No description available.

This research examines and analyses the experiences of four fathers as they negotiated British Columbia‘s child welfare system in an effort to maintain a relationship with their children and step children. While the particulars of their experiences with social workers and allied professions vary, their experiences with the child welfare system and child protection social workers reveal common themes. These fathers told stories of being ignored, mistrusted, misled and placed under surveillance by child protection social workers employed by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. These fathers‘ experiences suggests that the British Columbia child welfare agency is ignoring research from Lamb (1997, 2001, 2004), Strega (2005), Brown (2009) and Scourfield (2001, 2002, 2003) that stresses the importance of involving fathers in the lives of their children for reasons of both safety and well-being. This is particularly the case for children engaged in the child welfare system according to O‘Hagan (1997), Peled (2000) and Brown (2009). Social work and institutional practices that fail to include fathers in their children‘s lives without justification are not only oppressive with respect to the adults involved but fail to consider the best interests, needs and rights of children. The thesis concludes that when social workers in child welfare metaphorically ―throw fathers under the bed‖ they are both creating paternal ghosts and failing children by violating their fundamental human rights and undermining beneficial family relationships as stipulated under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. / Graduate

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 10, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Thesis advisor: Dr. Ze Wang. Includes bibliographical references.

This research investigated the effects of mothers' and stepfathers' parental behaviors on late adolescent adjustment and the moderating effects of stepfathers' parental status on the relationship between stepfathers' parental behaviors and late adolescent adjustment. In Study 1 a measure for parental status (PSI: The Parental Status Inventory) was developed. Parental status, as a social cognition, addresses the degree to which the stepparent is perceived as a parent by the stepchild, the stepparent, and/or the residential parent. Findings resulted in a 14-item scale with good reliability (Cronbach's alpha .97). The PSI was moderately associated with attachment and closeness to the stepparent but was not associated with peer attachments. The PSI had a low to moderate association with the age of the respondent at the time the stepfamily originated. In Study 2, the effects of late adolescent perceptions of parental behaviors by mothers and stepfathers on late adolescent adjustment and the moderating effects of stepfathers' parental status on the relationship between his parenting behaviors and late adolescent adjustment were explored. Results of a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses with interaction terms indicated that, of mothers' and stepfathers' parenting behaviors, only mothers' connection explained a significant amount of variance (10%) in female adaptive behaviors. The models explaining problem behavior in late adolescents did not show significant results for either females or males. Additional findings were that parental status did not moderate the effects of stepfathers' connection, regulation or psychological control on late adolescent adaptive or problem behaviors for either females or males. In summary, parental status did not moderate the variables in question. However, the evidence from this research suggests that the construct of parental status is valid and that the PSI is a valid and reliable measure. Together the construct of parental status and the PSI have the potential to contribute to the development of knowledge in stepfamilies in theoretical, research and clinical settings.

No description available.

This research investigated the effects of mothers' and stepfathers' parental behaviors on late adolescent adjustment and the moderating effects of stepfathers' parental status on the relationship between stepfathers' parental behaviors and late adolescent adjustment. In Study 1 a measure for parental status (PSI: The Parental Status Inventory) was developed. Parental status, as a social cognition, addresses the degree to which the stepparent is perceived as a parent by the stepchild, the stepparent, and/or the residential parent. Findings resulted in a 14-item scale with good reliability (Cronbach's alpha .97). The PSI was moderately associated with attachment and closeness to the stepparent but was not associated with peer attachments. The PSI had a low to moderate association with the age of the respondent at the time the stepfamily originated. In Study 2, the effects of late adolescent perceptions of parental behaviors by mothers and stepfathers on late adolescent adjustment and the moderating effects of stepfathers' parental status on the relationship between his parenting behaviors and late adolescent adjustment were explored. Results of a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses with interaction terms indicated that, of mothers' and stepfathers' parenting behaviors, only mothers' connection explained a significant amount of variance (10%) in female adaptive behaviors. The models explaining problem behavior in late adolescents did not show significant results for either females or males. Additional findings were that parental status did not moderate the effects of stepfathers' connection, regulation or psychological control on late adolescent adaptive or problem behaviors for either females or males. In summary, parental status did not moderate the variables in question. However, the evidence from this research suggests that the construct of parental status is valid and that the PSI is a valid and reliable measure. Together the construct of parental status and the PSI have the potential to contribute to the development of knowledge in stepfamilies in theoretical, research and clinical settings. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Given the complexity discussion about family, we reflect on this work about the recomposed family. This family isn't new, but currently has a new structure, based on a different configuration, being the result of a divorce or conjugal separation. In these families, coexist women and men who can or cannot perform the parental function. Our proposal was to study the stepfather´s role in these families, and the relationships between the performance of this role and the mother‟s actuation. For this, we aplly questionnaires with young people of the State of Sergipe, focusing on the family structure, and interviews with mothers and stepfathers. This research is divided into three parts. In the first, we condut a teoric discussion about recomposed families, and in special about the stepfather‟s role and mother‟s actuation, besides the analysis of IBGE‟s data, and Brazilian legislation. The second discusses about methodological aspects used and the description of participants families. In the third, we classify mothers and stepfathers types founded, and the investigation of life trajectories and discourses of the daily‟s practices that lead to action of different roles. Finally, we evidence that there is a close relationship between the mother‟s role in the family, granting or restricting the stepfather‟s action. / Diante da complexidade da discussão de Família, buscamos neste trabalho refletir sobre a família recomposta. Esta família não é recente, mas estrutura-se atualmente a partir de uma outra configuração, sendo resultado de um divórcio ou separação conjugal. Nestas famílias, coexistem várias mulheres e homens que podem ou não desempenhar a função parental. A nossa proposta foi a de estudar o papel do padrasto nestas famílias, e as relações existentes entre o desempenho deste papel e a atuação da mãe. Para tanto, nos valemos da aplicação de questionários com jovens do Estado de Sergipe, tendo como foco as configurações familiares; e de entrevistas com mães e padrastos. O presente trabalho divide-se em três partes. Na primeira, realizamos a discussão teórica sobre as famílias recompostas, e em especial sobre o papel do padrasto e a atuação da mãe, além da análise de dados do IBGE e da legislação brasileira. A segunda parte aborda os aspectos metodológicos utilizados bem como a descrição das famílias participantes. Na terceira parte, procedemos à classificação dos tipos de mães e padrastos encontrados, e à investigação das trajetórias de vida e dos discursos sobre as práticas cotidianas que levam a atuação dos diferentes papeis. Por fim, constatamos que há uma estreita relação entre a atuação da mãe na família, concedendo ou limitando espaço para a atuação do padrasto.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van die navorsingsondersoek na die stiefvader as sek­suele molesteerder van sy stiefdogter is om die probleem te beskryf, te verklaar en aanbevelings te doen aan instansies wat betrokke is by seksuele molestering. Die ondersoek was kwali­tatief van aard en die tegnieke van ongestruktureerde onder­ houdvoering en dokumentere studies is gebruik.By die beskrywing van die probleem is die kenmerke van die stiefgesin waarin seksuele molestering voorkom geidentifiseer. Dit was moeilik om die omvang van seksuele molestering in die stiefgesin te bepaal, weens onvolledige rekordhouding deur in­stansies. Aannames vanuit die literatuur het die ondersoek gerig en sek­suele molestering in die stiefgesin is verklaar aan die hand van die eienskappe van die sisteernbenadering. Navorser het bevind dat seksuele molesteerders swak sosiale verhoudings het en uit disfunksionele gesinne kom. Aanbevelings is gedoen ter voorkoming van seksuele molestering binne stiefgesinne. / The object of this research project, the stepfather as sexual molester of his stepdaughter, is to define and explain the problem, and to make recommendations to organisations concerned with sexual abuse. This exploration was qualitative and techniques of unstructured interviewing and documentary studies were employed. In defining the problem, the characteristics of the stepfamily in which sexual molesting occurs, are identified. It was difficult to determine the extent of sexual molesting in the stepfamily, because of the incomplete records of the organisations. Suppositions from literature directed the research on sexual abuse in the stepfamily, and are explained on the basis of characteristics of the systems approach. Researcher found that sexual molesters have inadequate social relationships and come from dysfunctional families. Recommendations have been made for the prevention of sexual abuse in stepfamilies. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Sosiale Wetenskappe (Kriminologie))

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van die navorsingsondersoek na die stiefvader as sek­suele molesteerder van sy stiefdogter is om die probleem te beskryf, te verklaar en aanbevelings te doen aan instansies wat betrokke is by seksuele molestering. Die ondersoek was kwali­tatief van aard en die tegnieke van ongestruktureerde onder­ houdvoering en dokumentere studies is gebruik.By die beskrywing van die probleem is die kenmerke van die stiefgesin waarin seksuele molestering voorkom geidentifiseer. Dit was moeilik om die omvang van seksuele molestering in die stiefgesin te bepaal, weens onvolledige rekordhouding deur in­stansies. Aannames vanuit die literatuur het die ondersoek gerig en sek­suele molestering in die stiefgesin is verklaar aan die hand van die eienskappe van die sisteernbenadering. Navorser het bevind dat seksuele molesteerders swak sosiale verhoudings het en uit disfunksionele gesinne kom. Aanbevelings is gedoen ter voorkoming van seksuele molestering binne stiefgesinne. / The object of this research project, the stepfather as sexual molester of his stepdaughter, is to define and explain the problem, and to make recommendations to organisations concerned with sexual abuse. This exploration was qualitative and techniques of unstructured interviewing and documentary studies were employed. In defining the problem, the characteristics of the stepfamily in which sexual molesting occurs, are identified. It was difficult to determine the extent of sexual molesting in the stepfamily, because of the incomplete records of the organisations. Suppositions from literature directed the research on sexual abuse in the stepfamily, and are explained on the basis of characteristics of the systems approach. Researcher found that sexual molesters have inadequate social relationships and come from dysfunctional families. Recommendations have been made for the prevention of sexual abuse in stepfamilies. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Sosiale Wetenskappe (Kriminologie))