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Crisis migration refers to displacement of large numbers of individuals and families from their home countries due to wars, dictatorial governments, and other critical hazards (e.g., hurricanes). Although crisis migration can adversely influence direct and indirect effects on the mental health of adults and their children collectively as families, there is a deficiency in theory that addresses family level processes in this crisis migration context. We propose the Family Crisis Migration Stress Framework, which consolidates what is known about the multiple factors affecting mental health outcomes of crisis migrants into one cohesive model. In our article, we synthesize relevant theories and models of disaster, migration, and family resilience in order to create a framework in which to organize the complex processes that occur within families as a result of migration and that affect the mental health of children. We include examples from various national settings to illustrate the tenets of our framework. Future policy and intervention for crisis migrant should focus on the family as a unit, instead of parents and children as individual entities.

An important challenge in evaluating the quality of teaching is to arrive at valid distinctions between teachers, particularly in the middle of the performance distribution. This study addressed this issue for the Chilean national teacher evaluation system. Mathematics teachers (N = 51) from the 2 middle adjacent performance categories, and their students, were examined by videotaping classroom practice and coding the videos with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for Secondary School, measuring students' perceptions of their teachers' practices and assessing student learning on standardized grade-level and unit-specific tests. Findings show that on almost all criterion variables, competent teachers outperformed basic teachers, but differences were usually small. Teachers evaluated as competent obtained consistently better results regarding their teaching practices, as assessed by trained observers, as well as based on reports by their own students. However, there was only weak indication of differences between the 2 groups in terms of student learning.

Objective: To evaluate whether the addition of a wraparound facilitator to regular child protection services improved child and family functioning over 20 months. Method: A single blind randomized controlled trial with concealment and stratification across three sites (N = 135 eligible families with substantiated maltreatment). Results: Based on 2 × 2 mixed analysis of variance and intention to treat, both groups improved in child impairments, d = -0.60 [-0.81, -0.39], caregiver psychological distress, d = -0.33 [-0.52, -0.13], and family resources, d = 0.44 [0.27, 0.62]. No measurable benefit was associated with the intervention (e.g., child impairments, d = 0.14 [-0.12, 0.52]). However, treatment fidelity analysis revealed that many components of wraparound were either missing or present in both groups. Conclusions: The presence of a facilitator alone did not appear to improve child or family functioning if the various components of wraparound were not adequately implemented.

Background: Trauma‐focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF‐CBT) has been identified as a gold standard treatment for childhood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Western countries. More recently, TF‐CBT has emerged in the literature as an area of interest for children and youth affected by conflict and war in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC). Methods: The present systematic review assesses the current evidence base of TF‐CBT for children and youth in LMIC, with a focus on conflict‐affected countries. A total of 143 articles were identified, of which 11 articles, representing 1,354 participants, met the proposed inclusion criteria. Results: Results showed that the majority of the studies identified were conducted in low‐resource community settings in East or Central Africa (n = 8). It was also found that cultural considerations were taken into account in TF‐CBT delivery to meet the needs of local populations. Additionally, measures were translated and validated for local use. Conclusions: Findings of outcome data indicated that TF‐CBT was effective in treating trauma‐related symptoms and improving psychosocial functioning in children and adolescents in LMICs. Given the limited number of published literature available in this area, further studies are needed to conclude when and for whom trauma‐focused interventions are most relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important challenge in evaluating the quality of teaching is to arrive at valid distinctions between teachers, particularly in the middle of the performance distribution. This study addressed this issue for the Chilean national teacher evaluation system. Mathematics teachers (N = 51) from the 2 middle adjacent performance categories, and their students, were examined by videotaping classroom practice and coding the videos with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for Secondary School, measuring students' perceptions of their teachers' practices and assessing student learning on standardized grade-level and unit-specific tests. Findings show that on almost all criterion variables, competent teachers outperformed basic teachers, but differences were usually small. Teachers evaluated as competent obtained consistently better results regarding their teaching practices, as assessed by trained observers, as well as based on reports by their own students. However, there was only weak indication of differences between the 2 groups in terms of student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate whether the addition of a wraparound facilitator to regular child protection services improved child and family functioning over 20 months. Method: A single blind randomized controlled trial with concealment and stratification across three sites (N = 135 eligible families with substantiated maltreatment). Results: Based on 2 × 2 mixed analysis of variance and intention to treat, both groups improved in child impairments, d = −.60 [−.81, −.39], caregiver psychological distress, d = −.33 [−.52, −.13], and family resources, d = .44 [.27, .62]. No measurable benefit was associated with the intervention (e.g., child impairments, d = .14 [−.12, .52]). However, treatment fidelity analysis revealed that many components of wraparound were either missing or present in both groups. Conclusions: The presence of a facilitator alone did not appear to improve child or family functioning if the various components of wraparound were not adequately implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantial body of research links social disadvantage and developmental health via a cascade running from poverty, to cumulative psychosocial risk, to disrupted family dynamics, to child biological regulatory systems and neurocognitive processing, and finally to morbidity across the lifespan. Most research in this area employs single-dyad or between-family methodology. While informative, there are limitations to this approach. Specifically, it is impossible to determine how risk alters psychosocial environments that are similar for all persons within a household, versus processes that are unique to particular children. This is important in light of literature citing the primacy of child-specific environments in driving developmental health. Methodologically speaking, there are both benefits and challenges to family-wide approaches that differentiate between- and within-family environments. This review describes literature linking cumulative risk and developmental health via family process, while articulating the importance of family-wide approaches. Areas of shortcoming and recommendations for a family-wide science are provided., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)