Effects of a Solution-Focused Program on the Reduction of Aggressiveness and the Improvement of Social Readjustment for Korean Youth Probationers

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this investigation was to explore appropriate intervention methods for helping Korean youth probationers reduce their aggressiveness and increase their social adjustment. This study examined the effectiveness of solution-focused group treatment with Korean youth probationers using a pre- and post-test control group design. The researcher randomly assigned the consented 40 participants either to an experimental group that received the solution-focused session or to a control group that took individual supportive sessions on a needed basis. The pre- and post-test scores of each group were compared using the Aggressiveness and Social Readjustment Questionnaire to confirm the levels of statistical significance between the two groups. Results indicate that solution-focused group treatment was followed by positive changes with the participants' aggressiveness and social adjustment problems. This study also suggests that a solution-focused program is an appropriate short-term intervention for Korean probation youth.     

Korean American Dementia Family Caregivers’ Experience of a Psychoeducational Support Group: Investigation of Role of Culture

Seven Korean American dementia family caregivers participated in a psychoeducational group. A focus group was conducted to explore the effectiveness of the group work model. Analysis of the focus group presented four themes: (1) importance of education about dementia, (2) social support from other Korean caregivers, (3) role of language and Korean culture, and (4) heterogeneity of caregivers' needs. Implications for social work practice, policy, and research are provided.     

Depressive symptoms and help‐seeking behaviors among Korean Americans

Cheung M, Leung P, Cheung A. Depressive symptoms and help‐seeking behaviors among Korean Americans Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 421–429 © 2010 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. Korean Americans represent the fifth largest group of Asian Americans in the USA. This exploratory survey of 205 Korean Americans (92.2 percent foreign born) found that those with depressive symptoms tend to be younger, have lower incomes, and are more concerned about their basic needs, community/social needs, family relationship issues, and healthcare issues than those without depressive symptoms. Income, healthcare concerns, and anxiety were significant predictors of depression. The likelihood of having depressive symptoms among Korean Americans with anxiety was 240 times higher than among those without anxiety, but acculturation was not a significant contributing factor. Most respondents tended to seek advice about their mental health problems from physicians and non‐mental health professionals (friends and religious healers). Implications for social work education, research, practice, and policy are discussed in relation to the need to use evidence‐based practice data to plan culturally relevant services for ethnic minorities.     

Social Contexts and Coping Strategies of Foreign Wives in Korea: Using a Conceptual Framework of Social Identity Theory

This study aimed to address the social contexts of Korean society in which diverse social interactions of foreign wives take place and to identify coping strategies to construct positive social identities. Social identities are often reconstructed as a result of dynamic interactions with various situations. Using the conceptual framework of social identity theory, this study attempted to uncover the social contexts that shape foreign wives' social identities. This study, using the qualitative approach, selected nine Filipino and Vietnamese participants who were married to Korean men. The data were collected by in‐depth interviews, a focus group with three Vietnamese participants, field notes, participant observation, and photo documents. In the section on study findings, this study addressed Korean social contexts, in which Korean government has been providing a variety of multicultural policies and services for helping foreign wives successfully adapt to Korea. This study also found various forms of stereotypes and discrimination against foreign wives and presented their discrimination experiences. Diverse ways to cope with such negative experiences are presented in the last section. Given the findings, the researcher suggests that policies and programs should promote foreign wives' integration in Korean society.     

Social Service Outreach Programs Using Elderly Korean Immigrants' Church Ties

ABSTRACT

This study examined how Protestant Korean-American churches and their pastors can serve as ties between Korean seniors and agencies that offer social services. Working in partnership with the North Central Texas Area Agency on Aging (NCTAAA) and 2-1-1 services at United Way, the researcher asked 53 Korean pastors in two counties in North Central Texas to participate in the study. Each was asked about his willingness to host an outreach program. Thirty telephone surveys and 11 face-to-face interviews inquired about current services and pastor willingness to serve as gatekeepers for seniors. Translation and transportation were the top social service needs. All pastors in the study agreed that their churches should be a vehicle to provide social service information to seniors. Indeed, five churches accommodated program outreach offered by the NCTAAA and 2-1-1 services. The host churches tended to have highly structured, regularly scheduled programs (e.g., ethnic senior schools) already in place. A total of 405 Korean seniors participated in the outreach events, and 28 seniors were assisted in benefit counseling by telephone. Altogether, the results suggest that social service agencies can use the church ties of Korean seniors for program outreach.     

The relationship between social support and acculturative stress from cultural adaptation of people displaced from North Korea to South Korea

This study analysed the relationship between social support, financial independence, self-enhancement bias, and stress from cultural adaptation. For an empirical analysis, the data from 225 people displaced from North Korea were analysed. Our results suggest that social support has a positively significant effect on financial independence and self-enhancement bias; furthermore, financial independence has been shown to reduce stress from cultural adaptation. Therefore, social support reduces stress from cultural adaptation through financial independence. These results demonstrate that the social support of South Korea is very important for people displaced from North Korea in terms of their safely establishing settled living. In addition, considering the fact that the status of China is rising in international society, the results of the present study provide important insights into the provision of psychological stability to people displaced from North Korea.     

Promoting family well‐being and social cohesion: The networking and relational approach of an innovative welfare service in the Italian context

This evaluation study examined a Family Services Centre (FSC) operating in a socio‐culturally deprived suburban area of Southern Italy to explore how promoting innovative practices to meet increasingly complex family needs. The research used a case study approach and a mixed‐methods design: the service's documents underwent a documentary analysis; users' trends and satisfaction levels were examined using quantitative data; service's identity and changes in the perceptions of professionals were analysed by qualitative techniques. Overall, the data highlighted the fact that the FSC can be considered an effective prevention instrument: its family support practices, oriented to the ASPIRE model, ensure accessibility, empowerment and a strengths‐based approach. Thanks to its strengthened mediator role, client participation and caseworkers' ideas, it represents an environment conducive to the development of innovation in social practices, influencing local social policies regarding child and family welfare. Despite its changes, the FSC still promotes family well‐being and social cohesion within the community with its innovative multilevel and multimethod approach. Considerations and lessons learned by this case study could stimulate decision makers and social practitioners to reflect on innovative models to meet families' needs.     

Closing the gap? The effectiveness of referred access family support services

This paper presents findings from a study of the effectiveness of family support services provided through two family centres run by a voluntary agency in partnership with a South Wales local authority. It evaluates the effectiveness of family support services by looking at both the family views and a number of measurable outcomes in terms of reported changes in family functioning and the well‐being of children and parents. Interventions were monitored over 6 months using a pre‐test post‐test non‐equivalent groups design, incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods. Child well‐being, family functioning and some aspects of parental well‐being (related directly to the child) did improve over the intervention period for family support service users. This improvement resulted in the family support service users ‘closing the gap’ with non‐service users (comparison group), to such an extent on some measures, as to be statistically significant. The qualitative evidence confirmed these improvements. The only area that did not improve, according to the quantitative findings, was that of parental well‐being (not related directly to the child). This includes important factors around social support networks, such as parental confidence, social interaction and social contact. The reasons for lack of improvement in these areas are discussed, emphasizing the importance of monitoring the impact of using the service and incorporating a focus on the quality of the nature of the relationship between the worker and the service user.     

The Role of Social Contact in the Experience of Discrimination: Implications for Subjective Health Among Marriage Migrant Women in South Korea

Several studies have found that various social contexts could serve a protective role for minorities facing discrimination. One of these contexts is frequency of social contact, which is known to be positively associated with health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of social contact with various social groups as a protective factor against the negative association between perceived discrimination and subjective health. Using data from the 2009 Korean National Survey of Multicultural Families, a total of 27,083 marriage migrant women were analyzed via hierarchical multiple regression. After controlling for socio‐demographic factors and Korean proficiency, the experience of discrimination was found to be significantly associated with lower levels of subjective health (B = ?0.22; P < 0.001). More frequent meetings with one's family of origin (B = 0.02; P < 0.01) and in‐laws (B = 0.06; P < 0.001) were associated with higher levels of subjective health, while more frequent meetings with neighbors were negatively associated (B = ?0.02; P < 0.001). More frequent contact with one's family of origin (B = 0.03; P < 0.05), rather than with other groups, such as friends from their country of origin, in‐laws, and neighbors, seemed to reduce the negative influence of discrimination on subjective health.     

学校环境与学生成绩的性别差异

近几十年来,随着女生受教育权利越来越得到重视,男女生在受教育机会方面趋于平等,但学校中却出现了男生平均成绩相比女生普遍偏低的现象,学生学习成绩的性别差异越来越明显。本文采用学校固定效应模型,分析不同的班级环境对学生学习成绩造成的影响及其性别差异。研究结果显示,男生学习成绩落后的现象多存在于学习环境相对较差的学校。进一步加入中间变量,初步探析其形成机制后发现,在较差的学校中,男生容易在同伴群体中形成反学校的认知、态度和行为,女生则较少受到这种影响,因而容易造成学习成绩上的性别差异。     

‘Let the King Save the Poor’: The Discursive Mechanism Underlying the Under‐exercise of Social Rights in South Korea

This study was prompted by discrepancies observed between the quantitative expansion and the qualitative stalemate in social policy in South Korea. Despite a revamped social security system, changes in South Korean social policies have not led to significant coverage expansion or improved income and poverty distribution. The frequent appearance of the Korean proverb that ‘even the King cannot save the poor’ in policy participants' narratives reflects a lack of confidence in the Government's ability to address persistent social disadvantages and the prevalence of a fatalistic policy perspective. This proverb has a conceptual affinity with an individualistic approach and has effectively functioned as a governance tool to oppress the progress of welfare rights. This research shows that an expenditure‐based model could lead to actual policy situations being misrepresented. Further, institutional policy arrangements may not be a sufficient condition for improving policy performance. It is suggested that a rights‐based approach should be adopted for both theorization of the transition of the welfare regimes and discursive practice for a policy paradigm change.     

The Relationship between Public Long-Term Care Insurance Awareness and Preparation for Later Life in South Korea

An increased focus on individual preparation for later life paired with a shift in family support within South Korea makes it necessary to study factors that influence preparation for later life among South Korean adults. This study examined whether the awareness of public long-term care insurance (LTCI) was related to South Koreans' financial, psychosocial, and physical preparations for later life. Data from the third wave (2009) and third supplement wave (2010) of the Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS) yielded a sample of 2,487 middle-aged adults. Multiple regression analyses were used to compare the influence of the awareness of public LTCI on financial, psychosocial, and physical preparation by dividing the sample into negative status and positive status groups based on subjective perceptions of current economic, relationship, and health conditions. The results showed that being aware of public LTCI increased preparation for later life in financial, psychosocial, and physical domains. In addition, participants in the negative status group had higher scores for psychosocial and physical preparation than individuals who perceived themselves as being in relatively better situations. These findings suggest that the policy makers and practitioners should include education on LTCI and the risks it targets across various preparation domains as well as account for differences in perception and preparation among sub-populations of middle-aged adults in order to ensure effective social policies for the elderly population.     

Structural Relationship Analysis Among Variables of Mentoring Network Characteristics,Mentoring Functions,and the Working Attitudes of North Korean Defectors

This study was conducted with a purpose to examine the structural relationship among mentoring network characteristics, mentoring functions, and the work attitudes of North Korean defectors. One hundred twenty-one North Korean defectors participated in the study, who were involved in settlement programs in Seoul, Korea. Amos 20.0 and SPSS 21.0. were used for statistical analysis. According to the developmental network theory, mentoring network characteristics include: network range, number of networks, and network intimacy. Mentoring functions include: career function, role function, and psychosocial function. The results are as follows. Mentoring network characteristics have a positive (+) effect on mentoring functions (β?=?0.267, C.R.?=?2.329, p?<?.05) and mentoring functions have a positive (+) effect on work attitude (β?=?0.703, C.R.?=?6.748, p?<?.001). Mentoring characteristics also have an indirect effect on work attitude through mentoring functions (β?=?0.188). The results of this study implicate the need for expanding mentoring networks and developing mentoring functions for North Korean defectors in both formal and informal social network areas.     

Exploring the mechanisms explaining the quality of sibling relationships when children are taken into care: A qualitative study of Norwegian children

Sibling relationships are potentially central in children's and young people's lives. Research has shown that the quality of sibling relationships changes in a variety of ways when a sibling(s) moves into care. There is limited understanding of the mechanisms that cause these changes. This study addresses this gap by reanalysing a dataset of 25 semistructured interviews with young people (16 to 23 years) drawn from a municipality in Southern Norway. The original study explored the changes in sibling relationships when the young person moved into care. This reanalysis of the data set explores specifically, using a template analysis, the mechanisms that children describe when exploring why these changes occur. Findings show the intricacies of the young person's social identification with the biological and/or foster family and how sharing a common identity may be key to the development of the sibling relationship when the young person(s) is taken into care. Our findings also show how key adults, such as foster parents and social workers, influence the relationship. The paper concludes with recommendations for social workers on how they may strengthen sibling relationships in families where children have been taken into care.     

Defining the boundaries: social worker assessment of sexual abuse in a cultural context – multivariate analysis of personal and professional factors influencing social workers' labelling of intimacy behaviour

To explore personal and professional factors influencing social worker assessment of family intimacy behaviour in diverse cultural groups, a 27‐item questionnaire was mailed to a random, stratified sample of MSW‐level social workers. The instrument measured rank‐order responses to 10 questions about attitudes towards public exposure to sexual stimuli and rank‐order responses to questions about three vignettes depicting culturally informed family intimacy behaviour. The instrument also measured sample characteristics such as area of social work practice and per cent of caseload involving sexually abused as well as diverse clients. Completed questionnaires (n = 387) were analysed for association between respondents' definition of intimacy behaviour (dependent variable), attitude towards sexual stimuli, and intervening variables thought to explain variance in the dependent measure. Labelling theory provided a basis for hypotheses testing. When mean attitude scores were correlated with mean definition scores, Pearson's r returned a significant low, positive association between conservative attitudes towards exposure to sexual stimuli and definitions of cross‐cultural scenarios as sexual abuse. Holding attitude scores constant, regression modelling of the sample's definition of scenarios indicated that practice area, minority status, and per cent of caseload with sexual abuse clients were significant predictors of R² change in the dependent variable. Further analysis of data through regression tree modelling showed that a small group of conservative practitioners with ethnically diverse caseloads were more likely to label culturally influenced behaviours as deviant. Among conservative practitioners with less diverse caseloads, number of hours in sexuality training had a moderating influence on deviancy labelling. Tree modelling of the data also indicated that an ethnic minority subgroup within the sample accounted for the lowest ranking of scenarios as sexual abuse. Results support earlier work on social worker assessment of child maltreatment as a function of agency setting. Another implication for social work is the need for practitioners to understand their attitudes towards human sexuality in relation to assessment of diverse patterns of childhood sexual socialization.     

朝鲜核试验的经济学分析

朝鲜核试验的战略意图可以从比较优势理论、边际分析理论与博弈论等研究角度讨论。朝鲜核试验不仅对朝鲜吸引外国资本、接受国际援助、进行对外经济贸易等方面产生影响,而且对周边韩国、中国等国的经济产生影响。研究表明,韩国整体经济并未因朝鲜核试验受大幅影响,金融市场所受负面影响不明显,外资一般持观望态度。对中国而言,朝鲜核试验不利于中国一直竭力营造的良好外部投资环境,对在朝中国资本投资行为产生一定影响。此外,无形中提高了中国的区域军事安全成本。     

Men's Domestic Violence Treatment Groups

A survey of all 13 men's domestic violence treatment groups in North Carolina found that such programs were similar in program philosophy and goals but highly divergent in group struc- ture. All programs utilized a feminist orientation which viewed domestic violence as resulting from socio-cultural and social learn- ing factors. Groups generally focused on the development of anger control, problem solving, and communication skills. Groups dif- fered widely in their agency affiliation, relationship with the court as referral source, degree of structure, leadership patterns, number of members, number of sessions, degree of co-ordination between men's and women's programs; follow-up procedures; and sophisti- cation of program evaluation. The diversity of men's domestic violence group treatment models is a result of grassroots laissez faire program development. This diversity offers opportunities to test the effectiveness of various group approaches. Considerations for men's domestic violence treatment programs are outlined. In addition, the need for systematic program evaluation and a statewide co-ordinating mechanism is dis- cussed.     

The Prevention of Social Aggression Among Girls

This study represents the first systematic attempt to examine a theory‐based program designed to reduce girls' social aggression and increase positive leadership among peers. Fifth‐grade girls from six public schools were randomly assigned within classrooms to the social aggression prevention program (SAPP) and the comparison reading clubs. A school‐based small group program, the SAPP was demonstrated to have a positive impact for all students in the domain of social problem solving. For students with high baseline social problems, teachers reported positive changes in SAPP participants' prosocial behavior. In addition, the content of the program was critical: reading club participants improved their reading achievement at greater rates than SAPP participants. Targeting female students in a program focused on resolving social conflicts from multiple perspectives may be an important addition to broader, multilevel initiatives to prevent aggression and promote leadership in schools.     

Social workers' attitudes towards female victims of domestic violence: A study in one English local authority

This paper aims to explore childcare social workers' attitudes towards female victims of domestic violence in England. The study discusses the concept of “mothering” and the processes through which mothers are potentially denigrated rather than empowered. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with social workers in a single child protection agency to investigate their perceptions of domestic violence, its gendered nature, and the implications for their practice. Participants' responses were coded using thematic analysis. The results demonstrated social workers' cognisance of the challenges domestic violence poses for abused mothers in terms of the ability to safely parent their children. Although the study is not without its limitations, it nevertheless indicates the need for a more holistic approach to safeguarding children within domestic violence settings. Moreover, it underscores the necessity for improving awareness about the prevalence and importance of domestic violence as a child safeguarding concern within social work training. Indeed, improved training would help to develop social workers' knowledge and understanding of service provisions and partner agencies, thus potentially improving practice in this critically important area.     

The social welfare reform during the progressive regimes of South Korea: Theoretical implications

This study assesses the social welfare reform during the progressive regimes of South Korea (hereafter Korea) led by President Kim Dae-Jung (1998-2003) and President Roh Moo-Hyun (2003-2008), and considers its theoretical implications. Analysis of the social welfare reform under the two progressive governments has indicated that the reform did not produce the anticipated results. Although the Korean economy has grown rapidly along with a considerable increase in the national income per capita in comparison with that in the past, the country's social welfare system still remains significantly underdeveloped in all respects, relative to that of all the other OECD countries with similar economic power, let alone the advanced welfare states in Western Europe. This study maintains that the key reason for the inertia or status quo despite the significant efforts of both the governments to expand social welfare is explained in the Korean growth-first doctrine, which inherently considers that distribution hinders growth and that social policy is secondary to economic policy, thus limiting the choices of the country's decision makers, as has been the case all along since the developmental period. Given that the growth-first doctrine inherently regarded the relationship between growth and welfare as mutually exclusive, it was perhaps natural that the influence of the doctrine upon the social welfare policy of both the progressive governments would not be so positive. This suggests that path dependence is active in the case of the Korean social welfare policy, thus substantiating the validity of path-dependence theory.