Although researchers have studied perceptions regarding sexually abused children, little was known about how other types of abusive events were perceived. This study examined 480 college students' abuse history and perceptions of child, spousal, and elder abuse by varying the respondent, victim, and perpetrator genders. Physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect were investigated. Perceptions of abusiveness, seriousness, harm, and responsibility were examined, along with the extent of identification with the victims/perpetrators. Participants viewed spousal abuse as less serious and harmful than other abuse types, especially when perpetrated against a male or by a female. Although able to recognize psychological abuse, students did not fully understand what other abuse types entailed. Individuals also showed a considerable amount of blame toward victims. Results further demonstrated important findings about how ethnic identity/orientation, religious affiliation, and history of abuse related to perceptions of abusive events.

There is no doubt that the human population is growing old worldwide. As a result we more often think about the ageing and the old age. One of the motives which is, however, connected with ageing is the rough handling, which may develop into maltreatment, abuse and neglect (it is known as the EAN syndrome - Elder Abuse and Neglect). In this graduation theses the authoress targets the violence on seniors in their own families. In this case the aggressor is their child, grandchild or another relative. The main aim of this study is to analyse the main cause which leads to EAN. This negative social phenomenon is described from the point of view of the employee of crisis phone line for seniors.

Each year over half a million children are victims of childhood maltreatment. While a plethora of interdisciplinary research has evaluated the detrimental outcomes of these experiences, few studies have analyzed the effects contextual components of child abuse and neglect can have on the life-course of maltreated youth. Juvenile delinquency has been identified as a prominent outcome of maltreatment, however, a lesser portion of the empirical literature has focused on outcomes among more serious justice-involved juveniles. This study analyzed the effects of childhood maltreatment severity on the recidivism outcomes of 853 blended-sentenced juveniles in a large southern state. Previous studies demonstrated worsened outcomes associated with more severe maltreatment, thus higher recidivism rates were expected for more severely maltreated juveniles. The results indicated only sexual abuse severity impacted recidivism rates, and the direction of the relationship was negative. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Historically, child abuse and neglect (CAN) prevention efforts have focused on individuals and families, with disregard for the contexts and conditions that may underlie family challenges. There is increased recognition that efforts to support families and children must include focus on the societal level (Browne, 2014), yet few studies have examined how institutional processes influence community-based CAN prevention services. I utilized institutional ethnography to identify institutional factors that impact family well-being and CAN prevention work in Alabama. I relied on three primary forms of data: 1) focus group discussions; 2) interview discussions; and 3) analysis of key documents. Preliminary analysis indicates prevention work is diverse and occurs within a system of limited institutional and public support. I will discuss the specific institutional factors that influence child and abuse prevention work in Alabama and close with a discussion of how institutional ethnography can be used to strengthen family research and policy.

Trots att 500 000 barn växer upp med minst en förälder som lider utav någon form av psykisk ohälsa, missbruk eller som utsätter dem för våld så saknas det ändå kunskap om hur detta påverkar individen i vuxen ålder. Syftet med denna studie är därför att skapa förståelse för hur uppväxtvillkoren bidragit till att skapa identiteten maskrosbarn samt hur det påverkat individens välbefinnande i vuxen ålder, med utgångspunkt i det subjektiva välbefinnandet. Genom en kvalitativ intervjustudie gavs individerna utrymme för att själva få berätta sin historia om hur det var att växa upp i en dysfunktionell familj och dess påverkat vuxenlivet. Genom en socialpsykologisk ansats studeras detta fenomen utifrån teorier om välbefinnande, KASAM, resiliens, stigma och identitet. I studien deltog 10 kvinnor som själva identifierar sig som maskrosbarn. Resultatet talar för att ogynnsamma förhållanden under uppväxten påverkar så väl identitetsskapande som välbefinnande. Detta tar sig i uttryck genom att dessa individer säger sig inneha distinkta egenskaper som upplevs vara en direkt effekt av traumatiska upplevelser under barndomen. En majoritet av dessa individer har också ett utpräglat behov utav förutsägbarhet i det dagliga livet för att kunna känna välbefinnande. / Despite the fact that 500 000 children grow up with at least one parent who suffers from some form of mental illness, abuse or who exposes them to violence, there is still a lack of knowledge about how this affects the individual in adulthood. The purpose of this study is therefore to create an understanding of how the conditions of growth have contributed to creating the identity of dandelion children and how it has affected the individual's well-being with emphasis on the level of subjective well-being, in adulthood. Through a qualitative interview study, the individuals were given space to tell their own story about what it was like to grow up in a dysfunctional family and its impact on adult life. Through a social psychological approach, this phenomenon is studied on the basis of theories of well-being, Sense of coherence (SOC), resilience, stigma and identity. The study involved 10 women who identify themselves as dandelion children. The results suggest that unfavorable conditions during adolescence affect both identity creation and well-being. This is expressed by the fact that these individuals claim to possess distinct characteristics that are perceived to be a direct effect of traumatic experiences during childhood. A majority of these individuals also have a distinct need for predictability in daily life to achieve well-being.

Little attention has been paid in Canadian Child Welfare research to the role that training plays in engaging new workers as they enter the complex role of child protection. Focusing on learning principles such as child neglect and working with an ethno-racial Other, it was important to understand what workers took away from their engagement in training and how this was implemented in practice. A mixed methods approach using critical analysis of the OACAS Handouts was used to inform the Semi Structured Interviews conducted with frontline C.A.S. workers. Critical Race Analysis provides theoretical foundation to understand how the ethno-racial other is perceived and enacted in discourse that workers take away into practice. Findings suggest that C.A.S. workers have a conflicted view of training due to the nature and context in which they practice. Aside from the benefits of training, workers have a lot to say about how it could be structured in order to benefit practice. Workers also have complex and conflicting views on neglect, some of which are learned through training and then exacerbated through practice. Workers practice principles on engaging with an ethno-racial other was not influenced through training, but through their own learning processes as influenced by practice and earlier education. These factors relating to child welfare workers can help influence future training within C.A.S. organizations across Canada. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

No description available.

Bakgrund: Tidigare forskning utförd inom särskilda boenden har visat att det är ett förekommande problem att äldre utsätts för vanvård och försummelse utförd av personal. Forskning om vanvård och försummelse inom ordinärt boende i svensk kontext är bristfällig. Syfte: Syftet med undersökningen var att undersöka och förstå hur omsorgspersonal och enhetschefer inom ordinärt boende resonerar kring vanvård och försummelse i komplexa omsorgssituationer av äldre personer. Metod: Undersökningen är en metodkombination med tvärsnittsdesign som genom en vinjettbaserad enkät avsåg utforska respondenternas resonemang kring komplexa omsorgssituationer. Resultat: Respondenternas resonemang visar på en tendens av bristande kunskap kring våld i form av vanvård och försummelse. Det kunde även urskiljas en ambivalens mellan att se risker och kritisera ageranden samtidigt som man rättfärdigade handlingarna. Respondenternas resonemang visade på svårigheter kring att identifiera våldshandlingar och benämna dem i termer av våld. / Background: Previous research carried out in nursing homes has shown that it is a common problem that the elderly people are exposed to neglect carried out by staff. Research on neglect within home care services in the Swedish context is lacking. Purpose: The purpose of the survey was to investigate and understand how staff and managers within home care survices reason about neglect in complex care situations of elderly people. Method: The survey is a mixed methods with a cross-sectional design that trough a vignette-based survey aimed to explore the respondents' reasoning regarding complex care situations. Results: The respondents' reasoning shows a tendency of a lack of knowledge about violence in the form of neglect. One could also discern an ambivalence between seeing risks and criticizing actions while justifying this acts. The respondents' reasoning showed difficulties in identifying acts of violence and naming them in terms of violence.

This thesis evaluated the Trauma-Informed Child Advocacy Certificate (TICA) at Mississippi State University which is hosted in the School of Human Sciences, specifically in the area of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS). HDFS students (N = 94) enrolled in coursework during Spring 2021 participated in the evaluation. Students were grouped by enrollment in TICA courses, with 43 students having participated in TICA coursework and 51 students having only participated in general HDFS courses. Assessments included a perceived knowledge survey and 10 application-based scenarios. Independent samples T-tests indicated TICA students perceived themselves to have more trauma-informed knowledge, and frequency analyses showed they were more effective at applying that knowledge than HDFS students who have not taken any TICA courses. Data were used to highlight strengths of the TICA program and make recommendations on ways to enhance the TICA coursework to promote knowledge of trauma-informed professional practices.

Självförsummelse är ett fenomen som är vanligast bland personer som har nedsatt beslutsfattande till följd av olika kognitiva funktionsnedsättningar som demens. Fenomenet handlar om personer som har uppenbara behov, men av olika skäl tackar nej till stöd. Fenomenet i sin tur utgör en utmaning för biståndshandläggare som arbetar med målgruppen. Denna studie syftade till att få en förståelse och fördjupad kunskap om hur biståndshandläggare arbetar med äldre personer med demens, samt hur de bemöter utmaningarna när självförsummelse är aktuellt. Studien lyfte även fram vilka stöd biståndshandläggare har i arbetet och hur biståndshandläggare upplever stöden. Metoden som applicerades i studien var kvalitativ metod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem biståndshandläggare. Det teoretiska ramverket i studien består av styrkeperspektiv, lösningsfokuserad praktik samt omsorgsrationalitet. Utifrån intervjuerna analyserades empirin med tematisk analys. Det huvudsakliga resultatet av studien var att biståndshandläggare möter flera utmaningar i arbetet med målgruppen. Vidare visade studien att biståndshandläggare utvecklat egna strategier för att möta utmaningarna i arbetet. En genomgående utmaning i arbetet är socialtjänstlagens betoning på självbestämmande samtidigt som äldre personer med demens har svårigheter att tillgodose sina behov. Studien visade även att den svåraste utmaningen är hur biståndshandläggare ska hanterat dilemmat kring personens autonomi och självbestämmande som är reglerad av socialtjänstlagen, samtidigt som biståndshandläggaren försöker tillgodose stödbehovet hos äldre personer med demens och som uppvisar självförsummande beteende. Studien visade även att biståndshandläggarna upplever att deras stöd i arbetet till viss del är tillräckligt, men vissa biståndshandläggare önskar mer kompetensutveckling kring demens. / Self-neglect is a phenomenon that is prevalent within individuals who have low decision-making abilities as a result of cognitive impairment like dementia. The phenomenon is about people that have obvious needs but resists care. The phenomenon in turn creates a challenge for professionals who work with them. The purpose of this study was to explore and gain a deeper understanding for how social workers meet the challenges in working with elderly people with dementia who self-neglect. This study also had an aim to highlight the different support systems that social workers can utilize when met with challenges, and how they experience these support systems. Strengths-perspective, solution-focused practice and care rationality were used as the theoretical framework for the study. Through a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five social workers. The empirical material was then analyzed using thematic-analysis which showed that social workers meet great challenges when working with the described demographic. The analysis showed that social workers have adapted and developed their own strategies in order to meet these challenges. The study concluded that the hardest challenge arises when social workers meet the dilemma of conserving a self-neglecting person’s autonomy and self-determination, which is regulated by law, while simultaneously trying to meet their needs. The study further showed that some social workers perceived their support systems as adequate, while some other social workers expressed the need of competence development pertaining to dementia.