Thesis advisor: Betty Blythe / This dissertation is a secondary analysis of a preexisting dataset, the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), Assessments 0-4 produced by the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) located in the Family Development Center at Cornell University (2001). This is a large scale dataset employing five sites across the United States. Three sites are used: the Northwest, South and Southwest as they contain the largest numbers exhibiting the behavior of interest, hurting animals by children. These sites have sample sizes of 261, 221 and 327 children, respectively. The samples were chosen for varying levels of risk for child abuse and neglect; data collection began in 1991 and is ongoing. The children were born between 1989 and 1996. The number of children who hurt animals at each site was as follows: 16 (South Site), 25 (Northwest Site) and 36 (Southwest Site). Hypotheses were that more males than females would hurt animals; females who hurt animals would show more internalizing problems than males who hurt animals; males who hurt animals would show more externalizing problems than females who hurt animals and children who hurt animals would experience higher rates of physical abuse than children who have not hurt animals. An additional hypothesis was that hurting animals would correlate with aggressive and delinquent behaviors and attention problems as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, Achenbach, 1991). Only one hypothesis was fully supported: aggression, delinquent behavior and attention problems all correlate with higher rates of these behaviors exhibited by children who hurt animals. Aggression, in particular, was associated with the behavior of hurting animals. Physical abuse was not correlated with hurting animals and only one site (the Southwest) showed a statistically significant difference between males and females for this behavior with males more likely to do so. Other findings of interest show correlations between hurting animals and aspects of parenting, day care utilization and foster care placement at at least one site. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

The overall aim of this study is to investigate the perception of support provided to orphan children in foster care placement in terms of education, care and support as well as protection by orphan children themselves, foster parents and social workers. Due to HIV/AIDS many children are being orphaned and are left behind without any visible means of support. HIV/AIDS remains undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of the world today, as there is no part of the world that has not felt the devastating impact of the pandemic. This is already evidenced by the increase in number of orphans, child headed households and other vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS and the inability of the extended family system to provide such children with basic requirements such as shelter, food, medical care, education, love and support. The first chapter is focusing on the Magnitude of OVC in general and Namibia in particular. According to the National Plan of Action for OVC in Namibia, the total number of orphans and vulnerable children was estimated at 128 000 in 2007 (MGECW, 2007). According to 2001 Population and Housing Census the whole Khomas region had 6674 OVC, while Khomas urban had 5708 OVC, which means that in the Khomas region more OVC in an Urban areas while rural areas had less number which was 389 OVC (NPC, 2005). Chapter two presents a literature review and focuses on the phenomena of foster care placement. It includes the definition of terms such as an orphan child, a vulnerable child and foster care placement. It gives background details of foster care placement in general and foster care placement in the Namibia context. Also the support (care and support, education and protection) being offered to children in foster care placement are discussed. Chapter three focuses on the research methods and data collection of this study. The following elements are described in this chapter: Setting and samples, procedure, methods and methodological consideration, the role of the researcher, the limitations of the study and the ethnographic situation. Chapter four is devoted to the foster care placement legal framework in Namibia where the current foster care placement processes to access government grant to support foster families are discussed as well as foster care placement policy implications in Namibia. The conclusion of the findings on foster care placement processes is included. Chapter five consists of the analysis of the study. It provides the background information of the samples, questions, responses and interpretations of the main views of the respondents on the support provided to children in foster care placement in terms of care and support, education, protection as well as foster care placement process are provided in this chapter. Chapter six is focuses on discussions and conclusion. It includes major views of the respondents and the understanding of different voices of orphan children in foster care placement, foster parents and social workers who are professionals in this matter.

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A large number of children and teenagers are placed in foster care for various reasons. Social services have a responsibility to follow up youths and ensure that they have the same opportunity for positive development as other young people. A qualitative study was conducted with an abductive perspective by gathering material from social workers in this particular field. The research design of this study is an interview study. The theoretical premise was Bronfenbrenners ecosystem theory and Maslows hierarchy of needs theory. The aim of this study was to examine how social services work to secure youths life situation and how social workers promotes teenagers perspective in their work. The collected material was analyzed thematically. Results showed that all social workers in the study perceived that a functioning schooling and network around the teenagers is important. Another outcome was that frequent follow-up work in foster care is important and that four of six municipalities have one responsible social worker that only follows teenagers in foster care. One of the municipalities which do not have one responsible social worker as a separate position is under preparation to develop this profession. A further result in this study was that social workers variously promote teenagers perspective in their work.