Psychological implications of childhood meatotomies

This paper informs clinicians about the nature of childhood meatotomies, and presents two cases which suggest that the presence of a meatotomy in the developmental history of male clients should alert clinicians to the potential significance of particular body damage fears and body integrity issues in the client.     

Substance use and other factors associated with child welfare case duration: Looking beyond out of home care

Little is known about factors associated with child welfare case duration. Understanding factors associated with case duration may help stakeholders make more informed decisions about funding and service allocation and improve compliance with federal law. This study had two research questions: (1) What factors are associated with child welfare case duration? And (2) Do factors differ depending on whether children were placed exclusively with parents or with others (e.g. relatives and foster care) during the case? The study sample consisted of families (N = 874) with co-occurring child maltreatment and substance use in one midwestern state in the United States between 2007 and 2016. Linear regression models were used to identify correlates of case duration while controlling for child placement status. Overall, having a child under 1 year of age, benzodiazepine use, methamphetamine use and injection drug use were all associated with longer case duration, whereas marijuana use with no other substance use was associated with shorter case duration. Additionally, factors associated with case duration differed based on child placement status during the case. These findings suggest important heterogeneity in families involved with child welfare services and may allow for proactive mitigation of cases at greater risk.     

Kids' Club Letters: Narrative Tools for Stimulating Process and Dialogue in Therapy Groups for Children and Adolescents by DeGangi,G. A., & Nemiroff,M. A.

The benefits of assertion training have been well documented, but this approach to helping people become more effective in obtaining their rights has largely been confined to work with the middle class. In this presentation of a six-session workshop, the principles and techniques of assertion training are applied to the particular needs of public welfare clients. Specific exercises involving the use of behavior rehearsal, coaching or prompting, model presentation, and homework have been designed for use in training clients in assertion skills. This application of assertion training has been developed with a workshop format, but the exercises can be used selectively and integrated with other treatment approaches.     

Double jeopardy: Child maltreatment and mental retardation

The multiple associations between child abuse and neglect and mental retardation are reviewed. These include: (1) mental retardation as an etiological risk factor for child maltreatment; (2) mental retardation as a result of child maltreatment; and (3) mental retardation of a parent as an etiological risk factor for a child's maltreatment. Implications and recommendations for social work practice and research are discussed.     

A Review of: “Information and Communication Technologies for Active Ageing: Opportunities and Challenges for the European Union”

This article discusses conceptual, methodological, and ethical challenges of using e-mail to study families and offers strategies to address them. Specifically, the unique nature of issues related to sampling and data collection are addressed. Suggested adjustments and strategies include the use of insiders' consultation, securing opportunities for all family members to voice their views, creating paths for expressing content typically conveyed nonverbally, letting respondents control the pace and shape of the dialogue, creating a virtual shared reality and informing participants about measures to protect their privacy. Directions for future research are offered.