<p>In order to study internationally adopted delinquents, internationally adopted controls, delinquent controls and an additional group of healthy non-adopted, non-delinquent controls, the following tests were used: WISC/WAIS, TOL, WCST, a questionnaire, I think I am, ISSI, an attachment test, KSP, and SCL-90. In the register study, data were obtained from the registers of The National Board of Health and Welfare and Statistics Sweden and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression models. Odds ratios (OR) for different forms of out-of-home care placements were calculated.</p><p>It was found that the adopted delinquents had a significantly lower full scale IQ (WISC/WAIS) and significantly lower results on several measurements in the WISC /WAIS compared to the adopted controls. In addition, both groups of adoptees scored low in the WISC/WAIS subscale arithmetics when compared to the population mean. The adopted delinquents clearly had disruptive and infectious relations to their parents which was demonstrated in I think I am, ISSI, the attachment test and the questionnaire. The adopted controls demonstrated good relations to adoptive parents. When personality and self-perception were measured and analyzed in a two-way ANOVA, the results clearly pointed to ”delinquency” as the explaining factor to the variance of the results as opposed to ”adoption”. </p><p>Finally, the regression analyses of the register data demonstrated an OR of 3.0 (after adjustments for age and sex) for placements of intercountry adoptees in residental care from age 10 and an OR of 5.1 in model 2 (after adjustments for socio-demographic background variables). More over, higher child age at adoption, origin from Latin America, single parent adoption and maternal age above 35 at birth of the child were identified as significant predictors of out-of-home care from age 10.</p>

In order to study internationally adopted delinquents, internationally adopted controls, delinquent controls and an additional group of healthy non-adopted, non-delinquent controls, the following tests were used: WISC/WAIS, TOL, WCST, a questionnaire, I think I am, ISSI, an attachment test, KSP, and SCL-90. In the register study, data were obtained from the registers of The National Board of Health and Welfare and Statistics Sweden and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression models. Odds ratios (OR) for different forms of out-of-home care placements were calculated. It was found that the adopted delinquents had a significantly lower full scale IQ (WISC/WAIS) and significantly lower results on several measurements in the WISC /WAIS compared to the adopted controls. In addition, both groups of adoptees scored low in the WISC/WAIS subscale arithmetics when compared to the population mean. The adopted delinquents clearly had disruptive and infectious relations to their parents which was demonstrated in I think I am, ISSI, the attachment test and the questionnaire. The adopted controls demonstrated good relations to adoptive parents. When personality and self-perception were measured and analyzed in a two-way ANOVA, the results clearly pointed to ”delinquency” as the explaining factor to the variance of the results as opposed to ”adoption”. Finally, the regression analyses of the register data demonstrated an OR of 3.0 (after adjustments for age and sex) for placements of intercountry adoptees in residental care from age 10 and an OR of 5.1 in model 2 (after adjustments for socio-demographic background variables). More over, higher child age at adoption, origin from Latin America, single parent adoption and maternal age above 35 at birth of the child were identified as significant predictors of out-of-home care from age 10.

The purpose of this study was to examine how some young mothers, who previously have been in foster care or residential care, describe the way motherhood has affected their lives and identities. Narrative interviews were conducted with three teenage mothers and one mother aged 23. As tools for analyzing the narratives, theories about narrative psychology and how people present themselves through story-telling and language were used. The results of the study show that becoming a mother was life-changing in a positive way, according to the young mothers. They described how they, since becoming mothers, had become more mature and now lived less risk-full lives. Motherhood had brought a new focus to their lives and had given them motivation to study and to become self-supporting. The mothers expressed a wish to give their children a better childhood, than they themselves had. The results of the study were similar with the results reported in previous, qualitative studies of the experiences of young mothers.

When young people are placed in residential care, the staff have a responsibility to ensure that the youth have a safe environment where they can thrive and develop. Residential staff also have responsibilities to ensure the rights of youth during the residential care. This study aims to examine how staff consider themselves to treat the youth in residential care. Furthermore the study aims to examine how the staff consider themselves to ensure youth their right to be heard and have an impact on their own lives, in agreement with Article 12 of the UN convention on the rights of the child (CRC). A qualitative method has been used in order to answer the study's purpose and issues. Five interviews were conducted with residential staff, four of which were environmental therapists and one who was a manager. The results show that the staff consider themselves to respond well to the youth, however, a good treatment is difficult to define and therefore hard to achieve. Furthermore, it appears that the knowledge about children’s rights varies among the staff, which can have negative effects on how they manage to reassure youth their rights to be heard and have an impact on their own lives, in agreement with Article 12 of the CRC.

The aim of this study was to investigate the leaving care services provided to youth leaving residential care in Sweden. Through the use of qualitative research interviews residential care workers perception of what practical and emotional needs youth leaving care have, and whether current aftercare services meet these needs, were examined. The study further sought to compare the swedish and english leaving care services. The main findings of the study were that the residential care workers interviewed expressed that they had a good working relationship with the local social services and that they through the residential care services were able to provide some degree of aftercare. They further identified loneliness as the most prominent emotional need of youth had after leaving care. The most pressing practical need youth leaving care were described as help concerning apartment and job searching, how and when to pay bills as well as managing a budget. The residential care staff further conveyed a wish for a higher degree of regulation surrounding aftercare services. Their main reasoning was to assure that youth leaving care received aftercare regardless of the economic situation of the local municipalities.

Despite the growing numbers and valuable contributions of older individuals to society, they continue to face negative attitudes towards them. Such attitudes are largely influenced by portrayal of older persons in the media. Understanding how the media portrays older people to the public can provide significant insights into the nature of the images from which older people may make comparisons and which inform the perceptions, opinions, and attitudes of other people. There is little knowledge of perceptions of media portrayal in old age, and this study aimed to obtain insight from the point of view of older people regarding how they are portrayed in the printed media. Qualitative research has been applied to gain insight in the older persons’ perceptions. The case study method was chosen since it allowed the researcher to gain an in–depth understanding of older person’s perceptions regarding how they are portrayed in the media. The participants in this study consisted of nine male and 12 female individuals residing in a residential care facility. Persons between the ages of 60 and 85 were purposively chosen since they can contribute to meaningful insight regarding how they are portrayed in the print media. Data was collected by means of conducting focus group discussions and individual interviews. The use of these methods enabled dynamic interactions resulting in the production of rich, detailed information. Data was analyzed using thematic content analysis and key–word–in–context analysis. Guidelines to ensure the integrity of the findings have been applied. The findings indicated that older persons perceive their portrayal in the media to be minimal in terms of the exposure that they receive. Older persons feel that on the seldom occasion when they are in the media, they are presented as an isolated population separated from younger persons. The portrayal of older persons in the media is also perceived as stereotypical in the sense that older persons are presented as sick, inactive, weak and fragile. The implications of such portrayal according to older persons are that they influence intergenerational relationships and they also confirm stereotypical assumptions about older persons. Older persons feel that they rather want to be portrayed in terms of the valuable contributions that they are making to all spheres of life, despite old age. The media should thus promote positive ageing, which could contribute to the stimulation and motivation of older persons. Findings of this study also indicate that while older persons enjoy reading magazines and newspapers they are often limited to do so due to financial restrictions and physical limitations such as poor eyesight. The findings of this research of older persons perceptions regarding their portrayal in the media has implications for intergenerational relationships as well as to advertisers and marketers who are looking to appeal to the older population. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Despite the growing numbers and valuable contributions of older individuals to society, they continue to face negative attitudes towards them. Such attitudes are largely influenced by portrayal of older persons in the media. Understanding how the media portrays older people to the public can provide significant insights into the nature of the images from which older people may make comparisons and which inform the perceptions, opinions, and attitudes of other people. There is little knowledge of perceptions of media portrayal in old age, and this study aimed to obtain insight from the point of view of older people regarding how they are portrayed in the printed media. Qualitative research has been applied to gain insight in the older persons’ perceptions. The case study method was chosen since it allowed the researcher to gain an in–depth understanding of older person’s perceptions regarding how they are portrayed in the media. The participants in this study consisted of nine male and 12 female individuals residing in a residential care facility. Persons between the ages of 60 and 85 were purposively chosen since they can contribute to meaningful insight regarding how they are portrayed in the print media. Data was collected by means of conducting focus group discussions and individual interviews. The use of these methods enabled dynamic interactions resulting in the production of rich, detailed information. Data was analyzed using thematic content analysis and key–word–in–context analysis. Guidelines to ensure the integrity of the findings have been applied. The findings indicated that older persons perceive their portrayal in the media to be minimal in terms of the exposure that they receive. Older persons feel that on the seldom occasion when they are in the media, they are presented as an isolated population separated from younger persons. The portrayal of older persons in the media is also perceived as stereotypical in the sense that older persons are presented as sick, inactive, weak and fragile. The implications of such portrayal according to older persons are that they influence intergenerational relationships and they also confirm stereotypical assumptions about older persons. Older persons feel that they rather want to be portrayed in terms of the valuable contributions that they are making to all spheres of life, despite old age. The media should thus promote positive ageing, which could contribute to the stimulation and motivation of older persons. Findings of this study also indicate that while older persons enjoy reading magazines and newspapers they are often limited to do so due to financial restrictions and physical limitations such as poor eyesight. The findings of this research of older persons perceptions regarding their portrayal in the media has implications for intergenerational relationships as well as to advertisers and marketers who are looking to appeal to the older population. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This thesis is an examination of the definition and implementation of ‘good practice’ in residential care for senior citizens. The central contention is that ‘good practice’ is a term that has been variously defined. Different groups define it in different ways, and their definitions have changed over time. This reflexive qualitative study explores ‘good practice’ in local authority, voluntary and private residential care homes in Scotland from the perspective of policy, practice and the experience of senior citizens who live in them. The study is based on analysis of policy documents, historical studies, and reanalysed interview and survey data from two earlier studies conducted by the author and colleagues. The thesis shows that the notion of ‘good practice’ that emerges in policy and practice documents is a confused and often conflicting set of ideas. Historically, the earliest were driven by concerns over cost. In more modern times, statements about ‘good practice’ have had a more benevolent intent but are frequently flawed by paternalistic and ageist assumptions. It is shown that staff in residential homes typically adopt a different set of attitudes: their preoccupation is with safety and the avoidance of risk. Although benevolent in intention, these interpretations of ‘good practice’ are also at variance with what residents themselves actually want. Two particular models or styles of care are examined in detail. One of these is the use of ‘keyworkers’, often implemented in ways that fail to realise its potential. The other is the ‘hotel’ model of care. The potential of this model as an alternative to the statutory model is explored. The thesis concludes that it is a model that can realise the goal of enabling residents to exercise independence, choice and privacy while meeting their needs in residential care.

A qualitative study was undertaken to develop an understanding of the social welfare services rendered to street children and to ascertain how these social welfare services can be enhanced from the perspective of service providers employed by NGOs in Pretoria. An explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was utilised. The researcher used purposive and non-probability sampling methods to draw the sample. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information from nine service providers working with street children. Data were analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell, 2009). Data was verified using Guba‘s model (in Krefting, 1991).The study highlights challenges faced by NGOs in providing social welfare services to street children. The study provides a critical analysis of some of the key social welfare service challenges that need to be addressed to ensure effective and sustainable delivery of social welfare services. how these social welfare services can be enhanced from the perspective of service providers employed by NGOs in Pretoria. An explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was utilised. The researcher used purposive and non-probability sampling methods to draw the sample. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information from nine service providers working with street children. Data were analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell, 2009). Data was verified using Guba‘s model (in Krefting, 1991).The study highlights challenges faced by NGOs in providing social welfare services to street children. The study provides a critical analysis of some of the key social welfare service challenges that need to be addressed to ensure effective and sustainable delivery of social welfare services. the social welfare services rendered to street children and to ascertain how these social welfare services can be enhanced from the perspective of service providers employed by NGOs in Pretoria. An explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was utilised. The researcher used purposive and non-probability sampling methods to draw the sample. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information from nine service providers working with street children. Data were analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell, 2009). Data was verified using Guba‘s model (in Krefting, 1991).The study highlights challenges faced by NGOs in providing social welfare services to street children. The study provides a critical analysis of some of the key social welfare service challenges that need to be addressed to ensure effective and sustainable delivery of social welfare services. / Social Work / MA (Social Work)

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