Despite the growing recognition of the prevalence of domestic violence worldwide, there is an increasing number of women reporting abuse, and there are those who have died at the hands of their abusers. Many of these domestic violence situations involve children who grow up carrying the physical and/or emotional scars of abuse into adulthood, which also has negative implications for their social well-being. This study adopts a qualitative approach to analysing emerging themes relating to the experiences of eight adult participants (four men and four women) who have lived in domestically violent homes during their childhood. The study deals with definitions of abuse, the social, physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioural and psychological effects of abuse and identifies the social consequences of growing up in a violent home. With reference to the research interviews, it is the researcher’s finding that if there is violence in the home, children’s socialisation will be impaired. The results of the study support the hypothesis that the socialisation of adults and their ability to form healthy relationships are hindered by being exposed to domestic violence during childhood. In terms of the goals of intervention, the basic principle is that children need to be provided with a safe environment, appropriate discipline and a secure relationship with an attentive caregiver. The ultimate goal of intervention is to prevent further harm and promote recovery. Socio-educational goals include being taught to communicate and settle differences without the use of violence, to promote the development of well-adjusted social beings. / Educational Foundations / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)

The current study examined the effects of acculturative processes on the self-report of behavioral problems in Hispanic children ages 11-14. Acculturation was measured by the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARSMA-II) (ã Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, www.sagepub.com) (Cuellar, Arnold, and Maldonado, 1995) and the self-report of behavioral symptoms was assessed using the Youth Self-Report (ã T.M. Achenbach, Burlington, VT, www.aseba.com) (Achenbach, 1991). It was hypothesized that while both the linear and orthogonal categories of acculturation would account for a significant proportion of the variance in behavior problems in this age group, the orthogonal model would account for a larger proportion of variance due to its multidimensional nature. As well, it was hypothesized that the experimental Marginalization scales of the ARSMA-II would be predictive of behavioral problems. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to test these hypotheses and results were non-significant for the linear, orthogonal, and marginalization categories. The effects of the ethnic/cultural homogeneity of the region from which the sample was drawn, the buffering of social support, and the developmental aspects of ethnic identity are discussed as factors which may have influenced the potential impact of acculturative stress on psychological and behavioral functioning.

Personality patterns of sexually abused female adolescent runaways are compared to personality patterns of physically abused female adolescent runaways. Eighty-six female adolescents from 13 to 17 years of age completed a self report inventory to determine personality traits. To test the hypotheses of the study, a multivariate analysis of variance was conducted, followed with univariate tests to find differences on separate dependent measures. Results indicated that on the Jesness Inventory there may be a common personality pattern associated with abuse. Univariate tests yielded data which indicated that although there may be a general personality pattern for abused adolescents, there were significant differences between the physically and sexually abused adolescents on some personality variables. Results were evaluated taking into account the selective sample from which the population was drawn. Recommendations for future research included the use of projectives, a more comprehensive personality inventory, and selected demographics.

Every day, children throughout the United States are given psychological evaluations for many different clinical and psycho-educational purposes. Very little research has attempted to investigate children's responses to the experience of having intellectual and achievement tests administered. The goal of the current research was to explore the effect a psycho-educational evaluation has on children in areas of self-concept and anxiety. Dependent variables consisted of pre- and post-test measures of anxiety and self-concept. A total of 75 children in the 4th 5th and 6th grades were recruited after referral for evaluation and possible placement in the Talented and Gifted Program or Special Education. This study employed Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t-tests, multiple regression analysis, and correlational analysis. Findings included initial evidence that children endorsed decreased anxiety after psycho-educational assessments rather than increased anxiety, suggesting that fear of unknown situations may be more anxiety provoking than the actual situation itself, potentially beneficial findings for psychology and psychometric professionals who evaluate children daily. Students endorsement of academic self-concept significantly predicted anxiety after a psycho-educational evaluation, indicating that students who feel capable in academic areas may endorse less anxiety after an evaluation than students who do not feel academically capable. Finally, negative verbal interaction with parents significantly predicted lower general self-concept scores, providing evidence that the manner in which parents verbally relate to their children may have significant impact for the mental health of children.

This descriptive study utilized semi-structured interviews and observations to examine the experiences of hospitalized school-age children, and explore the potential of a live, closed-circuit television program as a psychosocial intervention. Among findings, Phase I data from 16 subjects indicates a) concern with painful medical procedures, particularly intraveneous (IV) injections, b) a desire for more information, especially concerning medical equipment, c) a variety of responses to social issues among subjects, d) the importance of activities, and e) the central role of the hospital playroom. Phase II data indicates that live, closed-circuit television can provide ambulatory and room-bound children opportunities for making choices, social interaction, participation, and information on their environment. Conclusions and implications are included.

Early childhood is a critical period during which children develop social-emotional competence that will affect future success. Developing social-emotional assets is of importance for kindergarten children because of their concurrent cognitive and social changes as well as the experience of transitioning from home to school environment. A growing number of schools have adopted social-emotional learning (SEL) programming to focus on fostering children’s prosocial behaviors through direct instruction and engaging activities in classroom settings. However, some researchers have proposed that learning should capitalize on children’s natural interests rather than adult-determined agendas. Based on theoretical assumptions regarding potential effectiveness of child-centered group play therapy (CCGPT) as a treatment modality, I sought to explore the effects of CCGPT on social-emotional assets of kindergarten children utilizing parent and teacher reports across pretest, posttest, and one-month follow-up. Additionally, given that group sizes have been inconsistent and rarely explored across previous studies, I investigated the therapeutic aspect of group sizes in CCGPT outcome by comparing 2-member and 3-member CCGPT groups. Forty-three participants with mean age of 5.14 were recruited from three elementary schools, including 19 Hispanic, 14 Caucasian, and 10 African American. Twenty-one participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group receiving a mean of 15.32 CCGPT sessions over 8 weeks, and 22 participants were assigned to the waitlist control group. Six mixed between-within ANOVAs were conducted applying an alpha level of .05 to interpret statistical significance and η2 calculation to assess practical significance. Results indicated a statistically significant interaction effect on SEARS-P Total score, F (2, 72) = 4.533, p = .014, with medium effect size of η2 = .101. Post Hoc analyses indicated a non-statistically significant interaction effect on SEARS-P Self-Regulation/Responsibility subscale with a small effect, F (1.868, 67.248) = 1.776, p = .179, η2 = .043; a statistically significant interaction effect on SEARS-P Social Competence subscale with a medium effect, F (1.696, 61.049) = 3.413, p < .05, η2 = .079; and a statistically significant interaction effect on SEARS-P Empathy subscale with a medium effect, F (1.439, 51.79) = 4.592, p < .05, η2 = .106. Thus, participants in the CCGPT group showed a non-significant increase in the ability to self-regulate emotions and to take responsibility for actions and a significant increase in competence to interact socially with others and in empathy for others. Teacher reports did not show statistically significant results with a small effect, F (2, 70) = .917, p = .404, η2 = .013. Results on group sizes indicated that no statistical differences were detected between two-member and three-member groups with no effect, F (1.493, 25.377) = .039, p = .942, η2 = .001. Moreover, the results on follow-up supported that a certain level of the effects of CCGPT lasted one month after the intervention. Overall, children seemed to benefit from CCGPT, and CCGPT may be considered a viable treatment for enhancing kindergarten children’s social-emotional development.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / In this study an attempt was made to ascertain if there Is a difference In personality traits between behaviorally handicapped children from Intact homes and behaviorally handicapped children from divorced homes. In South-Africa one out of every two marriages tend to end up In divorce. Divorce has a negative Influence on children and more children from divorced homes show deviant behaviour and are failures at school, than children from Intact homes. Boys are more adversely affected by divorce than girls ...

by Li Chi Mei, Cross. / Includes questionaire in Chinese. / Thesis (M.S.W.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-116). / Acknowledgement --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii -iii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 -4 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.5-26 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.27 -38 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Research Questions & Hypotheses --- p.39 -40 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Research Methodology --- p.41-47 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Results --- p.48 -72 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Discussion of the Findings --- p.73 -94 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Recommendations & Conclusion --- p.95 -103 / References --- p.104-116 / Appendices A : Table of Reliability --- p.117-123 / Chapter B : --- Results of the Coopersmith's Self-esteem Inventory --- p.124-125 / Chapter C : --- Questionnaire (English Version) --- p.126-133 / Chapter D : --- Questionnaire (Chinese Version) --- p.134-141

by Joan, Fung-yee Chan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-99). / Abstract and questionnaire also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iv / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.v / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE - --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Slimness As An Updated Trend --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Physical Appearance as the Main Concern for Adolescents --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Stigma of Being Overweight --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- Possible Psychological Correlates of Overweight --- p.5 / Chapter 1.5 --- Females are More Preoccupied with Appearance? --- p.10 / Chapter 1.6 --- Differences in Psychological Profiles of Boys and Girls with Diffprent Weight --- p.13 / Chapter 1.7 --- Subjective Satisfaction of Weight and Body Shape --- p.15 / Chapter 1.8 --- Related Local Findings --- p.17 / Chapter 1.9 --- Objectives of the Present Study --- p.20 / Chapter 1.10 --- The Use of EDI-2 --- p.22 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO - --- METHODOLOGY --- p.24 / Chapter 2 1 --- Subjects --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2 --- Measures / Scales --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3 --- Procedure --- p.32 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE - --- RESULTS --- p.34 / Chapter 3.1 --- Demographic Characteristics of Sample --- p.34 / Chapter 3.2 --- Prevalence of Overweight Among the Sample --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3 --- Satisfaction of Overall Body Shape --- p.38 / Chapter 3.4 --- Dissatisfaction Towards Different Body Parts --- p.39 / Chapter 3.5 --- Sex Differences --- p.41 / Chapter 3.6 --- Differences in Psychological Profile Among Different Weight Groups --- p.47 / Chapter 3.7 --- Psychological Profiles of Different Weight Groups with Different Levels of Body Shape Satisfaction --- p.53 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR - --- DISCUSSION / Chapter 4.1 --- The Prevalence of Obesity among Chinese Adolescentsin Hong Kong --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2 --- Differences in Psychosocial Variables --- p.68 / Chapter 4.3 --- "“Normative Dissatisfaction"" Towards Own Body Shape" --- p.70 / Chapter 4.4 --- Differences in Psychological Profile between Boys and Girls --- p.73 / Chapter 4.5 --- Effect of Weight among Boys and Girls --- p.76 / Chapter 4.6 --- Effect of Subjective Satisfaction with Own Body Shape --- p.82 / Chapter 4.7 --- Conclusions --- p.87 / Chapter 4.8 --- Limitations of the Present Study --- p.89 / Chapter 4.9 --- Recommendations for Future Studies --- p.91 / REFERENCES --- p.93 / APPENDIX --- p.100

This research study focused on resilient, former foster youth. Given the vulnerabilities of children in foster care, what factors lead to participant resilience? Data was obtained from ten participants who were receiving independent living services in San Bernardino County.