alternative non-physical discipline strategies are recommended as ways to reduce reliance on physical forms of discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increases in child welfare investigations involving children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) in Ontario are likely the result of three factors: 1) changes to legislation, policy, and assessment instruments; 2) increased awareness of the risks of exposure to IPV for children, and 3) referrals from professionals (e.g., police). Using data from 6 cycles of the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS) (1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018), this paper will examine the changes of the incidence rates of IPV exposure, providing important context for a type of investigation that is not well understood in Ontario. The incidence of investigations where the primary concern of the investigating worker is IPV was derived and compared across OIS cycles. Investigation were compared across cycles using incidence counts. After the nearly 2-fold increase of investigations for all maltreatment types in Ontario between 1998 and 2003, IPV investigations are the only type that continue to increase. There is a growing gap between these investigations and substantiating child maltreatment. Rates of placement have not changed over time, remaining low. Rates of transfers and referrals have increased but not significantly. The continued growth in the rate of child welfare investigations involving exposure to IPV as well as the overwhelming endorsement of substantiated exposure to IPV, while maintaining the same proportion of transfers to ongoing child welfare services and low placement rates, is a significant concern for Ontario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]