The impact of child support on cognitive outcomes of young children

We use the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Child data to address three questions. First, does the receipt of child support have beneficial effects for children with absent fathers apart from increasing income? Second, do the effects of child support differ when child-support awards and payments are made cooperatively as opposed to being court ordered? Third, are any positive effects of child support solely a product of unmeasured differences among fathers and families? Controlling for the socioeconomic characteristics of the child and family, we find some evidence that receipt of child support has a positive impact on children’s cognitive test scores over and above its contribution to total income. However, the effects vary by test, by race, and by reason for Father’s absence. Our results also indicate that the distinction between cooperative and noncooperative awards is important. Finally, our instrumental variables estimates show that the effects of child support persist after we control for unobserved characteristics of fathers and families.     

Common Factor Analysis versus Principal Component Analysis: A Comparison of Loadings by Means of Simulations

Common factor analysis (CFA) and principal component analysis (PCA) are widely used multivariate techniques. Using simulations, we compared CFA with PCA loadings for distortions of a perfect cluster configuration. Results showed that nonzero PCA loadings were higher and more stable than nonzero CFA loadings. Compared to CFA loadings, PCA loadings correlated weakly with the true factor loadings for underextraction, overextraction, and heterogeneous loadings within factors. The pattern of differences between CFA and PCA was consistent across sample sizes, levels of loadings, principal axis factoring versus maximum likelihood factor analysis, and blind versus target rotation.     

Parental reaction towards radicalization in young people

This paper focuses on radicalization from a parenting perspective; we propose an approach that sees radicalization as a possibility in adolescent development, and as part of the interaction with the adolescent's social environment and socialization. The aim of the study is to discover how parents react when their adolescent develops extreme ideals. Using 55 in‐depth interviews with young people who have extreme ideals and their parents, the parental reactions towards these ideals are explored. Subsequently, the reactions are categorized according to two dimensions (control and support). This study shows how parents struggle when confronted with radicalization and shift to less demanding responses due to powerlessness, dissociation and parental uncertainty.     

Neighborhood disadvantage, network social capital, and depressive symptoms

Research on why neighborhood disadvantage matters for health focuses on the capacity of neighborhoods to regulate residents' behavior through informal social control. The authors extend this research by conducting a multilevel analysis of data from a 1995 telephone survey of 497 residents of 32 neighborhoods in a U.S. city. The authors find that network social capital mediates the contextual effect of neighborhood disadvantage on depressive symptoms and that health effects of network social capital persist when perceived neighborhood disorder, a standard indicator of low informal social control, is controlled for. The findings demonstrate the value of a conceptualization and measurement of network social capital that (1) considers ties that transcend neighborhood boundaries, (2) investigates health benefits of network social capital in the forms of closure and embedded support resources and range and embedded instrumental resources, and (3) uses network data on specific network members with strong and weak ties to respondents.     

Mental health of the oldest-old

As more individuals live past age 100, it is important for health professionals to better understand characteristics important to the mental health of the oldest-old in our society. Few studies have been conducted on mental health in this group, but current literature suggests these individuals are very resilient with respect to mental health and life satisfaction, despite their health disadvantages. In interviews in a variety of studies, participants talked of the importance of both inner and outer resources for empowerment. Greater understanding of mental health in aging can inform policy makers as they draft new legislation and programs to enhance quality of life for the oldest-old.     

Caring for older adults with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a recurrent, chronic mental illness that has a profound impact on the lives of patients and their families and may require extensive use of mental health services. Although bipolar disorder is often considered an illness of young people, the disorder is being recognized as more common in older adults than previously thought. Much more research needs to be done to understand the impact of aging on the course and treatment of bipolar disorder. Evidence-based interventions for treatment of this disorder in older adults must be developed. Mental health nurses can play a key role in enhancing medication adherence, implementing structured psychosocial interventions, and carrying out research to enhance diagnosis and treatment of older adults with bipolar disorder.     

The UNCRC and Social Workers' Relationships with Young Children

In the UK, The Munro Review of Child Protection (2010, 2011a, 2011b) has recently highlighted that among the failings in safeguarding children known to social services is the lack of meaningful relationships between social workers and children. In her final report, Munro (2011b) has made recommendations for a more child‐centred system anchored on two themes – the child's journey and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This article illustrates by way of practical examples how the UNCRC, together with the detailed advice and guidance contained in the UNCRC general comments numbers 5, 7 and 12, provides the best framework for developing effective social work relationships with, and safeguarding, young children. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Citing Literature

Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 14

• Robert B Porter, Recording of Children and Young People’s Views in Contact Decision-Making, The British Journal of Social Work, 10.1093/bjsw/bcz115, 50 , 6, (1796-1815), (2019). Crossref
• Ercüment Erbay, Ertu?rul Hatipo?lu, Sosyal Hizmet Uzmanlar?n?n Gerçekle?tirdikleri Mesleki Uygulamalarda ve Ald?klar? Kararlarda Çocuklar?n Kat?l?m Hakk?n? Dikkate Alma Durumlar?, OPUS Uluslararas? Toplum Ara?t?rmalar? Dergisi, 10.26466/opus.538109, (2019). Crossref
• Cheryl McCormack, Marie Gibbons, Caroline McGregor, An Ecological Framework for Understanding and Improving Decision Making in Child Protection and Welfare Intake (Duty) Practices in the Republic of Ireland, Child Care in Practice, 10.1080/13575279.2019.1685464, (1-17), (2019). Crossref
• Paul McCafferty, Implementing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Child Protection Decision-Making: a Critical Analysis of the Challenges and Opportunities for Social Work, Child Care in Practice, 10.1080/13575279.2016.1264368, 23 , 4, (327-341), (2017). Crossref
• Joe Duffy, Mary Collins, Sook Hyun Kim, Linking family engagement with a rights perspective: macro factors influencing practice, European Journal of Social Work, 10.1080/13691457.2016.1255925, 21 , 1, (45-60), (2016). Crossref
• Jo Dillon, Daz Greenop, Mel Hills, Participation in child protection: A small-scale qualitative study, Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice, 10.1177/1473325015578946, 15 , 1, (70-85), (2015). Crossref
• Michele Cascardi, Cathy Brown, Svetlana Shpiegel, Ariel Alvarez, Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going? A Conceptual Framework for Child Advocacy, SAGE Open, 10.1177/2158244015576763, 5 , 1, (215824401557676), (2015). Crossref
• Karmen Toros, Michael C. LaSala, Marju Medar, Assessment of Children in Need in a Post-Soviet Context: Reflections of Child Protective Workers in Estonia, Journal of Family Social Work, 10.1080/10522158.2015.1065458, 18 , 4, (267-287), (2015). Crossref
• G.G. van Bijleveld, C.W.M. Dedding, J.F.G. Bunders-Aelen, Seeing eye to eye or not? Young people's and child protection workers' perspectives on children's participation within the Dutch child protection and welfare services, Children and Youth Services Review, 10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.09.018, 47 , (253-259), (2014). Crossref
• Julie Ridley, Cath Larkins, Nicola Farrelly, Shereen Hussein, Helen Austerberry, Jill Manthorpe, Nicky Stanley, Investing in the relationship: practitioners’ relationships with looked‐after children and care leavers in Social Work Practices, Child & Family Social Work, 10.1111/cfs.12109, 21 , 1, (55-64), (2013). Wiley Online Library
• Sara Johnsdotter, European Somali Children Dumped? On families, parents, and children in a transnational context, European Journal of Social Work, 10.1080/13691457.2013.844682, 18 , 1, (81-96), (2013). Crossref
• C. Larkins, J. Ridley, N. Farrelly, H. Austerberry, A. Bilson, S. Hussein, J. Manthorpe, N. Stanley, Children's, Young People's and Parents' Perspectives on Contact: Findings from the Evaluation of Social Work Practices, British Journal of Social Work, 10.1093/bjsw/bct135, 45 , 1, (296-312), (2013). Crossref
• Karmen Toros, Anne Tiko, Koidu Saia, Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia, Children and Youth Services Review, 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.03.011, 35 , 6, (1015-1022), (2013). Crossref
• Jane V. Appleton, Peter Sidebotham, Making an Impact for Children, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.1208, 20 , 6, (391-394), (2011). Wiley Online Library

Volume 20 , Issue 6 November/December 2011

Pages 395-406