Does multicultural education affect bachelor of social work students' attitudes? The Taiwanese case of female Southeast Asian marriage immigration

In the past two decades, intra‐Asia cross‐border marriage immigration has become a significant phenomenon. This study collected questionnaire data from Bachelor of Social Work students (n = 1,232) in Taiwan to explore the influences of multicultural education, intergroup contact experience, and demographic characteristics on students' attitudes toward female Southeast Asian marriage migrants. Regression analysis revealed that students' attitudes are improved by direct contact with female Southeast Asian marriage migrants but are not correlated with students' demographic characteristics. Although pre‐college multicultural education improves students' attitudes, college‐level multicultural education adversely affects the attitudes of students who perform poorly in multicultural courses. These findings have valuable implications for social work educators.     

Do Young Children's Representations of Discipline and Empathy Moderate the Effects of Punishment on Emotion Regulation?

This study examined whether children's representations of parenting (perceptions of authoritative discipline and empathy) moderated the association between harsh punishment—including corporal punishment (CP) and verbal punishment (VP)—and children's emotion regulation at the age of five years. Participants were 559 low‐income mother‐child dyads. Maternal self‐reports and home observations were used to measure punishment. Children's representations were assessed using the MacArthur Story Stem Battery. Children's emotion regulation was assessed by observer rating via the Leiter International Performance Scale–Revised. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that children's authoritative disciplinary representations moderated the effects of both VP and CP on children's emotion regulation. Empathic representations moderated the effects of VP only on children's emotion regulation. The current findings highlight the role of children's internal representations as potential protective factors in the context of harsher forms of punishment.     

Gender and Cultural Adaptation in Immigrant Families

The study of immigration and immigrants' experiences benefits from examining the contribution of gender. In this article, we focus on the importance of gender for understanding different aspects of family functioning. Conditions associated with immigration and settlement in the receiving society may challenge expectations about gender-related roles, resulting in the renegotiation of these roles in immigrant families. Also, there is evidence of different socialization demands on daughters compared to sons in immigrant families, a difference that has potential implications not only for parent-child relationships, but also for the development of ethnocultural identity among adolescents and young adults.     

How do journalists leverage Twitter? Expressive and consumptive use of Twitter

This study examined factors that affect journalists’ Twitter use behaviors based on the framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). A survey of Korean journalists supported that TPB is a useful theoretical framework for understanding journalists’ Twitter use behaviors. This study found that three TPB variables – positive attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control – are positively associated with journalists’ general Twitter use (i.e., time spent using Twitter). More importantly, beyond looking at journalists’ general Twitter use, this study expands the literature by distinguishing between expressive Twitter use (e.g., tweeting messages) and consumptive Twitter use (e.g., reading others’ tweets). Results showed that journalists’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls were associated differently depending on patterns of expressive and consumptive Twitter usage. Given the role of professional journalists in society, their ways of using Twitter may have a profound impact on the ecology of journalism. Contributing to the literature of the theory of planned behavior by extending its explanatory power to professional journalists’ Twitter usage, the results of this study suggest that future research on journalists’ Twitter use should pay more attention to how Twitter is employed within the journalistic context.     

Father's involvement in the lives of children in foster care

Limited understandings exist about non‐resident fathers' views of their involvement with their children in foster care placements. Guided by the ecological systems framework, the purpose of this exploratory study was to gain insights into fathers' perceptions of their involvement with a child in foster care. Data were collected from demographic questionnaires and two focus groups with 17 men. Fathers expressed how kinship compared with non‐kinship placements affected their involvement. Fathers were also in agreement that their financial hardships were a significant factor affecting their involvement. Several fathers also reported how they experienced discrimination in the child welfare system as men. Surprisingly, uncommon to findings from other studies, few men viewed the child's mother as being a barrier to their involvement. The findings provide insights into factors requiring attention to help non‐residential fathers become involved with their children.     

Poverty,income inequality and externalised problem behaviours of children: an empirical study in Korea

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the effects of neighbourhood poverty and income inequality on children's externalised problem behaviours in Korea. For the analysis, we used the National Survey of Children and Youth data and employed a multilevel analysis method. The results show that income inequality level of a community is a significant factor in increasing children's externalised problem behaviours. When controlled for income inequality, poverty itself was not significantly related to the level of children's externalised problem behaviours. We provide social welfare practice and policy implications of the findings in the paper.     

The Effects of Parenting Stress,Perceived Mastery,and Maternal Depression on Parent–Child Interaction

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to test a model that delineated the interrelationships among parenting stress, perceived mastery (defined as the belief that one's life chances are under one's own control), maternal depression, and parent–child interaction. A secondary data analysis of the Fragile Family and Child Well-Being Study was conducted, using a sample of 2,650 mothers. Results suggest that parenting stress undermines one's sense of perceived mastery which, in turn, resulted in depression. Moreover, the results also indicated that parenting stress directly affected maternal depression and parent–child interaction. There was no support for the hypothesis that parenting stress undermines one's sense of perceived mastery which, in turn, resulted in depression, which affected one's parent–child interaction. Implications of these findings for professionals working with mothers of young children are discussed. Future research should test this model using other forms of parenting behavior.     

Paternal and Household Characteristics Associated With Child Neglect and Child Protective Services Involvement

ABSTRACT

This study examined the association of paternal and household characteristics with household-level measures of child neglect and Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement, measured when the index child was 5 years of age. Secondary analyses of the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study were conducted using a subsample of 1,089 residential, biological fathers. Logistic regression models indicated that paternal depression was associated with greater than doubled odds of child neglect and CPS involvement. Paternal alcohol use and parenting stress were associated with approximately 50% increased odds for child neglect, and a scale measuring 13 caregiving tasks to reflect positive father involvement with the child was also associated with less risk for child neglect. However, paternal alcohol use, parenting stress, and positive involvement with the child were not associated with CPS involvement. An implication of this study is that paternal psychosocial functioning is important to consider in conjunction with sociodemographic factors when examining maltreatment risk in two-parent families.