Children in residential care in México:Understanding profiles, trajectories and outcomes

Residential care continues to be the primary child protection measure for children in Mexico given the limited access to family placements and family support programmes. Legislation regulating residential care homes was not enacted until 2014. The first census of children in care was conducted in 2015. Prior to that year, key information such as how many children were placed in residential care, who was caring after them, what kinds of living conditions they faced, and their families histories was not well documented. To date, there remains a lack of reliable information on the number of children in residential care but it is estimated to be approximately 26,000. The lack of oversight has contributed to serious violations of children's rights. This article presents an overview of residential care in Mexico, including profiles of the children, families, and professionals involved. It also outlines the residential care process and various factors involved in decision-making, with special attention to children from minoritized groups. We conclude that residential care in Mexico still presents a myriad of challenges and obstacles to providing comprehensive care for children

Factores que Influyen en el Desarrollo y Rendimiento Escolar de los Jóvenes de Bachillerato

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las variables que influyen en el aprovechamiento escolar de los jóvenes. Se configuró una batería de pruebas para medir autoeficacia, autodeterminación, autorregulación, aspectos del contexto escolar y familiar, y espiritualidad. La muestra fue de 250 estudiantes regulares de nivel medio superior. Se estimaron estadísticas univariadas, se calcularon índices y se probó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales en el que se formaron 2 factores: desarrollo positivo del joven y recurso institucional familiar. La variable de contexto escolar tuvo una influencia directa en el factor familiar y este, a su vez, en el desarrollo positivo del joven, el cual afectó directamente al promedio de los alumnos

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

To which world regions does the valence–dominance model of social perception apply?

Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov’s valence–dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov’s methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov’s original analysis strategy, the valence–dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence–dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world

Comportamiento antisocial en menores escolares e indigentes: influencia del vecindario y de los padres

The aim of this work was to analyze the influence of neighbors and parents on children’s antisocial behavior. The participants were 96 homeless children and 96 students. The instruments applied were the Scale of Antisocial Behavior (Castell, Frías, Corral & Sotomayor, 2000) and the Scales of Addictive Behavior (Reich & Herjanic, 1989; Vazsonyi, Pickering, Junger & Hessing, 2001). First univariate statistics were obtained, after a model was tested using structural equations modeling. The data showed that children’s antisocial and addictive behavior was affected by father’s antisocial behavior, mother’s addictive behavior and neighborhood. For homeless children their antisocial behavior was influenced directly by their addictive behavior and father’s antisocial behavior. For students, neighborhood, father’s antisocial behavior and children’s addictive behavior influenced on children’s antisocial behavior. In both groups the neighborhood and mother’s addictive behavior influenced directly children’s addictive behavior.Se analizó la influencia del vecindario y la familia en el comportamiento antisocial de menores. Los participantes fueron 192 menores, 96 con antecedentes de indigencia y 96 escolares no indigentes. Se administraron la Escala de Comportamiento Antisocial (Castell,Frías, Corral & Sotomayor, 2000) y las Escalas de Comportamiento Adictivo (Reich & Herjanic, 1989; Vazsonyi, Pickering, Junger & Hessing, 2001). Se calcularon frecuencias de medias, desviaciones estándar y modelamiento estructural. Los resultados mostraron que la conducta antisocial y adictiva estaba influenciada por el comportamiento antisocial del padre, el comportamiento adictivo de la madre y el vecindario. Para los menores indigentes, el comportamiento antisocial estaba directamente influido por su comportamiento adictivo y el comportamiento antisocial del padre. Para el grupo de estudiantes el comportamiento antisocial estaba influido por el vecindario, por su comportamiento adictivo y por el comportamiento antisocial del padre. Para ambos grupos el vecindario y el comportamiento adictivo de la madre influyeron directamente en el comportamiento adictivo de los mismos

REPERCUSIONES DEL MALTRATO INFANTIL EN UNA POBLACIÓN DE RIESGO

La literatura muestra que el maltrato infantil tiene efectos a corto y a largo plazo produciendo problemas de conducta, cognitivos y afectivos en las víctimas. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las consecuencias del maltrato infantil en una población en riesgo. Dos grupos constituyeron la muestra, uno de 60 adolescentes que habían sido arrestados por haber cometido algún delito y otro que fue equiparado por edad, escolaridad e ingreso. El instrumento administrado fue el de Tácticas de Conflicto que medía el abuso infantil, y violencia hacia la pareja, y el Autoreporte de Conners que evaluaba los problemas de conducta, cognitivos y afectivos de los adolescentes. Un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales fue probado y los resultados indicaron que la violencia en el hogar tenía un efecto directo en los problemas de conducta de los adolescentes

Juvenile Justice in Mexico

The first tribunal in Mexico was established in the central state of San Luis Potosi in 1926. The Law Regarding Social Prevention and Juvenile Delinquency for the Federal District and Mexican territories was promulgated in 1928. In 2005, Article 18 of the Mexican Constitution was modified to establish a comprehensive system (“Sistema Integral de justicia” in Spanish) of justice for juveniles between 12 and 18 years old who had committed a crime punishable under criminal law. Its objective was to guarantee juveniles all the due process rights established for adults, in addition to the special ones recognized for minors. The constitutional reform also provides a framework that includes special tribunals as well as alternative justice options for juveniles. With these reforms, institutionalization of minors was to be considered an extreme measure applicable only to felonies and to juveniles older than 14. In 2006, all states within the Mexican federation enacted the “Law of justice for adolescents”. This system, at both the federal and state levels, formalizes a new global paradigm with regard to the triangular relationship between children, the State and the Law. It recognizes that children are also bearers of the inherent human rights recognized for all individuals, instead of simply objects in need of protection. However, despite formally aligning Mexican juvenile justice law with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), issues of actual substantive rights remained and new ones have appeared. For example, juveniles younger than 14 who have not committed a felony are released from institutions without any rehabilitation or treatment options, and alternative forms of justice were included without evaluating their possibilities of application or their conditions for success. In addition, the economic status of most juvenile detainees continues to be one of the most important determining factors in the administration of justice. Juveniles lack real access to an adequate defense because they cannot afford to pay lawyers. This disconnection between rights and reality undermines the new system, raising the question of whether recent modifications to bring laws in line with international norms are in fact advancing juvenile justice. By approaching the Mexican juvenile justice systems as a single, multilayered system combining international, federal and local laws and procedures, we can better describe some of the substantive inconsistencies that continue to prevail, even as new ones develop in terms of children’s rights

La formación de los educadores en albergues infantiles en México. Factor de riesgo para la conducta antisocial de los niños

En México, los albergues infantiles son requeridos para garantizar niveles míni­mos de bienestar a niños(as) víctimas. En estos albergues, los educadores adquieren mucha importancia. Por esto, el objetivo general del estudio fue analizar la formación de los educa­dores de albergues infantiles y su relación con el ambiente y comportamiento antisocial de los menores. Se aplicó la Escalas ELES a 117 educadores de albergues infantiles al Norte de México y la escala Conners para Profesores a los maestros de 233 menores albergados. El modelo probado mostró que el factor Ambiente influye de manera directa y negativa sobre el de Conducta Antisocial del menor y el factor de Competencias de Educadores produce un efecto directo y positivo sobre el Ambiente. Sin embargo, las competencias del educador no afectaron directamente la conducta de los(as) niños(as), como se esperaba, sino que lo afectan de manera indirecta a través del ambient

Los efectos de la inteligencia emocional, la legitimidad y la disuasión en la conducta antisocial

Previous research suggests that antisocial and criminal behaviors are more prevalent in individuals with low emotional intelligence, as well as in those who perceive a low probability of punishment and no legitimacy of authorities. The aim of this research was to analyze the effects of emotional intelligence, deterrence (specifically, the perception of the probability of receiving a sanction), and the legitimacy of authorities on antisocial behavior in inmates compared to a control group. The group of inmates was composed of 105 adults from a Social Reinsertion Center in a city in northwestern Mexico, with a mean age of 32.03 years (SD = 8.986); and the control group was composed of 105 adults with no criminal record, with a mean age of 32.08 years (SD = 10.094). Both samples were selected by convenience. Significant differences were detected in the scales of emotional intelligence (t = -4.14, p <.001), legitimacy (t = -3.09, p ><.01), and probability of punishment (t = -4.66, p ><.001),  legitimacy (t = -3.09, p <.01) and probability of punishment (t = -4.66, p <.001). The control group presented higher emotional intelligence  (d = -0.81), higher perception of legitimacy (d = -0.60), and higher perception of probability of punishment (d = -0.90) in contrast to the inmate sample. A Structural Equations Model (SEM) showed that emotional intelligence and perceived probability of punishment influenced antisocial behavior, which indicates that emotional competences may have an impact on the fear of being sanctioned when committing certain antisocial behaviors.Investigaciones previas sugieren que las conductas antisociales y delictivas son más prevalentes en individuos que presentan una baja inteligencia emocional, así como en aquellos que perciben una baja probabilidad de sanción y una nula legitimidad de las autoridades. El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar los efectos de la inteligencia emocional, la disuasión (específicamente la percepción de probabilidad de recibir sanción) y la legitimidad de las autoridades en la conducta antisocial en reclusos en comparación con un grupo control. El grupo de reclusos estuvo compuesto por 105 sujetos provenientes de un Centro de Reinserción Social de una ciudad del noroeste de México, con una media de edad de 32.03 años (DE = 8.986); y el grupo control, por 105 adultos sin antecedentes penales, con una media de edad de 32.08 años (DE = 10.094). Ambas muestras seleccionadas por conveniencia. Los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas en las escalas de inteligencia emocional (t = –4.14, p < .001), legitimidad (t = –3.09, p < .01) y probabilidad de castigo (t = –4.66, p < .001); específicamente, la d de Cohen indicó que la muestra control presentó mayor inteligencia emocional (d = –0.81), mayor percepción de legitimidad (d = –0.60) y mayor percepción de probabilidad de sanción (d = –0.90) en contraste con la muestra de reclusos. Dentro del modelo de ecuaciones estructurales, las variables de inteligencia emocional y percepción de probabilidad de castigo influyeron en el comportamiento antisocial, lo cual indica que posiblemente las competencias emocionales podrían repercutir sobre el temor de recibir alguna sanción ante la comisión de determinadas conductas antisociales