A Comparison of India and the United States: A Look at Innovative Child Welfare Service Practices

Child abuse and neglect are human rights issues on a global level. Violence is not cookie cutter; it comes in many different shapes and sizes. Many countries have started the uncomfortable, but critical, discussion on how best to address this problem which has reached epidemic proportions. Numerous service providers are creating innovative practices to combat the cycle of violence. This paper looks to identify what specific providers are currently doing to mitigate risk for children and families by analyzing the similarities and differences between India and the United States. Data for this research was collected through a variety of sources in the form of detailed handwritten notes, personal journal reflections, and observations. It was then evaluated to answer the proposed research questions. An overview of the various innovative practices of the service provider are discussed, and policy implications are also explored

Cultural Bereavement and Resilience in Refugee Resettlement: A Photovoice Study With Yazidi Women in the Midwest United States

This study explored how ethnic Yazidi refugee women overcome adversity to promote psychosocial health and well-being within the context of U.S. resettlement. Nine Yazidi women participated in two small photovoice groups, each group lasting eight sessions (16 sessions total). Women discussed premigration and resettlement challenges, cultural strengths and resources, and strategies to overcome adversity. Yazidi women identified trauma and perceived loss of culture as primary stressors. Participants’ resilience processes included using naan (as sustenance and symbol) to survive and thrive as well as by preserving an ethnoreligious identity. Findings suggest that women’s health priorities and resilience-promoting strategies center on fostering a collective cultural, religious, and ethnic identity postmigration. Importantly, women used naan (bread) as a metaphor to index cultural values, experiences of distress, and coping strategies. We discuss implications for this in promoting refugees’ mental and psychosocial health in U.S. resettlement

A life-course perspective of sex trafficking among the Bedia caste of India

Thousands of Indian women and girls enter the commercial sex industry (CSI) annually based solely on membership in particular castes (e.g., Bedia, Nat). CSI-involved females bear the burden of sustaining entire family units on money earned in the sex trade; it is a life-long responsibility with negligible social status or personal indemnity. Based on the life-course developmental theory (Elder, Jr. 1994, 1998) this investigation was intended to examine trafficked women’s experiences within the commercial sex industry across time. Beyond the CSI, we were equally interested in experiences with factors that could promote well-being (i.e., social support) and normative developmental transitions including education attainment and motherhood. To that end, three questions were posed. First, to what extent do factors surrounding CSI entry and continued involvement differ through time among CSI-involved Bedia? Second, how do CSI-involved Bedia describe social network composition and perceived support through time? Finally, are differences detectable, through time, in CSI-involved Bedia women’s experiences with normative developmental transitions including education attainment and motherhood? Interview data were collected from 31 Bedia females (age range 17 – 65 years) residing in rural Madhya Pradesh, India. To examine change through time, participants were divided into cohorts based on age and time involved in the commercial sex industry. Data were then analyzed within and across cohorts with particular attention to cohort-related experiential differences. Policy implications and suggestions for continued research are presented

A Comparison of India and the United States: A Look at Innovative Child Welfare Service Practices

Child abuse and neglect are human rights issues on a global level. Violence is not cookie cutter; it comes in many different shapes and sizes. Many countries have started the uncomfortable, but critical, discussion on how best to address this problem which has reached epidemic proportions. Numerous service providers are creating innovative practices to combat the cycle of violence. This paper looks to identify what specific providers are currently doing to mitigate risk for children and families by analyzing the similarities and differences between India and the United States. Data for this research was collected through a variety of sources in the form of detailed handwritten notes, personal journal reflections, and observations. It was then evaluated to answer the proposed research questions. An overview of the various innovative practices of the service provider are discussed, and policy implications are also explored

Always a Lesson, Never a Failure : An Exploration of Community Café Sustainability in the Midwest

Child maltreatment is a growing public health crisis. Evidence-based practices and universal prevention strategies have been shown to effectively strengthen families and communities. The Community Café approach is one such strategy that seeks to encourage positive parenting practices through a strengths-based design that fosters meaningful connection, conversation, and change. The goal of this research was to identify the factors that facilitate the sustainable implementation of the Community Café approach and the challenges that hinder potential sustainability in the target city in order to aid in future implementation. To achieve this, three research questions were presented: (1) How do the target city Community Café team members define sustainability in terms of the Community Café approach? (2) What components, or factors, facilitate the sustainability of the Community Café approach? and (3) What are the challenges to the sustainability of the Community Café approach? Informed by the Interactive Systems Framework and Ecological Framework for Effective Implementation, in-depth interviews and interactive focus groups were conducted with 19 participants who held a leadership role on a Community Café team in the target community. Findings highlight the importance of strong teamwork, community investment, and parent ownership in creating strong foundations for all families and children to thrive. Given the current impact COVID-19 has had on communities and Café teams in the target city, the future of the approach is uncertain, but opportunities are endless. Implications for future research and best practices to continue strengthening the impact of this evidence-based practice are discussed. Advisor: Rochelle L. Dall