Andre Laylor, Travonne Edwards, Krystal Griffiths, Rasnat Chowdhury, Veronica Escobar Olivo, Henry Parada, Bryn King
{"title":"The Significance of Relationships in Black Youth's Narratives of Out-of-Home Care in Ontario's Child Welfare System","authors":"Andre Laylor, Travonne Edwards, Krystal Griffiths, Rasnat Chowdhury, Veronica Escobar Olivo, Henry Parada, Bryn King","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13280","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13280","url":null,"abstract":"<p>For youth in the child welfare system, relationships can be a catalyst for change and resilience. Child welfare workers are responsible for caring for youth, ensuring their permanency, and—wherever possible—maintaining relationships between youth and their families. Unfortunately, not all youth feel supported during their time in out-of-home care (OOHC). For black youth, research has begun to document the challenges and disparities they face while in the child welfare system. Given the adversities that black youth and families face across the child welfare continuum, there is a need to investigate the interactions between child welfare workers and black youth. This study explores the narratives of 27 black youth with lived experience navigating OOHC in Ontario's child welfare system and their relationships with child welfare workers. Three main narratives emerged: 1) the impacts of worker instability and unavailability; 2) the need for transparency, safety, and youth voice in decision-making; and 3) what relationships meant to black youth and how they can be strengthened. Recommendations include maintaining transparency and inclusion in decision-making, addressing factors that impact workers' capacity to build meaningful relationships, training focused on the impacts of anti-black racism, and supporting black youth in building relationships with their families.</p>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"358-368"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cfs.13280","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145930967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Role of Play and Family Activities Among Families Experiencing Homelessness","authors":"Annette Pic, Myae Han, Sofina Shekhar, Lauren M. Strickland, Natalie Maurer","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13279","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13279","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Literature documents the importance of play in children's learning and development. Yet, little attention has been given to play and family activities among families experiencing homelessness with young children. This study explored daily play and family activities among 10 families experiencing homelessness using qualitative methods. Qualitative analysis using Dedoose coding software revealed three key themes: Play is an integral part of family life, serves as a foundation for shared family activities and is perceived as a mechanism for learning and assessing child development. The implication of the study highlights the importance of using a strengths-based approach for future interventions supporting these families.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"345-357"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145930894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"‘The Cycle of Sibling Bullying’: Exploring the Links Between Sibling Bullying Victimization, External Support and Parent–Child Decision-Making in Multichild Families","authors":"Pengcheng Wang, Yiwen Yan","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13276","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13276","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sibling bullying in multichild families involves concealed power dynamics, where victims' voices are often unheard by both their families and external sources, resulting in prolonged oppression and violence. Given the unclear impact of sibling bullying victimization on parent–child decision-making, this study investigates the relationship and explores whether external support serves as a compensatory resource allocation mechanism in families struggling with equitable resource distribution. Based on data from a sample of 10 164 children in the International Survey of Children's Well-Being, the research reveals that children experiencing sibling bullying are less likely to make joint decision-making with their parents, and external support mediated the relationship between sibling bullying victimization and parent–child decision-making, which suggests that victims of sibling bullying often feel isolated and unsupported by their families. Although external support is a vital resource to help children overcome the negative impacts of sibling bullying, its limited availability leaves victims trapped in a persistent cycle of sibling bullying—a state characterized by ongoing experiences of victimization. This research enhances the understanding of how sibling bullying influences parent–child decision-making and offers valuable prevention and intervention strategies for parents, teachers and social workers to address resource imbalances and implement effective support measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"335-344"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145931157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fathers' Experiences in Parenting Autistic Children: A Qualitative Study","authors":"Tatiane Geralda André, Laura Marques Prizantelli, Milena de Lucca, Marcos Venicio Esper, Giovanna Cristina Machado-Kayzuka, Manoela Henriques Pinto, Fernanda Machado Silva-Rodrigues, Lucila Castanheira Nascimento","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13277","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Autism can disrupt family dynamics and affect childcare. However, fathers' roles in childcare are rarely explored in the literature. The study aims to analyse paternal experiences in caring for autistic children. This is a secondary analysis conducted from qualitative data, focusing on interpreting the meanings of fathers' experiences in caring for autistic children. Participant recruitment was twofold: in-person via a non-governmental Brazilian organization to assist children with disabilities and remotely through social networks. The principles of inductive content analysis guided this analysis. The study analysed 11 interviews with fathers of autistic children, revealing two main themes, each comprising subthemes: (1) between traits and embraces: understanding autism and building support networks and (2) paternal experiences in caring for autistic children and their confrontations in building a future. The fathers' active participation in his autistic child's daily life was crucial in promoting communication, mitigating challenging behaviours and encouraging social interaction, laying a foundation for future studies in this area.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"324-334"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145931047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chaoxin Jiang, Guowei Wan, Jiaming Shi, Yutong Mei
{"title":"The Cycle of Violence: Childhood Abuse, Illicit Drug Use and Adult Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration","authors":"Chaoxin Jiang, Guowei Wan, Jiaming Shi, Yutong Mei","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13272","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13272","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The evidence consistently suggested a link between childhood abuse and violence perpetration in adulthood. However, the mechanism underlying the relationship between childhood abuse and adult intimate partner violence perpetration was still inadequately explored. In addition, the findings from existing research on gender disparities in the cycle of violence remain highly contentious. This study sought to investigate the correlation between childhood abuse and adult intimate partner violence perpetration from a life-course perspective, while also exploring the mediating role of illicit drug use and examining gender disparities. A sample comprising 4822 participants (mean age = 28.99 years, SD = 1.77) was derived from Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Data analysis employed structural equation modelling (SEM), which encompassed four primary components: measurement model, structural model, bias-corrected bootstrapping analysis and multigroup analysis. Childhood abuse demonstrated a positive correlation with adult intimate partner violence perpetration. Moreover, the mediating effect of illicit drug use was observed in the relationship between childhood abuse and adult intimate partner violence perpetration. Furthermore, females exhibited a greater propensity to engage in illicit drug use following childhood abuse. This study has not only enhanced our understanding of the underlying mechanisms connecting childhood abuse to violence perpetration in adulthood but also carries implications for both policy and practice.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"315-323"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145915763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Posttraumatic Stress and Mentalization in Accounting for Veteran Parents' Use of Corporal Punishment: Parental Over-Certainty Matters for Multiracial Children","authors":"Olivia D. Chang, Xiafei Wang","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13269","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13269","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Posttraumatic stress symptoms have been closely linked with the use of harsh parenting practices in veteran families. This study was aimed at assessing the potential added importance of parent mentalization in predicting the use of corporal punishment among US veterans. A hypothesized hierarchical regression model in which parent mentalization dimensions (i.e., prementalizing, over-certainty, and interest and curiosity) were examined as predictors of corporal punishment was analysed in monoracial (<i>n</i> = 318) and multiracial (<i>n</i> = 182) US veteran families. For veteran parents in both monoracial and multiracial families, parent mentalization emerged as a significant predictor of corporal punishment, even after accounting for parent posttraumatic stress. While the prementalizing dimension of mentalization was associated with greater corporal punishment among veteran parents in both monoracial and multiracial families, the over-certainty dimension was associated with greater corporal punishment exclusively in multiracial families. The present findings clarify dimensions of parent mentalization that confer risk for the use of corporal punishment in US veteran families, above and beyond the predictive role of posttraumatic stress. Implications of the present findings for social workers working with monoracial and multiracial veteran families are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"304-314"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cfs.13269","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145931067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What Factors are Contributing to Increasing Numbers of ‘Care Orders at Home’ in Northwest England?","authors":"Ciarán Murphy, Noreen Maguinness, Eoanna Stathopoulos","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13270","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13270","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is increasing understanding of the challenges associated with rising numbers of children entering England's public care system. Yet, commentators continue to overlook cases where children are ostensibly placed ‘in care’ of the local authority, but then simultaneously remain living at home with their parent(s)—a practice referred to as a ‘Care Order at home’. The purpose of this study was to look for evidence of increasing numbers of ‘Care Orders at home’ within northwest England, and to explore with frontline social workers what they considered to be contributing to this phenomenon. The study adopted an iterative mixed method design comprising of focus groups, online questionnaire, and individual interviews, supplemented by 57 ‘Freedom of Information’ requests. Findings highlighted a substantial increase in ‘Care Orders at home’ in northwest England since 2011 and identified the longstanding national government policy of ‘austerity’ and a ‘malfunctioning’ placement market as key factors contributing to this. Implications are of the importance of reinvestment in preventative services so as to reduce the demand on England's child protection system, and reappraisal, and reform of the children's social care placement market, so that the placement of children can be consistently based on the needs of the individual child.</p>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"293-303"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cfs.13270","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145931082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Irja Nieminen, Johanna Inkeri Vilppola, Tapio Petteri Väkiparta, Seppo Ilmari Huttu-Hiltunen, Milla Maria Hiitti
{"title":"Young Parents' Small Stories of Empowerment in an EU-Funded Intervention","authors":"Irja Nieminen, Johanna Inkeri Vilppola, Tapio Petteri Väkiparta, Seppo Ilmari Huttu-Hiltunen, Milla Maria Hiitti","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13271","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13271","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Parental empowerment is a key value in family services and youth care. It is also essential in family-centred services to achieve sustainability of treatment outcomes. Research has demonstrated the need for a deeper understanding of the mechanism of parental empowerment. This study explored young parents' experiences of a European Union (EU)-funded intervention and evaluated the extent how the intervention supported the parents' empowerment. The data consisted of 16 semi-structured interviews with young parents and notes from the first session of the intervention. The participants were residents of one province in Finland. The analysis of data used the ‘small stories’ approach. The participants' experiences of empowerment were assessed with the help of small stories identified in the interview data. The Empowerment Process Model was used to interpret how the experiences described by the interviewees empowered them. According to the results, participation in the intervention initiated the empowerment process of young parents. However, more interaction between a person and the wider community is needed for more long-term outcomes in parental empowerment. Recommendations are provided for professionals working with young parents.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"281-292"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145931223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Resettling Experiences of Refugee Families in Norway Through the Lens of Children and Their Parents","authors":"Therese Bjørndal Halvorsen, Merete Saus, Marcela Douglas, Ragnhild Bjørknes, June Thorvaldsen Forsberg, Joshua Patras, Lene-Mari Potulski Rasmussen","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13274","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13274","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article presents the findings of a study examining the resettlement experiences of displaced families in Norway, focusing on children's development opportunities and well-being. Through qualitative interviews presented as four ideal-typical families—Abdel, Elombe, Isaac and Amira—and guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory and Morgan's concept of ‘doing family’, the research explores how various ecological systems influence family dynamics and children's developmental trajectories. The findings show discrepancies in children's and parent's perceptions of past experiences. Further, challenges within the surrounding systems influence family interactions, illustrated by economic instability, school-related challenges and parents' unemployment. The study suggests a need for supportive practices and policies to promote successful integration and improve the development opportunities and well-being of refugee children.</p>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"270-280"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cfs.13274","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145930909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Experiences of Young People Leaving Children's Homes as a Form of Institutional Care: A Qualitative Study","authors":"Özge Kelebek, Fatih Kucur","doi":"10.1111/cfs.13273","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13273","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In Türkiye, there are very few studies examining the outcomes of children's homes, which are institutional care services where children/young people in need of protection are cared for, in terms of independent living. This study was designed in line with the question of how young people who have left these homes experience independent living and based on data obtained through in-depth interviews with a total of 20 young people, 10 men and 10 women, aged between 18 and 24. The young people had experienced children's homes for at least 3 years and had left the children's homes at least 1 year ago. The findings of this research are presented through three main themes: ‘leaving care’, ‘receiving social support’ and ‘receiving public support: employment’. As a result of the research, it was revealed that care leavers may face some problems in aftercare in terms of their age and experiences and may need social support mechanisms and healthy socialization experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":10025,"journal":{"name":"Child & Family Social Work","volume":"31 1","pages":"247-260"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cfs.13273","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145931226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}