The relationship between adolescents’ social capital and individualism-collectivism in Estonia, Germany, and Russia

The present study examines the relationship between adolescents’ social capital and individualism-collectivism using data from the Value of Children Study (Trommsdorff and Nauck, 2005) from Estonia (N=228), Germany (N=278), and Russia (N=280). Two social capital indexes for adolescents (measuring parental social capital and peer-group social capital) were developed for the analysis. The COLINDEX Scale (Chan 1994) was used to measure individualistic and collectivistic values. In all three countries collectivistic values predicted parental social capital whereas individualistic values predicted peer-group social capital. There were also a few country-specific relationships between the constructs, with collectivism and peer-group social capital being positively related in Estonia and individualism and parental social capital signif- icantly negatively correlated in Russia. The current analysis suggests that during the adolescence, collectivistic values are more likely to be related to higher levels of parental social capital and individualistic values to higher levels of peer-group social capital. Therefore, it seems that at the individual level and for adolescents the individualism and collectivism are related to different forms of social capital in the different manner.

Ethnic Minority Children’s Active Commuting to School and Association with Physical Activity and Pedestrian Safety Behaviors

Background: Children's active commuting to school, i.e. walking or cycling to school, was associated with greater moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, although studies among ethnic minorities are sparse. Objectives: Among a low-income, ethnic minority sample of fourth grade students from eight public schools, we examined (1) correlates of active commuting to school and (2) the relationship between active commuting to school and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline measurements from a sample of participants (n=149) aged 9-12 years from a walk to school intervention study in Houston, Texas. The primary outcome was the weekly rate of active commuting to school. Daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, measured by accelerometers, was a secondary outcome. Child self-efficacy (alpha=0.75), parent self-efficacy (alpha=0.88), and parent outcome expectations (alpha=0.78) were independent variables. Participant characteristics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, distance from home to school, acculturation, and BMI percentile) were independent sociodemographic variables. We used mixed-model regression analyses to account for clustering by school and a stepwise procedure with backward elimination of non-significant interactions and covariates to identify significant moderators and predictors. School-level observations of student pedestrians were assessed and compared using chi-square tests of independence. Results: Among our sample, which was 61.7% Latino, the overall rate of active commuting to school was 43%. In the mixed model for active commuting to school, parent self-efficacy (std. beta = 0.18, p=0.018) and age (std. beta = 0.18, p=0.018) were positively related. Latino students had lower rates of active commuting to school than non-Latinos ( 16.5%, p=0.040). Distance from home to school was inversely related to active commuting to school (std. beta = 0.29, p<0.001). In the mixed model for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, active commuting to school was positively associated (std. beta = 0.31, p <0.001). Among the Latino subsample, child acculturation was negatively associated with active commuting to school (std. beta = -0.23, p=0.01). With regard to school-level pedestrian safety observations, 37% of students stopped at the curb and 2.6% looked left-right-left before crossing the street. Conclusion: Although still below national goals, the rate of active commuting was relatively high, while the rate of some pedestrian safety behaviors was low among this low-income, ethnic minority population. Programs and policies to encourage safe active commuting to school are warranted and should consider the influence of parents, acculturation, and ethnicity.

Volumetric and anatomical MRI for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: relationship to hypothermia therapy and neurosensory impairments.

OBJECTIVE: To relate volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings to hypothermia therapy and neurosensory impairments. STUDY DESIGN: Newborns > or =36 weeks' gestation with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy who participated in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development hypothermia randomized trial at our center were eligible. We determined the relationship between hypothermia treatment and usual care (control) to absolute and relative cerebral tissue volumes. Furthermore, we correlated brain volumes with death or neurosensory impairments at 18 to 22 months. RESULT: Both treatment groups were comparable before randomization. Total brain tissue volumes did not differ in relation to treatment assignment. However, relative volumes of subcortical white matter were significantly larger in hypothermia-treated than control infants. Furthermore, relative total brain volumes correlated significantly with death or neurosensory impairments. Relative volumes of the cortical gray and subcortical white matter also correlated significantly with Bayley Scales psychomotor development index. CONCLUSION: Selected volumetric MRI findings correlated with hypothermia therapy and neurosensory impairments. Larger studies using MRI brain volumes as a secondary outcome measure are needed.

Strengthening Families: Parents' Voices on Discipline and Child Rearing

This qualitative study conducted semi-structured, multi-session focus groups and interviews with twenty-seven participants to explore in-depth, participant constructs of child discipline and punishment methods and reasons for the continuing support for corporal punishment of U.S. children. The research assumed that parents want to parent well and utilized the strengths perspective as the instrument to listen to participants' voices. Narratives revealed that participants were thoughtful about discipline and parenting strategies and viewed their parent role as a serious commitment. Non-violent discipline strategies, particularly communication, were often used. However, parents generally framed use of physical punishment as “when children need spanking” versus articulating the view that corporal punishment is a choice. Parents were unfamiliar with risks associated with physical punishment and only three parents, as a result of their foster parent training, had ever heard, “Do not spank.” Participants enumerated services and recommendations that would support and inform their own parenting, as well as, benefit children and the eighty percent of women and men in the United States who become mothers and fathers. Recommendations included: creation of a national campaign to build on parent strengths and the intentionality of effective parenting; child development education and increased public awareness of positive discipline methods; parenting supports, including respite and venues for dialogue and discourse about parenting. Recommendations are intended to inform child welfare practice and policy, particularly child abuse prevention. Creating, funding, and implementing a national campaign as described would challenge the dominant child welfare paradigm from one currently perceived as punitive and focused on parents' deficits to a strengths-based paradigm that provides supports and assistance to parents and children.

The Weekly Adjustment Indicators Checklist: An Application in the Child Welfare Field

Research on the effectiveness of various home-based interventions implemented in the 1980s and 1990s indicates that results have been equivocal. Because of the unique and complex behavioral challenges presented by each family and the need for individualized treatments and long-term interventions for these families, group research and evaluation designs are often insufficient in assessing effectiveness of home-based interventions. Alternative evaluation strategies are needed. The purpose of this exploratory study was two-fold: (a) to investigate the applicability and acceptability of the Weekly Adjustment Indicators Checklist (WAIC) in monitoring adult and child behaviors and (b) to monitor, on an on-going basis, the progress of a family referred to an urban family preservation and reunification program. The target family on whom data were collected consisted of a 13-year old girl and her foster parent who was her maternal aunt. The findings of this study indicate that the WAIC is applicable in monitoring the progress of children and adults in care and that it has the endorsement of its user, namely, the direct care provider. Other results of the study, limitations of the study, and future research needs are discussed.

The adolescent response to pregnancy: Accepting the reality

The research literature on adolescent pregnancy indicates a relationship between early prenatal care and positive pregnancy outcomes, yet fewer than half of pregnant teenagers seek prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy. Although social support theory speculates that there should be a relationship between support and health outcomes, available studies do not reflect the processes by which pregnant adolescents use their social resources in making decisions about their pregnancies. This study describes the processes by which the adolescent comes to accept the reality of her pregnancy.^ Drawing from the social-psychological theories of illness behavior and symbolic interactionism, this study examines the symptom diagnosis and help seeking behavior of the pregnant adolescent. This approach describes how the adolescent interprets events and draws conclusions based on her social reality.^ Interviews were conducted with ten young women, aged 15-17, who had recently delivered a first child. Onset of prenatal care ranged from the third month to the seventh month. None were married, and all but two lived with a parent. All but one were currently in school. Initial unstructured interviews were attempted to construe the modes of expression of the young women regarding the event of pregnancy. Subsequent interviews elicited the processes of recognition and explanation of symptoms of pregnancy.^ Analysis revealed a consistent natural history in the subjects' experiences as they come to accept the reality of pregnancy. Symptom appraisal and definition involves noticing changes in themselves, and evaluating and attempting to find suitable explanations for these symptoms. Lay consultation from friends and family aids in identifying the symptoms and to receive suggestions for treatment. It is at this point that prenatal care is usually initiated. Finally the young women describe the integration of pregnancy into their belief systems. ^

Childhood Trauma and PTSD symptoms increase the risk of cognitive impairment in a sample of former indetured child laborers in old Age.

A growing body of evidence suggests a link between early childhood trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and higher risk for dementia in old age. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between childhood trauma exposure, PTSD and neurocognitive function in a unique cohort of former indentured Swiss child laborers in their late adulthood. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study ever conducted on former indentured child laborers and the first to investigate the relationship between childhood versus adulthood trauma and cognitive function. According to PTSD symptoms and whether they experienced childhood trauma (CT) or adulthood trauma (AT), participants (n = 96) were categorized as belonging to one of four groups: CT/PTSD+, CT/PTSD-, AT/PTSD+, AT/PTSD-. Information on cognitive function was assessed using the Structured Interview for Diagnosis of Dementia of Alzheimer Type, Multi-infarct Dementia and Dementia of other Etiology according to ICD-10 and DSM-III-R, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and a vocabulary test. Depressive symptoms were investigated as a potential mediator for neurocognitive functioning. Individuals screening positively for PTSD symptoms performed worse on all cognitive tasks compared to healthy individuals, independent of whether they reported childhood or adulthood adversity. When controlling for depressive symptoms, the relationship between PTSD symptoms and poor cognitive function became stronger. Overall, results tentatively indicate that PTSD is accompanied by cognitive deficits which appear to be independent of earlier childhood adversity. Our findings suggest that cognitive deficits in old age may be partly a consequence of PTSD or at least be aggravated by it. However, several study limitations need to considered. Consideration of cognitive deficits when treating PTSD patients and victims of lifespan trauma (even without a diagnosis of a psychiatric condition) is crucial. Furthermore, early intervention may prevent long-term deficits in memory function and development of dementia in adulthood.

"Beyond Freud and Jung": Sabina Spielrein's Contribution to Child Psychoanalysis and Developmental Psychology

Up to the present day, Sabina Spielrein has been seen as a means to deeper understanding of Freud and Jung and, in particular, the relationship between these two “great men”. This is also the reason why her scholarly achievements after her 1912 essay "Destruction as the Cause of Coming Into Being” are hardly taken into account. This study shows that Spielrein's main research work was in the areas of child analysis and developmental psychology—that is, beyond the work and the persons of Freud and Jung—and that she made numerous significant contributions to the field, so many of them ahead of her time.

Trauma, developmental stages, and motivational abilities in indentured Swiss child laborers in old age

OBJECTIVES The study examined the relationship between potential traumatic events in childhood and motivational abilities in old adulthood according to developmental stage. METHODS The motivational abilities of self-efficacy, conscientiousness and impulsivity (self control) were investigated in a sample of 114 formerly indentured Swiss child laborers. Adversities were assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The sample was split into four age groups according to the beginning of the potential trauma: infancy (0-2), preschool (3-5), early childhood (6-9), and early adolescence (≥ 10). RESULTS The strongest relationship was found between self-efficacy and CTQ in the group "early adolescence," followed by the relationship between conscientiousness and CTQ in the same group. Impulsivity and CTQ were most strongly associated in the "preschool" group. CONCLUSION Childhood adversities seem to have a negative impact on self-efficacy and conscientiousness after the age of ten. In contrast, self-control seems to be affected by the deleterious effect of trauma or adversity already at an earlier age.

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis - The parent perspective.

BACKGROUND Newborn screening for CF started 01/2011 in Switzerland. We investigated the parents' opinions about the information received, their feelings, and overall approval of the screening. METHODS This is a prospective questionnaire survey of all parents of positively screened children. Parents were phoned by CF-centres and invited for diagnostic investigations. They completed a questionnaire after the visit to the CF-centre. RESULTS From 2011-2013, 246 families received the questionnaire and 138 (56%) replied. Of these 77 (60%) found the information received at birth satisfactory; 124 (91%) found the information provided in the CF-centre satisfactory. Most parents (n=98, 78%) felt troubled or anxious when the CF-centre called, 51 (38%) remained anxious after the visit. Most parents (n=122; 88%) were satisfied with the screening, 4 (3%) were not, and 12 (9%) were unsure. CONCLUSIONS The smooth organisation of the screening process, with personal information by a CF specialist and short delays between this information and the final diagnostic testing, might have contributed to reduce anxiety among parents. Most families were grateful that their child had been screened, and are happy with the process.

Does Trauma Impair Self-Control? Differences in Delaying Gratification Between Former Indentured Child Laborers and Nontraumatized Controls.

Traumatic experiences may affect an individual's ability to exercise self-control, which is an essential characteristic for successfully managing life. As a measure of self-control, we used the delay discounting paradigm, that is, the extent to which a person devalues delayed gratification. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma and delay discounting using a control group design with elderly participants with a mean age of 76.2 years. Swiss former indentured child laborers (n=103) who had been exposed to trauma during their childhood were compared with nontraumatized controls (n=50). The trauma exposure group showed a considerably higher preference for immediate smaller rewards than the controls, indicating their lower self-control. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that a history of abuse, current self-efficacy, and education were significantly associated with delay discounting. Implications for future research are discussed.

The Relationship Among Resilience, Forgiveness, and Anger Expression in Adolescents

This study was designed to investigate and describe the relationship among resilience, forgiveness and anger expression in adolescents. The purpose of the study was to explore whether certain adolescent resiliencies significantly related to positive or negative affective, behavioral, or cognitive levels of forgiveness and certain types of anger expression in adolescents. This study also investigated whether there were certain adolescent resiliencies and types of forgiveness that can predict lower levels of negative anger expression in adolescents. This research was built on two conceptual models: Wolin and Wolin's (1993) Challenge Model and the Forgiveness Process Model (Enright & Human Development Study Group, 1991). It was based on a quantitative, single-subject correlational research design. A multiple regression analysis was also used to explore possible effects of resilience and forgiveness on anger expression in adolescents. In addition, two demographic variables, Age and Gender, were examined for possible effects on anger expression. Data were gathered from a convenience sample sample of 70 students in three Maine public high schools using three separate assessment instruments: the Adolescent Resiliency Attitudes Scale (ARAS), the Adolescent Version of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI), and the Adolescent Anger Rating Scale (AARS). Correlational analyses were done on the scales and subscales of these surveys. Significant relationships were found between several adolescent resiliencies and forms of forgiveness as well as between some adolescent resiliencies and types of anger expression. The data indicated that Total Resiliency significantly correlated with Total Forgiveness as well as Total Anger. The findings also identified particular adolescent resiliencies that significantly predicted types of anger expression, while forgiveness did not predict types of anger expression. The data revealed that Age and Gender had no significant affect on anger expression. These findings suggest that the constructs of adolescent resilience and forgiveness have commonalities that can influence how adolescents express anger, and further suggest that intervention and prevention programs expand their focus to incorporate forgiveness skills. The findings from this study can provide critical information to counselors, therapists, and other helping professionals working with adolescents, on approaches to designing and implementing therapy modalities or developmental school guidance programs for adolescents.

The identification of child abuse in Harris County in 1998

Characteristics of child abuse cases are not well known. In this study I collected data on 70 child abuse cases that were reported to Children's Protective Services in Harris County in 1998. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors in Harris County that lead to the identification of physical and sexual abuse. In order to answer the questions of who, what, where and when relative to the discovery of abuse I applied the same questionnaire (see Appendix) to each of 35 Sexual Abuse case reports and to each of 35 Physical Abuse/Neglect case reports. Answers to the first four questions were arranged by frequency distribution to show the predominant reporter, the 10 most common indicators, the most common locale, and the most frequent timing. Tables of the age, sex, and ethnicity of the children indicate the identity of those whose victimization was most reported. In addition the relationship between the form questions and the characteristics of the children was explored. A comparison of Sexual Abuse cases with Physical Abuse/Neglect cases was conducted and the results were analyzed and recorded in the Tables. ^ Child maltreatment often has negative short and long term effects on children's mental health and development. Suicide, violence, delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse and other forms of criminality are frequently child abuse related. Early detection and treatment helps to alleviate the myriad mental and physical ailments that untreated victims present as adults. This translates into medical dollar savings. ^ The long term objectives of my research were to reduce the number of undetected and unreported child abuse cases in Harris County by formulating better educational programs and literature for medical professionals and other personnel who are in contact with children. ^

Parental substance abuse as a risk factor for physical child abuse and neglect: A systematic review of the literature

Case control and retrospective studies have identified parental substance abuse as a risk factor for physical child abuse and neglect (Dore, Doris, & Wright, 1995, May; S. R. Dube et al., 2001; Guterman & Lee, 2005, May; Walsh, MacMillan, & Jamieson, 2003). The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a systematic review of prospective studies from 1975 through 2005 that include parental substance abuse as a risk factor for physical child abuse or neglect. Characteristics of each study such as the research question, sample information, data collection methods and results, including the parent assessed and definitions of substance abuse and physical child abuse and neglect, are discussed. Five studies were identified that met the search criteria. Four of five studies found that parental substance abuse was a significant variable in predicting physical child abuse and neglect.^