Search

Chronic maltreatment of children can provoke a host of neuropsychological and physiological anomalies that manifest as developmental, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Considering the multidimensional landscape of trauma and PTSD alongside the nonverbal and symbolic language of children, a nondidactic, somatic treatment intervention that engages the body’s own inner communication system seems well suited for young victims of maltreatment. The authors describe the results of a pilot study utilizing equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP), an experiential, cognitive-behavioral based intervention, for the treatment of PTSD symptoms of maltreated youth. A purposive sample of 11 youth ages 10–18 who presented with PTSD symptomatology participated in eight weekly EFP outpatient sessions 1.5 to 2 hours in length. Pre and post, as well as midpoint, tests were administered. Results suggest the EFP treatment effects are multimodal, working in multi...

There is a dearth of studies that compare interpersonal violence cross nationally. This paper reports the findings of a cross-sectional study which compares and contrasts violence in the lives of 740 college students, as children and as adults, in The Bahamas and the United States of America. Overall, students in The Bahamas were subjected to more violence (more frequently spanked) than their American counterparts. Frequency of spanking when the student was a preteen and teenager were linked to anger outbursts in adulthood, and higher numbers of anger outbursts were linked with violent behaviours of students. Although Bahamian students were exposed to more violence than the American students, this did not result in Bahamian students being more violent than American students in interpersonal relationships. However, Bahamian students were more likely than American students to anticipate using corporal punishment on their children and to condone violence in marital relationships.

Placement stability is important for children to find permanent families, and for social, emotional and educational development of children. This study used the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW, long term foster care general sample) data set to examine foster child and caregiver characteristics, and the caregiver–child relationship as a predictor of placement stability. Logistic regression was performed to predict the odds of achieving placement stability. Due to differences across development, the sample was divided into two groups: early childhood and middle childhood. As expected, in the early childhood group more caregiver than child characteristics affected placement stability. In the middle childhood group it was expected that more child than caregiver characteristics would predict placement stability, however, only child problem behaviors and caregiver experience and age affected placement stability. It was noteworthy that marital status, caregiver education, and income did not. Implications for social work research and practice are discussed.

Most people in the United States living with companion animals consider them family members (GfK Roper, 2009), however little is known about what this means. This study explores the beliefs about and experiences with companion animals of 12 men from various ethnic and social class groups, national origins, and geographic settings. Findings include that most men considered their pets to be members of the family, though not necessarily on a par with human members. Men's attitudes and relationships appeared to vary by race/ethnicity, social class, type of geographic community, and national origin. Implications are offered for social work practice and research so that social workers might develop more accurate assessments and effective interventions by taking these relationships into account.

Extensive research documents powerful relationships between humans and companion animals, and 62 percent of U.S. households report having a companion animal. Social workers are likely to work with individuals and families with companion animals; thus, the inclusion of such animals in both practice and research as a natural extension of social work with humans, and their challenges, coping mechanisms, and resiliency factors, seems called for. Yet there is little in the social work literature that identifies what social workers are doing in this area. Thus, this descriptive study sought to explore nationally what social work practitioners know and are doing in the area of the human and companion animal relationships. Findings include that social work practitioners appear to have basic knowledge of the negative and positive relationships between humans and companion animals. About one-third are including questions about companion and other animals in their intake assessments, and a little less than 25 percent are including companion and other animals in their intervention practice. The vast majority have had no special training or coursework to do so. Implications for these and other findings are discussed, and recommendations for social work research, education, and practice are offered.

To increase their research skills and confidence, students in a nonresearch-focused elective MSW course gathered qualitative data through cross-ethnic interviews for a formal research project. Qualitative findings from a focus group of students were used to examine the perspectives of the students, all but one of whom were women, about (a) changes in their knowledge of and attitudes toward research, (b) the struggles they experienced, and (c) whether such projects should be integrated into other courses. Implications for social work educators who are seeking to empower social work students, especially women, to conduct research are discussed.

Most families with companion animals regard them as family members, and affectionate relationships with pets can enhance health. Research suggests that these relationships are complicated and vary, depending on many factors, including ethnicity, but there has been little research on animal-human relationships in communities of color in the United States. This qualitative study explored beliefs about and experiences with companion animals of women of color. A central theme that emerged was the reciprocity that existed in women's relationships with their animals. A model for understanding multiple influences on women's views about animals and implications for research and practice are offered.

During the past 25 years we have witnessed die growth and establishment of domestic violence as a field of inquiry. What has been noticeably absent, however, is research that explores the experience of American Indian women survivors of domestic violence. The data for this study were gathered from audiotaped, in-depth phe-monenological interviews with 13 women from 10 American Indian Nations. This paper reports the findings of the study with particular emphasis on the uncovering of a spiral as a visual representation of the ways in which a woman is both entrapped by, and escapes from, domestic violence. Additionally, implications for social work practice with American Indian women, policy, and research are presented.

Gender biases are pervasive in child welfare research and practice. Although these biases have been addressed to some extent in the literature, there continues to be a lack of information on fathers and an overrepresentation of information on mothers, and thus the biases continue. This article explores how these biases are currently manifested in both research and practice and makes recommendations for changes in research, policy, and practice.

Summary This paper presents a brief overview of the Title IV-E and 426 investments in schools of social work that are presented in this special collection and discusses current and future challenges and issues for building effective educational programs for child welfare practice. Recommendations for future research and educational agendas are also presented.

Reflecting biases that permeate the U.S. culture, professional accounts generally interpret stories of minority women from a deficit perspective. Problems such as substance abuse, domestic violence, and teenage pregnancy are often presented from an outsider's viewpoint and cast as intrapersonal phenomena independent of historical, political, and cultural context. This article suggests that stories and their implications change significantly depending on whether they are interpreted from a deficit or strengths perspective. Stories of American Indian Women, in their own voices, are discussed as a case example.

This article reports on a study that examined the sexual harassment experiences among 226 bachelor's of social work and master's ofsocial work students in one school of social work and in their field placements. The prevalence and severity of sexual harassment on campus and in fieldwork agencies are discussed, as are the implications of the findings and issues for further investigation.

A growing body of research attests to the negative and positive relationships that humans have with other animals. Operating from the profession's ecological perspective, which requires one to look at people in social and natural environments, social work researchers, educators, and practitioners must join other disciplines in incorporating human–other animal relationships into their work. This entry presents information on three specific areas that will help maximize the profession's ability to help clients: other animals as family, animal abuse, and the positive impact of relationships with animals.

Experts suggest that social work practitioners can improve their client service with a more thorough understanding of the impact of other animals on individuals and families. Studies indicate that some social work practitioners are including animals in their practices through assessment and interventions. Little is known about what factors contribute to this inclusion, especially because there is a lack of attention in social work education and research to animal-human relationships. This study used logistical regression to examine the impact of certain demographic, knowledge, and practice variables on the inclusion of animals in social work practice. Findings include that knowing other social workers who include animals in practice and primary client population served were significant for inclusion of animals in assessment, animal-assisted intervention, and treating clients for animal abuse or loss of an animal. Although practitioners' having a companion animal was positively related to including animals in interventions and treating clients for loss of an animal, contributing to animal welfare through volunteering at shelters or financially contributing to animal groups did not have an effect on inclusion of animals in practice. Implications for these and other findings are discussed, and recommendations for social work research, education, and practice are offered.

This is a study of the referral completion status of a cohort of children entering foster care, and the ability of selected factors to explain the completion of those referrals. It was found that although the children had multiple health problems their needs continued to go unmet. Two variables that accounted for 9% of the variance in referral completion were identified. The implications of these findings are discussed and issues for additional investigations are suggested.

Past studies have documented multiple health problems among foster children. However, one potential problem seldom addressed is that of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The author discusses the risk of foster children having or contracting STDs and presents general information on the incidence, consequences, and symptoms, especially for females, of five of the most common sexually transmitted diseases—syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, and genital human papillomavirus. Recommendations for intervention by social workers in health care and child-welfare settings are presented.

Female faculty at Arizona State University's School of Social Work joined forces to revise syllabi for required MSW courses with the intent of integrating content on women. They argue that integration can be achieved only through the development of new paradigms that include women's experiences. They propose an approach based on a historico-structural perspective reinforced by social work values and ecological and critical perspectives. Examples of the curricular modifications introduced by this approach are given.

Objective. Most research on health problems of children in foster care has been cross-sectional, resulting in overselection of children who have been in care long-term and underrepresentation of children who are in care for a short time. Methodology. This paper reports on the health of a large cohort of children who had complete health examinations at the time of entry into foster care in a middle-size city during a 2-year period. Results. Results indicate that >90% of the children had an abnormality in atleast one body system, 25% failed the vision screen, and 15% failed the hearing screen. The children were also lighter and shorter than the norm. Mental health screening revealed that 75% had a family history of mental illness or drug or alcohol abuse. Of children older than 3 years of age, 15% admitted to or were suspect for suicidal ideation and 7% for homicidal ideation. Of the children younger than 5 years of age, 23% had abnormal or suspect results on developmental screening examinations. At the time of entry into foster care, 12% of the children required an antibiotic. More than half needed urgent or nonurgent referrals for medical services and, for children >3 years of age, more than half needed urgent or nonurgent referrals for dental and mental health services. Just 12% of the children required only routine follow-up care. Conclusions. The high prevalence and broad range of health needs of children at the time they enter foster care necessitate the design and implementation of better models of health care delivery for children in foster care.

Inclusion of certain aspects of animal-human relationships (AHR), such as animal abuse and animal-assisted interventions, can enhance child welfare practice and there are resources available to promote such inclusion. However, there is little knowledge of whether this is being accomplished. This study sought to fill this gap by conducting a national survey of state public child welfare agencies to examine AHR in child protective services practice, their assessment tools, and cross-reporting policies.

Despite the fact that children in foster care are, perhaps, the most vulnerable children, healthcare for them has been lacking woefully for many years. A growing body of research has documented the need for such care as well as the failure of child welfare agencies to make major improvements in providing healthcare to foster children. Nonetheless, current efforts are being made to change this situation. This article reports on one effort to improve the provision and timeliness of health exams for children entering care. One rural and one urban county served as project treatment sites, with two additional rural and urban counties serving as control sites. The treatment sites achieved a statistically significant improvement in their rate of exam completion as compared to the control sites. The study finds that despite an existing policy for healthcare for children entering foster care, legislation mandating additional efforts, shortened time frames, and provision for judicial oversight are needed for improvement.

Affectionate relationships with animal companions have health-enhancing effects on people and enrich their quality of life, and the majority of families with companion animals regard their animals as family members. Research has also suggested that these relationships are complicated and vary depending on a number of factors, yet there has been almost no exploration of ethnic diversity in relationships with companion animals. This descriptive study explores the relationships among race and ethnicity, beliefs about companion animals, and ownership practices. Findings indicate that in many instances there were no statistical differences by ethnicity. Nonetheless, describing oneself as white, American Indian, or both was associated with being more likely to have companion animals. Those identifying themselves as of Hispanic or Spanish origin were less likely to have cats and to have their cat or dog spayed or neutered and more likely to say they get a sense of personal safety from their dog or cat. The implications of these findings are discussed, and suggestions for research and practice are offered.

The AIDS crisis has diverted the professionals' and the public's attention from other sexually transmitted diseases. These diseases are biologically sexist in that they have the greatest impact on women and, if the women are pregnant, on their babies. This article discusses the incidence and conse quences of five of the most common sexually transmitted diseases—syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, and pelvic inflammatory disease—and presents specific recommendations for social work intervention related to both prevention and treatment.

Few studies have focused on identifying characteristics that discriminate between parents who break versus those who perpetuate intergenerational cycles of child maltreatment. Both the dose and the attachment hypotheses were examined in this study of 213 mothers maltreated as children in one of three ways (beatings, neglect, or sexual abuse). Maltreatment continuity versus discontinuity was assessed through substantiated reports to a Child Protective Services (CPS) agency over a 7-year period. Findings were consistent with the attachment hypothesis. Poorer quality attachment relationships in childhood increased the probability of transmission. Findings were consistent with the dose hypothesis for only one conceptualization of dose. Those mothers who had experienced severe forms of sexual abuse (experienced coitus vs. did not) were more likely to have a maltreated child. These findings are discussed in terms of current theory and research on intergenerational maltreatment.