Children and Families/Child and Family Welfare: April 2005

JOURNAL ARTICLES 317. ALLEN-MEARES, P., HUDGINS, C.A., & ENGBERG, M.E. The Global Program on Youth: lessons learned from collaboratories in action. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 22(4): 39-53, 2004; ISSN 1522-8835. hudgins@umich.edu

The Global Program on Youth (GPY) employs a technology- supported, collaborative framework of problem solving, called a collaboratory, to improve the lives of children and youth. Collaboratory partners use technology to share research, apply practice wisdom, and learn from the experiences and perspectives of diverse groups of people. Findings from the initiative are presented in this article, highlighting the lessons learned from each of the participating collaboratories, including the rewards, challenges, and applications of technology-supported collaboration. (Journal abstract)

318. ANDERSSON, G. Family relations, adjustment and well-being in a longitudinal study of children in care. Child & Family Social Work, 10(1): 43-56, Feb 2005; ISSN 1356-7500. Gunvor.Andersson@soch.lu.se

The article reports on a longitudinal study of children placed in a children’s home during the first two years of the 1980s. The 26 children placed when younger than 4 years of age and staying more than 4 weeks were followed up 3 and 9 months after leaving the children’s home and 5, 10, 15 and 20 years later. The children’s family relations, including early attachments and later parental relationships and the perception of who is their family, have been one of the predominant themes in the recurrent studies. None of them had lived with both parents after leaving the children’s home and 20 of them had been in foster care for periods or permanently. At the time of the last study the children were young adults, aged 20-25. They are categorized in three rather distinct categories, one for those with a ‘good’ and one for those with a ‘moderate’ social adjustment and well-being and one for those with a ‘bad’ social adjustment and well-being insofar as involvement with drugs, criminal behavior and legal sanctions are concerned. Their contacts and relationships with birth parents and foster parents and the perception of who is their family are analyzed by use of attachment theory and developmental psychopathology. (Journal abstract)

319. BARNETT QUEEN, T. Family preservation conference participants and the Internet: opinions about on-line continuing education. Family Preservation Journal, 7: 97-116, 2003; ISSN 1085- 0430. Graduate School of Social Work, New Mexico State Univ, Las Cruces 88011

Development of distance and distributed learning continuing education (CE) opportunities for human services workers requires existence of such CE offerings, participant access to the Internet, knowledge of the Internet’s use, and willingness to enroll in such programs. A survey of human services professionals who attended the Family Preservation Annual Conferences in 2000 (N = 230) and 2002 (N = 197) revealed that 92% (n = 206) of 2000 survey participants and 98% (n = 192) of 2002 survey participants had used the Internet, while 76% of 2000 and 56% of 2002 respondents reported no formal training in the use of the Internet and its features. Findings are reported that reveal substantial interest among subjects in the Internet as a medium for continuing education programs for professional development. (Journal abstract)

320. BENSON, M.J. After the adolescent pregnancy: parents, teens, and families. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 21(5): 435- 455, Oct 2004; ISSN 0738-0151. Dept of Human Development, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0416

This article introduces a framework for understanding adolescent conditions and decisions during and after pregnancy. The framework provides a structure for a systematic examination of literatures within five dimensions: pregnancy, abortion, childbearing, adoption, and teen parenthood. The article presents a review of these five conditions or decisions organized around 22 empirically based practice guidelines. Themes across the practices emphasize individualized approaches, future orientation, and family system support. (Journal abstract)

321. BLAIR, R.G. Understanding and fostering family resilience. Family Preservation Journal, 7: 43-56, 2003; ISSN 1085-0430. roblair@nmsu.edu

This paper examines a model of resilience and provides a fictional case example from the classical musical, Fiddler on the Roof, along with a discussion of how this model may be helpful in assisting families at various levels of functioning to bounce back and perhaps even experience growth through facing difficult challenges. (Journal abstract)

322. BROAD, B. Kinship care for children in the UK: messages from research, lessons for policy and practice. European Journal of Social Work, 7(2): 211-227, July 2004; ISSN 1369-1457. Gateway House, De Monfort Univ, City Campus, Leicester LE19BH, UK

This article presents a comprehensive overview of kinship care, or as it is also known, family and friends care, paying particular attention to the UK child welfare, legal, policy/practice contexts. The aim of the article was to raise awareness, and provide information, about a hitherto largely invisible, yet expanding placement option being widely used in child welfare systems in the UK, in Europe, and elsewhere. The article places kinship care within a UK and European child welfare legal context, including the European Convention on Human Rights 1998 (Articles 8 and 14) and European kinship care developments are also highlighted. It contains the main findings of a kinship care research study conducted by the author, based on interviews with children and young people living with kinship carers, as well as with the kinship carers. Following an examination of theoretical and policy issues, the article examines future ways for developing and supporting kinship care. In the final section, and based on the research findings and literature review, a new paradigm for child welfare is introduced. It is argued that this new paradigm is necessary for kinship care practice and policy to develop within a supported and sustainable family support framework. (Journal abstract)

323. BRYDON, K. Unbeatable families? Suggestions from literature. Australian Social Work, 57(4): 365-373, Dec 2004; ISSN 0312-407X. Brydon@satlink.com.au

The purpose of this paper was to highlight insights from literature, which suggest that some families are unable to respond to intervention and treatment. Discussion of this aspect of family functioning is notably missing from the discourse on family preservation. An outline is offered of the factors that may be contributing to this reality, one consequence being that children wait indefinite periods of time for lasting arrangements to be formulated for their future. Suggestion is offered as to how concurrent planning approaches may help to achieve timely decision making and lasting outcomes for children. (Journal abstract)

324. CAPUTO, R.K. Parent religiosity, family processes, and adolescent outcomes. Families in Society, 85(4): 495-510, Oct-Dec 2004; ISSN 1044-3894. caputo@yu.edu

This study examined the effects of parent religiosity, family processes, and peer influences on adolescent behavior in light of social control and social learning theories. Data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997. Findings of the study sample of 1,911 adolescents indicated that parent religiosity was positively associated with good health and higher levels of education, while inversely related to substance abuse. Adolescents with authoritarian parents had higher levels of delinquency, worse health, and worse mental health than those with permissive parents. Adolescents with uninvolved parents completed fewer years of schooling. Compared with parental religiosity and family processes, peer influences had the most influential effects on delinquency, substance abuse, education, and, to a lesser extent, mental health. (Journal abstract)

325. COOPER, A. Surface and depth in the Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report. Child & Family Social Work, 10(1): 1-9, Feb 2005; ISSN 1356- 7500. acooper@tavi-port.org

This paper reads beneath the surface of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report, in a particular search for the absent emotional content of the many interconnected stories it relates. Following a brief summary of the main features of this complex case, the paper notes that many previous inquiry reports into child deaths have marked how the evidence for what was happening to the children was both seen and not seen by professionals, and this is also distressingly true in the case of Victoria Climbie. The paper suggests that the report itself replicates this difficulty, resulting in a disconnection between policy aims and practice realities. The extreme difficulty effacing emotional realities in child protection work is explored as the central factor accounting for the report’s failure to engage with practice dynamics at greater depth, and thus develop a policy analysis which is better grounded in recognition of the emotional needs of practitioners and their organizations. (Journal abstract)

326. CORDERO, A.E. When family reunification works: data-mining foster care records. Families in Society, 85(4): 571-580, Oct-Dec 2004; ISSN 1044-3894. tonicord@aol .com

Concurrent permanency planning policy mandates heighten the need to evaluate effective family reunification practices\. This retrospective practice-based study examines positive family reunification outcomes at a New York City foster care agency. It uses a qualitative clinical data-mining methodology and the Professional Review Action Group case review model to conduct an intensive examination of 18 families’ case records. Families were mandated into care for neglect, domestic violence, or substance abuse. This paper identifies family characteristics and strength- based casework practices that emerge during examination of the foster care reunification process. The family characteristics examined include (a) family attachment bonds, (b) separation anxiety, (c) reunification ambivalence, and (d) intergenerational family patterns. In addition, 3 casework practices emerge: (a) the worker’s active support of resiliency in family attachment; (b) the worker’s attention to the resolution of placement separation anxiety and family reunification ambivalence, and (c) the worker’s attention to intergenerational family patterns. Practice implications for refinement of foster care best practices are discussed. (Journal abstract)

327. CREE, V.E., KAY, H., TISDALL, E.K.M., & WALLACE, J. Social support and children affected by parental HIV. European Journal of Social Work, 7(2): 195-209, July 2004; ISSN 1369-1457. viv.cree@ed.ac.uk

While HIV an AIDS continue to decimate the population of sub- Saharan Africa, HIV remains an issue of major concern for those working with children and families throughout Europe. The combined impact of intravenous drug use by young adults and heterosexual transmission means that increasing numbers of children and young people in many countries in Europe are growing up in families where one or both parents is HIV positive (EuroHIV Report 2001 ). This paper draws on findings of a recently completed qualitative study of children and young people in Scotland with a parent or carer with HIV. It is argued that social support is especially necessary and yet highly problematic for children and young people with a parent or carer with HIV. (Journal abstract)

328. CROSS, T.P., LEAVEY, J., MOSLEY, P.R., WHITE, A.W., & ANDREAS, J.B. Outcomes of specialized foster care in a managed child welfare services network. Child Welfare, 83(6): 533-564, Nov/Dec 2004; ISSN 0009-4021. Brandeis Univ, Waltham, MA

This study presents results from outcome measurement in a services network providing specialized foster care (SFC) to 384 children in child protective service custody. A majority of participants improved on most outcomes. Global improvement was associated with increased length of stay up to two years, five months, and with younger age, fewer problems, and paradoxically, the presence of a trauma history. Results suggest the value of SFC within managed services and of research using outcome measurement systems. (Journal abstract, edited)

329. DELLACAVA, F.A., PHILLIPS, N.K., & ENGEL, M.H. Adoption in the U.S.: the emergence of a social movement. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 31(4): 141-160, Dec 2004; ISSN 0191-5096. f.dellacava@att.net

The Adoption Movement, which has been evolving in the U.S. since the late 1970s, is now fully formed. As a proactive, reformative social movement, adoption has reached the organizational, or institutional, stage. Evidence is seen in the roles assumed by government and voluntary agencies and organizations, as well as other systems in society, to support adoption, and in the extent to which adoption has been infused in the American culture, making it a part of our everyday landscape. Implications of the adoption movement for the helping professions are discussed, as is its impact on increasing cultural and racial diversity in the U.S. (Journal abstract)

330. DENBY, R.W., ALFORD, K.A., & CURTIS, C.M. Targeting special populations for family preservation: the influence of worker competence and organizational culture. Family Preservation Journal, 7: 19-41, 2003; ISSN 1085-0430. Univ of Nevada at Las Vegas, College of Urban Affairs, 4505 Maryland Pkwy, Mail Stop 3007, Las Vegas 89154

Today there are approximately 581,000 children in the United States foster care system. Children of color, one special population group, are disproportionately represented in the foster care system. Family preservation, a program that aims to improve family functioning and thus decrease the need for foster care, has been examined closely. Some researchers believe that family preservation programs have failed partly due to practitioners’ inability to target appropriate families (Feldman, 1990; Schuerman, Rzepnicki & Littell, 1994). Additionally, research confirms that children of color are not the target of family preservation services (Denby, Curtis, & Alford, 1998). Improvements in the effectiveness of family preservation will require many types of reform both internal and external to the program. Among the types of internal reform needed is accurate "targeting of services." Given the overrepresentation of children of color in the foster care system, this group must be among those who are targeted for services. The results of a national survey of 254 family preservation workers reveal a "profile" of the worker who is likely to target special populations, including children of color, for family preservation services. A case is made for service improvements and training to facilitate the "profiled" workers’ competencies. (Journal abstract)

331. EGBERT, S.C. & LAMONT, E.G. Factors contributing to parents’ preparation for special-needs adoption. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 21(6): 593609, Dec 2004; ISSN 0738-0151. Susan. Egbert@Socwk. utah .edu

A total of 368 parents shared their perceptions of special-needs adoption preparation. Using both quantitative and qualitative data to determine and understand what factors contribute to preparation, this study found that 12 child, family, and agency variables were correlated with perceived preparation, and that parents perceived level of preparation was predicted by the child’s ability to attach, by the parents’ relationship with the agency, by the duration of the adoption, and by the parents’ ages at the time of adoption. Implications of these findings are discussed, as they relate to supporting parents, children, and families in special-needs adoptive placements. (Journal abstract)

332. EVANS, L.D., SCOTT, S.S., & SCHULZ, E.G. The need for educational assessment of children entering foster care. Child Welfare, 83(6): 565-580, Nov/Dec 2004; ISSN 0009-4021. Dept of Pediatrics, Univ of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock

Comprehensive medical and mental health evaluations of children in foster care are recommended within 30 days of entering care. What constitutes a comprehensive evaluation has yet to be established. This study examines the need to include educational assessment as a component of the comprehensive evaluation. Rates of achievement and language problems for Arkansas school-age children are compared with rates of medical and psychiatric disorders to assess the relative need for including educational assessment. (Journal abstract)

333. FERGUSON, K.M. Shaping street-children organizations across the Americas: the influence of political, social, and cultural contexts on Covenant House and Casa Alianza. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work, 23(4): 85-102, 2004; ISSN 1542-6432. School of Social Work, Univ of Texas, PO Box 19129, Arlington 76109- 0129

Covenant House, a non-governmental, social action organization assisting homeless children in the United States is compared and contrasted with its Latin American counterpart organization, Casa Alianza, which services street-living and street-working children throughout Mexico and Central America. Although Covenant House and Casa Alianza share a common mission: to protect children and guarantee their rights through promoting social justice, clear differences in organizational structure, program philosophy, intervention techniques, and client characteristics are evident across international borders. An analysis of the political, social, and cultural contexts within which both organizations are embedded reveals how surrounding macrofactors can influence and uniquely shape social action organizations in their efforts to develop and deliver systematic and indigenous responses to the homeless, street- children population throughout the Americas. (Journal abstract)

334. FINN, J. & KERMAN, B. Internet risks for foster families online. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 22(4): 2138, 2004; ISSN 1522-8835. School of Social Administration, Temple Univ, 234 Strawberry Sq, Harrisburg, PA 17101

Foster parents and children (n = 64 families) who participated in a program to reduce the digital divide among foster children were surveyed about difficulties experienced in use of online communications. Providing Internet access to foster families increased Internet use, but was not perceived by parents or children as taking away time from other family or social relationships. A minority of parents and foster youth, however, reported a variety of problems ranging from benign arguments over access to the computer or frustration over equipment failure to serious concerns about children receiving pornography or meeting a sexual predator online. Although the majority of both parents and social workers were confident in their ability to deal with Internet-related problems, approximately one-third had low confidence in their ability to deal with foster family’s Internet-related difficulties. Training foster parents on using filtering software to prevent pornography from coming into the child’s experience of the Internet significantly reduced problems related to pornography when compared to foster families not in the program. Implications for social work practice are disused. (Journal abstract)

335. FINN, J., KERMAN, B., & LECORNEC, J. Building skills- building futures: providing info\rmation technology to foster families. Families in Society, 85(2): 165-176, Apr-June 2004; ISSN 1044-3894. jfinn@temple.edu

This article describes a program developed to increase information technology access and skills among foster children and families within the context of a long-term foster care environment. The model emphasizes continuity and integration of technology into ongoing service provision for life skills development in foster youth. The authors describe the program development process, then describe a framework for evaluation and identify preliminary implementation issues. Baseline data provide evidence for a "digital divide" within the foster care community and suggest that foster children lag behind biological children in foster families in development of technology skills, finally, experienced and anticipated implementation challenges are discussed in the context of ongoing evaluation. (Journal abstract)

336. FRANKS, M. & MEDFORTH, R. Young helpline callers and difference: exploring gender, ethnicity and sexuality in helpline access and provision. Child & Family Social Work, 10(1 ): 77-85, Feb 2005; ISSN 1356-7500. mcf@childsoc.org.uk

This article, which has its origin in a feasibility study carried out for three youth telephone helplines, focuses on gender, difference, and helpline access by young people. During the research process the writers noted that for the three commissioning helplines, as is the case with the majority of other telephone helplines, approximately two-thirds of callers are female. A helpline for young Muslims where the gender access ratio was 50/50 stood out as being different in this respect. Until recently, literature on gender and help-seeking has tended toward making a blanket identification of males as experiencing difficulties in negotiating pathways to help. Although this difficulty of males is evident in relation to both help-seeking and access to helplines, the study suggests that, at least in relation to helpline usage, when we take culture, ethnicity, and sexuality into account, the help-seeking situation may be more nuanced. This has implications in terms of enabling a cross-section of young people to access helplines as well as with regard to helpline service development. (Journal abstract)

337. FREUNDLICH, M. & AVERY, R.J. Planning for permanency for youth in congregate care. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(2): 115-134, Feb 2005; ISSN 0190-7409. rja7@cornell.edu

A significant number of children and youth in foster care in the United States are placed in congregate care settings (group homes and residential treatment centers) and a large proportion of this group of youth are age 12 and older. Research has documented the negative outcomes for youth who leave foster care without permanent family or other adult connections, and policy and practice have emphasized permanency for children and youth in foster care. Nonetheless, research has not focused specifically on the extent to which permanent family connections are being successfully achieved for youth in congregate care settings. In a qualitative study conducted by Children’s Rights and partnering legal organizations in New York City, permanency outcomes for youth in congregate care were examined. Interviews were conducted with a range of professionals as well as with young adults who had exited foster care after placements in congregate care settings. The findings indicate that a number of systemic factors undermine the achievement of permanency for youth in care, including a limited focus on work with families. It was found that reunification and adoption were used far less often than "independent living" as the permanency goal for youth in congregate care settings. Young adults reported relatively low levels of involvement in the permanency planning process. The study advances a number of recommendations to improve permanency outcomes for youth in congregate care settings, including a reduced reliance on congregate care and greater reliance on family-based placements, an emphasis on permanency as a critical outcome for youth, and greater accountability on the part of public and private child welfare agencies for achieving permanency for youth in congregate care. Directions for future research are proposed. (Journal abstract)

338. GALLAGHER, B., BRANNAN, C., JONES, R., & WESTWOOD, S. Good practice in the education of children in residential care. The British Journal of Social Work, 34(8): 1133-1160, Dec 2004; ISSN 0045-3102. info@new-horizons-childcare.co.uk

Research shows that the education of children in residential care is generally poor, in terms of both process and outcome. This has highlighted the uncertainty over how best to educate these children and a pessimism over what they can achieve. Drawing upon the findings of an evaluation of a children’s home, this paper argues that children in residential care can have good educational outcomes. It also shows that it is possible to identify the processes by which these outcomes can be brought about, However, largely positive assessment is predicated upon education being defined broadly in respect of ‘process’ and ‘outcome’. Moreover, it is important not to underestimate the formidable challenges inherent in this work. While the multiagency nature to this work gives rise to one of the most significant, it has to be recognized that responsibility for the education of children in residential care falls primarily to children’s homes. If children’s home’s are to meet the increasing expectations that are being made of them, national and local government will have to undertake a radical transformation of residential childcare, especially in terms of attitudes towards, and resources invested in, this sector. Central to this is the establishment of a qualified and properly supported workforce. (Journal abstract)

339. GARRETT, P.M. The electronic eye: emerging surveillant practices in social work with children and families. European Journal of Social Work, 7(1): 57-71, Mar 2004; ISSN 1369-1457. paul.garrett@nottingham.ac.uk

Given the rise of a "surveillance society" or "surveillance state", this article examines the evolution of new surveillant practices which are targeted at children in general, but also particular groups of children who are frequently seen as ‘troublesome’, even threats to the social order. In England for example, there has been an emerging preoccupation with ‘identifying’, ‘profiling’, and ‘tracking’ the potentially criminal young. Furthermore, other major changes are likely to be introduced in the area of child welfare and child protection. Important here is the New Labor administration’s plan to introduce ‘information hubs’ which will electronically log details on children and families. It is argued that social work and the social professions, throughout Europe, need to critically analyze developments such as this and have their responses informed by international discourses founded on civil and human rights. (Journal abstract)

340. GROVER, C., STEWART, J., & BROADHURST, K. Transitions to adulthood: some critical observations of the Children (Leaving Care) Act, 2000. Social Work & Social Sciences Review, 11(1): 5-18, 2004; ISSN 0953-5225. c.grover@lancaster.ac.uk

The article argues that New Labour’s concern with productive moral citizenship underlies the model of ‘corporate parent’ which informs the Children (Leaving Care) Act, 2000. The authors show that there has been in statutory child care work a rather uncritical acceptance of ‘good parenting’ leading to ‘good outcomes’, based on the ‘Looking after Children’ (LAC) system. The Children (Leaving Care) Act, 2000, has transferred significant duties from the social security system to local government social services departments for the payment of personal allowances and housing costs of young people leaving care. It has provided powers for the discretionary interpretation of their circumstances and provision for their welfare, all as part of a social work assessment called a ‘Pathway Plan’. The government, through this legislation, presupposes that care leavers will benefit from a simulated experience of the transition to adulthood enjoyed by non-care leavers. The poverty and deprivation leading to social exclusion experienced by a significant minority is therefore hardly surprising that inherent tensions and contradictions are found within the legislative framework. (Journal abstract)

341. HENRY, D.L. The 3-5-7 model: preparing children for permanency. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(2): 197-212, Feb 2005; ISSN 0190-7409. dhenry@diakon-swan.org

This article introduces a practice model for the preparation of children for permanency. It is based on three components: (1) the completion of three tasks-clarification of life events, integration of all family memberships, and actualization in belonging to a new family; (2) the answering of five conceptual questions relevant to each child living in placement, Who am I? What happened to me? Where am I going? How will I get there?, and When will I know I belong?; and (3) the use of critical skill elements in the preparation work: engaging the child, listening to the child’s words, speaking the truth, validating the child’s life story, creating a safe space going back in time, and recognizing pain as part of the process. By incorporating this model, workers and fami lies conducting the preparation work, assist the child in grieving losses, formulating self-identity, establishing trust and security through attachments, and building relationships and openness to join families on a permanent basis. (Journal abstract)

342. HOLLAND, S., FAULKNER, A., & PEREZ DELAGUILA, R. Promoting stability and continuity of care for looked after children: a survey and critical review. Child & Family Social Work, 10(1): 29-41, Feb 2005; ISSN 1356-7500. HollandS1@cf.ac.uk

This paper reports on a two-pronged research s\tudy: a critical review of reported research concerning continuity and stability for children looked after away from home, and a telephone survey of UK managers responsible for looked after children. The review found limited research in this specific field that met the criteria of the critical review, but reports some evidence in favor of sibling co- placement, kinship care, parental participation, professional foster care, and individualized, multidimensional support. The survey revealed a culture of innovation in this field in the UK voluntary and statutory sectors, but with little evaluation of the independent effects of new interventions. The paper places the research in the context of current policy initiatives in the UK and discusses the implications of the findings for research and practice. (Journal abstract)

343. HUANG, C.-C. & HAN, W.-J. Perceptions of child support and sexual activity of adolescent males. Journal of Adolescence, 27(6): 731-748, Dec 2004; ISSN 0140-1971. huangc@rci.rutgers.edu

Using the 1995 new cohort of the National Survey of Adolescent Males, this paper examines the association between perceptions of child support and adolescent males’ sexual activity. The results indicate that adolescent males who expect the chance of being required to pay child support is high if one becomes a non-resident father or who has a family member who paid child support before are more likely to have the same female sexual partner and less likely to have had two or more female partners. Additionally, expectations of being required to pay child support and history of a family member paying child support are positively associated with contraceptive use, especially for black adolescents. (Journal abstract)

344. HYDEN, M. & OVERLIEN, C. Applying narrative analysis to the process of confirming or disregarding cases of suspected sexual abuse. Child & Family Social Work, 10(1): 57-65, Feb 2005; ISSN 1356- 7500. marhy@tema.liu.se

This article analyzes discourse about sexual abuse at a detention home for young women. At the center of attention is staff members’ struggle with the process of confirming or disregarding cases of alleged sexual abuse. The determining factor for establishing an act as sexual abuse was whether or not the act involved a person who was defined as a victim. A core issue in the process was an evaluation of the credibility of the alleged abused girl and the degree of consent. The unintended result was that many of the girls’ narratives were never confirmed. The article argues that there is no objective ‘given’ regarding the definition of sexual abuse. To be involved in the process of understanding and establishing an act as sexual abuse means being involved in a process of social definition. To be able to handle such involvement constitutes a fundamental professional issue in social work. Adopting a narrative approach to the process of confirming or disregarding cases of suspected sexual abuse shifts the focus from developing categories of social problems and work on the basis of them to developing ways of listening to young people and allowing their narratives to provide a point of departure. (Journal abstract)

345. JASON, L.A., POKORNY, S.B., SHERK, J.L., HELZING, D.M., & REBUS, P.J. Selling tobacco to minors: can merchants accurately determine a customer’s age? Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 8(4): 67-73, 2003; ISSN 1091-1359. ljason@depaul.edu

This study investigated whether clerks in retail establishments that sell tobacco products can accurately estimate the age of a minor. Two Caucasian females, aged 16, participated as field agents in the study. One field agent entered 49 retail establishments and the other field agent entered a different group of 51 retail establishments to conduct a tobacco compliance check. Later in the same day, each field agent entered the retail establishments that they had not previously sampled, and asked the clerk to estimate their age. Thirty-four percent of clerks rated the field agent as 18 years of age or older. This finding indicates that merchants are not accurate in assessing whether customers who are minors are of legal age to purchase tobacco. (Journal abstract)

346. JOHNSON-GARNER, M.Y. & MEYERS, S.A. What factors contribute to the resilience of African-American children within kinship care? Child & Youth Care Forum, 32(5): 255-269, Oct 2003; ISSN 1053-1890. Monique Johnson-Garner, 2714 West Oaks Blvd, Pearland, TX 77584

Research about African American children who overcome adversity to adapt successfully within kinship care is virtually nonexistent. To address this knowledge gap, the authors studied the caregivers of 30 African American children residing in kinship care homes to determine why some children succeed in their placements while others do not. In this qualitative investigation, the kinship caregivers of resilient and nonresilient children were interviewed. Resilient children generally resided in families characterized by more structure, clear boundaries, and well-defined roles. Kinship caregivers indicated that the support they received from extended family was helpful and promoted positive child outcomes. (Journal abstract)

347. JUBY, C. & RYCRAFT, J.R. Family preservation strategies for families in poverty. Families in Society, 85(4): 581-587, Oct-Dec 2004; ISSN 1044-3894. cjuby@uta.edu

Poverty adversely affects many individuals and their families. Previous research has shown that certain attributes and situations serve to moderate the negative effects of poverty. The purpose of this article was to focus on the variables associated with resiliency in poverty, mainly in relation to family preservation. Empirical studies suggest resilient families have adequate support systems, possess an inner locus of control, believe in a higher power, and practice downward comparison. By understanding the attributes and situations that increase resiliency in families, social workers can develop more effective programs and provide supportive assistance to families in poverty. Building resilient and productive families leads to a greater likelihood for family stability and preservation. (Journal abstract)

348. KAUSAAR, R. & MUNIR, R, Pakistani adolescents’ coping with stress: effect of loss of a parent and gender of adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 27(6): 599-610, Dec 2004; ISSN 0140-1971. rukhsana_saddul@yahoo.com

This study examined the effect of parental loss and gender of adolescents on their coping with stress. Sample included those adolescents who had either of their parents dead (N = 40) and those having both living parents (N = 40). It was hypothesized that adolescents with one parent alive would differ in their ways of coping with stress compared to those who have both living parents. It was also hypothesized that there would be gender differences in adolescents’ coping. Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ, Kausar, 1996) was used to assess adolescents’ coping. Data was analyzed using t-test and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Analyses showed that avoidance-focused coping was the most frequently used and active distractive coping was the least frequently used strategy by the adolescents. Adolescents with both living parents employed more active distractive and religious- focused coping compared to those with one parent alive. Girls employed significantly more strategies to cope with stress compared to boys. Results also revealed interactive effect of parental loss and gender on coping strategies used by adolescents. The findings suggest that death of either of the parents and gender of the adolescent is important determinants of the ways adolescents deal with stress. (Journal abstract)

349. KIBIAK, S.P., YOUNG, A., SIEFERT, K., & STEWART, A. Pregnant, substance-abusing, and incarcerated: exploratory study of a comprehensive approach to treatment. Families in Society, 85(2): 177-186, Apr-June 2004; ISSN 1044-3894. spk@wayne.edu

Intervention addressing the multiple needs of incarcerated women are rare. In this study, several measures were used to assess functional changes among pregnant, substance-dependent, incarcerated women transferred to a community-based residential treatment program that allowed their infants to reside with them. Women engaged in comprehensive therapeutic and skill-building activities for 6 to 9 months. The program’s goal was to assist women in childbirth and in the continuing relationship with their child while improving psychological and social functioning. Examination of changes were limited to those who completed treatment and all measures (N = 27). Although significant improvements were noted, nearly half were discharged with symptoms indicative of a depressive disorder. Assessment of long-term outcomes comparing this group with pregnant women who remained in prison is under way. (Journal abstract)

350. LAIBLE, D.J., CARLO, G., & ROESCH, S.C. Pathways to self- esteem in late adolescence: the role of parent and peer attachment, empathy, and social behaviours. Journal of Adolescence, 27(6): 703- 716, Dec 2004; ISSN 0140-1971. dlaible@mail.smu.edu

The goal of this study was to examine both the direct and indirect relations of parent and peer attachment with self-esteem and to examine the potential mediating roles of empathy and social behavior. 246 college students (Mage = 18.6 years, S.D. = 1.61) completed self-report measures of parent and peer attachment, empathy, social behavior, and self-esteem. Structural equation modeling revealed that attachment and self-esteem, however, were entirely mediated by empathy and prosocial behavior. The findings from this study suggest that although close supportive relationships with parents and peers are related to adolescent self-esteem, these links are complex. (Journal abstract)

351. LAWRENCE-WILLS, S. Incarcerated mothers reports of their daughters’ antisocial behavior, maternal supervision and mother- da\ughter relationship. Journal of Family Social Work, 8(3): 55-73, 2004; ISSN 1052-2158. Univ College of Public Service, School of Social Work, Jackson State Univ, Jackson, MS

This study examines the extent of delinquency and antisocial behavior among adolescent daughters of incarcerated mothers and the influence of the mother-daughter relationship and maternal supervision on daughters’ participation in delinquency and antisocial behavior. A total 101 incarcerated mothers completed survey questionnaires that asked about their daughters’ participation and involvement in antisocial and delinquent behavior and the nature of both mother-daughter relationship and maternal supervision. Overall, mothers reported low levels of involvement in antisocial or delinquent behavior for their daughters. Participation in antisocial behavior was inversely related to positive mother- daughter relationship. Maternal supervision was not related to level of participation in antisocial or delinquent behavior. (Journal abstract)

352. LIESE, L.H., ANDERSON, J.L., & EVANS, R.P. The Christmas Box House: developing a best practice model for emergency shelter care and assessment. Journal of Family Social Work, 7(3): 39-48, 2003; ISSN 1052-2158. Graduate School of Social Work, Univ of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112

In many states, emergency shelter care facilities are the main point of entry into the child welfare system. Despite this important "gatekeeping" role, emergency or crisis shelters serving abused and neglected children have been overlooked as research settings, and little has been written about them in the child welfare literature. This article describes the evolution, design, and implementation of the Christmas Box House, a new model for shelter care in the State of Utah. Emphasis is placed on the public-private partnerships that not only spurred the development of the Christmas Box House model, but will now be critical to the success of planned research efforts. (Journal abstract)

353. LORKOVICH, T.W., PICCOLA, T., GROZA, V., BRINDO, M.E., & MARKS, J. Kinship care and permanence: guiding principles for policy and practice. Families in Society, 85(2): 159-164, Apr-June 2004; ISSN 1044-3894.

Children have been entering the custody of child welfare agencies at an ever-increasing rate over the past several years. Over 1/2 million children remained in foster care at the end of 2002-about half of whom are over age 9. This article reviews why kinship care is favored, and in part uses lessons learned from the Kinship Adoption Project in Cuyahoga County. Ohio, to discuss barriers and permanence of kinship care, needed shifts in philosophy and policies, and practice strategies to promote permanence in kinship homes. Achieving successful outcomes for children in kinship care requires child welfare policy makers, administrators, and practitioners to make philosophical shifts, policy changes, and practice efforts that support kin caregivers and children. (Journal abstract)

354. MACCIO, E.M., SKIBA, D., DOUECK, H.J., RANDOLPH, K.A., WESTON, E.A., & ANDERSON, L.E. Social workers’ perceptions of family preservation programs. Family Preservation Journal, 7: 1-17, 2003; ISSN 1085-0430. sswdouhj@buffalo.edu

The passage of the Adoptions and Safe Families Act of 1997, with its focus on child safety and concurrent planning, has presented family preservation workers with new challenges and new opportunities. Twenty volunteers from a large comprehensive social service agency were interviewed to determine their experiences with two models of family preservation-Multisystemic Therapy (MST) and Traditional Family Preservation Service (TFPS) or practice as usual. Workers from both programs were able to articulate values consistent with family preservation as important strengths of the programs- keeping families together and empowering families, for example. Information from referring agencies was described as variable and not especially as it related to risk and child safety. Both groups indicated that the jargon of family preservation had permeated their agencies, and that working with other agencies was at times a challenge, though for different reasons. Finally, despite some reservations about the effectiveness of short-term treatment with families that face serious challenges, both groups of workers were generally satisfied with family preservation as an approach to practice. (Journal abstract)

355. MANCINI, J.A. & HUEBNER, A.J. Adolescent risk behavior patterns: effects of structured time-use, interpersonal connections, self-system characteristics, and socio-demographic influences. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 21(6): 647-668, Dec 2004; ISSN 0738-0151. Dept of Human Development, Virginia Polytechnic Inst and State Univ, Blacksburg 24061

The relationships between risk behaviors and factors representing multiple ecological layers are examined among a sample of youth in grades seven through 12 (n = 2,701 ). The authors’ primary interest is in the relationship between structured time-use as a protective factor and youth risk behavior patterns. Two other layers of protective factors are also examined, those dealing with interpersonal connections and with self-system characteristics. Concomitant demographic factors in the study are age, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Stepwise multiple regression analysis reveals that less risk behavior is associated with greater attachment to school, greater school success, closer relationships with parents, and greater participation in structured time-use; significant predictors of more risk behavior are being older, being male, and having one good friend. Implications for professional practice include employing a comprehensive, ecological approach to prevention and intervention, and enacting social support initiatives at multiple levels. (Journal abstract)

356. MANTLE, G. The nature and significance of agreement in family court mediation. Social Work & Social Sciences Review, 11(1): 19-35, 2004; ISSN 0953-5225. g.j.mantle@apu.ac.uk

This article explores the meaning of agreement, or settlement, in family court mediation through a review of pertinent literature illuminated by findings from a recent UK-based survey of users of child-centered mediation services. Particular attention is paid to issues of legal representation, the voluntariness of mediation, the persistence of agreements and the reasons why they do not last, representing the child’s perspective, user expectations of mediation, and the impact of intimate partner violence in this context. It is argued that mediated agreements do carry considerable significance for parents who are seeking to manage contact and residence arrangements for their children. (Journal abstract)

357. MANTLE, G. & CRITCHLEY, A. Social work and child-centered family court mediation. The British Journal of Social Work, 34(8): Hoi1172, Dec 2004; ISSN 0045-3102. g.j.mantle@apu.ac.uk

In April 2001, the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS) became responsible for family court work, including the provision of mediation services. Family court mediation offers a gateway for social work with children and families whose needs are largely left untouched by current services, and could thereby play an important part within the broader extension of prevention, early intervention, parenting and support services recommended by government. Over the past two decades, mediation has become a popular approach to reducing conflict and resolving disputes in a wide range of interpersonal, community, and organization settings. Given the professional interest that social workers have in helping their clients achieve more harmonious lives, the space for mediation would appear considerable and yet the connections between mediation and social work are, as yet, insufficiently mapped and analyzed, in terms of both theory and practice. This paper draws on literature and recent research to review the relationship between family court mediation and social work. (Journal abstract)

358. MCDANIEL, M. & SLACK, K.S. Major life events and the risk of a child maltreatment investigation. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(2): 171-195, Feb 2005; ISSN 0190-7409. mm2528@columbia.edu

The authors examined whether moving to a new home, having a baby, being arrested, or having a child who is suspended or expelled from school increases low-income parents’ (n = 1,137) risk of being investigated for child maltreatment. These events posed a significant risk for investigations that was not explained by parenting stress or material hardship. It is hypothesized that caregivers on welfare and those who experience major life events are investigated more often because they are more visible to those placing reports to the child protection system. (Journal abstract)

359. MCSHERRY, D. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Examining the relationship between child neglect and poverty. The British Journal of Social Work, 34(5): 727-733, July 2004; ISSN 0045- 3102. dominic,mcsherry@qub. ac.uk

The chicken and the egg conundrum neatly reflects the way in which the debate over the relationship between child neglect and poverty/social deprivation has developed over the last few decades. Some would argue that child neglect is the manifestation of a neglecting society that permits child poverty to exit, that is, poverty leads to child neglect. Others contend that it is the way that neglecting parents think, behave, and interact with other people that ultimately leads them to live a life of social deprivation and to neglect their children, that is parental characteristics lead to poverty and child neglect. However, these seemingly opposing perspectives can be resolved if we consider that this relationship, like the ultimate resolution to the chicken and egg conundrum, is circular and interdependent. (Journal abstract)

360. MIMS, B. & BIORDI, D.L. Teenage pregnancy among Afr\ican- Americans: a qualitative examination of maternal education, teenage pregnancy, family dynamics, and conflict resolution. Journal of National Black Nurses Association, 14(1): 20-27, June 2003; ISSN 0885-6028. Kent State Univ. College of Nursing, PO Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242-0001

This qualitative study is derived from interviews conducted during a larger quantitative study that examined facilitators and barriers to communication and negotiations in African American families whose teen daughters had one or more unwed teen pregnancies. Based on the larger study’s findings that the education of the teen’s mother was a statistically significant factor in teen pregnancy, 17 robust interviews were analyzed in this study and sorted on variables of maternal education and teen pregnancies. From the analysis of the data, seven themes emerged. Findings indicated that almost all girls reported a lack of contact with a father and girls of higher educated mothers tended to have more supportive family structures than did girls of lower educated mothers. Most of the families rejected the teen pregnancy, although later some accepted the infant. In comparison to mothers with a higher level of education, mothers with a lower level of education leaned toward more absolutist and negative solutions without full discussions about ideas of sex with their teens. Discussion indicated the need for interventions based on negotiation principles and tactics. (Journal abstract)

361. NICHOLAS, D.B., ROLLER, D., & PICONE, G. Fostering childhood participation in health care: grandparents’ perspectives on children’s involvement in the treatment of pediatrie end stage renal disease. Journal of Nephrology Social Work, 23: 11-16, May 2004; ISSN 1532-0863. Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This is an intergenerational, family-based ethnographic study in which grandparents of children with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) identified perspectives about child participation in pdiatrie health care. Grandparents advocated active child participation in ESRD care and conveyed participation-promoting methods including: ( 1 ) open communication among child, family, and health care providers, (2) developmentally appropriate information about the illness conveyed to the child, (3) child involvement in the daily care regimen, and (4) an attempt to limit the negative impact of the illness and condition on children’s everyday activities and overall quality of life. Participating grandparents asserted that active, ongoing, and collaborative effort on the part of families, health care providers and the ill child fosters benefits of child participation. (Journal abstract)

362. PACIFICI, C., WHITE, L., CUMMINGS, K., & NELSON, C. Vstreet.com: A web-based community for at-risk teens. Child Welfare, 84(1): 25-46, Jan/Feb 2005; ISSN 0009-4021. Northwest Media, Inc, 326 W 12th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401

Most teens leaving the care of an agency are woefully unprepared and unsupported. Current approaches to aftercare are expensive and difficult to implement. This study evaluated a prototype version ofVstreet.com, an innovative website for at-risk youth designed to teach life skills and build community. Findings from a sample of youth in the Job Corps showed that the website was highly effective in increasing their knowledge of apartment hunting skills, feelings of peer social support, and intentions of staying in touch with their agency. (Journal abstract)

363. PARK, J.M., METRAUX, S., BRODBAR, G., & CULHANE, D.P. Child welfare involvement among children in homeless families. Child Welfare, 83(5): 423-436, Sept/Oct 2004; ISSN 0009-4021. Univ of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

An analysis of 8,251 homeless children in New York City found that 18% of them received child welfare services over the five-year period following their shelter admission, and an additional 6% had a history of having received such services before their first shelter admission. Recurrent use of public shelters, exposure to domestic violence, older age at first episode of homelessness, and larger number of children in a household were associated with an increased risk of child welfare involvement. The high rate of crossover between homelessness and the child welfare system suggests the need for service coordination for children in homeless families. (This is one of seven articles in this special issue on housing and homelessness.) (Journal abstract)

364. PEARLMUTTER, S. & BARTLE, E.E. Participants’ perceptions of the childcare subsidy system. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 30(4): 157173, Dec 2003; ISSN 0191-5096. rsp9@po.cwru.edu

This paper presents a focus group study of perceptions of cash assistance participants in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and the San Fernando Valley in California regarding child care subsidy use, choices of care, and perceptions of quality. TANF participants discuss experiences in the subsidy system and indicate needs and preferences for child care. Advocates, policy makers, and parents recognize the need for suitable child care so that TANF recipients can go to work. However, discussants’ comments demonstrate one result of a changing, but not yet changed, social safety net. The authors explore strategies to address participants’ concerns-child care systems that neither function as promised, nor offer quality of care that enhances child development and is safe and comforting for children. (Journal abstract)

365. PROCHASKA, J.M., PAIVA, A.L., PADULA, J.A., PROCHASKA, J.O., MONTGOMERY, J.E., HAGEMAN, L., & BERGART, A.M. Assessing emotional readiness for adoption using The Transtheoretical Model. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(2): 135-152, Feb 2005; ISSN 0190- 7409. Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc, United States

This research applied the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to conceptualizing and assessing emotional readiness to be an adoptive parent. Readiness to adopt was defined as taking the three steps of: accepting that it is more important to be a parent than to have this child biologically; researching and finding that adoption is right for this individual; and sharing adoption plans with others. The three criteria for emotional readiness were based on adoption literature, clinical experience and "practice wisdom" of adoption professionals, and focus groups. The development and validation of measures for the 14 variables of the TTM is described. With an adoption agency, 217 prospective adoptive parents completed an assessment. Findings provide evidence of the validity of the TTM measures and the application of TTM to the field of adoption. Results showed that individuals in the earlier stages of change weighed the cons of being emotionally ready as higher than the pros, while the opposite was true for individuals in the Maintenance stage. Individuals in the Action and Maintenance stages reported higher self-efficacy than those in the Contemplation and Preparation stages. Individuals in the latter stages applied processes of change at higher levels than those in the Contemplation stage. These findings support the applicability of the TTM to emotional readiness to be an adoptive parent and provide impetus for future efforts to develop stage-matched interventions that can guide adoption professionals on their work. (Journal abstract)

366. PURDIE, N., CARROLL, A., & ROCHE, L. Parenting and adolescent sell-regulation. Journal of Adolescence, 27(6): 663-676, Dec 2004; ISSN 0140-1971. purdie@acer.edu.au

This study examined the relationship between adolescents’ academic and non-academic self-regulation (SR), authoritative parenting (as demonstrated by high levels of Involvement, Strictness, and Autonomy Granting), and parent self-efficacy in four areas. Participants were 214 Australian high school students and their parents. There was a moderate correlation (r = 0.63) between academic and non-academic SR. Adolescents and their parents differed significantly in their perceptions of parenting behaviors, with parents rating themselves higher than their children on Involvement, Autonomy Granting, and Strictness behaviors. A model of the relationships between the constructs was developed showing a strong path from parent self-efficacy to both academic and non-academic SR via high parental Involvement (as perceived by adolescents). Strict parenting and the granting by parents of psychological autonomy to their adolescent children did not appear to be important in the development of young people’s self-regulatory behaviors. (Journal abstract)

367. QIAO, O.P. & CHAN, Y.C. Child abuse in China: a yet-to-be acknowledged ‘social problem’ in the Chinese Mainland. Child & Family Social Work, 10(1): 21-27, Feb 2005;ISSN 1356-7500. ssycchan@polyu.edu.hk

Child abuse or child maltreatment has been a worldwide concern. In China, however, it receives scant attention from both academic communities and government. Chinese society has little awareness of child abuse as it is known in the West and there are apparently different conceptions and treatments of the problem. This paper attempts to delineate how the problem is now understood and treated in Mainland China. The reasons why child abuse has not yet been recognized as a social problem worthy of public concern in China are explored. It is argued that as a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child there is a need for the Chinese government, the academic community, and professionals to reflect on their conception and treatment of child abuse so as to achieve more effective child protection for all children who are victims of child abuse. (Journal abstract)

368. RALEIGH-DUROFF, C. Factors that influence homeless adolescents to leave or stay living on the street. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 21(6): 561-572, Dec 2004; ISSN 0738- 0151. cduroff@aol.com

Adolescents are leaving home at an increasingly earlier age, and are staying on the street longer. Before the age of 18, one yo\uth in eight will run away from home and become a street person in need of personal services. In view of the seriousness of the phenomenon of adolescents choosing to live on the streets, this study undertook to identify factors that commonly support homeless youths who successfully leave the streets to gain insight for helping others. The goals were to: 1) describe the contributing factors that influence and assist homeless youth to actually leave the street, 2) identify the role of hope in the process of leaving the street, and 3) determine what factors keep youth on the street.

369. ROER-STRIER, D. & SANDS, R.G. Families challenged by religious change: a cross-cultural comparison of mothers’ images of their daughters. Families in Society, 85(4): 485-494, Oct-Dec 2004; ISSN 1044-3894. rgsands@ssw.upenn.edu

This paper uses the parent’s "image of an adaptive adult" (Roer- Strier & Rosenthal, 2001) within an ecological, cultural framework to examine research findings from a study of Jewish families from South Africa and the United States in which an adult daughter has changed from the family’s secular or moderate religious orientation to strict, Orthodox Judaism. The study found both similarities and differences in the South African and U.S. mothers’ images of their daughters that are related to the ecological contexts in the 2 countries. The partial congruence of the mothers’ images with the culture the daughters joined may explain mothers’ relatively positive coping with the religious change. The authors show that the concept of adaptive adult is a useful vehicle for practice with families coping with religious and other kinds of cultural change. (Journal abstract)

370. RUSTIN, M. Conceptual analysis of mticol moments in Victoria Climbie’s life. Child & Family Social Work, 10(1): 11-19, Feb 2005; ISSN 1356-7500. mrustin@tavi-port.nhs.uk

Victoria Climbie was a West African child sent to Europe in the care of her aunt, Kouao. She died as a consequence of cruelty and neglect at the hands of her aunt and her aunt’s boyfriend, Manning, in particularly extreme circumstances. A major inquiry by Lord Laming into the failings of the statutory services revealed wide- spread problems and made many recommendations to government. Drawing on the Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report, this paper describes and tries to understand Victoria’s states of mind during her time in England. The report contains many clues to the meaning of what happened, but their significance for learning from the entire tragedy is missed. The paper explores why professionals found it impossible to see what was happening, despite the evidence being available. Both Victoria’s states of mind and those of the professionals who came into contact with her are analyzed in terms of defenses against extreme mental pain. The importance of the right kind of training and organizational support being available for child protection staff is discussed. (Journal abstract)

371. RYAN, S., WILES, D., CASH, S., & SIEBERT, C. Risk assessments: empirically supported or values driven? Children and Youth Services Review, 27(2): 213-225, Feb 2005; ISSN 0190-7409.

Most states use some form of a child risk assessment to assist child protection professionals in determining whether or not abuse has occurred. However, there is disagreement in the field on which model of instrument formulation is most appropriate: actuarial, consensus based or blended; thus, no uniform standards exist. In this qualitative study, concept mapping provided the framework for child protection researchers and professionals to identify items they believed should be included in a child welfare risk assessment. These items were then grouped together under six separate headings, an instrument was generated, and participants were asked to rate each item on its empirical basis and again on its social work values basis. Data were analyzed to determine whether empirical rating and values-based rating differences between items were statistically significant. Sixteen items met this criterion. Potential implications for the field and the need for further research on risk assessments are discussed. (Journal abstract)

372. SAFYER, A.W., THOMPSON, S.J., MACCIO, E.M., ZITTEL- PALAMARA, K.M., & FOREHAND, G. Adolescents’ and parents’ perceptions of runaway behavior: problems and solutions. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 21(5): 495-512, Oct 2004; ISSN 0738-0151. asafyer@adelphi.edu

This exploratory study examined runaway adolescents’ and parents’ perceptions about youth and family life and explored reasons youth run away and what could be done that would help them remain home. Comparisons between adolescents’ and parents’ reports of family functioning demonstrated significant discrepancies. Few parents assumed any responsibility for the runaway behavior or change efforts. More adolescents blamed themselves or cited difficulties in parent-child relationships and offered ideas that entailed altering their attitudes and behaviors or family relationships. The implications of the findings for interventions and future research efforts are explored. (Journal abstract)

373. SCANNAPIECO, M. & CARRICK, K.C. Families in poverty: those who maltreat their infants and toddlers and those who do not. Journal of Family Social Work, 7(3): 49-70, 2003; ISSN 1052-2158. mscannapieco@uta.edu

Children in poverty are at increased risk of maltreatment (Sedlak, 1997), but not all children living in poverty are maltreated. Identifying the differences between families who maltreat and those who do not is imperative to helping families in need. This paper presents findings from a research study looking at correlates of maltreatment and how they are related to poverty for our most vulnerable of children, infants and toddlers. It is reported that