No abstract available.

This cross-sectional study compared three groups of grandparents, two custodial and one noncustodial, to identify and delineate the unique challenges and expectations faced by custodial grandparents due to their nontraditional roles while attempting to disentangle grandparental role demands from child-specific problems as sources of distress. Those grandparents raising grandchildren demonstrating neurological, physical, emotional, or behavioral problems exhibited the most distress, the most disruption of roles, and the most deteriorated grandparent-grandchild relationships. Although the custodial grandparents raising apparently normal grandchildren demonstrated less distress, less disruption of roles, and less deterioration of the grandparent-grandchild relationship than those grandparents raising grandchildren displaying problems, they still demonstrated higher levels than did traditional grandparents. Those grandparents who reported fewer resources, demonstrated poor attitudes regarding seeking mental health services, and reported raising grandchildren displaying problems had the lowest levels of adjustment.

This dissertation examines the ways intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors' experiences of poverty, mental illness, social isolation, and gender inequality shape their opportunities to protect themselves and their children before, during, and after separating from abusive partners. Ethnographic research was conducted in three communities in the United States over two years. In each site I observed and interviewed women about their experiences of abuse and their attempts to achieve long-term security. I also observed and interviewed practitioners across a range of disciplines about their work with IPV survivors. The results of this study demonstrate that when women ended abusive relationships they often sustained a variety of losses related to their economic stability, social support, and access to their children. After leaving their batterers, many survivors faced debt, trauma, and protracted custody disputes that continued to disrupt their lives. However, the IPV interventions studied were routinely designed as though the collateral damage to an IPV survivor's life ended when she left her abuser. Interventions rarely accommodated survivors' post-separation social, economic, and parenting needs, and indeed, often placed additional strain on women's lives. As a result, the most disadvantaged survivors often found institutional resources in the domestic violence service system inaccessible, irrelevant, and at times counterproductive. This dissertation demonstrates that IPV is more than a series of isolated acts by individual people: it is the cause of many women's diminished agency and heightened suffering long after their abuse has ended.

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The overall aim of the study was to explore the perceptions of the phenomenon ‘Absent Fathers’ in Mphanama Community. The objectives of the study were to assess the effects of culture and beliefs on the domination of parenting, to debunk the myth that marital status of parents determines the involvement of fathers in their children’s upbringing and to establish who is seen as having the majority power over the child in Northern Sotho culture as compared to other cultures. This study used qualitative approach because the researcher wanted to explore and understand the phenomenon of Absent Fathers. The researcher focused on feelings, behaviour, descriptions and words from the participants. The other reason for using this approach was to find reality about perceptions of the phenomenon absent fathers and explore their primary interpretation of their situation than that of the researcher. The researcher used exploratory research design. The data was collected through semi-structured face-to-face interview was collected from twenty (20) single mothers who are bona fide members of Mphanama and have not just visited the community at the time of the study. The sample was inclusive to single mothers who are bona fide members of Mphanama and have not just visited the community at the time of the study. Their marital statuses were not considered upon selection, so this may be mothers who were never married, married or even divorced women. The participants were from different ages as insight from all age cohorts will be highly valuable. The researcher underpinned the study from the feminist movement is vast in orientation and there is no singular prescription of what the feminist theory constitutes. It is however, stated that within the feminism there is a high degree of consensus that the distinct underlying principle is the awareness of gender and the politics of gender within society. The researcher used thematic data analysis. The researcher followed the steps of thematic data analysis which are transcription of data, checking and editing, Analysing and interpretation, and Generalization. This study is relevant to Social Work Profession and the Department of Social Development as it will contribute positively in delivering services to the clients served. The issue of absent fathers often leads to family dysfunction and leads to other social problems, this is frequently visible in rural families of low-economic-class where the father is usually seen as the sole provider for the family.

No description available.

Examination of previous empirical literature illustrates how researchers have concentrated on documenting the impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on the later psychological functioning of survivors, through comparisons with those who have not had such a history. Only more recently has there been a focus on assessing the relationship between aspects of the abuse and specific psychological difficulties. This thesis investigated the relationships between CSA characteristics and women’s later psychological adjustment. The role of attributions, coping methods, parenting competency and marital satisfaction were also investigated. Qualitative data on perception of benefit and general reflections of participants were used to explore participants’ self-esteem, locus of control, decisions relating to parenting, disclosure experiences, and attributions in relation to their abuse, including the search for meaning. Recruitment through newspapers and counselling services led to 118 women volunteering to complete a questionnaire evaluating the characteristics of their CSA and their current psychological adjustment. Of this group, 33 subsequently volunteered to participate in a telephone interview that explored in greater depth issues related to the long-term impact of their CSA. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted on the data. The women reported a high prevalence of dysfunction in their families of origin. Abuse had generally commenced by middle childhood, and lasted for a number of years and often involved a number of perpetrators. Perpetrators were most likely to be intrafamilial, with stepfathers being over-represented. Sexual activities generally involved physical contact, with participation often induced by the use of coercion. Participants demonstrated significant difficulties in psychological adjustment, but attributions regarding the abuse improved over time. Some concerns were expressed regarding parenting competency, and avoidant coping methods were favoured. In general, participants were satisfied with their current marital relationship. Significant associations were found between coping methods, attributional style, beliefs and various psychological adjustment measures. Participants, in general, demonstrated low self-esteem and displayed an external locus of control. As a consequence of their experience of CSA, many participants reported they had decided not to have children. For those who did have children, CSA was almost universally seen as having had an impact on their parenting. Disclosure of CSA was usually delayed for a number of years, with poor outcomes generally resulting from disclosure when it occurred. Women with current partners rated them as very caring and not controlling. Participants were generally still searching for meaning in their abuse, despite many having accepted it. Survivors outlined an extensive range of long-term effects of CSA, and nominated a number of strategies that would assist in reducing these effects. The results of the study indicated that there are a number of characteristics associated with CSA which signal a higher risk of difficulties in psychological adjustment. Concerns of survivors regarding parenting were confirmed according to those who undertook this role. Unfortunately, concerns expressed by survivors that disclosure of their CSA would have had negative consequences was usually the case when they did finally disclose. However, the accessing of social and family support appeared to have an important role in changing the attributions of survivors regarding their CSA. Furthermore, change of attributions in relation to abuse may provide the key to resilience in survivors against the negative impact of CSA on later psychological adjustment.

"Internal globalization" has become a common phenomenon which, among other things, has increased the number of mixed-national couples due to the greater mobility of people and the globalization of trade and commerce. Unanticipated difficulties can follow from the breakdown of such relationships for both children and parents if the custodial parent leaves the family's former habitual residence with the child. This is especially true for the left-behind parent. / The starting point for this study was the discussion among experts as to whether an Additional Protocol to the 1980 Child Abduction Convention might resolve the inherent weak protection of access rights. To answer this question concerning the necessity of such an Additional Protocol, this thesis provides an overview of the relevant existing and future international legal frameworks that address child protection and parental responsibilities and shows the evolution in child law from a formerly neglected issue to a high-profile topic. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Access arrangements for birth parents of crown wards are a concern for child protection workers. Data on 84 crown wards were collected from 11 in care workers at a Children's Aid Society in Ontario, to determine whether best practice guidelines were being observed. Best practice derived from literature was operationalized as: (1) inclusion of birth parents and others in decisions affecting the child, and (2) connectivity ---maintaining family ties. Regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of inclusion and connectivity scores. Results showed three significant predictors of inclusion---worker knowledge, years in child welfare, and birth parents' source of income---and two predictors of connectivity---worker knowledge and parents' source of income. Findings suggest that agency training and support of workers can have a positive effect on implementation of best practice. The effect of income source is a puzzle, as income from employment was associated with lower inclusion scores, but higher connectivity scores.

The principle 'best interests of the child' has been expanded by the legal community in recent years to apply to any matter involving children in family law proceedings. The weight ascribed to this principle, however, has been diluted. In custody, access and child protection cases, evidence of which custodial arrangements are in a child's interests are often presented by adult parties in prolonged and costly proceedings. The judge makes an order which is intended to meet the child's "best interests", in the child's absence. This paper first examines the historical and theoretical justifications for children's rights in Canadian and international law and the "best interests" principle. Second, the concept of "legal representation for children" is explored, with specific reference to inconsistencies in the jurisprudence concerning the role of independent representation for children. This paper argues that to truly reflect a custodial or access arrangement made in the child's "best interests", it is imperative that the child's voice be heard by the court through independent legal counsel assigned to represent that child's individual needs and concerns.

No abstract available.