Longitudinal analysis of the transition to adulthood of people separated from the Child and Adolescent Welfare System

INTRODUCCIÓN. La protección efectiva de la infancia y de la adolescencia en dificultad social exige la adquisición de las competencias necesarias para la asunción de una vida adulta plenamente independiente. La juventud segregada del sistema de protección se enfrenta al proceso de la emancipación inmersa en unas condiciones de especial complejidad. Las vivencias que dieron origen al expediente de protección tienen consecuencias en el itinerario vital. El fracaso escolar, las relaciones contextuales y sociales marcadas por la vulnerabilidad, y el imperativo acceso temprano al mercado laboral son factores que determinan los caminos a la emancipación. El estudio analiza los primeros meses fuera del acogimiento residencial o familiar. MÉTODO. La investigación cualitativa longitudinal, mediante observación participante en casos y entrevistas para la construcción de relatos de vida, permite realizar un seguimiento flexible durante los primeros pasos de la vida independiente. Mediante una muestra intencional, se analiza el proceso de transición de 11 personas extuteladas. Las historias de vida se construyeron con 6 jóvenes durante un periodo de 21 meses. La observación se realizó con 5 casos en una fase de 10 meses. RESULTADOS. Déficits de participación en la toma de decisiones de los asuntos de interés para los itinerarios vitales; incidencia de la formación en el acceso y mantenimiento de un empleo, ausencia de apoyos sociales, mayor adquisición de competencias para la vida independiente en los recursos especializados en la emancipación. DISCUSIÓN. El acompañamiento socioeducativo del sistema de protección tiene pendiente priorizar el entrenamiento de las competencias precisas para la autonomía en la vida adulta. La cuestión formativa es un factor decisivo para la inserción social. El acceso y permanencia en el empleo es imprescindible para una vida en condiciones dignas. Posibilitar una segunda oportunidad, con acompañamiento socioeducativo especializado, es preciso en trayectorias marcadas por la reversibilidad.INTRODUCTION. The effective protection of children and adolescents undergoing social difficulty requires that they acquire the necessary competences to achieve fully independent adulthood. Youth who are separated from the welfare system face the process of emancipation immersed in particularly complex conditions. The experiences that led to the welfare case file have certain consequences on their life itinerary. Academic failure, contextual and social relations marked by vulnerability, and compulsory early access to the labor market are factors that determine the paths to emancipation. The study analyzes the first months outside of residential or family care. METHOD. The qualitative, longitudinal investigation, using participant observation of cases and interviews to construct life narratives, allows performing a flexible follow-up during the first steps of independent life. Using an intentional sample, it analyzes the process of transition of 11 ex-tutored people. The narratives of 6 youths for during a 21-month period were constructed. The observations were carried out with 5 cases during a 10-month stage. RESULTS. Participative deficits in decisionmaking concerning issues of interest for the life itineraries; training incidents in job access and maintenance; absence of social support; greater acquisition of competences for an independent life in specialized emancipation resources. DISCUSSION. The Welfare System's socio-educational accompaniment does not yet prioritize training in the necessary competences to achieve autonomy in adulthood. The training issue is a decisive factor for social inclusion. Job access and permanence are essential to be able to live a dignified life. In reversible trajectories, it is necessary to give people a second chance, with specialized socioeducational accompaniment

The time and community dimensions in socio-educational intervention strategies with adolescents in care during the transition to adult life

The quality of protective action is related to the conditions in which the emancipation of adolescents in care occurs. The dimensions of timing and community are considered determinants for achieving the goals of the transition to adult life. The research aims to analyze which strategies professional teams use to adapt intervention times to individual needs and which scenarios of interaction with the community are facilitated during the emancipation itineraries. A qualitative investigation organized in three phases according to the grounded theory was designed. Two focus groups were carried out in which 11 professionals participated, 70 interviews in 22 longitudinal follow-ups for 12 months with young people in residential care, and eight interviews with already emancipated youth. The results indicate that professional teams use various strategies to try to minimize the impact of the deficits of the system, which provides insufficient accompaniment times. Institutional organizational design hinders the performance of community activities. It is concluded that the protection system needs to implement improvements that eliminate the deficits in the dimensions analyzed.Universidade de Vig

Effective strategies for socio-educational intervention during the process of transition to adult life of unaccompanied minors from Africa

The arrival of unaccompanied minors from Africa in Spanish territory has been a constant since the last decade of the twentieth century. This migratory phenomenon has forced the child welfare system to attend to thousands of migrant children. The transition to adult life is a decisive stage in overcoming the situation of social exclusion. This research aims to analyse which socio-educational intervention strategies are effective during the process of transition to independent living with unaccompanied minors of African origin. We designed a qualitative research according to the grounded theory, which we divided into two phases. Twenty-nine young people (26 men and 3 women) participated. In phase 1, we performed two focus groups (N = 11), and in phase 2, we conducted longitudinal follow-ups (N = 18) for 24 months through 180 interviews. The results indicate the effectiveness of designing socio-educational accompaniment, prioritizing spaces of trust from which to attain the goals of emancipation. Young people consider effective those strategies that favour their knowledge of the social, labour and legal reality of the host society, designed considering each minor's individualized situation. We concluded that professional involvement acts as a buffer, reducing the bureaucratic obstacles implemented by the Spanish government

Minors and social educators in child protection centres

La mejora del Sistema de Protección a la Infancia y Adolescencia lleva implícita el conocimiento de la percepción que los actores implicados tienen de la acción protectora. La presente investigación pretende analizar las valoraciones que adolescentes y educadores/as sociales realizan sobre las estrategias de los centros de protección de menores, en los que conviven y trabajan. Para conseguir este propósito se realizaron entrevistas y grupos de discusión, que permitieron obtener información acerca de la estancia de los/las menores en los centros de protección, de las características y funciones del personal educativo y directivo, de su participación en la vida del centro y fuera del mismo, de la promoción de la autonomía y de los apoyos facilitados por el propio Sistema de Protección.The improvement of the Protection System for Children and Adolescents must seek to know the perception of those involved in it. For this purpose, this case study has been carried out, consisting of studying the evaluations that minors and social educators carry out in the centers for the protection of minors, in which they live and work. To achieve this purpose, interviews and discussion groups were carried out, which allowed obtaining information about the stay of the minors in the centers for the protection of minors, the characteristics and functions of the educational and managerial personnel, their participation in the life of the center and outside of it, of the promotion of the autonomy of minors and of the support that the Child Protection System itself must provide children and adolescents

Good practices and opportunities for improving the socio-educational accompaniment of young people in protection during the transition to adult life

La juventud en protección se emancipa en un contexto de vulnerabilidad y con carencias de apoyo social. El acompañamiento socioeducativo que realizan los equipos profesionales es determinante para facilitar relaciones y espacios de seguridad. La intervención educativa facilita la consecución de las metas propias de la transición a la vida adulta. La presente investigación pretendió analizar buenas prácticas en el acompañamiento socioeducativo que permitan configurar un espacio educativo seguro desde el que la adolescencia en protección pueda asumir el proceso de transición a la vida adulta, así como definir líneas de mejora en el sistema de protección que faciliten que las estrategias eficaces puedan consolidarse y superar los obstáculos presentes. Se diseñó una investigación cualitativa, organizada en tres fases según la teoría fundamentada, mediante observación participante de casos (N=6), seguimientos longitudinales (N=11) y entrevistas con figuras profesionales (N=7). La muestra de jóvenes se configuró con once hombres y siete mujeres. Participaron siete educadoras sociales. En la fase uno se tomaron notas en un cuaderno de campo. En las fases dos y tres se realizaron un total de 62 entrevistas, siendo 55 con juventud egresada del sistema de protección y siete con figuras profesionales. Los resultados indicaron que las prácticas de los equipos educativos facilitaron espacios de referenciado profesional que favorecieron un escenario seguro desde el que los jóvenes asuman los extenuantes retos de la vida adulta. Se detectaron condicionantes burocráticos y organizativos del sistema de protección que dificultaron las intervenciones. La acción socioeducativa eficaz priorizó los tiempos de acompañamiento en espacios marcados por la cotidianidad de la vida diaria. Se concluyó que es preciso que los recursos residenciales adecuen la organización del trabajo a la perspectiva socioeducativa de los equipos profesionales.Youth in protection are emancipated within a context of vulnerability and lack of social support. The socio-educational accompaniment carried out by the professional teams is decisive in facilitating relationships and secure spaces. Educational intervention helps to achieve the goals of the transition to adult life. This research aimed to analyze good practices in the socio-educational accompaniment that allows creating a safe educational space from which adolescents in protection can begin the process of transition to adult life, as well as to define lines for improving the protection system to consolidate effective strategies and overcome the present obstacles. Qualitative research was designed, organized in three phases according to grounded theory, through participant observation of cases (N=6), longitudinal follow-ups (N=11), and interviews with professionals (N=7). The sample of young people comprised eleven men and seven women. Seven social educators participated. In phase one, notes were taken in a field notebook. In phases two and three, 62 interviews were conducted, 55 with young people leaving the protection system and 7 with professionals. The results indicated that the educational teams’ practices provided spaces of professional reference, promoting a safe scenario from which young people can begin the strenuous challenges of adult life. However, bureaucratic and organizational constraints of the protection system that hindered interventions were detected. Effective socio-educational action prioritized the times of accompaniment in spaces marked by ordinary daily life. It was concluded that it is necessary for residential resources to adapt the organization of work to the socioeducational perspective of the professional teams

Análisis longitudinal de la transición a la vida adulta de las personas segregadas del sistema de protección a la infancia y a la adolescencia

INTRODUCCIÓN. La protección efectiva de la infancia y de la adolescencia en dificultad social exige la adquisición de las competencias necesarias para la asunción de una vida adulta plenamente independiente. La juventud segregada del sistema de protección se enfrenta al proceso de la emancipación inmersa en unas condiciones de especial complejidad. Las vivencias que dieron origen al expediente de protección tienen consecuencias en el itinerario vital. El fracaso escolar, las relaciones contextuales y sociales marcadas por la vulnerabilidad, y el imperativo acceso temprano al mercado laboral son factores que determinan los caminos a la emancipación. El estudio analiza los primeros meses fuera del acogimiento residencial o familiar. MÉTODO. La investigación cualitativa longitudinal, mediante observación participante en casos y entrevistas para la construcción de relatos de vida, permite realizar un seguimiento flexible durante los primeros pasos de la vida independiente. Mediante una muestra intencional, se analiza el proceso de transición de 11 personas extuteladas. Las historias de vida se construyeron con 6 jóvenes durante un periodo de 21 meses. La observación se realizó con 5 casos en una fase de 10 meses. RESULTADOS. Déficits de participación en la toma de decisiones de los asuntos de interés para los itinerarios vitales; incidencia de la formación en el acceso y mantenimiento de un empleo, ausencia de apoyos sociales, mayor adquisición de competencias para la vida independiente en los recursos especializados en la emancipación. DISCUSIÓN. El acompañamiento socioeducativo del sistema de protección tiene pendiente priorizar el entrenamiento de las competencias precisas para la autonomía en la vida adulta. La cuestión formativa es un factor decisivo para la inserción social. El acceso y permanencia en el empleo es imprescindible para una vida en condiciones dignas. Posibilitar una segunda oportunidad, con acompañamiento socioeducativo especializado, es preciso en trayectorias marcadas por la reversibilidad

Socio‑educational support deficits in the emancipation of protected youth in Spain

Background: The process of transition to adult life of youth with a record of protection is crucial to overcome the difficulties to achieve an independent life. Objective: This research aims to analyze the conditions under which protected youth are emancipated, as well as the factors that facilitate emancipation. Method: A qualitative study was performed with three samples: longitudinal follow-ups with youths when they exit the system and during 12 months (N = 24); life stories of youths who have exited the child welfare system at least 2 years ago and a maximum of 5 years ago (N = 22); interviews with professionals conducting their intervention in adolescent protection resources (N = 18). Results: The results indicate that protective action is not enabling youths’ learning in normalized contexts, which negatively affects the conditions under which emancipation occurs. The experience of the protective action conditions the tendency to benefit from the post-majority socio-educational accompaniment. Conclusions: The importance of socio-educational intervention continuing during the first moments of emancipation, providing professional accompaniment to the entire collective, is highlighted

Deficits of adaptability and reversibility in the socio-educational strategy for youth in protection services during the transition to adult life

The emancipation of youth that had been protected by the public administration is crucial to overcome their situation of social difficulty as well as to break the chain of social exclusion. The qualitative aims were to analyze whether socio-educational accompaniment strategies are effective during the transition process to adulthood, as well as to detect possible deficits of the protection system in emancipation support. Longitudinal follow-ups were carried out for 36 months on 31 young people through 1436 interviews, combined with life histories of 36 youths through 108 interviews. The discourses were analyzed through naturalistic content analysis. A triangulated categorization strategy was carried out involving 2 professionals foreign to the research. The resulting categories were the basis for the debate in three discussion groups with 22 professionals who had a minimum work experience of 12 months. The results highlight that adaptability and individualized work are effective strategies in socio-educational accompaniment during emancipation. The lack of human resources and intervention time detracts from personalized attention adjusted to the needs of each case. It is concluded that the rigid bureaucratic structure of the system is designed for a process of linear emancipation and does not meet the need for socio-educational accompaniment for emancipation, characterized by reversibility

Troubling Secondary Victimization of Bullying Victims: The Role of Gender and Ethnicity

Bullying is a severe public health problem, and bystanders’ reactions are a key variable in its perpetration and maintenance. This study aimed to assess the level of secondary victimization of bullying victims as a function of the student’s sex and the victim’s category (nonnormative vs. normative) in three experimental conditions (feminine, masculine, and ethnicity) from a socioecological perspective. Specifically, two dimensions of secondary victimization were evaluated: avoidance and devaluation/blaming of the victim. A sequence of mixed-design ANOVAs was performed with a sample of 553 Spanish (53.3%) and Portuguese (46.7%) students, aged between 14 and 19 years. Results show that nonnormative victims, those who transgress feminine and masculine gender stereotypes, and those who belong to a minority ethnic group (gypsies) are avoided more than normative victims; and that boys perpetrate more secondary victimization than girls. These results reveal the situation of vulnerability suffered by adolescents who transgress the gender norm as well as those who belong to minority ethnic groups, and highlight that the motivations concealed by the secondary victimization of bullying victims originate in the group processes of identity construction and categorization that configure the boundaries of “legitimacy” and are strongly influenced by social beliefs about normative and nonnormative identities. This socioecological approach could guide prevention strategies, so generic antibullying policies that do not explicitly address biases about gender, sexual, and cultural identity can be overcome to reduce the high levels of stigma occurring in the schools through critical and culturally responsive pedagogy

Análise comparativa dos sistemas de proteção de crianças de Portugal e Galiza

Introduction: The protection system must still adapt protective action to the specific needs of youth. Literature on the issue has indicated that the administration should design policies that facilitate the integration of vulnerable youth. Objetive: To compares Galiza and Portugal's response to the needs of vulnerable children who have an administrative protection case file. Methods: A analyze of the official statistical sources of the governments of Portugal, Spain, and the autonomous community of Galicia is carried out. Results: The results show the need to reduce residential care in both countries, giving priority to fixed residence in host families, especially in the case of Portugal. The biological family in which the protective measure originated is the main destination after leaving the protection system. Conclusion: A lack in places in residential resources specialized in addressing the process of transition to adult life are noted.Introdução: O sistema de proteção deve ser adaptado às necessidades específicas de dois jovens. Investigações anteriores indicam conveniência da administração de traçar políticas que facilitam a integração. Objetivo: Comparar as respostas que Galiza e Portugal dão às necessidades das crianças em situação de vulnerabilidade enquadradas no sistema de proteção. Métodos: Realizou-se uma análise das fontes estatísticas oficiais dos governos de Portugal, Espanha e da comunidade autónoma da Galiza. Resultados: Apontam a necessidade de reduzir, em ambos os países, o acolhimento residencial, priorizando a permanência nas famílias de acolhimento, especialmente no caso de Portugal. A família biológica, na qual a medida de proteção teve origem, é o principal destino após a saída do sistema proteção. Conclusão: Verificaram-se ainda défices de vagas nos recursos residenciais especializados em trabalhar o processo de transição para vida adulta.Introducción: El sistema de protección debe adaptar la actuación protectora a las necesidades específicas de la juventud. Las investigaciones previas vienen indicando la conveniencia de que la administración diseñe políticas que faciliten la integración. Objetivo: Compara la respuesta que Galicia y de Portugal dan a las necesidades de la infancia vulnerable que cuenta con expediente administrativo de protección. Métodos: Se realiza un análisis de las fuentes estadísticas oficiales de los gobiernos de Portugal, España y de la comunidad autónoma de Galiza. Resultados: Los resultados muestran la necesidad de reducir en ambos países el acogimiento residencial priorizando la permanencia en familias de acogida, especialmente en el caso de Portugal. La familia biológica en la que tuvo origen la medida de protección es el principal destino tras la salida del sistema de protección. Conclusión: Se constatan déficits de plazas en los recursos residenciales especializados en trabajar el proceso de transición a la vida adulta