Critical review of Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry into abuse of children in foster care : social work's contribution to reform

This paper profiles Queensland's recent Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry into the abuse of children in foster care. The authors welcome the outcome as an opportunity to highlight the problems encountered by child protection jurisdictions in Australia and internationally, and they applaud some of the Inquiry's findings. However, the paper argues that the path to reform is hampered by insufficient accountability by government and management, and an inadequate challenge to the ideologies underpinning contemporary child protection policy and practice. The authors conclude with a call to value and assert social work's contribution to child protection systems so as to vastly improve outcomes for children and families.

Sex trafficking : the global market in women and children

This book is one of a series on contemporary social issues. It provides a painstakingly researched analysis of the contemporary phenomenon of sex trafficking. As the author Kathryn Farr points out, the phenomenon is not all that contemporary, as women and children have historically been trafficked and enslaved for the purposes of prostitution, particularly during war: in World War II on the southern islands of Okinawa, the Philippines, Hawaii, Liberia, Japan, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, and more recently in Bosnia and Rwanda. Farr links the phenomenon to military socialization, especially to its patriarchal culture which celebrates hyper-masculinity, eroticizes violence, desensitizes soldiers to suffering and brutality and treats women as sex objects.

Migrant and refugee children, their families, and early childhood education

One of the effects of globalization is the increasing movement of people around the globe. Transnational migration brings demographic changes that produce challenges for education and social services. While there is a growing body of literature about educational concerns associated with migrant and refugee children, young migrant children are not often included in this research because it concentrates on secondary and primary schooling. In this chapter we review the literature that relates to young migrant and refugee children, their families and early childhood education. More specifically, we synthesize the state of knowledge relating to curriculum, parents and teacher education. Following the analysis of recent research, the chapter concludes with some suggestions for further research, policy makers and practitioners.

Withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from children

Difficult questions regarding the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining medical treatment can arise in relation to children (being those under 18 years old). This editorial considers some of the legal principles that are relevant in such cases in Australia, particularly Queensland.

Controversies of prophylactic hypothermia and the emerging use of brain tissue oxygen tension monitoring and decompressive craniectomy in traumatic brain-injured children

Background Despite being the leading cause of death and disability in the paediatric population, traumatic brain injury (TBI) in this group is largely understudied. Clinical practice within the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) has been based upon adult guidelines however children are significantly different in terms of mechanism, pathophysiology and consequence of injury. Aim To review TBI management in the PICU and gain insight into potential management strategies. Method To conduct this review, a literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, PUBMED and The Cochrane Library using the following key words; traumatic brain injury; paediatric; hypothermia. There were no date restrictions applied to ensure that past studies, whose principles remain current were not excluded. Results Three areas were identified from the literature search and will be discussed against current acknowledged treatment strategies: Prophylactic hypothermia, brain tissue oxygen tension monitoring and decompressive craniectomy. Conclusion Previous literature has failed to fully address paediatric specific management protocols and we therefore have little evidence-based guidance. This review has shown that there is an emerging and ongoing trend towards paediatric specific TBI research in particular the area of moderate prophylactic hypothermia (MPH).

Cochrane review summary for cancer nursing : influenza vaccination in children having chemotherapy for cancer

Background: Children having chemotherapy for cancer are prone to developing influenza infections. Influenza virus infection may lead to hospitalization/prolonged hospitalization, interruption of treatment, and other severe adverse outcomes such as death. Although clinical guidelines recommend children who are being treated for cancer be vaccinated against influenza, evidence supporting this recommendation is unclear.--------- Objectives: The objectives of this review were to (1) assess the efficacy of influenza vaccination in stimulating immunologic response in children with cancer receiving chemotherapy, compared with other control groups; (2) assess the efficacy of influenza vaccination in preventing influenza infection; and (3) establish any adverse effects associated with influenza vaccines in children with cancer.

What causes childhood leukaemia? Some beliefs of parents of affected children

The theories of parents about the cause of their children's leukaemia have been documented in the course of a case-control study. From a sample of 175 children who were diagnosed as having acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 91.4% of their parents put forward their theories. Some of these theories were related clearly to material that had been published and therefore had some scientific validity. Other theories often had no apparent scientific basis. Persons who are involved in the care of children with leukaemia should be aware of the wide variety of theories that are held by their parents so that they may provide counselling which could be of help in the relief of feelings of anxiety or guilt among the parents. Parents should always be afforded the opportunity to put forward their own theories so that they may be discussed on a rational basis. It is conceivable that some parents might put forward new hypotheses about leukaemogenesis that could be tested scientifically.

A preliminary investigation of the role of the Phenylalynine: Tyrosine Ratio in children with early and continuously treated phenylketonuria : toward identification of “safe” levels

Children with early and continuously treated phenylketonuria (ECT-PKU) remain at risk of developing executive function (EF) deficits. There is some evidence that a high phenylalanine to tyrosine ratio (phe:tyr) is more strongly associated with impaired EF development than high phenylalanine alone. This study examined EF in a sample of 11 adolescents against concurrent and historical levels of phenylalanine, phe:tyr, and tyrosine. Lifetime measures of phe:tyr were more strongly associated with EF than phenylalanine-only measures. Children with a lifetime phe:tyr less than 6 demonstrated normal EF, whereas children who had a lifetime phe:tyr above 6, on average, demonstrated clinically impaired EF.

Parental beliefs about supervising children when crossing roads and cycling

Pedestrian and cyclist injuries are significant public health issues together accounting for 11-30% of road deaths in highly motorised countries. Children are particularly at risk. In Australia in 2009 children 0-16 years comprised 11.4% of pedestrian deaths and 6.4% of cyclist deaths. Parental attitudes and level of supervision are important to children’s road safety. Results from a telephone survey with parents of children 5-9 years (N=147) are reported. Questions addressed beliefs about preventability of injury, appropriate ages for children to cross the road or cycle independently, and the frequency of holding 5-9 year old children’s hands while crossing the road. Results suggest that parents believe most injuries are preventable and that they personally can act to improve their own safety in the home, on the road, at work, as well as in or on the water. Most parents (68%) indicated children should be 10 years or older before crossing the road or cycling independently. Parents were more likely to report holding younger children’s hands (5-6 years) when crossing the road and less likely to do so for 7-9 year olds. There was a small effect of child gender, with parents more likely to hold boy’s hand than a girl’s.

The contribution of physical activity and sedentary behaviours to the growth and development of children and adolescents : implications for overweight and obesity

The obesity epidemic is a global trend and is of particular concern in children. Recent reports have highlighted the severity of obesity in children by suggesting: “today's generation of children will be the first for over a century for whom life expectancy falls.” This review assesses the evidence that identifies the important role of physical activity in the growth, development and physical health of young people, owing to its numerous physical and psychological health benefits. Key issues, such as “does a sedentary lifestyle automatically lead to obesity” and “are levels of physical activity in today's children less than physical activity levels in children from previous generations?”, are also discussed. Today's environment enforces an inactive lifestyle that is likely to contribute to a positive energy balance and childhood obesity. Whether a child or adolescent, the evidence is conclusive that physical activity is conducive to a healthy lifestyle and prevention of disease. Habitual physical activity established during the early years may provide the greatest likelihood of impact on mortality and longevity. It is evident that environmental factors need to change if physical activity strategies are to have a significant impact on increasing habitual physical activity levels in children and adolescents. There is also a need for more evidence-based physical activity guidelines for children of all ages. Efforts should be concentrated on facilitating an active lifestyle for children in an attempt to put a stop to the increasing prevalence of obese children

Children, Obesity and Exercise: Prevention, Treatment and Management of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity

Throughout the developed world there is an increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. Because of this increase, and awareness of the risks to long term health that childhood obesity presents, the phenomena is now described by many as a global epidemic. Children, Obesity and Exercise provides sport, exercise and medicine students and professionals with an accessible and practical guide to understanding and managing childhood and adolescent obesity. It covers: overweight, obesity and body composition; physical activity, growth and development; psycho-social aspects of childhood obesity; physical activity behaviours; eating behaviours; measuring childrens behaviour; interventions for prevention and management of childhood obesity. Children, Obesity and Exercise addresses the need for authoritative advice and innovative approaches to the prevention and management of this chronic problem.

Cross-cultural comparison of anxiety symptoms in Colombian and Australian children

Introduction: This cross-cultural study compared both the symptoms of anxiety and their severity in a community sample of children from Colombia and Australia. Method: The sample comprised 516 children (253 Australian children and 263 Colombian children), aged 8 to 12-years-old. The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) was used to measure both the symptoms and levels of anxiety. Results: The results showed a significant difference in the severity of the symptoms between the children in the two countries. In general, Colombian children reported more severe symptoms than their Australian peers, however there were no difference in the types of symptoms reported by the children in the two countries. Discussion and Conclusion: The implications of these findings and their importance to cross-cultural research are discussed.

Body size and walking cadence affect lower extremity joint power in children's gait

Obese children move less and with greater difficulty than normal-weight counterparts but expend comparable energy. Increased metabolic costs have been attributed to poor biomechanics but few studies have investigated the influence of obesity on mechanical demands of gait. This study sought to assess three-dimensional lower extremity joint powers in two walking cadences in 28 obese and normal-weight children. 3D-motion analysis was conducted for five trials of barefoot walking at self-selected and 30% greater than self-selected cadences. Mechanical power was calculated at the hip, knee, and ankle in sagittal, frontal and transverse planes. Significant group differences were seen for all power phases in the sagittal plane, hip and knee power at weight acceptance and hip power at propulsion in the frontal plane, and knee power during mid-stance in the transverse plane. After adjusting for body weight, group differences existed in hip and knee power phases at weight acceptance in sagittal and frontal planes, respectively. Differences in cadence existed for all hip joint powers in the sagittal plane and frontal plane hip power at propulsion. Frontal plane knee power at weight acceptance and sagittal plane knee power at propulsion were significantly different between cadences. Larger joint powers in obese children contribute to difficulty performing locomotor tasks, potentially decreasing motivation to exercise.

Managing illegal street racing and associated risky driving behaviour : An Australian perspective

Illegal street racing has received increased attention in recent years from the media, governments and road safety professionals. At the same time, there has been a shift from treating illegal street racing as a public nuisance issue to a road safety problem in Australia, as this behaviour now attracts a penalty of increased periods of vehicle impoundment leading to permanent vehicle forfeiture for repeat offences. This severe vehicle sanction is typically applied to repeat drink driving offenders and drivers who breach suspensions and disqualifications in North American jurisdictions, but was first introduced in Australia to deal with illegal street racing and associated risky driving behaviours, grouped together under the label of ‘hooning’ in Australian jurisdictions. This paper describes how Australian jurisdictions are dealing with this issue. The research described in this paper drew on multiple data sources to explore illegal street racing and the management of this issue in Australia. First, the paper reviews the relevant legislation in each Australian state to describe the cross-jurisdictional similarities and differences in approaches. It also describes some results from focus group discussions and a quantitative online survey with drivers who self-report engaging in illegal street racing and associated behaviours in Queensland, Australia. It was found that approaches to dealing with illegal street racing and associated risky driving behaviours in each Australian state are similar, with increasing periods of vehicle impoundment (leading to vehicle forfeiture) applied to repeat hooning offences within prescribed periods. Participants in the focus groups and respondents to the questionnaire generally felt these penalty periods were severe, with perceptions of severity increasing with the length of the penalty period. It was concluded that there is a need for each jurisdiction to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of their vehicle impoundment and forfeiture programs for hooning. These evaluations should compare the relative costs of these programs (e.g., enforcement, unrecovered towing and storage fees, and court costs) to the observed benefits (e.g., reduction in target behaviours, reduction in community complaints, and reduction in the number and severity of associated crashes).