Resource use of rural low-income families caring for children with disabilities

The Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, Pub.L. 104-193 (PRWORA) was passed creating the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Since the passage of PRWORA, many families were able to leave the welfare rolls while those remaining on welfare were likely composed of families facing barriers to leaving, such as caring for children with disabilities. This project addresses the gaps in knowledge regarding low-income families caring for children with disabilities by conducting qualitative research investigating the resources used by these families to find and keep employment and child care. The study used a sample from a research project entitled ‘Rural Families Speak’ and examined the data of 26 families caring for children with disabilities. Analysis resulted in policy recommendations for increasing the efficacy of the programs designed to help these families.     

生殖健康与中国人口发展

生殖健康概念自提出以来,已引起各国的广泛关注。中国自70年代实行计划生育,90年代引入生殖健康概念,对中国人口发展产生了深刻影响。但生殖健康不等于计划生育,只有正确理解二者的关系,才能在不断提高广大人民群众的生殖健康前提下,促进中国人口的健康发展。     

亲子类节目对流动儿童家庭教育的启示

如今流行的亲子类节目试图寓教于乐,并为此而颇受大众欢迎,其呈现的场景与流动儿童家庭教育的状况在父母角色的缺失、亲子对陌生情景的不同理解、儿童较强的独立选择、亲子社会交往边缘感知的不同等方面相类似。流动儿童教育环境的改善需要政府、社会、家长等各方面的合力,而家庭教育理念则可以借助于亲子类节目的普及来进行一定引导。此类节目尤其有助于流动儿童家长教育理念的革新、家庭教育氛围的营造。     

家庭背景、班级情境与青少年的跨群体交往

通过分析“中国教育追踪调查”（CEPS）数据,本文考察了家庭背景和班级情境对流动儿童和本地儿童跨群体交往的影响。研究发现,家庭社会经济地位对流动儿童的跨群体交往具有积极作用,但本地儿童的家庭社会经济地位越高,跨群体朋友数量反而越少。总体而言,班级异质性与学生的跨群体朋友数量之间呈倒“U”型关系,但随着班级异质性的上升,流动儿童的跨群体朋友数量呈下降趋势,本地儿童则正好相反。所属群体跨群体社会交往越多,学生拥有的跨群体朋友数量越多,并且这种积极作用对本地儿童的影响更大。而外部群体的封闭性越强,学生跨群体朋友数量就越少,并且这种消极作用对流动儿童更强。最后还发现,上述班级情境影响效应的群体性差异主要存在于本地儿童数量占优势的班级。     

Generalized Leverage and its Applications

The generalized leverage of an estimator is defined in regression models as a measure of the importance of individual observations. We derive a simple but powerful result, developing an explicit expression for leverage in a general M -estimation problem, of which the maximum likelihood problems are special cases. A variety of applications are considered, most notably to the exponential family non-linear models. The relationship between leverage and local influence is also discussed. Numerical examples are given to illustrate our results     

Gaining knowledge about parental mental illness: how does it empower children?

This study examined the utility of a digital video disc (DVD) intervention, designed to educate children, whose parents have depression and/or anxiety. Twenty‐nine children completed pre‐ and post‐DVD exposure questionnaires, on mental health knowledge and help seeking, and 18 were interviewed about their experiences and use of the DVD. Post‐DVD, children's knowledge of mental illness improved. The DVD also challenged mental illness misconceptions. Most children preferred watching the DVD with a parent. The study explains how children utilize information about mental illness.     

Children taken into care and custody and the ‘troubled families’ agenda in England

Children taken into care and custody are arguably the most vulnerable and problematic groups within the wider debate and responses developing to the ‘troubled families’ agenda in England. They represent what the state most wants to avoid when it intervenes in the life of a family. This paper is based on an analysis of the service involvement and needs of the 196 children taken into care or custody over a 3‐year period (2008–2011) in one city local authority in England. The research was undertaken to inform the response to prevention of entry into care and custody which was the original focus of the most intensive part of the troubled families programme in the city. Interviews with 10 senior professionals from a range of agencies involved in setting up this local programme, explored the way the emerging troubled families agenda was shaping ideas about the understanding of and response to the needs of these children and their families. Key findings of the study illustrate the range and complexity of need as well as the sequence and amount of agency involvement. Professionals were often critical of the thinking behind the troubled families agenda, but were positive and creative about new ways of working with these families.     

Social work and the shadow father: lessons for engaging fathers in Northern Ireland

The legislative framework of social work practice has consistently highlighted the need to work in partnership with parents, with far‐reaching implications for families. However, the importance of engaging fathers in social work practice is an issue that has received limited attention within academic debate and research. A research study undertaken across six family centres, investigated paternal involvement in family centre social work in Northern Ireland. The study involved 46 semi‐structured interviews with social workers, fathers and mothers. This paper presents the views of 22 social workers on the barriers to paternal involvement in family centre interventions. A range of factors were identified which served to inhibit or promote engagement of fathers. There were substantially more deterrents than promoters, a clear indicator of the problematic nature of paternal involvement. The findings highlight that both attitudes and practices of social workers influence the engagement of fathers. Recommendations drawn from the findings are presented for the development of father – inclusive social work practices and research.     

Consequences of Domestic Violence against Women: Some Reflections from Rural Bangladesh

The aim of this study was to explore the consequences of domestic violence against rural Bangladeshi women. Drawing on in‐depth qualitative phenomenological interviews with 39 female victims of domestic violence from 8 rural settings of the Netrokona and Mymensingh districts, it was found that domestic violence not only causes serious consequences to the overall health and wellbeing of victims, it also causes negative impacts to their children and family members. For victims, consequences were physical, sexual, reproductive, psychological, and economic. For the children of the victims, consequences were mostly behavioral and psychological, while for family members of the victims, consequences were mainly economic and psychological. This study has significant academic implications because it could trace the consequences of domestic violence in a three dimensional manner. Based on empirical findings, this study proposes policy recommendations, such as campaigning against domestic violence and the proper implementation of laws related to domestic violence.     

Religion and parenting: ignored relationship?

Even though the social work profession has been increasingly sensitized to the spiritual needs of those that they are working with, recent history has demonstrated that professionals lack the knowledge and skills needed for understanding those who are subscribing to strong religious beliefs. The research reported in this paper draws on a qualitative study that examined the perceived caregiving practice of parents from the Seventh‐day Adventist faith community associated with the conservative Protestant sub‐culture. Twenty‐five participants aged 20–50 were invited to recall their experiences of being reared by practicing Adventist parents in the UK. An integrative phenomenological analysis yielded a number of themes that shed light on the relationship between religion and parenting. This paper will focus on the three key ideas that emerged: parenting was influenced by beliefs that parents held; a combination of warm and strict parenting was found with some evidence of stricter upbringing amongst black respondents; responses to parenting reported varied between acceptance and discomfort. The study gave valuable insight into individuals' experiences of a religious upbringing received within a secular environment.