The Relationship of Parental Alcoholism and Family Dysfunction to Stress Among College Students

Abstract

The relationship between collegiate adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and adult children from dysfunctional families (ACDFs) was examined to determine whether ACOAs and ACDFs were at greater risk of stress than non-ACOAs and non-ACDFs. The participants were 549 students from a midwestern university. The data collection instruments were the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, 6-Item Version (CAST-6); the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales, Version II (FACES-II); and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). A substantial proportion of the sample was classified as ACOA, ACDF, or both, and there was considerable overlap between the two groups. Both ACOA and ACDF status were found to be significant predictors of stress, with ACDF status being a better predictor than ACOA status. Possible explanations for the results and implications for collegiate wellness programs are discussed.     

Effects of a Differential Observing Response on Intraverbal Performance of Preschool Children: A Preliminary Investigation

Axe (2008) speculated that some instances of intraverbal responding might be associated with limited or delayed acquisition because they require discrimination of multiple components of verbal stimuli. Past studies suggest that acquisition of responses under control of complex, multicomponent antecedent stimuli (e.g., conditional or compound stimulus control) can be facilitated with the introduction of a differential observing response (DOR; Dube & McIlvane, 1999; Gutowski, Geren, Stromer, & Mackay, 1995). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a DOR (i.e., repeating the question) on intraverbal responding with six neurotypical preschool children. Findings included that (a) accuracy of intraverbal performance increased when the experimenter prompted a DOR; (b) 1 of 6 participants overtly emitted the DOR for a second relation in the absence of prompts, which was correlated with increased accuracy; and (c) following mastery, response accuracy was variable for 3 participants. Based on these findings, prompted DORs may offer an effective, if temporary, aid to intraverbal instruction for neurotypical preschool children.     

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     

Inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream child development research

This study investigated whether children with disabilities are excluded from mainstream child development research. Fifteen per cent of 533 articles from Child Development and Developmental Psychology (1996–2010) were randomly selected. The exclusion rate was 89.9% when no mention of participants with disabilities was interpreted as exclusion and 66.7% when only studies mentioning disabilities were surveyed; 74% of studies did not provide justification for exclusion. Most studies could have included children with disabilities. Inclusion could be increased by adopting universal design principles and accommodations so that more children with disabilities can gain equal access to research opportunities and the benefits that accrue.     

中国流浪儿童研究问题视角的解构与建构

20世纪90年代以来,我国开始了关于流浪儿童的研究。过去的研究报告中全面探索了我国流浪儿童的现状及成因,并从各个角度提出了建议与对策。在进步的同时,我们也必须看到流浪儿童的问题依然存在,关于流浪儿童的研究也存在着一定的趋势与着重点,即聚焦于“问题视角”。而总是采用“问题视角”去研究流浪儿童本身就是对流浪儿童价值的否定。本文从近年来的流浪儿童研究中关于其内容、特征等方面中存在的“问题视角”人手进行梳理,以后现代主义理论来解构现有的研究取向,并以优势视角来重新建构解决流浪儿童问题的新路径。     

Adverse events reporting—the tip of an iceberg*

The right not to know personal health-related information has been included in prominent human rights documents and subsequently in national legislation since the middle of the 1990s. Apart from situations where another life is at stake, the right not to know has in these documents been formulated as if it should have precedence over other interests. This article argues against giving the right not to know such a prominent position. It does so by questioning the ethical relevance of the concept for both theoretical and empirical reasons. The main focus of the article is on empirical data from a prospective population screening for Type 1 diabetes. Data indicate that research participants are not as autonomous as is generally assumed by the defenders of the right not to know.     

Integrating Process Interventions into a School-Based Curriculum Group

ABSTRACT

Manualized approaches are widely used in work with aggressive, impulsive, and oppositional behaviors to improve their peer relations, school behavior, and interactions with adults, including their teachers. When group-work principles and interventions are not applied to the live spontaneous group situations that arise, however, workers miss opportunities to further help members understand, incorporate, and practice the very behaviors being offered in the curriculum. This article describes a curriculum-based group experience and the successes and limitations of the work that was done and identifies areas in which the integration of more traditional group process interventions could have increased the effectiveness of the cognitive-behavioral curriculum-oriented approach.     

Threads across the world: sewing resilience into the fabric of children’s lives

Strengthening the ecological resilience factors in the lives of children that have been abused can help them to navigate the healing process. It is through group work that children can share their “resilience wisdom” with one another as a healing community. There is a dearth of research on cross-cultural resilience programs for children who have been abused. This article explores a group work program that was conducted for one year in Bolivia and Australia. The results from each group reveal the similarities and the differences in outcomes between children from different cultural backgrounds that participated in a resilience group work program.     

Street Gangs,Migration and Ethnicity by van Gemert,F., Peterson,D., & Lien,I.-L. (Eds.)

This article describes two convergent group programs for children in care that aimed to develop resilience. Both preventative-type programs reflected the current focus on strengths-based approaches and resilience within child protection/welfare. They used arts-based and experiential methods to facilitate the learning of a variety of skills including social and coping skills, mindfulness, and emotional awareness. The programs were suitable and feasible and appeared to have benefits, could accommodate diversity, were cost effective, and could be facilitated by a wide variety of practitioners. Too many children in care are falling between the cracks. Communities should consider how relevant and meaningful services can feasibly be offered to children in care.     

Grandparent Caregivers

Abstract

Currently, one-fifth of Americans over age 65 have no children. Demographic predictions estimate that almost one-third of the baby-boom generation, when they reach age 65, will have no children. Given the extensive supportive roles played by adult children, this increase in adults without children has implications for social policy and social work practice. Social integration patterns are examined among four groups: no children (N = 237), no proximal children (N = 436), one proximal child (N = 701), and two or more proximal children (N = 531). Findings show elders without children are older, female, black, unmarried, living alone with lower incomes and more physical health problems than their counterparts. Differences between groups were found in family, confidant and mutual support dimensions of social networks.