Oral language competence, young speakers and the Law

Purpose: This paper highlights the forensic implications of language impairment in 2 key (and overlapping) groups of young people: identified victims of maltreatment (abuse and/or neglect) and young offenders.

Method: Two lines of research pertaining to oral language competence and young people's interface with the law are considered: 1 regarding investigative interviewing with children as victims or witnesses in the context of serious allegations of sexual abuse, and the other pertaining to adolescent offenders as suspects, witnesses, or victims. The linguistic demands that forensic interviewing places on these young people are also considered. Literature concerning the impact of early maltreatment on early language acquisition is briefly reviewed, as is the role of theory of mind in relation to the requirements of investigative interviewing of children and adolescents.

Implications: High-risk young people (i.e., those who are subject to child protection orders because of suspected or confirmed maltreatment, and those who are engaged with the youth justice system) face an elevated risk for suboptimal language development but may need to draw on their language skills in high-stakes forensic interviews. Implications for early intervention policy and practice are identified, and the need for greater speech-language pathology advocacy and engagement in forensic interviewing research is emphasized.

An investigation of the question-types teachers use to elicit information from children

Background: Teachers are required to report suspected child abuse in many parts of the world, but there is a paucity of research characterising how they question children about wrongdoing. Aims: Because children often speak to multiple people before arriving at a forensic interview it is critical to understand how untrained teachers question children. Sample and Methods: Teachers (n = 47) completed a mock interview, written quiz, and rated their expected performance. Results: In both the interview and quiz, teachers asked few open and many leading questions. Yet, they asked proportionally more open and fewer leading questions on the quiz than during the interview, demonstrating an implicit awareness of good questioning. Holding a higher education level degree was associated with asking fewer questions overall, and fewer leading questions, during the mock interview. Higher perceptions of performance after the mock interview were associated with having asked more open and more specific questions. Conclusions: Overall, teachers asked fewer open questions than desired but also demonstrated some awareness of good interviewing skill. We review the teachers' performance by highlighting the positive aspects of their interviewing skills, identifying areas for improvement, and making suggestions for enhancing teachers' abilities to question children about wrongdoing. Copyright © Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2014.

The effects of e-simulation interview training on teachers' use of open-ended questions.

Teachers in many parts of the world are mandated reporters of child abuse and maltreatment but very little is known concerning how they question children in suspicious circumstances. Teachers (n=36), who had previously participated in a mock interview scenario designed to characterize their baseline use of various question-types when attempting to elicit sensitive information from children, were given online training in choosing effective questions. They engaged in simulated interviews with a virtual avatar several times in one week and then participated in a mock interview scenario. The amount and proportion of open-ended questions they used increased dramatically after training. The overall number of questions, and amount and proportions of specific and leading questions decreased. In particular, large decreases were observed in more risky yes-no and other forced-choice questions. Given that most teachers may feel the need to ask a child about an ambiguous situation at some point during their careers it is worthwhile to incorporate practice asking effective questions into their training, and the present research suggests that an e-learning format is effective. Additionally, effective questions encourage the development of narrative competence, and we discuss how teachers might include open-ended questions during regular classroom learning.

A meta-analysis of cross sectional studies investigating language in maltreated children

Purpose: In this review article, meta-analysis was used to summarize research investigating language skills in maltreated children. Method: A systematic search of published studies was undertaken. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they investigated language skills in groups comprising maltreated and nonmaltreated children. Studies were selected if these 2 groups of children were of comparable age and from a similar socioeconomic background. Results: A total of 26 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Results from the meta-analysis showed that maltreated children demonstrated consistently poorer language skills with respect to receptive vocabulary (k = 19; standardized mean difference [SMD] = .463; 95% confidence interval [CI; .293, .634]; p < .001), expressive language (k = 4; SMD =.860; 95% CI [.557, 1.163]; p < .001), and receptive language (k = 9; SMD =.528; 95% CI [.220, .837]; p < .001). Conclusion: Together, these results indicate a reliable association between child maltreatment and poor language skills.

Adaptação transcultural para o Português/Brasil do instrumento vulnerability to abuse screening scale (VASS)

Esse trabalho objetivou promover a adaptação transcultural para o Brasil da VASS. Os passos para adaptação transcultural seguirão a proposta de operacionalização alicerçado na apreciação de diferentes tipos de equivalência: a conceitual e de itens, a semântica e a de mensuração. Para alcançar as duas primeiras etapas utilizou-se as técnicas de tradução e retrotradução associada ao procedimento intitulado Painel de Especialistas. Para o pré-teste e verificação de equivalência de mensuração, aplicou-se o questionário com uma população de 30 e 66 idosos, respectivamente. Para as análises dos resultados foi utilizada a estatística descritiva e inferencial, em especial o KR-20, teste T de student, correlação de Pearson e ANOVA univariada, bem como o método kappa de Fleiss para verificação do índice de confiabilidade. Verificou-se que o conceito utilizado para construção do instrumento, bem como seus itens se mostram adequados à investigação do fenômeno. Evidenciou-se boa equivalência semântica entre os itens das retrotraduções e do instrumento original, especialmente quanto aos resultados de T1 R1. Os juízes optaram pelo uso de 11 itens de T1 à versão-síntese. A equivalência operacional mostrou-se satisfatória. Em geral, os resultados apresentados mostraram-se aceitáveis. Quanto à etapa da equivalência de mensuração, verificou-se que a idade dos participantes variou entre 60 a 84 anos, prevalecendo respondentes idosas (n = 38), representando 57,6% da amostra estudada. O valor do KR-20 para o escore geral do instrumento foi de 0,688 (IC95%: 0,670). Os valores encontrados para as quatro dimensões propostas pelos autores do estudo inicial do instrumento foram 0,528, 0,289, 0,552 e 0,303, respectivamente. Apenas os valores de consistência interna das subescalas Vulnerabilidade e Coerção mostraram-se aproximados aos encontrados no estudo original, a saber, 0,550 e 0,390, respectivamente. Verificou-se que com a retirada dos itens nº 04, nº 06 e nº 10, houve aumento do índice de consistência interna da escala total. Já quanto aos valores da consistência interna das subescalas, percebeu-se que apenas com a retirada dos itens nº 09, referente à escala que dimensiona o Desânimo, e nº 12, item da subescala Coerção, é que houve acréscimo nesses valores. Destaca-se que esses são resultados preliminares, uma vez que após a verificação da adequabilidade e de padrões psicométricos iniciais acerca do uso do instrumento para a população idosa, ainda há de se dar continuidade à etapa concernente à verificação de propriedades psicométricas robustas do instrumento, que indiquem, por exemplo, evidências de fidedignidade em situação de teste-reteste, validade de constructo e de critério, se possível e aplicável. A principal limitação do estudo é a falta de um instrumento padrão-ouro para testar a fidedignidade, sensibilidade e especificidade do instrumento em questão. Apesar desta limitação, a adaptação transcultural e a verificação de propriedades psicométricas preliminares do instrumento de uma medida de autorrelato que afere indicativo de violência doméstica contra o idoso tem sua relevância e foi satisfatória

Concepções e práticas de profissionais de educação sobre os maus-tratos contra crianças

Pós-graduação em Educação - FCT

The invisible face of child labour in Latin America and the Caribbean

Child labour has a gender bias related to the dominant stereotypes regarding gender roles. While out-of-home paid work is carried out predominantly by boys, girls bear the greater burden in unpaid domestic tasks, whether in their own homes or the homes of others. Boys are more exposed to the risks of being out on the street and find it more difficult to combine work and education. For girls it may be easier to reconcile the spheres of work and education, but they suffer costs that remain hidden and that reinforce their disadvantages throughout the life cycle. On the one hand, they are marked by the assumption that the burden of the care economy is entirely their responsibility, which determines future labour prospects. Indeed, even when girls show greater educational achievement, their occupational options are more limited. On the other hand, girls are exposed to risk within the household, where overexploitation, maltreatment and abuse are as frequent as they are unpunished.

Caso Ximenes Lopes vs. Brasil: responsabilidade do Estado e Ordem Jurídica Internacional

A violação dos direitos humanos das pessoas que sofrem de transtornos mentais foi reconhecida diante da Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos. O caso Ximenes Lopes Vs Brasil revelou de que forma o Estado, que deveria ser maior guardião dos direitos deste grupo, reiteradamente mantinha práticas de isolamento, maus-tratos em hospitais psiquiátricos que não condiziam com o respeito à sua dignidade humana. As condições em que ocorreu a morte de “Damião Ximenes Lopes” revelaram também a ocorrência de atos desumanos e degradantes que vinham sendo praticados indevidamente em nosso país. A Corte Interamericana além de determinar o pagamento de indenização pecuniária requereu prontamente que o Estado brasileiro garantisse que novas violações como esta não se repetissem mais.O Governo Federal, em decorrência destas premissas estruturou um processo de desinstitucionalização da assistência psiquiátrica que trouxe avanços significativos porém ainda não representaram as necessidades reais dos que dela necessitam. A avaliação destes programas nos remete à discussão fundamental de como o Sistema Interamericano de Direitos Humanos pode supervisionar estas medidas de não-repetição contribuindo para um novo olhar sobre as pessoas possuidoras de transtorno mental.

O enfrentamento à violência doméstica contra crianças e adolescentes no município de Orlândia-SP: o papel do Conselho Tutelar

Pós-graduação em Serviço Social - FCHS

Mecanização do corte da cana-de-açúcar e desemprego: expectativas e desafios dos trabalhadores na região de catanduva/SP

Pós-graduação em Ciências Sociais - FFC

A (in)visibilidade dos maus-tratos na infância: concepções e posicionamentos dos profissionais da Educação Infantil

Even though we have an advanced protective legislation regarding children, the maltreatment perpetrated against them is still considered a public health problem in our country, with significant rates in the 0 to 6 years old range. This practice results in serious damages to the development of the assaulted individual: mental health, social adaptation and integration, and even repetition of the learned model. The school, although required (art. 245, ECA) to denounce and notify suspected and/or proven cases of violence to the eligible public agencies, has a very low percentage of participation in these notifications. Therefore, the objective of this study was to map the conception, placement and forwarding done by kindergarten professional about suspected and/or proven cases of maltreatment in their students to determine how such phenomenon is known, recognized, (re)constructed and (re)produced in social relations. The surveyed institutions were five kindergarten public schools, located in a mid-size city in the state of São Paulo. The adopted methodological procedures were the collection and analysis of quantitative-qualitative data, based on the anthropological research method on urban social groups. To collect the data, we used the following instruments: the questionnaire (38) and the interviews (6), applied in the period of October/2009 to May/2010. The analysis of the obtained data indicated some factors that hinder an effective positioning in fighting violence: professionals report the presence of suspected maltreatment (45%), however, the allegations are not investigated; the lack of knowledge and/or distorted concepts about the legislation, and also indicators of the presence of maltreatment, of its negative consequences to the development of the child, the false belief in the sanctity of the family and that maltreatment only occurs in the ghetto, in the lower classes... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Abordagem dos maus tratos na infância por unidades de saúde da família

The goal of this study was to apprehend conceptualizations and professional experiences concerning child maltreatment as reported by physicians and nurses working for the Family Health Strategy implemented in a medium-sized city in São Paulo state. It is a descriptive qualitative study in which 20 professionals were included and semi-structured taped interviews were used. The data obtained were analyzed according to the Collective Subject Discourse and systematized into five themes: Conceptualizations of child maltreatment; Professional training to work in this field; Professional experiences related to such aggravations; Difficult and easy aspects faced during care provision to child maltreatment in the Family Health Strategy; Proposals to promote child safety. It was concluded that care provision to such aggravation types by family health units is configured as an important strategy to promote child safety and support families in relation to this issue. However, it was observed that, in order to qualify professionals for such care provision, it is necessary to invest in continuing education for the multiprofessional team. Also, municipal policies concerning care provision to child abuse, particularly in the organization of integrated work of the health care, education, social welfare and justice sectors must be urgently established by actively including the general society in such process

THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE ON LONGITUDINAL COURSE OF RECOVERY IN PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION

Background: Empirical outcome studies have identified specific symptomatic, cognitive, emotional and functional sequelae of childhood abuse in people with severe mental illness (SMI). These findings illuminate the need for an integrated understanding of biological, psychological, environmental, and developmental aspects of SMI. Purpose: The purpose of the present study includes the following: 1) to examine reliability and validity of the comprehensive child abuse rating system in a sample of individuals with SMI, 2) to examine the influence of childhood abuse severity on recovery of psychotic symptoms, neurocognition and social-cognition, and social functioning in people with SMI during 12 months of inpatient psychiatric rehabilitation, and 3) to examine moderating effects of social cognition on the relationship between severity of different types of child abuse history and social functioning. Results: In Study I (N=171), the child abuse rating system produced reliable ratings and some subtypes of child abuse history were related to poorer premorbid functioning and cognition, higher overall psychiatric symptoms, and lower social functioning. In Study II (N=161), the longitudinal factor pattern invariance of the measures of social functioning, externality, and psychiatric symptoms were confirmed across 3 time points (e.g., at admission, at 6 months, and at 12 months). In addition, significant but varied linear relationships between subtypes of child abuse and each level of assessment of functioning were identified. In Study III (N=143), the results showed that higher baseline social inference, independent of history of child physical abuse (CPA), played a protective role in improvements in social functioning. High externality appeared to be counter-therapeutic for individuals with no history of CPA but protective for individuals with a more severe history of CPA. Conclusion: The child abuse rating system appears to provide reliable and valid assessment of subtypes of child abuse history of individuals with SMI. Considering the extreme heterogeneity in both SMI and child maltreatment, the current finding sheds light on providing individualized treatment and assessment planning for individuals with SMI and a history of childhood abuse.

Child Physical Abuse: Evaluating Psychological Risk Factors in Accused Caregivers

It was verified to what extent cognitive and affective/emotional variables could distinguish caregivers accused of committing physical abuse (G1) from those without physical abuse records (G2). The Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP), which is an instrument designed to assess psychological risk factors in caregivers, was used. A questionnaire on socio-demographic characterization and another on economic classification were also employed to equate the groups. G1 presented a greater potential risk than G2, higher levels of Distress, Rigidity, Problems with the Child and with Themselves, Problems with Others, and a lower level of Ego Strength. These variables contribute with the composition of physical abuse risk, since, in agreement with the Social Information Processing Model, they would be related to cognitive and affective basic processes which are veiled to the perceptions and evaluation/interpretations, associated to abusive parental behavior.