A fractured journey of growth: making meaning of a ‘Broken’ childhood and parental mental ill-health

The psychopathological impact of parental mental ill-health on children is well known. However, little research explores positive and negative interpretations of such exposure in childhood, from the adult child's perspective. Using interpretative phenomenological Analysis this study sought subjective interpretations of the ‘lived’ experiences of growing up in a family with parental mental ill-health. A purposive sample of seven adult children provided data for analysis through semi-structured interviews. One superordinate theme: A fractured journey of growth to adulthood, overarched six subordinate themes. Four themes captured stigma, shame, social isolation and betrayal. Juxtaposed with this, two themes captured purposeful redefinition of self and psychological growth. This study captures the chronicity of traumatic distress and sense of betrayal experienced by these participants in childhood through unrelenting exposure to parental mental ill-health. However, despite unpredictability, fear, and neglect in childhood, they identified the emergence of inner strengths in adult life: unexpected growth in empathy and compassion, high resourcefulness, and personal authenticity through higher education. Findings highlight that positively redefining ‘self’ in adult life is possible in the aftermath of childhood trauma associated with parental mental ill-health. Implications for therapy include: (a) moving forward from childhood trauma and (b) managing ongoing family dynamics in adult-life.     

The Impact of Parental Incapacity as an Adoption Cause on the Termination of Parental Rights: An Analysis of Court Decisions

Based on an analysis of 261 court decisions, the study demonstrates how the addition of a “parental incapacity” clause as grounds for termination of parental rights (TPR) in Israeli law affected the decision-making process. Specifically, the study examines how the legal reasoning, the rate of TPR rulings, and the type of cases presented to the courts changed following the introduction of the new clause. Less emphasis on parents’ rights was found as opposed to greater emphasis on parental social normativity and a higher rate of TPR rulings based on “parental incapacity.” These findings and their implications are discussed.     

When parents love and don't love their children: some children's stories

This paper discusses a small pilot study with Anglo‐Australian children aged 6 to 8 years. The children expressed through stories of what it meant for them when parents love and care for their children, and when they do not. Themes from stories of parental love and care included: relationships, shared special times, being safe and protected, and physical affection. Stories about parents who did not love or care for their children covered themes of abandonment, isolation and sadness. The study contributes an approach that can improve professional practice with children and early outcomes showing the importance of seeking children's perspectives in decision‐making about their welfare.     

离婚亲子关系立法趋势之研究

从家族本位到子女本位、从家长权力到父母责任、从家长决定子女的命运到子女最大利益原则,发端于20世纪下半叶的亲子关系立法改革席卷全球,并带动了离婚亲子关系的立法变革,成为本世纪离婚亲子关系立法不可逆转的大趋势。尽管我国离婚亲子关系立法已经考虑到了子女利益,并以保护子女权益为己任,但这种保护仍是以家长和社会利益为视角的,没有充分考虑子女的权利和愿望,没有将他们真正作为权利主体。以"子女本位"审视我国相关法律规定和司法解释,仍然可以发现不少"父母本位"立法思想的痕迹。转变立法观念、完善离婚亲子关系立法势在必行。     

Developmental changes in mothers’ perception of knowledge,solicitation, and child disclosure during middle childhood

Parents can actively seek knowledge (solicitation) or receive information provided willingly by the child (disclosure). In adolescence, disclosure is the main source of parental knowledge, but its importance may take root earlier in the course of development. We examined: 1) the factor structure of an instrument adapted for middle childhood measuring maternal perception of knowledge, solicitation, and children's self-disclosure; 2) changes in these dimensions over middle childhood; and 3) the respective contribution of solicitation and disclosure to parental knowledge. The mothers of 793 elementary school students (61.5% boys, 80.2% Canadian-born) completed a questionnaire annually from Grades 1 to 4. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the instrument's structure at all time points. Growth curve analyses showed that mothers’ perception of knowledge slightly declined from Grades 1 to 4. With respect to mothers’ perceived parental solicitation and child disclosure, gender interactions emerged. Solicitation declined for girls but remained stable for boys, while disclosure declined for girls but increased for boys over time. In addition, mothers' perception ofdisclosure and solicitation are both main sources of maternal knowledge regardless of age and gender in middle childhood.     

Adult children of parents with mental illness: Family stigma and coping on sense of self

Family stigma is associated with persistent negative outcomes among adult children of parents with mental illness (ACOPMI). Loss of sense of self has been reported by ACOPMI; however, the role of family stigma on sense of self remains unclear. Additionally, research suggests coping behaviour (i.e. adaptive or maladaptive) influences the effect of stigmatization on sense of self. This study investigated the impact of family stigma and coping on sense of self among ACOPMI (N = 134, 63.4% female). As hypothesized, high family stigma was associated with weak sense of self (p < 0.001), and ACOPMI who endorsed adaptive coping demonstrated higher sense of self than those who coped maladaptively (p < 0.001). Further, coping moderated the relationship between family stigma and sense of self (p < 0.001). Unexpectedly, this relationship was only significant for ACOPMI with adaptive coping skills (p < 0.001). At higher levels of stigmatization, post hoc analysis revealed coping styles did not exert an influence on sense of self. Results suggest family stigma contributes to loss of sense of self among ACOPMI, with adaptive coping being protective only at lower levels of family stigma. Findings highlight the need for a systemic approach to eradicate family stigma.     

Within-family linkages between parental monitoring and adolescents externalizing problems with autonomy support as a moderator

Parents' monitoring efforts are thought to be effective in reducing children's future externalizing problems. Empirical evidence for this claim, however, is limited, as only few studies have unraveled the temporal ordering of these constructs. The present six-wave longitudinal study contributed to the existing literature by examining within-family linkages between monitoring efforts (behavioral control and solicitation) and adolescents' externalizing behaviors while controlling for between-family differences. In addition, it was assessed whether these associations differed when using child versus parent reports, differed for less versus more autonomy-supportive parents, and differed for fathers' versus mothers' monitoring efforts. Longitudinal data (six annual waves) of 497 adolescents (56.9% boys, M_age at T₁ = 13.03, SD = 0.46), their mothers (N = 495, M_age at T₁ = 44.41, SD = 4.45), and their fathers (N = 446, M_age at T₁ = 46.74, SD = 5.10) of the Dutch study Research on Adolescent Development and Relationships (RADAR) were used. Results showed no evidence for the claim that parents' monitoring efforts predict future externalizing problems. In contrast, we found some evidence for the idea that parents' monitoring efforts change in reaction to changes in externalizing problems; when adolescents reported higher levels of externalizing problems than usual in 1 year, this predicted less behavioral control from mothers in the next year. Linkages between monitoring efforts and externalizing problems did not differ between less or more autonomy-supportive parents. Overall, our findings suggest that monitoring efforts are not effective, but also not damaging, in relation to adolescents' externalizing problems.     

Developmental trajectories of positivity from mid-childhood to early adolescence: Family and school environmental predictors

This study examined the heterogeneity in positivity trajectories and the predictive roles of family and school environments (i.e., perceived parental warmth and basic psychological need satisfactions at school) from mid-childhood to early adolescence. Elementary school students in China (N = 2204, 54.9% boys, M_age = 9.47 years) completed relevant measures on six occasions, every 6 months. Latent class growth modeling revealed four heterogeneous developmental trajectories of positivity: High-Increasing (50.6%), Moderate Low-Increasing (33.2%), Low-Stable (11.0%), and High-Decreasing (5.2%). Perceived parental warmth and satisfaction of relatedness and competence needs at school significantly predicted trajectory class membership. Findings underscore the value of identifying group difference in positivity development in youth and the need for specific interventions targeting their unique characteristics.     

Parental Warmth and Developmental Change in Familism Values: Latinx Adolescents in an Emerging Immigrant Community

This study examined the developmental changes of familism values across adolescence among Latinx adolescents from an emerging immigrant community, and how changes in parental warmth were associated with changes in familism values. The sample included 547 Latinx adolescents. Multilevel model results indicated that familism values showed a linear decline from 6th to 10th grade. Between-person analyses showed that parental warmth was related to the higher initial levels of familism values but unrelated to changes in familism values. At the within-person level, on the occasions when adolescents report higher parental warmth, they also report higher familism values. This work highlights the importance of parental warmth for socializing developmental changes in Latinx adolescents' familism values in an emerging immigrant community context.     

Capital at Home and at School: A Review and Synthesis

Human, financial, and social capital from several contexts affects child and adolescent well‐being. Families and schools are among the most important, and research is increasingly studying how effects of capital across such contexts affect child and adolescent academic and social outcomes. Some research suggests that families may be more powerful than schools in promoting child and adolescent well‐being. Additional research is needed to more fully understand how capital across institutions interacts in producing child well‐being, when and why multiple institutions or levels of analysis are relevant, and how several contexts can form chains of causation. Theories of social capital may promote increased conversation among researchers who study the same outcomes yet focus their analyses on different contexts.