Understanding communities of neglectful parents: child caregiving networks and child neglect

This article focuses on family social networks and the community of caregivers of neglected children. If neglect is part of family functioning, who watches over the children? Using a case study approach, this study researched 12 children and their parents. Several concepts, such as multiple caregiving and kin keepers, revealed that study children were cared for by many people. Social network mapping used in this study indicated that families were not isolated from the larger community, had various forms of negative and positive social support, were low income, and were involved in substance abuse and domestic violence. Understanding the patterns that emerge from the complex web of family, friends, social service agencies, and the larger social community in which neglected children live can result in better community building.     

Older people in America's immigrant families: Dilemmas of dependence,integration, and isolation

Immigration to the US has given rise to a population of older people who migrate here to be close to their children. Although highly integrated into their intergenerational families, these seniors voice dissatisfaction with their lives in the US. Intensive interviews with 28 transnational seniors demonstrate that their dissatisfaction stems from the contradictions between high cultural expectations for family sociability and structural constraints on kin interaction in the US. Their dissatisfaction is exacerbated by factors isolating them from social contacts outside the family. Although mobility limitations and not speaking English contribute to their isolation, immigrant families play a role. Older people are sometimes isolated by heavy domestic responsibilities in their child's household, solicitous offspring who insulate parents from practical aspects of daily life, and by a collective family ethos that calls on aging parents to subordinate their needs to those of other family members.     

Family participation in child protection

The paper summarizes a Department of Health funded research study of the extent to which parents and children were involved in the child protection work of seven English social services departments. The child protection process and the social work practice with a cohort of 220 consecutive cases is described for the period before the initial conference and the 6 months following it. The authors draw on interview data from parents, young people and social workers and on social work records to assess whether the process and practice were participatory and the extent to which family members were actually involved in the decisions and the work. They concluded that there was benefit for parents and children in attempts to involve them, even thought only 3% of 378 family members were rated as partners in the protection process and a further 13% were rated as participating to a considerable extent. There was a statistically significant association between the participation of family members and the interim outcomes for the parents and children being rated by the researchers as good or moderately good.     

Influence of Social Support on Gay Men Living with HIV

This article examines the social support networks of gay men living with HIV. Many people do not realize that HIV is still a significant health concern. The rate of HIV infection has not decreased substantially in over 15 years, and in the United States alone health care practitioners see approximately 40,000 cases per year. Some of the literature on this topic suggests that gay men with HIV receive more social support from friends than from family members. Research also suggests that these men sometimes experience losses of social support after they are diagnosed as HIV positive. Five gay men with HIV participated in in-depth interviews for this study. During these interviews 14 open-ended questions were posed with several of these questions having follow-up probes/questions. The questions focused on specific aspects of the participant's support network. Participants' responses to the interview questions were transcribed and content analyzed for relevant themes. Results indicated that whereas many of the men maintained their supportive contacts with family members and friends, others experienced changes in their support networks after they were diagnosed as HIV positive. Further results revealed that all men interviewed were satisfied with the level of support they received from the people in their support networks.     

Parental Discussion of Child Sexual Abuse: Is It Associated with the Parenting Practices of Involvement,Monitoring, and General Communication?

We investigated whether parents who reported more positive parenting practices (i.e., monitoring, involvement, and communication) reported more discussion of child sexual abuse (CSA) with their children. Parents from Australia and the UK (N = 248), with children aged 6 to 11 years, completed an online survey. About half of parents reported directly discussing CSA, whereas 35% reported telling their children that CSA perpetrators may be family members. Rates of discussion were higher for other CSA-related topics such as body integrity and abduction. Correlational analyses showed that parents who reported speaking to their children about CSA also reported more positive parenting practices, more discussion of other sensitive topics, and assessed CSA risk for children (in general) to be higher. Discussion of CSA risk was not associated with parents' CSA knowledge, confidence or appraisal of own-child risk. Parents higher in positive parenting believed their children to be at less CSA risk. Parents who appraised higher own-child risk reported less positive parenting practices and were less confident about their parenting and their ability to protect their children from CSA. The findings are the first to report on the associations of parenting practices with parents' CSA discussion with their children.     

The Impact of Parental Divorce: The Relationship Between Social Support and Confidence Levels in Young Adults

Parental divorce is a life transition that affects a substantial number of children each year. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and confidence levels (defined as career expectations and confidence in romantic relationships) for those impacted by parental divorce. Three hundred and twelve young adults participated in the study. The results indicate that the quality of social support had a significantly positive relationship with career expectations and romantic relationship confidence. The findings suggest quality relationships regarding social support are more significant than quantity or amount of social support given by parents, family members, or friends.     

Family Network,Workplace Network,and Their Influence on Condom Use: A Qualitative Study Among Older Female Sex Workers in China

The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore the components of social networks and their influence on condom use among female sex workers (FSWs) aged 35 years and older in China. In-depth interviews with 63 older FSWs and 6 focus group interviews with pimps and owners of roadside salons and hotels were conducted in 3 Chinese cities. The mean age of participants was 42.6 years old (SD = 6.9 years) and the mean age of starting sex work was 38.6 years old (SD = 6.6 years). Two types of networks that influenced condom use were identified: family networks (relationship with children and husbands) and workplace networks (relationship with peers, clients, pimps, and owners). Relationships between older FSWs and their children negatively influenced condom use. Low levels of network support and norms regarding condom use were observed in the relationship between older FSWs and their clients, whereas positive social support and norms were prevalent among older FSWs who had frequent contact with peers. Norms for condom use existed among pimps and owners but were counterbalanced by monetary gains. Future human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) interventions for older FSWs should take the different features of social network components into consideration.     

Mexican American Adolescents' Emotional Support to the Family in Response to Parental Stress

In this two‐wave longitudinal, daily diary study that followed up with 421 Mexican American parent–adolescent dyads (adolescents: M_age = 15 years, 50% males) after 1 year, we investigated the contingency between parental stressors and adolescents' emotional support to family members. Adolescents provided support to their parents and other family members at similar rates, but adolescents were more likely to provide support to other family members than to their parents on days when parents experienced a family stressor. This pattern was especially pronounced in families with parents who reported physical symptoms and adolescents with a strong sense of family obligation. Adolescents' provision of emotional support was associated with same‐day feelings of role fulfillment, but not to their concurrent or long‐term psychological distress.     

Family support for the elderly in Korea: continuity, change, future directions, and cross-cultural concerns.

This article discusses major issues and concerns regarding family support for parents and elderly people in industrialized and urbanized Korea. It summarizes new trends in family support for elderly members, continuing influences of the traditional value of family support (filial piety), growing needs for public services for elderly people and their families, urgent calls for the state to assume greater responsibilities for providing social security and services for the elderly, needs for cross-cultural studies of family support, and certain cultural similarities and differences to be considered. The article concludes with some suggestions for future research.     

Physical Punishment in Christian Arab Families in Israel: Attitudes and Behaviour

The present study examines the attitudes towards physical punishment (PP) and its actual use as reported by Christian Arab parents and their children in Israel. Participants were parents and one child (of at least two) in 50 Christian Arab families. Three questionnaires based on semi‐structured interviews were developed for the study. Results show no difference in family members’ attitudes towards the use of PP. Whereas, the mean scores indicate ambivalent acceptance of this practice, the great majority of participants reported its frequent use. Mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes were found to be highly correlated and significant predictors of such behaviour. All three groups reported that mothers use PP much more than fathers do, although it was the fathers whom the children feared most. The results also show that the parents’ most frequent reaction to seven categories of children’s misbehaviour was verbal violence and the second most frequent reaction was PP. These and other results are discussed in the context of Arab culture in Israel, the social situation model and relevant research.     

Family Support for the Elderly in Korea

Abstract

This article discusses major issues and concerns regarding family support for parents and elderly people in industrialized and urbanized Korea. It summarizes new trends in family support for elderly members, continuing influences of the traditional value of family support (filial piety), growing needs for public services for elderly people and their families, urgent calls for the state to assume greater responsibilities for providing social security and services for the elderly, needs for cross-cultural studies of family support, and certain cultural similarities and differences to be considered. The article concludes with some suggestions for future research.     

Resiliency in Divorced Families

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional and exploratory study was to identify resiliency factors that are associated with family adaptation after divorce. Questionnaires (The Family Hardiness Index, The Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, The Relative and Friend Support Index, The Social Support Index, The Family Sense of Coherence Scale) and an open-ended question were used to collect data independently from parents and children belonging to 68 divorced families in Belgium. Results indicate that there is a significant positive correlation between the three components of family hardiness (commitment, challenge, and control—according to the parents) and the family's adaptation to its changed circumstances. There are also positive correlations for both parents and children between the positive redefining of stressful situations by the family, the social support of the family, and the family's adaptation after divorce. According to the children there are also significant positive relationships between the family's use of avoidance strategies, the parents' educational level, the number of years that the parent had been divorced, and the family's adaptation.     

A Mixed Methods Exploration of Single Session Family Therapy in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Tasmania,Australia

Single session therapy (SST) is grounded in the belief that clients and families can effect change after one therapeutic encounter, using their own resources, with brief support and assistance from therapists. SST has been found to be an effective intervention for children, young people, and their families presenting with a wide range of difficulties. Research in child and adolescent mental health has shown that over 50% of families find one SST encounter is enough with no need for further specialist input. This study aims to explore family member experiences of SST (undertaken as single session family therapy and termed hereafter SSFT) as an initial intervention in a regional child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), specifically in terms of worry, confidence, and satisfaction outcomes. An exploratory, mixed methods convergent design was utilised using a combination of open questions and Thurstone scales. All eligible family members were invited to complete questionnaires before and after the SSFT, asking about level of worry, confidence, and overall satisfaction with SSFT. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicated most family members had a positive experience of SSFT, although differences were found between young people, parents, and siblings. Overall, family members’ level of worry decreased, while only parental confidence in managing the presenting issue(s) increased. Over half of the families did not require further contact with CAMHS following the SSFT. Our findings support previous research that SSFT is an effective, family-inclusive, and well received intervention for a variety of mental health issues facing children and young people. SSFT could be considered a beneficial and well received first response for the majority of CAMHS clients, which prioritises a family-inclusive approach. Future research could focus on attaining a more in-depth understanding of individual family member experiences with a view to improving SST delivery.     

Intermarriage and Social Support Among Canadians in Middle and Later Life

Despite widespread attention to population aging and contemporary increases in racial intermarriage, little is known regarding their joint implications for social support in middle and later life. Drawing on data from the 2007 General Social Survey conducted by Statistics Canada on intermarried and endogamously married adults age 45 and over (N = 13,238), this study examined the effects of intermarriage on instrumental and emotional support. The results revealed that intermarriage was accompanied by a reduced likelihood of instrumental support with transportation from others outside the household but that it had no impact on the receipt of help with household tasks or in caring for family members and a positive impact on emotional support. These findings suggest that intermarriage is not uniformly positive, neutral, or negative in its implications for social support. Future theoretical and empirical work will need to address the complexities of these relationships in order to enhance our understanding of these emergent family structures.     

Changing households in Britain: do families still matter?

The decline in traditional nuclear family households, and the marked increase in the proportion of people living alone, or alone with dependent children have led some to claim that individualism has replaced the importance of family life. In this paper we use data from a large household panel study of Britain to suggest that this is not true. Regardless of people's own household circumstances, family issues and events are clearly top of the agenda of what people consider matter most in their lives. Moreover, in talking about events that mattered, people are almost as likely to talk about something that happened to other family members, as they are to talk about themselves. Surprisingly, people living alone or alone with children are as likely to mention other family members as those who live in family households. Yet the importance of family does vary considerably by gender and age. Women give more importance to family events and events in the lives of other family members than do men. Young people are far more self-centred than older people but whether this is a generational or life-stage difference is open to question.     

Helicopter Parents and Landing Pad Kids: Intense Parental Support of Grown Children

Popular media describe adverse effects of helicopter parents who provide intense support to grown children, but few studies have examined implications of such intense support. Grown children (N = 592, M age = 23.82 years, 53% female, 35% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) and their parents (N = 399, M age = 50.67 years, 52% female; 34% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) reported on the support they exchanged with one another. Intense support involved parents' providing several types of support (e.g., financial, advice, emotional) many times a week. Parents and grown children who engaged in such frequent support viewed it as nonnormative (i.e., too much support), but grown children who received intense support reported better psychological adjustment and life satisfaction than grown children who did not receive intense support. Parents who perceived their grown children as needing too much support reported poorer life satisfaction. The discussion focuses on generational differences in the implications of intense parental involvement during young adulthood.     

Extending the Intergenerational Stake Hypothesis: Evidence of an Intra‐individual Stake and Implications for Well‐being

The intergenerational stake hypothesis suggests that parents are more invested in their children and experience better quality parent–child ties than do their children. In this study the authors examined variation in reports of relationship quality regarding parents and children intra‐individually (do people report better quality ties with their children than with their parents?) and whether within‐person variations have implications for well‐being. Participants age 40–60 (N = 633) reported on their relationship quality (importance, positive quality, and negative quality) with their parents and adult children. Individuals reported their relationships with children were more important and more negative than relationships with parents. Individuals with feelings that were in the opposite direction of the intergenerational stake hypothesis (i.e., greater investment in parents than children) reported poorer well‐being. The findings provide support for the intergenerational stake hypothesis with regard to within‐person variations in investment and show that negative relationship quality may coincide with greater feelings of investment.     

Pflege der Eltern – Ein europäischer Vergleich*

Elderly people are predominantly cared for by family members. However, not every parent in need is cared for by a child, and not all family members are involved in care. Which factors influence the provision of care? Do European countries differ in regard to intergenerational care, and what are the reasons for these differences? The empirical analyses, based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), show that various factors influence care by children: individual characteristics of parents and children, family structures and cultural-contextual factors, including welfare institutions. Intergenerational help occurs more often in Southern and Central European countries, where children are legally obliged to support parents in need. At the same time, in Europe professional home care services enable adult children to pursue their personal plans beyond care obligations.     

Developing Responsive Preventative Practices: Key Messages from Children's and Families’ Experiences of the Children's Fund

As part of the prevention and social inclusion agenda, the Children's Fund, set up in 2000, has developed preventative services for children at risk of social exclusion. Drawing on a large qualitative dataset of interviews conducted in 2004/05 with children, young people and their parents/carers who accessed Children Fund services, this article analyses key practices and approaches valued by children and parents. These included: specialist support tailored to individual support needs, family‐oriented approaches, trusting relationships with service providers, multi‐agency approaches and sustainability of services. Finally, the article draws out key lessons for the future development of preventative services.