This two-part study investigates the effectiveness of neurofeedback training for reducing behavioral problems commonly observed in abused/neglected children, and compares its efficacy to other treatment interventions with this population. Neuro-developmental sequelae of early relationship trauma are explored as an etiological framework for understanding disturbed affect-regulation, which appears central to the behavioral and emotional difficulties commonly experienced by this pediatric population. It is suggested that neurofeedback teaches children to self-regulate brain rhythmicity mechanisms, which in turn affects global improvements in behavior and mood. The pilot study utilizes records of 20 children removed from their biological homes by Child Protective Services. Children were assessed prior to treatment using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), and again after 30 sessions of individualized, qEEG-guided neurofeedback training. A t-test analysis of pre- and post-scores was computed, and indicated significant improvements following treatment. A meta-analysis of existing literature on treatment interventions with abused/neglected children provides individual and aggregate effect sizes for 33 outcome studies with this clinical population, and contextualizes the results of the present pilot study within other empirically validated treatment modalities. Establishment of an overall effect size for treatment for this pediatric population provides a needed method of comparing research results across studies when control groups may not be ethical or feasible.

Using the principles of systems analysis as a guide, this study compared two class schedule formats used by Behavior Management and Parenting Services (BMAPS) in order to address the following research questions: 1) What effects do 2 different class formats have on student attrition and appointment keeping? 2) What effects do 2 different class formats have on student outcomes on a pre and posttest assessment? 3) What effects do 2 different class formats have on staff procedures? BMAPS provides parent education to individuals referred by Child Protective Services. The current research included approximately 200 referred clients with an appointment or class scheduled with BMAPS between January 1, 2006 and September 22, 2007. Data was collected by reviewing client files for class attendance and performance records. Results of this study allow BMAPS to enlist the class format that is correlated with better attrition rates and client outcomes.

Child maltreatment affects 900 thousand children in the U.S. every year and impacts all areas of daily functioning. Behavioral parent training (BPT) programs have effectively taught parenting and demonstrated externally valid outcomes (i.e., lower recidivism rates). Skill maintenance assessments for BPTs have mixed results. The Behavior Management and Parenting Services (BMAPS) program has shown effective skill training for court-mandated families. This study assessed skill maintenance and performance factors that may have impaired parents using an ABAB single-case research design in Phase 1 & external validity with a survey in Phase 2. Results for Phase 1 found that most BMAPS parents acquired all parenting tools to criteria, dropped below criteria at the 3 month probe, then fully demonstrated their regained skills after a brief review. Psychological and classroom factors do not appear to have systematically influenced performance at any time, although homework completion was associated with better scores at the end of class. Phase 2 results found a 91% reunification rate and a 0% recidivism rate over 1-3 years. All limitations aside, it appears that the BMAPS program is able to effectively train skills to criteria and these skills can be sustained with a booster session. The vast majority of parents we contacted were reunified with their children and none were involved with additional charges of child maltreatment.

Abuse and neglect occurring in childhood have been associated with a number of functional and physiological effects on the brain. This study extends previous research that investigated the quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) patterns in children with histories of relational trauma through the inclusion of additional participants and measures. As in previous studies, the relative power, absolute power, and coherence values in children with histories of abuse were compared to the Neuroguide database. Results did not show any significant differences in relative or absolute power in the theta range. Similarly, there were no significant coherence differences. Database comparisons were also made using low resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) in order to determine which sub-cortical brain structures may be affected by abuse or trauma, though there were no significant differences in any frequency (0-30Hz). A review of the literature suggests that the prevalence of mu in normal adults and children ranges from 0 to 19%. The present study found a mu prevalence rate of 60.6% in the children who experienced abuse or neglect. Finally, comparisons were made between participants who demonstrate a mu pattern and those who do not to determine if this pattern is associated with certain behavioral and/or attention problems as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Tests of Variables of Attention (TOVA), respectively. There were no significant differences between children with a mu pattern versus children who did not exhibit a mu pattern on the Social Problems, Thought Problems, or Attention subscale scores on the CBCL or on the Commission subscale score on the TOVA.

Structural equation modeling was used to examine how childhood sexual abuse (and other associated variables, such as family functioning and experiencing multiple forms of abuse) relates to revictimization and psychological distress. Participants were women who participated in Project HOW: Health Outcomes of Women interviews, a longitudinal study that spanned six waves of interviews. Only women with a history of childhood sexual abuse were included in the present study (n=178). Experiencing nonsexual child maltreatment in addition to childhood sexual abuse appears directly related to adult sexual and physical revictimization and indirectly related to psychological distress. Childhood sexual abuse alone was not predictive of revictimization or psychological abuse. This suggests that other mediating factors may explain the relation between CSA and revictimization found in other research. Clinical implications based on the results of the present study emphasize the importance of identifying children who have experienced multiple forms of abuse as particularly at risk for future victimization. In addition, providing interventions with a focus on education and empowerment might decrease risk for future violence and subsequent emotional maladjustment. Potential future research could examine the treatment outcomes and efficacy of these interventions as well as identify those mediating factors that increase the risk for adult revictimization for those individuals who experience only childhood sexual abuse.

No description available.

Possible relationships between early mistreatment, adult attachment security (Interpersonal functioning), and apprehension and melancholy.

Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ forskningsansats vars syfte var att öka förståelsen hur socialsekreterare och förskollärare förhåller sig till riktlinjerna i sitt handlande. Vidare ville vi se hur de hanterar den emotionella balansen i sin professionella roll. Studien utgår från deras livsvärld och systemvärld kopplat till deras professionella vardag. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer där totalt sex respondenter har deltagit. För att ha en god grund att diskutera studiens resultat har två teorier använts; fenomenologi och Habermas teori om livsvärlden och systemvärlden. Resultatet av denna uppsats visade att den emotionella balansen i arbetet är svår att handskas med, men att den hanteras genom stöd från kollegor och psykologer. Socialsekreterarna förhåller sig till sina riktlinjer med hjälp av BBIC-modellen när de fattar viktiga beslut. Förskollärarna förhåller sig till sin anmälningsplikt genom att anmäla till socialtjänsten vid minsta lilla misstanke om att ett barn far illa. Analysen visade att båda professionerna alltid utgick från barnets bästa och att detta påverkade den emotionella balansen. Det framkom även att samverkan mellan socialtjänsten och förskolan är betydelsefull. De värderade samarbetet mellan dem som högt och att det är en trygghet för dem att de har ett nära samarbete. / The study was conducted with a qualitative research approach whose purpose was to understand how social workers and preschool teachers relate to the guidelines. Based on this, the study was based on their life and system-world linked to their professional everyday life. We chose to conduct semi-structured interviews. The number of respondents who participated in this study was six. The theories that we used was phenomenology as well as Habermas system and lifeworld theory. The result of this study shows that the emotional balance of the work was handled through the support of psychologists and colleagues. The social workers used the BBIC-model when making important decisions. Preschool teachers respond to their duty to report by reporting to the social services in the slightest suspicion that a child is ill. The analysis showed that both of the professions always based their decision-making on the best interest of the child and that this seemed to affect their emotional balance. They seemed to value the collaboration between preschools and the social services very highly.

The aim with this study is to investigate how social agencies work with children that are whitnessing physical violence against their mother by a man they have a close relationship with. The study is focusing on what kind of interventions that are directed to those children, in some cases also the whole family, and what effects these have on them. The study is also focusing on the cooperation between different social agencies that are working with the target group and what effects a wellworking cooperation may have. A qualitative method has been used for the study, based on semi-structured interviews with different kind of social workers that work with the target group in question. The selection of social workers consisted on five different interviewees within four different departments.The results of the study shows what interventions are the most common ones and what effects these are having on the children and their families according to previous research and according to the interviewed social workers. It also shows the importance of having a wellworking cooperation between relevant social agencies according to previous research and how the cooperation is working in practical social work according to the interviewed social workers. Eventually the results have been analysed by the three theories: attachment theory, Antonovsky’s KASAM and risk- and protection factors. The study shows the importance of aiming the right interventions to those who are exposed and how important it is with a good cooperation between different social agencies so that the interventions are far-reaching enough to support the exposed in every part of their life and to meet their every need of support. This also so those who are exposed suffer from less symptoms followed by witnessing physical violence and provide good conditions to have a healthy physical, social and psychological development.

The purpose of this study was to understand why so few notifications of concern regarding children are made from sports clubs to social services, the organisation charged with managing such concerns. To be able to understand this phenomenon organisational factors and sport coaches knowledge of warning signs of child maltreatment was studied. There was also an interest to study this further regarding the facts that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children, UNCRC, will be incorporated in the Swedish law January 2020. To answer these questions a qualitative method was used where six sport coaches, independent from each other, were interviewed using semi structured questions. The coaches represent different sports of which three are team sports, two are individual and one is both. The interviews were conducted in personal and were recorded. The analysing method used on the empirical data was coding and thematisation. The empirical data was analysed using relevant theoretical perspectives, namely ethics and organisational theory and an overview of relevant information on the subject. The results of this study showed that as well as there is a gap within the sport clubs regarding information, there is also a gap of information from the bigger organizations to the smaller local clubs. The findings also point towards the struggle coaches have when it comes to the ethical dilemmas that they encounter. How they choose to try and solve situations are directly related to the lack of knowledge - what happens in the process after one makes a referral of concern regarding a child and the fear of making the child's situation worse. One of the conclusions of this study is that if the coaches were given the right information and knowledge enabling them to have a good foundation to stand on, it is likely that more coaches would feel more confident regarding these dilemmas. This would help them know what to do if they notice that a child may be maltreated or abused. Each sports club also needs an existing updated child protection policy outlining how a coach should react when faced with concerns about welfare and protection. The thesis concludes by discussing whether sports clubs should have a duty to report child welfare concerns in the same way, for example, as teachers do.