Learning to negotiate network relations: social support among working mothers living in poverty

This study promotes our understanding of the complex and dynamic role that social support networks play in the everyday life of working mothers living in poverty, by focusing on the processes of negotiation involved in the creation, maintenance and mobilization of social ties. It is based on semi-structured interviews with 12 Israeli-Jewish working mothers who participated in an economic empowerment workshop. Findings indicate that the participants received much social support from relatives, friends and community activists. However, they further reveal the hard hidden work of negotiation and the process of learning involved in obtaining support. Particularly important in this context of poverty was the need to learn how to ask for support by overcoming feelings of shame and concerns about respectability, and to reduce social burdens by, among other things, refusing to participate in the ‘gift economy’ and limiting constraining social relationships. Finally, this study shows how the seemingly divergent interpretations of negotiation in social-exchange theory and symbolic interactionism (reaching an agreement that maximizes benefits versus preserving the relationship) often converge in everyday life situations.     

Association between social support and child abuse potential among Japanese mothers

Child abuse is a global public health problem and a serious social issue in Japan. Social support is beneficial for parents faced with childrearing challenges. The aim of this study was to clarify the association between social support and child abuse potential. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The target population was mothers of children at nine public nursery schools. Bivariate and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to examine the effects of socio-demographic, social support and psychological distress factors on child abuse potential. Among 309 mothers, 29 (9.4%) had a high child abuse potential score. Bivariate analysis indicated that mothers with a higher child abuse potential score were more likely to be divorced or unmarried (P < 0.001); living in single-female-parent households (P < 0.001); have low perceived economic status (P < 0.001); have a low level of child care support (P = 0.01); have a low Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) score (P < 0.001); and/or a high General Health Questionnaire-12 score (GHQ-12) (P < 0.001). Important predictors of child abuse potential among the mothers surveyed included living in single-female-parent households, having low perceived economic status, low MSPSS score, and high GHQ-12 score. Improving approaches that help mothers build social support relationships and ease them into child rearing in a psychologically healthy condition is recommended to prevent child abuse.     

Social support among homeless and housed mothers: an integrative review

Homelessness has been associated with levels of stress beyond the normal strain of living in poverty. For mothers who are homeless, support from their social networks may provide a buffer from some of the stresses associated with being homeless. To better understand the relationship between social support and female-headed homeless families, an integrative review was conducted of 12 research articles that compare social support among low-income housed mothers and homeless mothers, using guidelines set forth by Ganong. The included studies revealed four significant attributes of social support among housed and homeless mothers: size of the social support network; composition of the social support network; contacts with members of the social support network; and perceived support from members of the social support network. Nurses who work with homeless families are in a position to help develop ways for these families to cultivate and maintain their social support networks while homeless. Nurses can be available to offer support, including the necessary mental health services or referrals.     

A community initiative to support family financial well-being

Many community initiatives focus on workforce participation. Research indicates that affordable childcare is key to maintaining employment for low-income parents in the USA. These parents may also benefit from instruction to build financial literacy skills. The United Way of Tampa Bay, Florida, USA implemented a program to support family economic status that linked summer childcare for school-age children with financial literacy classes. Results from the evaluation of the initiative indicate that it enabled parents to participate more fully in work or school than would have been possible otherwise. Parents welcomed choices of free, innovative childcare programs that promoted social, academic, and cultural skills and provided safe care for their children. Parents reported that their money management knowledge and skills improved due to the course they took to qualify for childcare. Initiatives such as this show promise for promoting family financial well-being and an engaged workforce.     

Obstacles to employment among mothers of children in foster care

This article reports on a study of obstacles to employment among mothers with children in foster care. The study relies on standardized measures, has a cross-sectional design, and includes a sample of 158 mothers. The analysis shows a high prevalence of obstacles; identifies three co-occurring obstacles, each involving substance abuse, that are related to a low probability of employment (p < or = .05); and reveals that employment and access to transportation are related to higher income relative to mothers' needs (p < or = .05).     

Social reactions to sexual assault victims from various support sources

This study examined positive and negative social reactions received by 323 victims disclosing sexual assaults to informal and formal support providers. Analyses of both quantitative and qualitative data indicated that both positive and negative reactions are commonly received by victims disclosing their assaults to others, but that victims seeking help from formal support sources are more commonly faced with negative reactions of victim blame, stigmatizing responses, and controlling reactions from others. Qualitative analysis of written responses provided by respondents also revealed other less common but unhelpful reactions of assault disclosure such as rape myths, violations of the victim's confidential disclosures, and revictimization. Preliminary analyses of the effects of specific reactions on adjustment from different types of support providers suggested that reactions of friends are particularly important for recovery. Positive reactions from friends appear to be more helpful, whereas negative reactions appear to be harmful from both informal and formal support sources. Implications for research and treatment of sexual assault victims are discussed.     

The effects of teenage fatherhood on young adult outcomes

This paper uses national longitudinal data and several new empirical strategies to examine the consequences of teenage fatherhood. The key contribution is to compare economic outcomes of young fathers to young men whose partners experienced a miscarriage rather than a live birth. The results suggest that teenage fatherhood decreases years of schooling and the likelihood of receiving a high school diploma and increases general educational development receipt. Teenage fatherhood also appears to increase early marriage and cohabitation, and has mixed short-term effects on several labor market outcomes.     

From obligations to negotiations: reciprocity and reflexivity in informal financial support

This article examines the processes of informal support exchange in wider social network relationships with a particular focus on conditions that are of significance for financial support. The intention, with a point of departure in 24 qualitative interviews with single adults in Sweden, is to present an interactionist model to explain how such support is formed and how it can be analysed and understood. The article shows that such support is by no means purely dependent on financial considerations and resources. The types of relationship and the specific situations in which individuals are placed in positions that demand reflection upon, and communication about, their need for support, can be likened to a negotiation and are of equal importance. Furthermore, the provision of informal support is also influenced by moral and social norms relating to responsibility, care obligations, self-sufficiency and independence, which are, amongst other things, embedded in our social political system.     

Factors influencing perceptions of teenage motherhood among girls in residential care

The aim of this research is to analyze the cognitive, affective and cultural factors involved in adolescent motherhood among girls in residential care. Using this specific country example, the study also seeks to analyze if the influence of these factors is the same for girls in residential care and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 54 girls distributed across three groups: 18 girls from two residential care homes, 18 girls from a secondary school (normative group) and 18 girls from disadvantaged families. A content qualitative analysis was used. The main results show that girls in care have a positive perception on teenage motherhood, they become sexually active before other girls not in care and they are less likely to use contraceptive methods. Also their life priorities are based on motherhood and having a partner rather than career expectations. Some implications in order to prevent teenage and unplanned pregnancies are highlighted.     

Correlates of women's sexual assault disclosure to informal and formal support sources

Deciding which people to tell about sexual assault is an important and potentially consequential decision for sexual assault survivors. Women typically receive many different positive and negative reactions when they disclose sexual assault to social support sources. A diverse sample of adult sexual assault survivors in the Chicago area was surveyed about sexual assault experiences, social reactions received when disclosing assault to others, attributions of blame, coping strategies, and PTSD. Analyses were run to identify demographic, assault, and postassault factors differentiating women disclosing to informal support sources only from those disclosing to both informal and formal support sources. Women disclosing to both formal and informal support sources experienced more stereotypical assaults, had more PTSD symptoms, engaged in less behavioral self-blame, and received more negative social reactions than those disclosing to informal support sources only. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.     

Social networks: A village of support for single mothers

The purpose of this study was to expand the literature by investigating the perception of social support by single mothers who sought online support through social media. This study explored sources of social support in single mothers using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to examine if income, education level, or type of marital status is related to sources of social support among single mothers who utilized online support. The study also investigated statements regarding support from family, friends, and significant others that were ranked highest by single mothers who utilized online support. Results revealed that participants received sufficient amounts of social support from family, friends, and significant others, with income accounting for 12% of the variance in social support subscale scores and no significant differences with regards to education level or type of marital status. Results also indicated that three of the four most strongly rated items on the MSPSS related to social support from friends. This study invites mental health providers and researchers to consider the value and utilization of social media networks for single mothers.     

Feasibility,acceptability, and effects of a peer support group to prevent child maltreatment among parents experiencing homelessness

Parents and children experiencing an episode of homelessness face a variety of adverse factors that can increase their risk of difficult relationships and even child maltreatment. Parent support programs have been suggested as one way to strengthen parent-child relationships and decrease risk of child maltreatment for this vulnerable population, but such programs have not been rigorously evaluated. This study was designed to investigate if Circle of Parents, a self-help support group developed to decrease child maltreatment, was a feasible, acceptable, and effective intervention for parents residing in shelters (N = 80). The investigation utilized a quasi-experimental design using propensity score analysis with a services-as-usual comparison group. The Protective Factors Survey (PFS) and a client satisfaction questionnaire served as the primary outcome measures and group facilitators provided information about feasibility of the intervention within shelters. Promising evidence was found for the acceptability and feasibility of Circle of Parents. However, analyses of PFS data showed little difference between the intervention and services-as-usual comparison groups. Overall, findings pointed to emerging positive findings but underscored the need for continued controlled examination of the effectiveness of Circle of Parents implemented in shelters and transitional housing.     

Types of separation-individuation in relation to mothers and fathers among young people entering adulthood

This paper presents a study on emerging adults’ separation-individuation in relation to parents from a person-centred perspective. The participants, aged 18 through 28 years (N?=?2040, 73% female), offered self-reports on separation-individuation in relation to their mother and father separately. We used the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (Komidar, L., M. Zupan?i?, G. So?an, and M. Puklek Levpu??ek. 2014. “Development and construct validation of the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (ITEA).” Journal of Personality Assessment 96 (5): 503–514), specifically designed to tap individuation issues in emerging adulthood. Clustering procedures revealed four internally replicable and structurally consistent types across parents, representing the current relationship dynamics of parent – child relationships. The consistency analysis of cross-parent type membership suggested that about a half of the participants were assigned to the same type of separation-individuation in relation to their mother and father. We considered the individuated-related and the individuated-independent type as healthy separated-individuated yet distinct types, whereas the anxious and the dependent type reflected likely difficulties in separation-individuation. The type membership was significantly associated with the participants’ age, gender, and adult role transitions.     

Determinants of informal employment among working mothers in Mexico

Whether women's informal employment is an involuntary marginal condition or a preferred alternative to formal employment has generated intense debate in academic and policy circles, particularly in view of women's disproportionate representation in the informal economy. We analyzed detailed interviews with 136 working mothers in Mexico to gain a better understanding of the factors leading to informal employment, as well as the impact of this work on these women and their families. Our results show that informal employment was not a choice for many women who entered the informal labor market due to human capital constraints and family responsibilities. Additionally, women commonly faced challenges in meeting the needs of both their employers and their families and earning adequate income. We suggest policy options to address the factors constraining women's employment opportunities and improve the situation of those women already working in the informal economy.     

Caregiving mothers of children with impairments: coping and support in Russia

Parents providing long‐term care for their children with impairments face myriad physical and emotional challenges. Researchers have examined coping strategies among parent caregivers in various contexts internationally. However, little research has focused on caregiving mothers of children with impairments in developing countries, and even less on mothers in Russia. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the ways in which caregiving mothers cope and their perceptions of services and supports they need and utilize in a small Russian city. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with caregiving mothers (n = 20) concerning postnatal and current treatment, information and services, finances, social support, and future plans. Analysis revealed that planning for the future and navigating limited resources, overcoming structural barriers and cultural obstacles, and maintaining social support were the three most important facets of mothers’ abilities to cope with the demands of caregiving.     

Moderating effects of race on internalizing and externalizing behaviors among children of criminal justice and child welfare involved mothers

This study examined whether the influences of multiple maternal criminal justice involvement (MCJI), community adversity, and violence exposure on children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors were moderated by race. The study included 409 children of criminal justice and child welfare involved mothers, ages 5–15 who participated in the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). Results indicated that race, defined as Black vs. non-Black, moderated the associations between multiple MCJI and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Decomposition of the regression effects indicated that non-Black children exposed to multiple MCJI, as compared to non-Black children who were not exposed to multiple MCJI, exhibited significant increases in both internalizing and externalizing behaviors, while Black children who experience multiple MCJI, on average, showed no increases. Similarly, race moderated the association between exposure to community adversity and externalizing behaviors. The decomposition of regression effects indicated that non-Black children who experienced higher levels of community adversity exhibited increases in externalizing behaviors, while Black children showed no increases. Criminal justice and child welfare practice and policy implications are discussed.     

From surviving to thriving: Understanding reunification among African American mothers with histories of addiction

Child maltreatment cases involving substance abuse have increased. Estimates reveal that between 40% and 80% of all families involved with child protection have substance-abuse issues. Only 12%-20% of substance-abusing families regain custody of their children. Little is known about the factors that contribute to substance-abusing women regaining or losing custody of their children. Using the Multiple Embedded Case Study method, this study illuminates the experiences and feelings of mothers struggling to overcome addiction and highlights the main differences between women who regained custody and those who permanently lost custody of their children. In this study, 50% of the women lost custody and 50% regained custody of their children. The women who lost custody of their children tended to be in survival mode, characterized as going through the motions, engaging in acting-out behaviors, and failing to follow treatment recommendations. The women who regained custody of their children tended to thrive, characterized as having internal motivation, taking responsibility, and engaging the material. This study advances our knowledge of the factors contributing to reunification. Understanding these factors can lead to the development of practices that increase the likelihood of reunification for families struggling to overcome addiction.