La calidad de la atención educativa que reciben los menores residentes con sus madres en los centros penitenciarios españoles

Referencia de la publicación original: Jiménez Morago, J. M. (2004). La calidad de la atención educativa que reciben los menores residentes con sus madres en los centros penitenciarios españoles. Apuntes de Psicología, 22 (1), 45-59.Como parte de una investigación cuyo objetivo era estudiar el desarrollo de los niños que residen con sus madres en centros penitenciarios hasta los 3 años, se evaluó la calidad de la atención educativa de las escuelas infantiles en el interior de las cuatro Unidades de Madres dependientes de la administración penitenciaria estatal. El instrumento empleado fue la Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS), de Harms, Cryer y Clifford. Los datos revelan que la calidad de la atención educativa varía notablemente de unos centros a otros: mientras en unos casos la puntuación media puede considerarse aceptable (4 sobre un máximo de 7), en otros resulta claramente insuficiente (2,2). Los aspectos que resultan mejor valorados son la interacción en el aula y las actividades de lenguaje; por su parte, los que reciben una puntuación más baja se refieren a las rutinas de cuidados personales y a las actividades de aprendizaje. Finalmente, se comparan estas puntuaciones con las de las escuelas infantiles publicas del exterior y se realizan algunas sugerencias para mejorar las condiciones en las que se ofrecen estos programas, así como la calidad de la atención educativa que reciben estos niños y niñas.In the wider context of a investigation whose objetive was to study the development of children who live with their mothers in penitentiary centres up until three-years-old, an evaluation was carried out of the quality of educational attention offered by nursery schools within the four mothers and baby units who depend on state penitentiary administration. The instrument used was the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (Harm, Cryer, & Clifford, 1990). The data reveal that the quality of educational attention notably varies from one centre to another: while in some cases the average score can be considered acceptable (4 of a possible of 7), in others it is cleary insufficient (2,2). The aspects more highly scored were classroom interaction and language activities; on the other hand, the lowest scores were for personal care routines and learning activities. Finally these punctuations are compared with those of external public nursery schools and some suggestions are made to improve the quality and conditions in which these programs are offered to the children

La calidad de la atención educativa que reciben los menores residentes con sus madres en los centros penitenciarios españoles

Como parte de una investigación cuyo objetivo era estudiar el desarrollo de los niños que residen con sus madres en centros penitenciarios hasta los 3 años, se evaluó la calidad de la atención educativa de las escuelas infantiles en el interior de las cuatro Unidades de Madres dependientes de la administración penitenciaria estatal. El instrumento empleado fue la Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS), de Harms, Cryer y Clifford. Los datos revelan que la calidad de la atención educativa varía notablemente de unos centros a otros: mientras en unos casos la puntuación media puede considerarse aceptable (4 sobre un máximo de 7), en otros resulta claramente insuficiente (2,2). Los aspectos que resultan mejor valorados son la interacción en el aula y las actividades de lenguaje; por su parte, los que reciben una puntuación más baja se refieren a las rutinas de cuidados personales y a las actividades de aprendizaje. Finalmente, se comparan estas puntuaciones con las de las escuelas infantiles publicas del exterior y se realizan algunas sugerencias para mejorar las condiciones en las que se ofrecen estos programas, así como la calidad de la atención educativa que reciben estos niños y niñas.In the wider context of a investigation whose objetive was to study the development of children who live with their mothers in penitentiary centres up until three-years-old, an evaluation was carried out of the quality of educational attention offered by nursery schools within the four mothers and baby units who depend on state penitentiary administration. The instrument used was the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (Harm, Cryer, and Clifford, 1990). The data reveal that the quality of educational attention notably varies from one centre to another: while in some cases the average score can be considered acceptable (4 of a possible of 7), in others it is cleary insufficient (2,2). The aspects more highly scored were classroom interaction and language activities; on the other hand, the lowest scores were for personal care routines and learning activities. Finally these punctuations are compared with those of external public nursery schools and some suggestions are made to improve the quality and conditions in which these programs are offered to the children

Protective effect of supportive family relationships and the influence of stressful life events on adolescent adjustment

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal on 04 Mar 2009, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615800802082296The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the occurrence of stressful life events and internalizing and externalizing problems, and to analyze longitudinally buffering effects of supportive family relationships. To this end, 100 Spanish adolescents were studied twice, when they were in mid- adolescence (15-16 years) and two years later.They completed questionnaires regarding stressful life events, family relationships, and adolescent adjustment. Results showed that high quality parent-adolescent relationships protected boys and girls against the negative consequences of stressful life events on externaliz- ing, but not internalizing, symptoms. The adolescents who enjoyed good relationships with their parents in mid-adolescence did not increase their externalizing problems in late adolescence as consequence of the occurrence of stressful events. However, these stressors did lead to an increase in the number of externalizing problems when the family relationships were of a middle or low quality. These results highlight the important role that supportive family relationships play in the behavioral adjustment of adolescents, protecting them against some negative consequences of stressful life events, and suggest the relevance of supporting parents through resources such as parent education in order to help them to improve their relationships with their adolescents

Foster children’s attachment representations: the role of type of maltreatment and the relationship with birth family

Children in foster care are at risk of developing insecure and disorganized attachment, which is problematic for establishing new relationships in foster families. However, most previous studies have focused on attachment behaviors in young children rather than on attachment representations. We compared foster children’s attachment representations with those of a community group, analyzing also the contribution made by different factors to foster children’s attachment representations. We assessed the attachment representations of 109 children aged between 4 and 9 years (51 children in non-kin foster care and 58 community children) in southern Spain, using a narrative story stem measure. Case records information were collected for adversity and child protection variables. Foster children had fewer security and more avoidance indicators than their community counterparts, with those who had suffered more severe maltreatment scoring lower for security and higher for disorganization. Exposure to physical and emotional abuse and birth parents’ opposition to the foster placement predicted more disorganized attachment representations. Interventions with foster children should consider their heterogeneity in terms of attachment outcomes, and foster caregivers of abused children may need guidance in order to provide therapeutic caregiving.Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and the European Regional Development Fund SEJ2006-12216; PSI2010-19287; PSI2015-67757-

Las interacciones educativas de padres con hijos con deficiencias auditivas. Una revisión desde la perspectiva del estatus auditivo de los padres

En el presente artículo se realiza una revisión de las características de las interacciones educativas de padres con hijos con defi ciencias auditivas. Para ello, se distingue entre las familias en las que los padres son oyentes de aquéllas en las que los padres también padecen pérdidas de audición. El análisis de las peculiaridades de las interacciones educativas en ambos tipos de familias arroja diferencias notables, principalmente relacionadas con la calidad de la estimulación del desarrollo que se proporciona a los hijos, en líneas generales más positiva en las familias en las que padres e hijos son sordos. El factor que explica las diferencias entre ambas familias es la diferencia o similitud de estatus auditivo entre padres e hijos. Las difi cultades derivadas de la diferencia de estatus auditivo se superan cuando padres e hijos disponen de un código de comunicación común que sirve como vehículo para sus interacciones.The aim of this article is to revise the characteristics of the educational interactions of parents with children with hearing loss. For it, we distinguish among the families in those that the parents are listeners of those in those that the parents also suffer audition losses. The analysis of the peculiarities of the educational interactions in both types of families throws remarkable differences, mainly related with the quality of the stimulation of the development that is provided to the children, more positive in general lines in the families in those that parents and children are deaf. The factor that explains the differences among both families is the difference or similarity of auditory status between parents and children. The diffi culties derived of the difference of auditory status are overcome when parents and children have a common code of communication that is good as vehicle for their interactions

Comunicación, orígenes e identidad en el acogimiento familiar y residencial: el programa Viaje a mi historia

El presente artículo revisa los principales retos y necesidades que tienen los niños y niñas en el sistema de protección centrándose en la necesidad de saber acerca de su familia de origen y su situación familiar en el acogimiento familiar y residencial. Existe un considerable consenso científico y profesional acerca de la necesidad de hablar con los niños y de que una comunicación abierta, afectuosa y fluida sobre estos temas favorece su mejor adaptación. Sin embargo, diferentes estudios indican que la comunicación entre acogedores y acogidos no es una tarea fácil y que acogedores y profesionales necesitan apoyo y formación específica para abordarla adecuadamente. Al hilo de estos resultados, se exponen las líneas generales del programa Viaje a mi Historia que se lleva a cabo en la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía. Este programa ha sido diseñado con el objetivo de apoyar la tarea de acogedores y profesionales y servir de recurso en la comunicación entre acogedores y acogidos de manera que los niños y niñas puedan conocer su historia personal y familiar, las razones por la cuales están acogidos y su futuro en la medida de protección, contribuyendo así a que puedan desarrollar una identidad positiva en su paso por el acogimientoThis article reviews the main challenges and needs the children have in the protection system focusing on the need to know about their family of origin and family status in foster care and residential centres. There is considerable scientific and professional consensus today about the need to talk with children and that an open communication, caring and smooth on these issues enables a better adaptation. However, several studies show that communication between carers and children is not an easy task and, conversely, carers and professionals need support and specific training to address it properly. In line with these results, are also set out the broad lines of the program Travel to My Story carried out in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain). This program was designed with the aim to support the work of carers and professionals, as well as serve as a resource for communication between carers and children so that children can know their personal and family history, the reasons why they are in foster care or protection centres and their future in the protection measures, thus contributing to developing a positive identity on their way through the placement

Self-regulation in family foster children

This poster presents research on foster children’s capacities for self-regulation and its relation to adversity history. Children in family foster care are a vulnerable population due to their experiences of maltreatment and separation from primary caregivers. Research has shown high rates of behavioral problems and impulsivity in these children, as well as other difficulties such as poor academic adjustment. Recent theory and research advances suggest some of these problems are due to deficits in self-regulatory capacities, such as executive functions or emotion regulation. Early adversity in key developmental stages, like that suffered by many foster children, can undermine the normative development of these capacities and, consequently, their psychosocial adjustment. This study explores this topic in a sample of foster children between 4 and 8 years old who were living in non-relative foster families for at least six months in Southern Spain. We used the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia, Isquith, Guy, & Kenworthy, 2000), a widely used parent-reported questionnaire, to assess self-regulation in the foster children. The BRIEF was answered by the primary foster caregiver during a home visit. The information regarding adverse events and trajectory in the child protection services was obtained through case records in collaboration with caseworkers. The results of this study show us information about the capacities of self-regulation of children in family foster care. Due to the centrality of self-regulation in development and the fact that it remains responsive to well-designed interventions beyond early childhood, interventions for foster children and families should consider targeting this dimension to improve their outcomes

Stressful life events, resilience and adolescent adjustment

El presente estudio analizó el impacto de la ocurrencia de acontecimientos vitales estresantes en el ajuste adolescente. Con este objetivo, 101 adolescentes fueron estudiados en dos ocasiones, cuando se encontraban en la adolescencia media (15-16 años) y dos años después (17-18 años). Los participantes cumplimentaron instrumentos sobre acontecimientos vitales estresantes, relaciones familiares y ajuste adolescente. Los resultados mostraron la influencia significativa de este tipo de acontecimientos sobre la satisfacción vital, los problemas emocionales y, sobre todo, los problemas exteriorizantes. Además, la utilización de un análisis centrado en el sujeto reveló que los adolescentes resilientes (mucha adversidad y pocos problemas exteriorizantes) gozaban de relaciones familiares de mayor calidad que los adolescentes maladaptados (mucha adversidad y muchos problemas exteriorizantes). Por lo tanto, unas relaciones familiares positivas durante la adolescencia pueden ser consideradas como un factor de protección ante las consecuencias negativas de los acontecimientos vitales estresantes.This study analyses the impact of the occurrence of stressful life events in adolescent adjustment. To this end 101 adolescents were studied twice, first when they were in middle adolescence (15-16 years) and then two years later (17-18 years). Participants filled out questionnaires about stressful life events, family relationships and adolescent adjustment. The results show a significant influence of this type of events on life-satisfaction, emotional problems and, specially, on externalizing problems. Besides, the use of a person-centered analysis revealed that resilient adolescents (high adversity and few externalizing problems) had family relationships of a better quality than maladaptive peers (high adversity, many externalizing problems). So, supportive family relationships during adolescence can be considered a protective factor against the negative consequences of stressful life events.Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes BSO2022-0302

Una aproximación al bienestar infantil en el acogimiento familiar chileno

Este artículo se centra en el estudio del bienestar infantil en una muestra de 158 niños y niñas acogidos en familia extensa y externa pertenecientes a la Región Metropolitana de Chile. El instrumento central para la evaluación fueron Las Escalas de Bienestar Infantil (Magura y Moses, 1986). Los resultados muestran que en ambos tipos de familia de acogida se cubren de manera satisfactoria las necesidades básicas de los niños y niñas acogidos, aunque aún es posible mejorar en la dimensión de Disposición Parental y especialmente en el caso de las familias extensas acogedoras. Los datos también evidencian la relación existente entre el bienestar infantil y diferentes aspectos del funcionamiento familiar. La discusión destaca el papel primordial de la familia acogedora y la contribución del propio niño, pero también resalta la importancia del apoyo de otros actores del sistema ecológico del acogimiento, principalmente de los profesionales de los programas de acogida.This article is focused in the study of child welfare in a sample of 158 boys and girls in care in kinship foster family and non-relatives foster care families from Metropolitan Region of Chile. The central instrument for evaluation was the Child Well-Being Scales (Magura y Moses, 1986). The results show that in both types of foster family, the basic needs of the foster boys and girls are satisfied, although, it is still possible to improve in dimension of the Parental Disposition and especially in the case of the kinship foster families. The data also show the relationship between the child welfare and different aspects of family functioning. The discussion highlights the primary role of kinship families, the children’s contribution and also the support of other actors in the ecological system of the foster care, mainly from professionals of foster care programs

Differential associations of threat and deprivation with emotion understanding in maltreated children in foster care

Children in foster care are a remarkably heterogeneous group regarding their adaptation, and disrupted emotion understanding is one of the processes that may lead to differential outcomes in them. Previous research has found different effects for abused and for neglected children in emotion recognition. However, very few studies have analysed more complex forms of emotion understanding in maltreated children while considering different adversity dimensions. The present study analysed associations between threat and deprivation exposure and different facets of emotion understanding in a sample of maltreated children in foster care. The sample comprised 51 children from 4 to 9 years old (M = 7.07, SD = 1.63) in nonkin foster care in Spain. We used the Test of Emotional Comprehension to measure emotion understanding and maltreatment reports to measure exposure to threat and deprivation. Threat exposure predicted enhanced external emotion understanding after controlling for age, vocabulary, and deprivation, particularly understanding emotions based on desires. Deprivation predicted worse external emotion understanding. Our findings reinforce the limits of cumulative risks models for understanding foster children's developmental outcomes and the value of assessing separately adversity dimensions when possible, given the variable relations of threat and deprivation exposure with social cognitive development