The Throes and Relief of Divorce

A divorce is a series of victories and losses. Everyone's lives get better if a marriage eroded by painful disagreements is dissolved. Usually, both spouses go through purgatory with various trials along their divorce. The aim of this article is to analyze what kinds of feelings a divorce excites as described by divorcees (N?=?74). What emotions do the divorcees emphasize in their divorce experience? The data were collected in the form of informal letters, in which people (71 women, 3 men) could reveal their thoughts and experiences in an open manner. The data were analyzed by content analysis and the results showed that a divorce produces emotional baggage with plenty of insecurity and uncertainty, but provides promises, challenges, and options as well. Although a divorce is a difficult experience, it cannot be blamed as such. Often after a torturous marriage, divorce is the only reasonable solution.     

Correlates of Sexual Abuse in a Sample of Adolescent Girls Admitted to Psychiatric Inpatient Care

We examined correlations of child sexual abuse among 300 adolescent girls in psychiatric inpatient treatment. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.)-based psychiatric diagnoses were obtained from the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children—Present and Lifetime and from data on family and behavioral characteristics from the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). A total of 79 girls (26.3%) had experienced child sexual abuse during their lifetime. Child sexual abuse was associated with an adolescent’s home environment, sibling status, smoking, posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis, self-mutilating behavior, and suicidal behavior. At least 62% of the perpetrators were acquaintances of the victims. Correlates of child sexual abuse can be used to identify child sexual abuse victims and persons at heightened risk for child sexual abuse.     

Micro-Genetic Development of Timing in a Child

The purpose of this study is to analyze the micro-genesis of a child’s appropriation of timing. The data consist of video observations from a primary classroom with a focus on one child (7 years old) participating in a musical activity. The results show that the teacher scaffolds the child in several steps: from establishing a platform for participation in the activity, via demonstration to explanation. The child goes from being uncoordinated with the teacher to being able to play in time with her. The meta-issue of how to represent developmental processes in research is discussed.     

Acculturation attitudes and affective workgroup commitment: evidence from professional Chinese immigrants in the Australian workplace

The Australian workforce is becoming increasingly diverse and it is important to understand the role of individuals’ acculturation attitudes in the workplace. The appreciation of the relationship between acculturation attitudes and affective workgroup commitment is critical for mangers to facilitate the performance of employees with diverse backgrounds. To gain a better understanding of this relationship, we assessed the acculturation attitudes of professional Chinese immigrants and the relationship between these attitudes and affective workgroup commitment in the Australian workplace. Our survey of a sample of 220 professional Chinese immigrants in the Australian workplace revealed that, even though many of them favor integration, the majority adopt separation and marginalization, which were found to be related with low affective workgroup commitment. This study underscored the importance of acculturation attitudes to cultivate positive job-related outcomes, and provided useful information for organizations to manage immigrant employees via effective acculturation programs.     

A 1,408 km bicycle tour with prostate cancer patients—results of a pilot study

Negative psychological and physical effects of prostate cancer and its medical treatment may persist many years after diagnosis. The influence of a long cycling tour on rehabilitative or health-related effects with prostate cancer patients has not yet been studied. In practice, physicians and therapists rarely recommend cycling to prostate cancer. In May 2010, eight prostate cancer patients rode their bikes for over 1,408 km from Cologne to Marseille within 5 weeks. Endurance test, blood examinations (prostate-specific antigen (PSA), total testosterone, interleukin-6, oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacity) and quality of life questionnaires were completed before and after the tour. All eight subjects reached Marseille. Significant improvements could be observed in physical performance and certain quality of life scores (p?=?0.008), as well as a reduction of total testosterone (p?=?0.19). PSA levels did not change. This pilot study suggests that long bicycle tours with prostate cancer patients are feasible. Due to the missing control group and the small sample size, the results of this pilot study are limited.     

Parenting stress and parenting behavior among foster mothers of foster children with externalizing problems

Foster children often have externalizing problems. Since foster parents are selected and trained, they are often expected to be able to handle the externalizing problems of these children. Very little is, however, known about foster parents' parenting stress and parenting behavior in the context of challenging foster caregiving. In this study, the parenting stress and parenting behavior of 39 foster mothers of recently placed foster children with externalizing problems were studied. By using standardized measures with normative data, foster mothers' scores on different parenting stress and parenting behavior subscales were compared to published norms. Foster mothers of children with externalizing problems experienced more parenting stress than the norm group. The parenting context, provided by these foster mothers, was similar to the parenting context provided by the norm group. The prevalence of specific dysfunctional parenting behaviors (e.g., less involvement in positive parenting) was small to moderate, but nearly half of the foster mothers could be classified as making dysfunctional adaptations to their parenting environment. Moreover, only the minority of foster mothers provided an adaptive parenting context (e.g., more than average involvement in positive parenting). The implications of these results for pre-service training and on-going support for foster parents are discussed.     

Costs and Outcomes of an Extra Care Housing Scheme in England

Extra care housing, which provides support and care for people in specially designed accommodations, has now been part of the range of housing and care services available to older people in England for several years. Currently, the United Kingdom evidence base tells us little about the financing, estimation of the costs, or burden to the public purse of housing with care. The United Kingdom has significant state welfare provision in the areas of health and social care. The objective of this in-depth case study was to investigate the cost and outcome consequences for a sample of people who moved into an extra care housing scheme in Bradford, England, and to reflect on the methodological implications for future research in this developing area. The main finding of the study was that the overall cost per person increased after a move to extra care housing, but that this increase was associated with improved social care outcomes and improvements in quality of life.     

A Comparison of Out-of-home Care for Children and Young People in Australia and Sweden: Worlds Apart?

Abstract

In this paper we present a comparative analysis of out-of-home care in Australia and Sweden. We compare the age structure of the out-of-home care population and the types of out-of-home care services provided to children and young people in both countries. Our analysis reveals that in Australia the out-of-home care service system is focused mainly on children who are deemed to be abused or neglected within their families, while in Sweden the majority of the out-of-home care population are teenagers who cannot live with their families for emotional or behavioural reasons. These population differences intersect with variations in the forms of service provision in both countries, with a much greater reliance on home-based care in Australia than in Sweden, while there is more extensive use of residential care in Sweden. We envisage that this paper will demonstrate how the age structure of the out-of-home care population, though rarely considered in international comparative child welfare research, reveals much about the assumptions on which State intervention with children and young people is based. We intend that this analysis will assist social workers to better understand and address the gaps in the quality and comprehensiveness of out-of-home care service provision to children and young people in both countries.     

Alcohol Consumption Among University Students in North Rhine–Westphalia,Germany—Results From a Multicenter Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: To assess alcohol use and problem drinking among university students in the German Federal State of North Rhine–Westphalia (NRW) and to examine the associated factors. Method: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 universities in 2006–2007 in NRW by a standardized questionnaire and 3,306 students provided information (response rate of 88%). Problem drinking was measured by the CAGE questionnaire. Results: Alcohol consumption in the last 3 months was reported by >90 % of students. About 80% reported heavy drinking, and 20% displayed problem drinking. Male students, students living in residence halls, and students from sport faculties had a higher risk of heavy drinking and problem drinking. When students were compared across study years, frequency of heavy drinking decreased with higher semesters. Conclusions: Overall, heavy drinking and problem drinking are common among university students in this sample. Intervention programs should be designed for students at a particularly high risk.     

Four‐Year‐Old Children’s Negotiation Strategies to Influence and Deal with a Primary Child Health Care Situation

In Sweden, children’s health and development are promoted through Primary Child Health Care (PCHC) visits. The children participate in these visits from their own perspective through bodily and verbal expressions. This study explores four‐year‐old children’s expressions when they as actors take part in a PCHC situation. The conceptualisation of the children’s expressions reveals various actions that exhibit their affirmative and delaying negotiation strategies to influence and deal with these situations. For PCHC nurses, these findings may encourage to view children as negotiating participants and inspire to sensitivity when inviting children and guiding them through health visits. © 2011 The Author(s). Children & Society © 2011 National Children’s Bureau and Blackwell Publishing Limited