The present study examined the role of religious coping efforts of children and adolescents, ages 8 to 18, following residential fire. Two types of children's religious coping, spiritually based coping and religious discontent, were examined in response to loss of resources in residential fires. The study further examined the influence and potential moderating effects of internal resources including global self-worth, as well as external resources including social support received from parents, teachers, and friends, and the family religious environment. Consistent with the general coping literature, these resources were expected to beneficially influence and predict spiritually based coping. Contrarily, the lack of these resources was expected to predict religious discontent. Children and adolescents' post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were also assessed and compared to their coping responses. Religious discontent was found to be positively associated with greater levels of loss, PTSD symptoms and negatively associated with global self-worth and low socio-economic status. It was also significantly predicted by loss and an interaction between loss and social support, where higher social support predicted lower levels of religious discontent under high levels of loss. Post hoc analyses revealed peer social support to interact significantly with loss to buffer religious discontent. Spiritually based coping was found to be significantly predicted by loss, race, age, and family religious environment, where African Americans, and children reported greater spiritually based coping than European Americans, and adolescents. Lastly, loss was significantly and negatively associated with global self-worth and positively associated with PTSD symptoms. / Master of Science

Contexte : La protection à la jeunesse (PJ) est un milieu propice à la violence au travail où les employés subissent différentes formes de violence, comme la violence physique et des menaces de la part de leurs clients. Celles-ci affectent le fonctionnement au travail, qui inclut la qualité de vie au travail, l’absentéisme, le présentéisme et le sentiment d’efficacité personnelle à faire face à des clients agressifs. Deux interventions post-traumatiques sont offertes après un incident de violence en PJ au Québec : l’intervention basée sur le soutien des pairs aidants ou l’intervention usuelle, soit une référence vers des programmes d’aide aux employés. Bien que le soutien des pairs soit un facteur de protection important après un incident de violence, aucune étude n’a à ce jour prouvé son efficacité dans le milieu de la PJ. Également, le rôle de genre influence le rétablissement des victimes et peut avoir un impact dans la recherche de soutien social, mais aucune étude n’a évalué ce concept. Objectifs : (1) Vérifier le choix de traitement selon le sexe et le rôle de genre des victimes. (2) Examiner le lien entre le fonctionnement au travail et le rôle de genre des victimes de violence au travail à travers le temps. (3) Évaluer l’efficacité des interventions à la suite de la violence au travail dans le rétablissement du fonctionnement au travail. (4) Vérifier comment le rôle de genre modère l’impact de l’intervention des pairs aidants sur le fonctionnement au travail. Méthodologie : Le devis longitudinal quasi expérimental comporte 173 participants provenant de deux milieux de la PJ, 85% de femmes et 15% d’hommes. Les participants ont rempli des questionnaires validés pour vérifier le fonctionnement au travail et le rôle de genre, et ce à quatre temps de mesure : jusqu’à un mois suivant l’évènement de violence, deux mois, six mois et 12 mois après celui-ci. Résultats : La masculinité est associée au choix de traitement, alors que ceux-ci ont choisi significativement plus l’intervention usuelle que l’intervention des pairs aidants [F= (1, 97) = 8,69; p=0,004]. Un score élevé de féminité a été relié à moins de présentéisme au temps 1[ F= (3, 162) = 5,04 ; p= 0,00]., alors que le sentiment d’efficacité personnelle à gérer des clients agressifs varie à travers le temps pour les individus féminins [F = (3, 151) = 3.89; p = 0.01]. L’utilisation de l’intervention des pairs aidants peut augmenter l’absentéisme dans le mois suivant l’incident de violence [χ2 (3) = 8.93 (P = 0.03)]. Des niveaux faibles et moyens de féminité ont été associés à plus d’absences pour les victimes ayant reçu le soutien des pairs aidants un mois et un an après la violence vécue [χ2 (3) = 9.55 (P = 0.02)]. Implication : Le soutien des pairs permet aux individus moins féminins de s’absenter pour leur rétablissement, ce qui évite potentiellement qu’ils fassent du présentéisme au travail et donc qu’ils ne soient pas aptes à intervenir auprès de la clientèle. Des mesures préventives devraient être mises en place en fonction du rôle de genre. / Background: Youth protection is a work environment with high risks for various forms of violence, such as physical violence and threats. These may impact many aspects workplace functioning, including professional quality of life, absenteeism, presenteeism and confidence in coping with patient aggression. Two post-traumatic interventions are available after a violent event to workers in Quebec's youth protection centers: the peer support program and the usual intervention (a reference to the employee assistance program). Although peer support has been identified as a protective factor after workplace violence, no study has yet evaluated the efficacity of the peer support program to improve work functioning. Similarly, gender identity is a factor which can influence the impacts of workplace violence and impact social support seeking. However, the role of gender identity in the recovery of youth protection workers following workplace violence remains unknown. Objective: This study aims to: (1) examine if sex and gender identity will influence whether a victim will choose the partake in the peer support program or the usual intervention, (2) examine the association between workplace functioning and gender identity over time, (3) assess the effectiveness of the peer support program in improving work functioning following workplace violence, (4) evaluate how gender identity moderates the impact of the peer support program on work functioning following workplace violence. Methodology: This study used a quasi-experimental longitudinal design and included 173 participants from two Youth Protection Services, 85% are women and 15% are men. Participants completed validated questionnaires to measure work functioning and gender identity at four measurement points: up to one month, two months, six months and 12 months following workplace violence. Results: Masculinity was associated with the choice of the usual intervention over the peer support program [F = (1, 97) = 8.69; p = 0.004]. High levels of femininity can reduce presenteeism [F = (3, 162) = 5.04; p = 0.00] and confidence in coping with patient aggression varies over time for feminine individuals [F = (3, 151) = 3.89; p = 0.01]. The use of the peer support program can increase absenteeism one month after the workplace violence [χ2 (3) = 8.93 (P = 0.03)]. Low and average levels of femininity were associated with the increase of absenteeism for the victims who had chosen the peer support program one month and one year after the workplace violence [χ2 (3) = 9.55 (P = 0.02)]. Implication: Peer support allows individuals with low levels of feminity to take time off for their well-being, so it can prevent presenteeism which can affect their interventions. Preventive measures should be put in place to help victims according to their gender identity.