Monthly Archives: July 2012

Links between alcohol and other drug problems and maltreatment among adolescent girls

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Links between alcohol and other drug problems and maltreatment among adolescent girls: perceived discrimination, ethnic identity, and ethnic orientation as moderators.
Summary: Studies the relationship between abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, ethnicity-specific factors, and alcohol and/or drug problems amongst adolescent girls. Looks at a sample of 168 Black and Hispanic teenage girls who participated in a school-based substance use intervention. Finds that abuse was linked to substance abuse, but only through its relation with PTSD symptoms. Also finds that ethnic high orientation served as a protective factor against substance abuse problem severity.
Publication details: Child Abuse and Neglect (Vol.36, Iss.5) May 2012 pp 449-460
Authors: Gray, Calonie M.K.; Montgomery, Marilyn J.

Exposure to intimate partner violence and children’s psychological adjustment. cognitive functioning, and social competence: a review.

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Exposure to intimate partner violence and children’s psychological adjustment. cognitive functioning, and social competence: a review.
Summary: Reviews recent research into the impact that exposure to domestic violence has on children. Focuses on outcomes related to: psychological adjustment, cognitive functioning and social competence. Considers the protective and risk factors which influence outcomes for children in violent families.
Publication details: Aggression and Violent Behavior (Vol.17, Iss.4) July/August 2012 pp 373-382
Authors: Hungerford, Anne; Wait, Sierra K.; Fritz, Alyssa M.; Clements, Caroline M.

Dating violence prevention programming: directions for future interventions.

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Dating violence prevention programming: directions for future interventions.
Summary: Looks at potential directions for future dating violence prevention programmes aimed at American college students (the equivalent of university students in the UK). Examines a number of clinical interventions which have been shown to reduce a range of problematic behaviours, including: motivational interventions, dialectical behaviour therapy, mindfulness and bystander intervention. Looks at methodological issues involved in applying these interventions.
Publication details: Aggression and Violent Behavior (Vol.17, Iss.4) July/August 2012 pp 289-296
Authors: Shorey, Ryan C., et al.

Stress responses and decision making in child protection workers faced with high conflict situations.

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Stress responses and decision making in child protection workers faced with high conflict situations.
Summary: Tests how the stress levels of professionals affects the way they assess children at risk of abuse and neglect. Puts 96 child protection professionals in two scenarios, one confrontational and one non confrontational. Finds that, regardless of the scenario they are confronted with, practitioners measure high levels of stress during the first assessment. In the second scenario those exposed to the confrontational version reported feeling more stressed, but their cortisol responses remained level. Finds that in the first scenario, when participants all showed a greater stress response, risk assessment scores were higher on one risk assessment tool for the confrontational scenario than the non-confrontational. Concludes that professional stress levels are influenced by the novelty of the situation they are in and the levels of confrontation they face and that some risk assessment tools are more influenced by the user’s emotional state than others.
Publication details: Child Abuse and Neglect (Vol.36, Iss.5) May 2012 pp 404-412
Authors: LeBlanc, Vicki R.; Regehr, Cheryl; Shlonsky, Aron; Bogo, Marion

Safeguarding in the workplace: what are the lessons to be learned from cases referred to the Independent Safeguarding Authority?

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Safeguarding in the workplace: what are the lessons to be learned from cases referred to the Independent Safeguarding Authority?
Summary: Research commissioned by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). The ISA was created under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006) to make independent decisions on whether to bar people from working with vulnerable adults and/or children. This research was undertaken to explore: the behaviours demonstrated by the referred individuals that led to their referral; the circumstances in terms of relationships, culture and policy within which the harm occurred and was reported; and actions taken by the employer leading up to and in response to those behaviours.
Publication details: Birmingham: Ecorys, 2012
Authors: McKenna, Katharine; Day, Laurie
Corporate authors: Independent Safeguarding Authority

Male circumcision and child safeguarding.

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Male circumcision and child safeguarding.
Summary: Considers ritual circumcision or non-therapeutic excision of the foreskin. Explores some of the reasons why the medical profession, the public, and even some religious organisations are increasingly turning away from this traditional practice, and why it is now considered by some to be a child safeguarding issue.
Publication details: BACCH News (June 2012) pp 14-15
Authors: Lempert, Antony D.

A review of the evidence on the relationship between gender and adolescents’ involvement in violent behaviour.

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A review of the evidence on the relationship between gender and adolescents’ involvement in violent behaviour.
Summary: Reviews literature published between 1990 and 2011 relating to adolescents’violent behaviour. Examines risk and protective factors associated with gender. Finds that although literature shows a relationship between gender and violent behaviour, with male adolescents more likely to be violent than their female peers, the link is mediated by other factors. Identifies community group as a key mediating factor. Suggests that longitudinal research into target communities should be undertaken before devising new prevention strategies.
Publication details: Aggression and Violent Behavior (Vol.17, Iss.4) July/August 2012 pp 297-310
Authors: Baxendale, Sarah; Cross, Donna; Johnston, Robyn

Psychological maltreatment in relation to substance use problem severity among youth.

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Psychological maltreatment in relation to substance use problem severity among youth.
Summary: Examines the relationship between childhood experiences of emotional abuse and emotional neglect and substance abuse as a young adult. Questions 216 young people entering an outpatient treatment programme for youth with substance use concerns. Finds that, when considering all forms of abuse, only emotional abuse and emotional neglect emerged as significant predictors of substance abuse problem severity.
Publication details: Child Abuse and Neglect (Vol.36, Iss.5) May 2012 pp 438-448
Authors: Rosenkranz, Susan E.; Muller, Robert T.; Henderson, Joanna L.

Physical and psychological maltreatment in childhood and later health problems in women

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Physical and psychological maltreatment in childhood and later health problems in women: an exploratory investigation of the roles of perceived stress and coping strategies.
Summary: Looks at how childhood experience of physical and emotional abuse affects women’s health in later life. Identifies stress and emotion-focused coping as effective mediating factors, and problem-focused and avoidance coping as ineffective. Suggests that the management of stress and the use of emotion-focused coping responses would be used with these women to mitigate physical health concerns.
Publication details: Child Abuse and Neglect (Vol.36, Iss.5) May 2012 pp 393-403
Authors: Hager, Alanna D.; Runtz, Marsha G.

Childhood trauma exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan war era veterans: implications for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and adult functional support.

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Childhood trauma exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan war era veterans: implications for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and adult functional support.
Summary: Studies the relationship between childhood exposure to trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in soldiers who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Finds that exposure to trauma in childhood is associated with PTSD symptoms in adulthood. Also identifies a link between the avoidance and numbing symptoms of childhood trauma based PTSD and a lowered ability to garner social support in adulthood.
Publication details: Child Abuse and Neglect (Vol.36, Iss.5) May 2012 pp 423-432
Authors: Van Voorhees, Elizabeth E.