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Journal Article The role of fathers in the lives of young men has been explored extensively in the literature However, Black fathers, and particularly those of boys who live in adverse circumstances, are often perceived as being uninvolved or without direct influence on the day-to-day functioning of their sons. As Black boys attempt to navigate stressful encounters associated with community violence and encounters with law enforcement, adequate social capital should be considered as it relates to the acquisition of skills needed to remain safe and maintain wellbeing. Qualitative pilot findings emerging…
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Journal Article Parental separation is a major adverse childhood experience. Parental separation is generally preceded by conflict, which is itself a risk factor for child problem behavior. Whether parental separation independent of conflict has negative effects on child problem behavior is unclear. This study was embedded in Generation R, a population-based cohort followed from fetal life until age 9 years. Information on family conflict was obtained from 5,808 mothers and fathers.Family conflict from pregnancy onward and parental separation each strongly predicted child problem behavior up to…
Video
“Daddy Don’t Go” is a film capturing two years in the lives of four disadvantaged fathers in New York City as they fight to defy the odds against them. And the odds are real - men living in poverty are more than twice as likely to become absent fathers than their middle-class peers (U.S. Census Bureau). “Daddy Don’t Go” is a tough but tender journey that aims to illuminate the everyday struggles of disadvantaged fathers. Alex, Nelson, Roy and Omar shatter the deadbeat dad stereotype and redefine what it means to be a good father for all men. (Author summary)
Parents who are involved with child welfare services (CWSI) often have a history of childhood adversity and depressive symptoms. Both affect parenting quality, which in turn influences child adaptive functioning. We tested a model of the relations between parental depression and child regulatory outcomes first proposed by K. Lyons-Ruth, R. Wolfe, A. Lyubchik, and R. Steingard (2002). We hypothesized that both parental depression and parenting quality mediate the effects of parental early adversity on offspring regulatory outcomes. Participants were 123 CWSI parents and their toddlers assessed…
This report presents evidence for HOPE (Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences) based on newly released, compelling data that reinforce the need to promote positive experiences for children and families in order to foster healthy childhood development despite the adversity common in so manyfamilies. (Author abstract modified)
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Journal Article This article introduces a special issue that is intended to move beyond the spanking debate and cultivate innovative discussion and research that will move the child welfare field forward and in a direction that will benefit children and families. It reviews the definitions of the physical punishment of children and shares research results that demonstrate the harmful effects of spanking. It then notes following articles that address the designation of spanking as an adverse childhood event, legal bans in relation to parental beliefs and attitudes toward spanking, professionals' endorsement…
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The United States incarcerates more people than any othercountry in the world, and over half of the 2.3 million inmatesare parents of children under age 18. One in 28 children inthe United States has a parent behind bars, and even morewill have an incarcerated parent at some time during theirchildhood. Children with incarcerated parents are morelikely to exhibit trauma symptoms than other children, andthey are at an increased risk of developing problematicoutcomes including behavior problems, substance abuse,academic difficulties, criminal activity, and physical andmental health conditions.…
Analiza la naturaleza del trauma (particularmente trauma causado por abuso o negligencia), sus efectos en niños y jóvenes y las maneras de ayudar a un niño que ha experimentado trauma. Los padres biológicos o de crianza que no entienden las consecuencias del trauma pueden malinterpretar el comportamiento de su hijo, y sus intentos de lidiar con un comportamiento problemático pueden no ser efectivos y, en algunos casos, hasta pueden causar daño. Al aumentar su comprensión sobre el trauma, los padres biológicos y de crianza pueden apoyar mejor la sanación de su hijo, de la relación padre-hijo,…
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Training Materials Real Life Heroes® (RLH) is a treatment program that supports the development of safety and attachment needed for reintegration of traumatic memories experienced by children and their caregivers. RLH has been successfully implemented in a wide range of child and family service, educational, and mental health treatment programs for 15 years and was specifically designed for treatment of children and families with Complex Trauma. RLH provides practitioners with easy-to-use tools, including a life storybook and practitioner’s manual (RLH Toolkit) with multi-sensory creative arts activities and…
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Journal Article The Incredible Years (IY) Parent and Child Series are evidence-based interventions that increase knowledge and mastery of parenting, mood regulation, and interpersonal problem solving strategies for caregivers while developing similar social and emotional skills in their children. Rogers, Bobich, and Heppell (2016) use a case study approach to examine the effectiveness of adaptations of the IY program for delivery in a transitional housing shelter. They describe strategies for modifying IY to meet the needs of a vulnerable population within the context of the shelter and the broader welfare…
