Resilience of Young People in Residential Care

Children and young people in residential care may have experienced or may experience various difficult, life-threatening events, such as neglect, abuse, or violence and maltreatment known as adversities. Despite this, some of them are able to function and even prosper and this has been attributed to the development of resilience. In this qualitative empirical study, we focus on the under-researched area of how young people in care reflect on and cope with such adversities. The exploratory research comprised of semi-structured interviews with young people in two different care settings – re-education centres and children’s homes. The results showed that the sample of 34 young people had experienced 73 adversities prior to leaving residential care and that half of them were not able to resolve some of these adversities. It was found that methods for dealing with adversity change during time spent in care and that a combination of various individual strategies, adaptation and accepting support are effective. The findings also indicate that the development of resilience may vary according to type of residential care setting specifically, whether these facilities allow the development of multiple individual strategies for dealing with adversities, or whether they provide social support. The article discusses implications for future research and practice in residential care.     

Differential Assessment of Residential Group Care for Children and Young People

Summary Twelve qualitative variables frame the production of outcomesin residential group care for children and young people. Theseare used to examine contemporary themes in social care practicewith children and families. This assessment typology offerssocial workers, managers, researchers and policy-makers bothvalid and reliable baseline measures for use in evaluating residentialservices for children and young people. The typology also providescomparative interval measures for use in longitudinal evaluationsof quality. Close attention needs to be given to the impacteach of these variables has on the quality of residential groupcare services offered to children, young people and their familiesor significant others.     

Globalization, the Welfare State and Young People Leaving State Out-of-Home Care

Some theories of globalization argue that it is producing a uniform reduction in social spending, while others claim that global influences are mediated by specific national factors. This article argues that the emergence of support for young people leaving state out-of-home care in almost all developed countries provides further evidence for the mediation thesis. Using Australia as a case study, attention is drawn to the commonality of poor outcomes for many care leavers, the different legislative and policy responses to these needs in a range of welfare states, and the role played by local and global researchers and policy advocates in bringing these needs to public and political attention.     

Fostering Children and Young People on Remand: Care or Control?

Remand foster-carers can provide placements for children andyoung people awaiting trial or sentence within criminal courts.The role of fostering children and young people on remand isin some ways more complex than fostering other children, asremand foster-carers have to bridge the divide between providingthe care of the welfare system and the control of the criminaljustice system. This paper considers the ways in which a smallsample of remand foster-carers attempted to manage these tensionsand incongruities and tried to reach a balance between careand control. The paper identifies two main ‘parenting’approaches adopted by remand foster-carers, and comments onthe appropriateness of each to meet the needs of children andyoung people on remand, whilst still achieving the requirementsof the criminal justice system.     

An Innovative Project for Young People in Care Who have been Sexually Abused

Correspondence to Willm Mistral, The Mental Health Research and Development Unit, 3 East, 2.10, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY,UK. E-mail W.Mistral{at}bath.ac.uk Summary Professional awareness of child mental health problems and sexualabuse has increased greatly over the past 20 years, and thisis especially true for young people under the care of socialservices. The current paper provides an overview of the researchliterature on needs and service provision in this area. It goeson to describe an innovative interagency project in Dorset whichoffers flexible, fast track intervention packages to lookedafter young people with a profile indicating sexual abuse, whohave been reluctant to engage with conventional child and adolescentmental health services. The paper includes preliminary resultsfrom an evaluation of this project and discusses the implicationfor future service provision.     

Today's Young People

A study of the values and life plans of young Russians show that they exhibit great continuity with those found in Soviet society. An apathetic and passive approach to the future is found among a significant proportion of youth in Russia.     

Young People and Organized Crime

The standard of living of the population in the Far East is tending to go downward, and it is lower than the average for the country. Mediated through sociopsychological, geographical, and other factors, the decline in the standard of living leads to an increase in crime. In addition, the region of the Far East is distinguished by its high level of criminalization of the population, by a percentage of convicted people who suffer from alcoholism and narcotics abuse, nervous and mental abnormalities, and so forth that is higher than any place else; this is also another factor that brings about further complication of the criminological situation.     

Solving Problems in Foster Care: Key Issues for Young People, Foster Carers and Social Services

Philippa Padbury with Nick Frost The Children's Society, London, 2002, 116 pp. £12.95. ISBN 1 899783 44 X     

Young People and Political Involvement in Northern Ireland

This article reports some of the findings from the Pathways study which traced influences on the developmental pathways of adolescents and young adults in Belfast (Northern Ireland) and in Dublin (Republic of Ireland). Sample size was 130 aged 27 (66 male, 74 female) and 311 aged 17 (142 male, 169 female) most of whom had participated in earlier waves of the project at age 12. The study explored relationships between the participants' actual or intended involvement in politics and other factors, including family support, educational and occupational level, religious practice, and experience of the Troubles. The study concludes by looking at the relationship between these variables over time using a life-course approach within the socio-ecological model.     

The Ties that Bind: Support from Birth Families and Substitute Families for Young People Leaving Care

This paper draws on findings from a study of outcomes for youngpeople leaving care funded by the Department for Education andSkills. It explores the informal support networks availableto a sample of 106 young people over a period of 12–15months after leaving care. It examines patterns of contact withbirth families and caregivers, the support that emanated fromthese links and the strategies of leaving care professionalsto strengthen these connections. It also considers the new familiescreated by many young people through relationships with partnersand the onset of parenthood and discusses the continuing supportneeds of young parents. The paper situates the needs and experiencesof care leavers in a wider youth transitions framework and highlightsthe need for continuing professional attention to be given tostrengthening family links as one strategy for helping careleavers to negotiate the transition to adulthood.     

Older People and Access to Care

Correspondence to Denise Tanner, School of Health and Social Sciences, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK. E-mail: d.tanner{at}coventry.ac.uk Summary At the heart of a number of New Labour health and social policyinitiatives are stated concerns with supporting independence,preventing deterioration and extending access to services. Thisarticle examines the potential impact of these initiatives,including Prevention Grants (Department of Health, 2000b), theNational Service Framework for Older People (Department of Health,2001a), the Fair Access to Care Services Guidance (Departmentof Health, 2002a), and the Single Assessment Process (Departmentof Health, 2002b), on older people with ‘low level’needs who have increasingly been excluded from services targetedat those in high risk categories. Key standpoints for this analysisare research findings indicating what older people themselveswant from preventive services. Central messages, consistentwith those from other service user ‘groups’, arethe need for support services that enable older people to continueto exercise choice and control over their lives. New preventivemeasures are evaluated in the light of these findings and foundwanting. It is argued that recent policy initiatives are likelyto do little to widen access to support services for those withlow intensity needs, and, moreover, that the processes involvedin identifying those at future high risk will detract from ratherthan enhance citizenship. A more diffuse approach to preventionis advocated, based on mutuality, community development, andcapacity-building.     

辽宁人的低碳贡献·青少年篇

<正>百万青少年成为绿色使者在辽宁,越来越多的家长在孩子的带动下,减少了私家车出行的次数,家里换上了节能灯泡,随手关灯、关紧水龙头的习惯已经养成。在公共场所,越来越多的人们使用环保袋购物和可循环使用