Childhood Predictors of Adult Criminality: A Meta-Analysis Drawn from the Prospective Longitudinal Literature

Sufficient research now exists in the psychology of criminal conduct literature to address the long-term impact of early childhood and adolescent experiences on later adult outcomes. In the present meta-analysis, selected studies were prospective and longitudinal, tracking a variety of early childhood and family factors that could potentially predict later involvement in the adult criminal justice system. Thirty-eight studies met the selection criteria. Major findings indicate that dynamic versus static predictors are related to later adult criminal justice involvement. The older the child was at the time the predictor was measured, the stronger was the relationship to adult offending. Within the set of dynamic predictors, childhood and adolescent factors that rate most highly include a variety of behavioural concerns including early identification of aggression, attentional problems, motor restlessness, and attention seeking. Emotional concerns consistent with depression including withdrawal, anxiety, self-deprecation, and social alienation are also represented. Predictors also included family descriptors such as a variety of negative parenting strategies including coerciveness, authoritarian behaviours, lack of child supervision, and family structure variables such as witnessing violence, inter-parental conflict, family stressors, and poor communication. Results are discussed in relation to prevention strategies for targeted services that influence the probability of antisocial outcomes for children into adulthood

Comparing the Experiences and Withdrawal Considerations of Treatment and Regular Foster Care Parents: The Canadian Perspective

This study investigated differences in the experiences of Canadian foster parents providing regular and treatment foster care and their consideration to withdraw from their position. Survey responses from 852 foster parents were analyzed subsequent to separating the participants into two groups based on the primary type of care they provided (regular N = 454; treatment N = 398). Results revealed that treatment foster care parents considered withdrawing at a higher rate compared to regular foster care parents. Subsequent analysis revealed numerous differences between the two groups regarding foster parents’ experiences in fostering and reasons to withdraw. The results are discussed in the context of increasing concern for a declining number of foster parents with the coincidental increase in the number of children who enter foster care with higher rates of trauma and mental health disorders requiring a treatment response

Shaping a mental health curriculum for Canada\u27s teacher education programs: Rationale and brief overview

It is a well-known and accepted statistic that one in five Canadian children will experience a significant mental health challenge prior to their 18th birthday; this is a conservative estimate given the many who suffer ‘under the radar’ with transient sadness, depression, and anxiety (Flett & Hewitt, 2013). And if we have yet to be sensitized to this critical period of childhood and adolescence, longitudinal studies indicate that 70% of adults who experience an emotional disorder report having their first onset episode prior to the age of 18 (Kessler et al., 2009)

Youth Violence: An Overview of Predictors, Counselling Interventions, and Future Directions

This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Counselling focuses on one of society's greatest challenges: youth violence. This article provides counsellors with a general overview of the major advances in understanding the etiology of youth violence, the highlights of promising counselling interventions, and the role of gender in addressing prevention and intervention efforts. There is much knowledge about factors that characterize high-risk violent youth, as well as intervention programs that can reduce the occurrence of violence. The authors suggest that the greatest challenge currently is program dissemination and the transfer of research knowledge on youth violence into counselling practice.Ce numéro spécial de la Revue canadienne de counseling est consacré à l'un des plus grands enjeux de notre société: la violence chez les jeunes. Cet article offre aux praticiens une vue d'ensemble des progrès importants dans la compréhension étiologique du phénomène de la violence chez les jeunes; il met en lumière les interventions les plus prometteuses et l'importance de concevoir des programmes de prévention et d'intervention auprès des jeunes en fonction du sexe de ces derniers. Bien que les connaissances actuelles permettent de mieux comprendre les facteurs qui caractérisent les jeunes violents à risque élevé, les auteurs soutiennent que le plus grand défi actuel consiste à faire connaître les programmes sur la violence chez les jeunes et à transposer dans la pratique du counseling les connaissances découlant de la recherche dans ce domaine

The Relevance of Sociocultural Context for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: Towards the Development of Culturally-Informed Practices in Working with Muslim Women

The effectiveness of domestic violence services is predicated on the appreciation that intimate partner violence (IPV) is best understood within sociocultural, historical and structural contexts that combine to shape a woman’s experience and as a consequence, aid in understanding her help-seeking behaviour. Among the largest and fastest growing minority populations who are now coming forward as survivors of IPV are Muslim women. Yet, there is minimal research that has explored their experience and the barriers that exist for these women in accessing services in Canada. A Tripartite model of understanding minority women’s experience of IPV that draws on both Intersectional and Relational-Cultural approaches is provided that relates to survivors from diverse groups including Muslim women. This adapted theoretical model is outlined in furthering the development of research and practice that can be more culturally responsive to their needs

Treating Aggression in High-Risk Adolescent Girls: A Preliminary Evaluation

This pilot study examined whether aggressive responses and attitudes of high-risk adolescent girls would decrease after a group treatment that focused on the specific needs of aggressive adolescent girls. Twelve girls, aged 12-16 years from two residential facilities, participated in eight, one-hour group sessions. Results indicated a statistically significant decrease in direct aggression responses and antisocial beliefs from pretest to posttest, but no significant changes on prosocial responses or attitudes toward other girls. There were significant correlations between direct aggression and antisocial beliefs, r (11) = .49, p < .05, and between age and aggression, r (11) = -.59, p < .05, indicating that older adolescents chose less aggressive responses than younger adolescents. The results are discussed from a feminist, ecological understanding of the importance of developing gender-sensitive programming to deal effectively with adolescent female aggression.Le but de cette étude pilote était d’examiner si les réponses et les attitudes agressives des adolescentes à risque élevé diminueraient à la suite d’un traitement de groupe visant les besoins particuliers des adolescentes agressives. Douze filles, âgées de 12 à 16 ans et vivant dans des établissements résidentiels, ont participé à huit séances de groupe d’une heure. Les résultats des tests administrés avant et après la période de traitement ont indiqué qu’il y a eu une baisse statistiquement significative des réponses agressives directes et des croyances antisociales des adolescentes, mais qu’il n’y a pas eu de changements significatifs dans leurs réponses et attitudes sociales positives envers d’autres filles. Il y avait des corrélations significatives entre leur agression directe et leurs croyances antisociales, r(11) = 0,49, p < 0,05, et entre leur âge et leur agression, r(11) = -0,59, p < 0,05, ce qui indique que les adolescentes plus âgées choisissent des réponses moins agressives que les adolescentes plus jeunes. Les auteurs discutent des résultats dans une optique féministe et écologique qui reconnaît l’importance d’établir des programmes tenant compte des sexospécificités pour traiter l’agression chez les adolescentes de façon efficace

Child welfare practice and policy related to the impact of children experiencing physical victimization and domestic violence

The impact of family violence on children seen in a children's aid society was investigated. Three groups of maltreated children were investigated: those exposed to domestic violence against women, physically abused, and children who experienced both. Child outcomes reflected behavioral and school-related problems, delinquency, and elevation in overall risk. There was considerable variability on the effects of exposure to children. Children exposed to domestic violence against women and children who were physically abused did not differ on a variety of child outcomes. Children experiencing the combined effects of physical maltreatment and exposure to domestic violence experienced the poorest adjustment reflected in grade repetition, involvement in delinquency, and on overall risk compared to physically abused or children exposed to domestic violence against women alone. Implications for child welfare practice and policy are discussed.