The aim of this research is to determine the therapeutic possibilities in music and books, in group work with middle aged deprived children. Deprivationwith children is an encompassing problem which social workers daily grapple with. A lack of sufficientknowledgeabout deprivationand sufficientknowledgeon the way inwhich to solve the problemmakesit essentialto do researchon the subject. Literature analysis and an empirical research are the two methods used in this study. The literature analysis focuses on the characteristics of the child client, the value of play for the child and the different ways of playing. This is followed by an explanation of the development of the normally developed middle aged child compared to that of the deprived middle aged child. The therapeutic possibilitiesof music and books is also discussed. Experimental research was used for this empirical research. An experimental group and a controlled group was compiled out of deprived middle aged children. Measurements were taken before and afterwards according to an adapted Hudson scale. Music, books and other therapeutic resources were used in the group work with the experimental group. The hypothesis states that the therapeutic use of music and books in work with groups amongst deprived middle aged children results in improvements of behaviour and relationships. The empiricalresearch proved that the therapeutic use of music and books lead to the improvement of behaviour, such as co-operation and consentration and to the establishmentof a therapeutic relationship between the group members and group leader. / Thesis (MA(MW))--PU vir CHO, 1994

Bibliotherapy is an innovative therapeutic technique that uses reading as a helping process for dealing with stress. It has been proposed as a mental health approach for individuals facing social, psychological or developmental problems. As reading tends to be a non-threatening method of sharing problems, a bibliotherapy group was implemented for 12 weeks with eight alert elderly people who had difficulties coping with their current life situation in a long-term care institution. The effectiveness of a bibliotherapeutic approach with this population is evaluated and implications for social work policy, practice and research are discussed.

The aim of this research is to determine the therapeutic possibilities in music and books, in group work with middle aged deprived children. Deprivationwith children is an encompassing problem which social workers daily grapple with. A lack of sufficientknowledgeabout deprivationand sufficientknowledgeon the way inwhich to solve the problemmakesit essentialto do researchon the subject. Literature analysis and an empirical research are the two methods used in this study. The literature analysis focuses on the characteristics of the child client, the value of play for the child and the different ways of playing. This is followed by an explanation of the development of the normally developed middle aged child compared to that of the deprived middle aged child. The therapeutic possibilitiesof music and books is also discussed. Experimental research was used for this empirical research. An experimental group and a controlled group was compiled out of deprived middle aged children. Measurements were taken before and afterwards according to an adapted Hudson scale. Music, books and other therapeutic resources were used in the group work with the experimental group. The hypothesis states that the therapeutic use of music and books in work with groups amongst deprived middle aged children results in improvements of behaviour and relationships. The empiricalresearch proved that the therapeutic use of music and books lead to the improvement of behaviour, such as co-operation and consentration and to the establishmentof a therapeutic relationship between the group members and group leader. / Thesis (MA(MW))--PU vir CHO, 1994

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Duquesne University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-184) and index.

This thesis examines the effects of a Bibliotherapy based intervention on literacy, behaviour, and self-efficacy of disaffected adolescents. This exploratory study sought to understand how the intervention was experienced by disaffected adolescents (RQ1/RQ2) and whether it revealed any changes in their responses to the texts (RQ3). It contributes to the existing knowledge and literature by demonstrating how Bibliotherapy, implemented in an educational context, can be a useful tool in designing an intervention for disaffected students at the secondary level by linking emotional development to development in literacy and overall learning. To begin, the purpose and study aims were to develop an intervention based on the principles of Bibliotherapy in order to address the challenges of literacy and behaviour among disaffected adolescents; to evaluate the various outcomes, which may influence the design or effective implementation of the programme; to revise and make changes based on the evaluation to produce a usable programme. From this, the study aimed to answer the following research questions: how useful is Bibliotherapy and/or its principles as a tool in designing a literacy programme for re-engaging disaffected adolescents? What is the perspective of the students in undertaking the programme in means of the process involved? What changes follow this programme in regards to the improvement of literacy and enhancement of attitude and interest in reading amongst disaffected adolescents? This study used a longitudinal mixed methods approach, taking place over three cohorts (school terms), and involving thirty two Year 9 students from five secondary schools in the United Kingdom. The design and evaluation of the Bibliotherapy intervention was underpinned by both a concurrent triangulation model and action research. The evaluation of the programme involved the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data; therefore, a pragmatic stance to the research was adopted that was positioned as mixed-methods. Qualitative data was analysed using a thematic approach and merged to complement the Quantitative findings offering a more thorough and valid interpretation. The qualitative analysis revealed four overarching themes from the participation in the programme: positive developments in Power Over Learning, Emotional Intelligence, Peer Impact to Learning, and New Reader Identities. The quantitative findings, for the most part, did not reveal any statistically significant changes in reading, self-efficacy, or behaviour; however, there were isolated cases among individual cohorts where the findings did reveal significant changes in fluency, reading, reading difficulty perception, behaviour, and with personal resiliency such as increased optimism, tolerance, and adaptability. This study supports findings from earlier studies suggesting that disaffected adolescents at secondary school levels can benefit from reading and behavioural intervention. It offers new knowledge regarding the effectiveness and use of Bibliotherapy as a tool to design an intervention for re-engagement, social and emotional growth through peer support, development of a deeper understanding of self, and reinforcement of reading skills necessary to achieve literacy.

Children experience life crisis and normal developmental problems. This study is aimed at highlighting the role fiction can play in assisting children in coping with certain normal life crisis and developmental problems. A discussion on the nature of the bibliotherapeutic process indicated that fiction plays a major role in the success thereof. A model was designed for the selection process of fiction for the bibliotherapeutic process. Selection criteria were established for both the reader and the reading matter. Tables were designed consisting of selection criteria for both the reader and the reading matter. Stories about life crisis relating to death and divorce, as well as normal developmental problems about fear of peer group rejection and fear of the acquirement of skills, were evaluated against these criteria. This indicates that it is possible to select the right book for the bibliotherapeutic process with children. / Information Science / M.Inf.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A parent's death it is one of the most stressful and traumatic events in a child's life (Guldin et al., 2015; Worden, 1996, 2008). In particular, when bereavement is linked to a parent's suicide, children face unique challenges and are more vulnerable to potentially negative outcomes (Brent, Melhem, Donohoe, & Walker, 2009; Haine, Ayers, Sandler, & Wolchik, 2008; Pitman, Osborn, King, & Erlangsen, 2014; Young et al., 2012). Although many factors influence children's recovery following a parent's suicide, the surviving parent's emotional stability and emotional availability to support their children are of critical importance. Additionally, negative outcomes are often linked to unhealthy patterns of grief, such as avoidance and blame (Ratnarajah & Schofield, 2008), social isolation, closed communication (not talking about the suicide), and secrets kept within the family (Cerel, Jordan, & Duberstein, 2008). Furthermore, society's stigmatization of suicide impedes survivors' emotional healing (Mitchell et al., 2006). In recent years, researchers have consistently shown the success of bibliotherapy in helping increase children's and parents' understanding and communication about death. However, this efficacy has not been demonstrated specifically with grief related to suicide. No bibliotherapy-related research specifically addresses children's grief associated with a parent's suicide. Addressing this lack of research, a focus group study was conducted to obtain paraprofessional counselors' opinions about which type of story would be most effective in supporting this unique population of child survivors. We sought participants' (n=5) perceptions regarding which specific criteria should be considered when selecting child-appropriate reading materials (picture books) for bibliotherapy. We focused on the purpose of opening communication with young children (ages 4—8-years old) following their parent's suicide. The following summary and recommendations are based on participants' input. Following a parent's suicide, participants emphasized the critical need to individualize treatment to fit the unique needs of the child. Participants repeatedly stressed the need to know the child-the circumstances surrounding the suicide and the child's specific situation. They also recommended that counselors should strive to find books that fit the child's individual needs; books need to be forthright and honest in their portrayal of suicide; and stories need to show a way forward, provide hope, and assure the child that that they are not alone. Participants endorsed suicide-specific books, indicating that these books tended to be best for helping the child talk about the suicide and their grief. As a foundation for conversation with the child, participants noted the importance of children's books that helped identify and address specific emotions. Additionally, participants cautioned adults to avoid sharing stories that included ambiguous and unresolved issues, as children needed stories that offered closure and directly taught effective coping strategies. Future research is recommended to further explore the efficacy of children's picture books that were endorsed by this study's focus group. It is important to assess child survivors' and surviving parents' perceptions of these stories and the effectiveness of stories in opening communication about the deceased parent's suicide. Additionally, future research needs to investigate licensed counseling professionals' perceptions of children's picture books, specifically their perception of the story's capacity to open communication and provide adaptive grief support to child survivors. Additionally, longitudinal research should focus on the long term effectiveness of sharing carefully selected stories to facilitate healthy grieving patterns in child survivors.

The death of a parent by suicide is especially traumatic. Researchers estimate the number of children in the United States annually who experience their parent's suicide ranges from 7,000 to 30,000. These child survivors experience more complicated grief as compared to children bereaved by a parent's non-suicidal death. In particular, very young children have difficulty understanding that their parent completed suicide. Across time they struggle with confusion and intense emotions associated with their parent's suicide. Due to the stigma associated with suicide, feelings of guilt, and intense grief, surviving family members avoid talking about the suicide. Young children are often confused and suffer in silence with limited understanding about who the deceased parent was and why the parent completed suicide. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven adults, who as young children experienced the death of their father by suicide. All participants reported being five years old or younger at the time of the suicide. Participants explained how they found out about the suicide; how they developed an understanding of their deceased father across the years; and how they developed memories of their father, largely dependent on others' stories and reported details. At the conclusion of the interviews, participants were offered nine children's picture books. Participants self-selected books from these nine books and offered their impressions about how these books may or may not be helpful for young child survivors of parent suicide. Their reactions to the books are discussed in relationship to their personal stories and lived experiences. Their reactions have implications for how potential books must be carefully selected, making considerations in light of the child's unique experiences. Participants' responses highlighted the importance of attachment issues, the challenges of forming a connection to the deceased loved one with limited memories of their parent. Ultimately, survivors' perceptions and experiences are tied to the challenges of navigating Worden's (1996) tasks of grief. Implications for applied practice include considering how to use children's literature to open and encourage communication, allowing children to ask questions about the suicide; supporting young children in accepting the reality of their parent's death; facing the grief and pain with the support of loved ones; adapting to changes in their life's trajectory due to their father's suicide and adapting to altered family relationships; and building memories of the deceased loved one, and when possible, ensuring healthy attachment to the deceased parent.