Children at risk, attachment and institutionalization: contributions to the socio-educational intervention

Introduction: Institutionalized children exposed to early adverse experiences are a particularly vulnerable group with a high risk of developing health problems. Objectives: i) to know the representations of attachment in institutionalized children; ii) to understand if there are differences of attachment, according to some sociodemographic variables; iii) outline socio-educational intervention strategies in the children’s life’s contexts. Methods: This is an exploratory and cross-sectional study, using for this purpose, a non-probabilistic and convenience sample composed of 82 institutionalized children, aged between 8 and 17 years old. The gathering instruments were the Sociodemographic Questionnaire and the Inventory Attachment for Children and Adolescents. Results: The results show that most children have secure attachment representations, followed by the avoidant attachment representations. We also found signiicant differences in the results of attachment, according to the gender (in avoidant attachment and ambivalent attachment) and in the institutionalization time (in the ambivalent attachment). Conclusions: The results show promising lines of research, being our purpose to outline socio-educational intervention strategies for children in their pathways of life by promoting protective factors, especially the establishment of secure relationships, thus promoting better quality of life and well-being.

Resilience, perception of parental support and socio-educational intervention strategies

Introduction: Resilience is a core variable in the context of studies on the psychosocial adjustment and school children and teenagers, and should be considered in the context of strategies to promote their well- being and quality of life. Objectives: To know the relationship between resilience, parental support and some sociodemographic variables; outline socio-educational intervention strategies in contexts of children’s lives. Methods: This is a non-experimental, correlational and cross-sectional study, having used a non- probabilistic convenience sample consisting of 150 children, aged between 10 and 16 years old, attending the 2nd and 3rd cycles of Basic Education. The gathering instruments were the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Inventory Measuring State and Child Resilience (Martins, 2005) and Perception Parental Support Scale (Veiga, 2011). Results: Results show that there are signiicant differences in the values of the current, past and overall resilience, between the age groups children, revealing that children aged between 10 and 11 years have higher results in resilience than young people aged between 14 and 16 years. We also observed signiicant differences in the current resilience, depending on the parents’ marital status (higher when parents are married). We also observed positive and signiicant correlations between resilience and perception of parental support. Conclusions: Results are in line with the scientiic literature in the ield that highlights the key role of resilience in school and psychosocial adjustment of children, and should be considered within the design of socio-educational intervention strategies. Keywords: Resilience. Parental support. Attachment

Educational Intervention Project "R.E.D. Bull(ying)"

Introduction: Adolescence is a stage of life cycle marked by various physical, psychological and social changes. During this stage, young people are faced with the feeling of threat of identity, which may trigger aggressive behaviours. Bullying is a form of school violence with high prevalence, that shouldn't be a "normal" occurrence or a event that young people should experience during the transition between childhood and adolescent. In order to reduce the prevalence of bullying in the school community, we elaborated the Educational Intervention Project "R.E.D. BULL(ying)", with the specific objectives: Evaluate the knowledge level about bullyng, before and after the Project, and increase the level of literacy about the subject in the school community (students and teachers). Methodology: Our target population consisted in a total of 203 students from 5th to 9th grade and 13 teachers of school. It's a cross-sectional study of research - action, with the application of a diagnostic questionnaire, before and after, we conducted the educational sessions. Results: After the educational sessions, 93,1% of students identified what to do in a bullying situation, and 62,6% of students responded that in an assault situation, called an adult; 95,1% said they knew what was bullying, 56,8% associated the concept to physical aggression and 92,6 % mentioned to know the types of bullying, and physical bullying (71,9%) and verbal bullying (69,5%) were the most mentioned types. Meanwhile, the teachers: 76,9% considered that the school environment was pleasant, 84,6% characterized the relationship between the students as "adequate" and 77% said they didn't experience any bullying situation. Conclusions: We found an overall improvement to the level of bullying related knowledge after the educational intervention. So, we verified that the integrated intervention in the school health teams, allows greater attention to the detection, signalling and routing situations of violence.

EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION PROJECT "R.E.D. BULL(YING)"

Introduction: Adolescence is a stage of life cycle marked by various physical, psychological and social changes. During this stage, young people are faced with the feeling of threat of identity, which may trigger aggressive behaviours. Bullying is a form of school violence with high prevalence, that shouldn't be a "normal" occurrence or a event that young people should experience during the transition between childhood and adolescent. In order to reduce the prevalence of bullying in the school community, we elaborated the Educational Intervention Project "R.E.D. BULL(ying)", with the specific objectives: Evaluate the knowledge level about bullyng, before and after the Project, and increase the level of literacy about the subject in the school community (students and teachers). Methodology: Our target population consisted in a total of 203 students from 5th to 9th grade and 13 teachers of school. It's a cross-sectional study of research - action, with the application of a diagnostic questionnaire, before and after, we conducted the educational sessions. Results: After the educational sessions, 93,1% of students identified what to do in a bullying situation, and 62,6% of students responded that in an assault situation, called an adult; 95,1% said they knew what was bullying, 56,8% associated the concept to physical aggression and 92,6 % mentioned to know the types of bullying, and physical bullying (71,9%) and verbal bullying (69,5%) were the most mentioned types. Meanwhile, the teachers: 76,9% considered that the school environment was pleasant, 84,6% characterized the relationship between the students as "adequate" and 77% said they didn't experience any bullying situation. Conclusions: We found an overall improvement to the level of bullying related knowledge after the educational intervention. So, we verified that the integrated intervention in the school health teams, allows greater attention to the detection, signalling and routing situations of violence.

Educação física e inclusão educacional : entender para atender = Physical education and educational inclusion : understanding to attend

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Project to investigate improving literacy and numeracy outcomes of distance education students in the early years of schooling

The project was commissioned to investigate and analyse the issue of effective support for distance education students in the early years of school to maximise literacy and numeracy outcomes. The scope of this project was limited to students living in rural and remote areas who are undertaking education at home and who are in their early years of schooling. For the purpose of this project, the early years are conceptualised as the first three years of formal compulsory schooling in each of the States and Territories. There were a number of key tasks for the project which included: 1. Examining of the role of home tutors/supervisors This included interviewing personnel from the State and Territory distance education providers as well as the principals, teachers, home tutors and children. 2. Describing literacy and numeracy teaching and learning, and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in distance education This aspect of the project involved a critical review and analysis of relevant literature and reports in the last five years, and a consideration of the new initiatives that had been implemented in the States and Territories in the last two years. 3. The development of resources Through examination of the role of home tutors/supervisors, and an examination of literacy and numeracy and the use of technology in distance education, three resources were developed: ● A guide for home tutors/supervisors and schools of distance education about effective intervention and assessment strategies to support students’ learning and to assist the home tutors/supervisors in implementing ICT to support the development of literacy and numeracy in the early years. ● A calendar of activities for literacy and numeracy that would act as a stimulus for integrated and authentic activity for young children. ● An embryonic website of resources for the stakeholders in rural and distance education that might act as a catalyst for future resource building and sharing. In this way the final key task of the project, which was to create a context for a strategic dissemination plan, was realised when a strategy to address effective dissemination of the findings of the project so as to maximise their usefulness for the relevant groups was achieved.

Improving pain management by nurses: A pilot peer intervention program

Significant pain continues to be reported by many hospitalized patients despite the numerous and varied educational programs developed and implemented to improve pain management. A theoretically based Peer Intervention Program was designed from a predictive model to address nurses' beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, perceived control and intentions in the management of pain with p.r.n. (as required) narcotic analgesia. The pilot study of this program utilized a quasi-experimental pre-post test design with a patient intervention, nurse and patient intervention and control conditions consisting of 24, 18 and 19 nurses, respectively. One week after the intervention, significant differences were found between the nurse and patient condition and the two other conditions in beliefs, self-efficacy, perceived control, positive trend in attitudes, subjective norms and intentions. The most positive aspects of the program were supportive interactive discussions with peers and an awareness and understanding of beliefs and attitudes and their roles in behavior.

Pragmatic solidarism and the dilemmas of humanitarian intervention

The theory and practice of humanitarian intervention in the 1990s has produced a series of seemingly intractable dilemmas. Why do states act in some cases and not others? How are we to evaluate the legitimacy of particular acts? This article introduces a new perspective on these questions informed by a combination of pragmatism and solidarism. It argues that although the search for criteria that may be used to judge the legitimacy and efficacy of humanitarian intervention may be a futile one, it is possible to think about a politics of legitimate humanitarian intervention. Such a politics may be based on three key insights drawn from pragmatism: the dialogic construction of moral knowledge, the fallibility of knowledge, and the priority of democracy over philosophy. The article discusses how such a pragmatic solidarism may be used to interrogate the quest for legitimising criteria and to build a new politics of humanitarian intervention.

Silêncios em liberdade assistida : entre governamentalidades e estratégias de vida

Esta pesquisa teve a intenção de traçar e problematizar os atravessamentos percebidos nos encontros com profissionais do Creas (Centro de Referência Especializada da Assistência Social), que atuam com medida socioeducativa em meio aberto ou Liberdade Assistida. Através dos diálogos realizados, tanto por meio de entrevistas individuais ou em grupo, a intenção foi de localizar, intensificar entrelaçamentos, linhas presentes nas diferentes facetas e momentos que esse campo apresenta. Partindo dessa intenção, o desafio que se colocou foi traçar mapas, de forma a dar corpo a ressonâncias com diferentes tempos e territórios. Constatou-se, com o auxílio de alguns autores, como Foucault, Costa e Agamben, a presença de emaranhados de questões que se entrelaçam com várias outras áreas e esferas de atuação, ou seja, áreas que não são não específicas desse campo, mas que envolvem outros profissionais, programas e propostas de serviços Estatais. Tudo isso se encontrou nas falas dos técnicos sobre as ações diárias, priorizando encontros com adolescentes em cumprimento de liberdade assistida e suas famílias, aliadas com referências dos conceitos como de governamentalidade, biopolítica, que permitiram deslocamentos de pontos de vistas cristalizados e problematizações de práticas e discursos que ali estão colocados. Para se construir um olhar crítico sobre esse campo, também foi feito um breve levantamento histórico sobre como alguns conceitos, como os de delinquência e família, são utilizados nas estratégias de intervenção governamental da população. A partir da construção de certos padrões de normalidade no cuidado com a infância ao longo da história das estratégias socioassistenciais do Brasil, se enfatizaram relações de desigualdade nos serviços e práticas contemporâneos. Tudo isso também permitiu questionar como ilegalidades participam das relações de Estado cada vez mais de forma consolidada, participando tanto da afirmação de práticas produtoras de aprisionamentos, como também possibilitando a percepção de diferentes tipos de relações que atuam na produção de outras formas de se viver Liberdade Assistida, sob discursos e práticas vigilância e controle.

Parental cognitive dimensions associated with preschool children’s eating habits: an intervention study

Childhood excessive weight and obesity are a major public health concern from early childhood. Early childhood is an important period of development for developing healthy eating habits, that may be associated with an adequate present/future BMI. There is extensive evidence that children’s food intake is shaped by early experiences, suggesting ways in which parenting practices may be promoting obesity. But what leads parents to endorse healthier or detrimental educational practices and routines needs further study. 1. Perception of children’s weight: parents of overweight or obese children often fail to correctly perceive their children as overweight; failing to recognize their children’s excessive weight may impeach parents from implementing the best educational practices. 2. Concern: relation between the adequacy of mothers perception of their children’s weight and the level of concern - parental concern is be associated with parental practices. 3. Attribution of control: also, if parents do not consider their children’s eating behavior at least partially controllable by them, they may relinquish some of their responsibility in this area. Self-efficacy: evidence linking parental self-efficacy to parent competence and to parenting practices and behaviors; low parental self-efficacy related to the control of everyday behavior of young children may lead parents to abandon more consistent health practices and endorse permissive and inconsistent strategies. We designed 2 sequential studies that aim to contribute to the understanding of cognitive determinants of children’s eating patterns.

Das conceções às práticas de avaliação formativa no 1.º ciclo do ensino básico

Relatório de estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para obtenção de grau de mestre em Ensino do 1.º e 2.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

A Communication Intervention for Training Southern European Oncologists to Recognize Psychosocial Morbidity in Cancer. I - Development of the Model and Preliminary Results on Physicians' Satisfaction

BACKGROUND: The detection of psychosocial distress is a significant communication problem in Southern Europe and other countries. Work in this area is hampered by a lack of data. Because not much is known about training aimed at improving the recognition of psychosocial disorders in cancer patients, we developed a basic course model for medical oncology professionals. METHODS: A specific educational and experiential model (12 hours divided into 2 modules) involving formal teaching (ie, journal articles, large-group presentations), practice in small groups (ie, small-group exercises and role playing), and discussion in large groups was developed with the aim of improving the ability of oncologists to detect emotional disturbances in cancer patients (ie, depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders). RESULTS: A total of 30 oncologists from 3 Southern European countries (Italy, Portugal, and Spain) participated in the workshop. The training course was well accepted by most participants who expressed general satisfaction and a positive subjective perception of the utility of the course for clinical practice. Of the total participants, 28 physicians (93.3%) thought that had they been exposed to this material sooner, they would have incorporated the techniques received in the workshop into their practices; 2 participants stated they would likely have done so. Half of the doctors (n = 15) believed that their clinical communication techniques were improved by participating in the workshop, and the remaining half thought that their abilities to communicate with cancer patients had improved. CONCLUSIONS: This model is a feasible approach for oncologists and is easily applicable to various oncology settings. Further studies will demonstrate the effectiveness of this method for improving oncologists skills in recognizing emotional disorders in their patients with cancer.

Impact of an intervention in the use of sequential antibiotic therapy in a Brazilian university hospital

INTRODUCTION: Sequential antibiotic therapy (SAT) is safe and economical. However, the unnecessary use of intravenous (IV) administration usually occurs. The objective of this work was to get to know the effectiveness of an intervention to implement the SAT in a teaching hospital in Brazil. METHODS: This was a prospective and interventional study, historically controlled, and was conducted in the Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a high complexity teaching hospital having 503 beds. In each of the periods, from 04/04/05 to 07/20/05 (pre-intervention) and from 09/24/07 to 12/20/07 (intervention), 117 patients were evaluated. After the pre-intervention period, guidelines were developed which were implemented during the intervention period along with educational measures and a reminder system added to the patients' prescription. RESULTS: In the pre-intervention and intervention periods, the IV antibiotics were used as treatment for a average time of 14.8 and 11.8 days, respectively. Ceftriaxone was the antibiotic most prescribed in both periods (23.4% and 21.6% respectively). Starting from the first prescription of antibiotics, the average length of hospitalization time was 21.8 and 17.5 days, respectively. The SAT occurred only in 4 and 5 courses of treatment, respectively, and 12.8% and 18.8% of the patients died in the respective periods. CONCLUSIONS: Under the presented conditions, the evaluated intervention strategy is ineffective in promoting the exchange of the antibiotic administration from IV to oral treatment (SAT).

Mothers' beliefs concerning severity and need for intervention in child maltreatment

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde