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College students appear to have statistics anxiety, and even negative attitudes, strongly related to learning, knowledge, and further interest in statistics. This study investigated social work students' attitudes toward statistics and correlated academic factors. The pseudo mixed-methods survey of 196 social work students revealed mixed feelings about statistics. The respondents perceived statistics to be difficult, complicated, and even irrelevant, but moderately accepted its value and usefulness. Future use of statistics in their careers was significantly predicted by mastery of basic statistics, positive experience with statistical courses, perceived value, and interest. Additional qualitative findings suggested effective teaching and learning strategies for research and statistics. Results overall suggest that, via creative instructional modes, social work educators generally strive to help reluctant students appreciate the value of statistical knowledge and skills in their current fields.

Based on stress sensitization theory and stress proliferation theory, this study was designed to identify adverse childhood experience (ACE) classes and their relationships with perceived stress and self-care behaviors. Hypotheses were that (a) there would be diverse ACE classes among African American social work students; (b) the identified classes embedded in high/multiple ACEs would have greater levels of perceived stress than those in low ACEs; and (c) the identified classes embedded in high/multiple ACEs would have lower levels of self-care behaviors than those in low ACEs. Recruited from one of the South's historically Black colleges and universities, 186 African American social work students completed an online survey. Latent class analysis found three classes fit the data best: low ACEs, high divorce/abuse/neglect, and high/multiple ACEs. Students in the high divorce/abuse/neglect class had the greatest levels of perceived stress and significantly greater perceived stress levels than the low ACEs class. The low ACEs class had greater self-care behaviors than students in the other two ACEs classes. The study revealed diverse ACE classes and the effect of more ACEs on greater perceived stress and lower self-care behaviors, supporting the importance of using a range of approaches to support African American social work students with different ACEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the relationship between family resilience and parenting stress among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, with a specific focus on race/ethnicity as a moderator. Multivariate models indicated that family resilience was associated with parenting stress. Race/ethnicity significantly moderated the relationship between family resilience and parenting stress. The effects of family resilience on parenting stress were significantly different among parents of African American, Hispanic, and white children. These effects were strongest for parents of African American children. Compared to white and Hispanic children, parents of African American children with low levels of family resilience had 60-82% higher probability of parenting stress; while those with high levels of family resilience had 15-18% lower probability for parenting stress.

Despite the effectiveness of parental involvement in children's education, defining involvement remains a challenge. It is critical to find agreement about what parental involvement means and how it should be measured. The Parent and School Survey (PASS) was designed to measure parental involvement with their school-age children using an Epstein model. Since the original twenty-four-item version in 2005, PASS has not been tested with a diverse sample and its validation has not been reported. The purposes of the study are to investigate the psychometric properties of PASS and to test its construct validity using the three-factor Epstein model with six subscales. A total of 317 parents of elementary school students completed the self-administered survey. Although the overall scale had a good reliability ([alpha] = 0.85), two subscales (decision making and collaborating with community) failed to reach acceptable reliability. When the six deviant items were deleted, the alpha for each subscale was improved. For construct validity, the three-latent-factor model with six measured variables emerged as the best fit (comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.95). The findings suggest that a common definition and validated measurement tool can be used for clearer dialogues about parental involvement. School social workers can use this revised instrument to assess and promote parental roles when dealing with troubled children.

We examined the relationship between family resilience and parenting stress among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, with a specific focus on race/ethnicity as a moderator. Multivariate models indicated that family resilience was associated with parenting stress. Race/ethnicity significantly moderated the relationship between family resilience and parenting stress. The effects of family resilience on parenting stress were significantly different among parents of African American, Hispanic, and white children. These effects were strongest for parents of African American children. Compared to white and Hispanic children, parents of African American children with low levels of family resilience had 60-82% higher probability of parenting stress; while those with high levels of family resilience had 15-18% lower probability for parenting stress., Author(s): Irang Kim [sup.1] , Sarah Dababnah [sup.1] , Jaegoo Lee [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.411024.2, 0000 0001 2175 4264, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, , 525 [...]

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to provide an initial validation of a revision of the Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale-Revised (TAPS-R) with international transracial adoptive parents. Method: This study employed a cross-sectional, online survey design to recruit transracial adoptive parents from a parent support group, "Families for Chinese Children." Results: Exploratory factor analysis reveals that the 47-item TAPS-R is a valid scale, which includes four factors: racial awareness, multicultural planning, integration, and coping skills. The analysis results of Cronbach's a coefficient revealed that the scale as a whole and subscales have good or excellent reliability. Using correlational analyses, construct validity was established. Discussion: The TAPS-R proved to have sound reliability and validity to measure racial awareness and cultural and racial socialization practices and thus can be useful in transracial adoption parenting.

Youth in foster care who are transitioning to adulthood and independent living do not comprise a monolithic cluster of individuals with uniform characteristics and outcomes. This study used a latent [...]

This study aimed to examine the role of parental monitoring and help seeking in the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in male and female college students. Data were collected for 336 college students (71.72% female and 28.28% male) aged 18 to 24 or older years from two universities in the Midwest and the South Central regions. Logistic regression indicated the interaction term of cyberbullying victimization and parental monitoring was negatively related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in a male group (B = −.155, p <.05, Exp(B) =.86). Male students whose parents monitored about being safe on the computer had dramatically fewer suicidal thoughts/behaviors. In both male and female groups, seeking professional help was not a significant moderator that weakened the relationship. There is a need for additional research on the importance of prevention and intervention efforts to foster open dialogue between students and their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By drawing from positive psychology and general strain theory, this study examined whether a sense of purpose in life has an indirect effect between college students' cyberbullying victimization and their depressive symptoms, cyberbullying perpetration, and suicidal thoughts/behaviors. Data were collected from 314 college students (69.9% female) aged 18 to 24 and older from two universities in the Midwest and South-central region of the United States. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) identified that cyberbullying victimization was positively associated with depressive symptoms and cyberbullying perpetration. Moreover, cyberbullying victimization indirectly affected depressive symptoms through a sense of purpose in life. This study will emphasize the importance of fostering cyberbullied college students' purpose in life to college staff, administrators, faculty, and practitioners, and will provide them with strategies to develop campus-wide cyberbullying interventions for college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the attitudes of MSW students ("N"?=?147) toward transracial adoption and included an investigation of the students' personal experiences that may affect their attitudes. Statistical analyses revealed that although the majority of students supported the practice of transracial adoption, a number of students gave neutral responses to several items related to transracially adopted children's ethnic identity, likely indicating a lack of awareness of the consequences of transracial adoption. White students were more likely than students of other racial groups to support the practice of transracial adoption. Personal experiences, such as dating interracially and supporting interracial dating, appeared to affect students' attitudes toward transracial adoption. Limitations and implications for social work education and research are discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)

Studies have not focused much on the risk or protective factors of Hispanic college students’ cyberbullying victimization. This study applied the stress, appraisal, and coping theory to examine how the association between cyberbullying victimization and a Hispanic college student’s sense of purpose in life might be explained by their depressive symptoms. We also examined how religious beliefs moderate the association of the effect of cyberbullying victimization on a sense of purpose in life via depressive symptoms. The PROCESS Macro was used to examine a moderated mediation model from a sample of 168 Hispanic college students. Findings revealed that depressive symptoms mediated the effect of cyberbullying victimization on a sense of purpose in life. Moreover, cyberbullying victimization on a sense of purpose in life via depressive symptoms was significantly moderated by religious beliefs. These findings support the stress, appraisal, and coping theory and provide implications for research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to provide an initial validation of a revision of the Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale—Revised (TAPS-R) with international transracial adoptive parents. Method: This study employed a cross-sectional, online survey design to recruit transracial adoptive parents from a parent support group, Families for Chinese Children. Results: Exploratory factor analysis reveals that the 47-item TAPS-R is a valid scale, which includes four factors: racial awareness, multicultural planning, integration, and coping skills. The analysis results of Cronbach’s α coefficient revealed that the scale as a whole and subscales have good or excellent reliability. Using correlational analyses, construct validity was established. Discussion: The TAPS-R proved to have sound reliability and validity to measure racial awareness and cultural and racial socialization practices and thus can be useful in transracial adoption parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]