“They Aren’t Going to Do Jack Shit”: Text-Based Crisis Service Users’ Perceptions of Seeking Child Maltreatment-Related Support From Formal Systems

Many of the children reported to child protective services (CPS) exhibit signs and symptoms that allow others to recognize their abuse or neglect and intervene; others, especially adolescents, must disclose their experiences to be identified. Relatively little is known about young people’s disclosure experiences, but individual, interpersonal, and cultural factors appear to influence when and how young people disclose. Technology-facilitated approaches, such as text- or chat-based hotlines or crisis services, may be one way to help young people share their maltreatment experiences and seek help. The current study contributes to the small body of literature that includes nonsexual maltreatment disclosures and sheds some light on how to support young people during their disclosures. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of all conversations from a text-based crisis service that resulted in a report to CPS (n = 244). Many of the texters had previously sought support from their peers or parents, and some had engaged with more formal systems. Many young people were hesitant to reach out to formal systems in the future, in part because of negative experiences during past disclosure experiences. Young people may be more likely to seek support through their preferred communication medium, so providing text- and chat-based communication may be one way to encourage and facilitate disclosure. As these resources become increasingly available, determining best practices for receiving disclosures through technology-facilitated platforms will be critical

Child maltreatment data:A summary of progress, prospects and challenges

Background: In 1996, the ISPCAN Working Group on Child Maltreatment Data (ISPCAN-WGCMD) was established to provide an international forum in which individuals, who deal with child maltreatment data in their respective professional roles, can share concerns and solutions. Objective: This commentary describes some of the key features and the status of child maltreatment related data collection addressed by the ISPCAN-WGCMD. Methods: Different types of data collection methods including self-report, sentinel, and administrative data designs are described as well as how they address different needs for information to help understand child maltreatment and systems of prevention and intervention. Results: While still lacking in many parts of the world, access to child maltreatment data has become much more widespread, and in many places a very sophisticated undertaking. Conclusion: The ISPCAN-WGCMD has been an important forum for supporting the continued development and improvement in the global effort to understand and combat child maltreatment thus contributing to the long term goals of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Nevertheless, based on what has been learned, even greater efforts are required to improve data in order to effectively combat child maltreatment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

#ChildMaltreatment and Technology

Technology may seem like a friend one day, a foe another depending on how and why it is being used. In today’s world, we are inundated with social media, smart phones, tvs, and cars. Our ability to harness technology to make our lives a better place is a noble goal, however our ability to harness technology to enhance our research skills is absolutely necessary. The current paper explores the ways in which technology has been used and can be used to better understand child maltreatment and domestic violence. Overall, the message is clear, integrating technology-based research methods and practical approaches to helping vulnerable populations is one of this generations’ paradigm shifts. Technology coupled with sound research methodologies can help move us forward in our exploration and understanding of social problems and interventions

Bullying discussions in UK female influencers’ YouTube comments

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in British Journal of Guidance and Counselling (in press). The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Victims of bullying are often reluctant to seek formal support and internalise their emotions, hindering recovery. Some will subsequently encounter discussions of bullying online, giving them an unexpected opportunity to share their feelings or experience vicarious support. In this article we investigate reactions to discussions of offline and online bullying in the comments posted to the YouTube channels of 34 popular UK female lifestyle influencers. We used a thematic analysis of keywords associated with comments mentioning bullying to identify bullying-related themes. The almost universally supportive comments position female YouTube influencer channels as sources of unexpected indirect support for victims that professionals may also recommend. The comments also reveal a previously undiscussed strategy for helping victims: abstraction. Commenters often seemed to depersonalise the issue to support the victim by setting their experience in the wider context of human behaviour. Commenters also supported victims by criticising bullies

Behavioral Health Services Needs and Availability for Young Children Involved in the Child Welfare System

The purposes of this presentation are to: Identify key characteristics of young children (0-5 years old) involved in child welfare Learn about the prevalence of behavioral health service needs and use among children 0-5 years old involved in child welfare Learn about the availability of behavioral health services targeted toward children aged 0-5 years old Have the opportunity to engage in a discussion on this study’s findings and trends they have seen in the populations they serv

Participation in Boys & Girls Clubs, vulnerability, and problem behaviors

Using a risk and resilience approach, this study examined the impact of participation in Boys & Girls Clubs on reducing vulnerability and problem behaviors among 297 youths aged 9 to 16 years of age. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships among the observed indicators of Club participation and poor self-concept and the latent constructs of vulnerability and problem behaviors. Results indicate that participation in Boys & Girls Clubs had a small, but significant relationship with a decrease in poor self-concept. Poor self-concept was in turn directly related to increased vulnerability; and increased vulnerability was related to increased problem behaviors. These findings point to the importance of Boys & Girls Clubs and other youth development organizations in promoting positive self-concepts to help decrease vulnerability and problem behaviors among program participants.Youth development Boys & Girls Clubs Risk and resilience Vulnerability Self-concept

Changing Tides and Changing Focus: Mapping the Challenges and Successes of One State\u27s Implementation Of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997

In 1997, the Adoption and Safe Families Act shifted from the preservation of families to an emphasis on safety, permanency, and well-being through expediting the termination of parental rights, establishing exceptions to the reasonable efforts clause of preserving the family, and fiscal incentives for finalizing adoptions. The current project assessed the role of a full service array in achieving the outcomes set forth in ASF A. Concept mapping was utilized to elicit information from participants (both urban and rural) regarding the identified research question. Participants recognized family preservation versus safety, community connections, mandates versus reality, and worker recruitment and retention as critical components for meeting ASFA goals. Perceived importance and level of success in implementing these services was also highlighted. Recommendations supported through the data are also provided