Academic literature on the topic 'Abused children Family relationships Case studies'

The year 2014 was considered as the twentieth anniversary year of the family and in a sense acknowledges the important role of the family in society. Families are central to communities and one could almost consider the family-community connection to be a loop. In other words, when families are functioning well communities fare very well, which then relates back to families. But how are we to understand this important role of the family? Families are defined in different ways. According to Braithwaite and Baxter [1] “a family is a social group of two or more persons characterized by ongoing interdependence, with long term commitments that stem from blood, law and affection”. Chambers [2] believes that families are not a fixed concept but can rather be described beyond blood lines into a socially constructed concept. In South Africa, in terms of family policy, the family is defined “as a public group of people that is directly related (by blood), related by adoption or fostering or through marriage” [3]. In describing a family, there are often two very broad terms used which are functional and dysfunctional families. These descriptions are often determined by the processes or functions/practices between and amongst family members. Family functioning includes the manner in which family members relate to and with one another including how they search for goals, activities the family engages in together and separately, and acceptance of family practices. Furthermore, when a family is functioning well, family members hardly develop psychological problems, they perform tasks together, are able to deal with problems, and have understandable restrictions [4]. These are well functioning families, but families also do not function very well and these families could be considered as unhealthy and dysfunctional, often described as at-risk [5]. Both terms have consequences especially for future adults. In describing a family, there are often two very broad terms used which are functional and dysfunctional families. These descriptions are often determined by the processes or functions/practices between and amongst family members. Family functioning includes the manner in which family members relate to and with one another including how they search for goals, activities the family engages in together and separately, and acceptance of family practices. Furthermore, when a family is functioning well, family members hardly develop psychological problems, they perform tasks together, are able to deal with problems, and have understandable restrictions [4]. These are well functioning families, but families also do not function very well and these families could be considered as unhealthy and dysfunctional, often described as at-risk [5]. Both terms have consequences especially for future adults.the control and responsibility rests with the family. In this special issue, six articles highlight issues in the family which have consequences for family members and the community, either overtly or covertly. The article of Frantz, Sixaba & Smith focuses on family structure and the effects on health risk behavior of young people in Africa. This article highlights the plight of orphans living with caregivers, the definitive relationship between sexual risk behavior and family structure and provides the evidence that sexual risk behaviors loops back to HIV/AIDS in African countries. In this article gender, race and culture play a role in the relationship. In the article by Ryan, Roman & Okwany parental monitoring and communication are explored as important in the prevention, delay and reduction of substance abuse and risky sexual activity. These studies suggest that culture acts as a buffer against adolescent risk behaviors and that the mental health of parents is also important in the monitoring and communication with their adolescents. The Jacobs & Jacobs study focuses on mothers who are alcoholics and provides family narrations of secrecy, shame and silence but also highlights coping and recovery for alcoholics. Londt, Davids & Wilson used Social Learning Theory as a lens to understand the role of the family in the chronic denial of imprisoned sex offenders. These imprisoned sex offenders were raised in single-parent households with absent fathers, domestic violence substance abuse, unsatisfactory support and compromised parenting styles were prevalent. In the Mukasano, Schenck & van der Merwe article, a qualitative study explores parents’ experiences of their adolescents engaging in mobile texting. Parents find themselves having to monitor and negotiate rules and expectations with their adolescents. The study emphasizes the importance of communication and trust, respect and preparing for the disengagement process between members. Furthermore, substances are abused, physical, sexual and emotional abuse are present and children lack support and care. Within these families, there is the daily challenge of meeting the needs of family members. This could be due to the socio-economic circumstances of the family which in turn deprives family members of necessary resources and other social support. As a result, this undermines the ability of family members to perform expected functions and consequently results in the exposure to risk. Subsequently, at-risk families need additional support in order to cope with the myriad of challenges they face. This support may be in the form of other family members, community members or from government. Additionally, this support could also strengthen the family. Families should be seen as the entry point for service delivery and the subsequent building and development of communities [3]. Therefore, family relations, which are good and strong are important for the wellbeing of the individual, family and community [7]. In other words, family wellbeing is a concept that goes beyond economic wealth and includes physical and emotional health as well as safety and good quality relationships [7]. Similarly, family well-being and family functioning assume that families work best and contribute to society when there is a balance between the economic and non-economic factors [8] but it is very complex because family wellbeing is a multi-dimensional concept with different dimensions. These include providing financial support, good housing or access to services [9]. How does family well-being then relate to community development? The creation, development and growth of communities is dependent on families. For example, when families are not doing well, the family members will act out that is outside of the family. This acting out often occurs within the community and could be the engaging in antisocial behavior, substance abuse, violence, etc. These behaviours subsequently break down communities instead of building them up. The same could be said for the effects of family wellbeing. Tsey et al. [10] found that family wellbeing is an enabler for people to take control and responsibility of their own situations but more importantly, once they are able to do this, there is a ripple effect on increasing harmony and capacity to address issues within the wider community. Clearly, there is a relationship between family wellbeing and the overt and covert development of communities but parent and child. The final article of Jooste & Maritz is an exploration of the perceptions of healthcare professionals and family members regarding youth’s experiences of trauma. This article found that when youth experience trauma, there is a ripple effect onto other family members and the larger community which resulted in the entire system feeling helpless and depleted of resources to cope.

AbstractThis article explores arguments for and against proposals for statutory changes that would require Canadian judges to consider partner or “spousal” abuse when making decisions about child custody and access, in terms of the likely implications for women. The author discusses, in historic context, the relationships of social change to the evolution of social ideology and professional “knowledge” about gender and family and the influences of these on the evolution of family law, in order to demonstrate that legal changes alone are unlikely to produce positive benefits for abused women and their children. Moreover, an analysis of the legal discourse of judges as reported in the Canadian Reports on Family Law between 1983 and 1996 suggests the need for caution. Instead of judicial sensitivity to the special vulnerabilities of women in abusive situations, the case law indicates that judges are applying an “objective” incidents-based approach to assessments of abuse. Because this approach ignores the special vulnerabilities of women and makes it appear that abuse is symmetrical by gender, women may be disadvantaged if judges are required to deny or limit abuser's access to, or custody of, their children. The author concludes that, if what is intended is the protection of abused women and children, the solution lies less in giving more power to judges than in promoting social change through collective action, the evolution of professional “knowledge” that ultimately will find reflection in law, and the allocation of tangible resources for the benefit of abused women and their children.

This study examines factors which contribute to elderly abuse and neglect by caregivers in a domestic setting. Methodological and conceptual variations and problems in previous studies have led to considerable confusion as to the determinants of this important social problem. A more rigorous research design was used in this study than has been previously employed. Fifty-nine abused elders from a model project site for the study of elderly abuse were compared with forty-nine non-abused clients from a home care program in the same agency. Using a research instrument designed by the authors, data related to the following aspects of the lives of the elders and their caregivers were collected: psychological status, stressful life events, social networks, mutual dependency, and the nature of their relationships. The study indicates that members of abusive families are more likely to have emotional problems which contribute to interpersonal difficulties. Abused elders are not more dependent on caregivers for many of their daily needs. However, the abused elderly and their caregivers have become increasingly interdependent prior to the onset of abuse because of the loss of other family members, increased social isolation, and the increased financial dependency of the perpetrator on the elderly person.

Abstract Elder abuse by family caregivers is an often-overlooked phenomenon that affects many older adults. Especially, retirement-aged children caring for their oldest-old parents with dementia may be at greater risk of engaging in harmful or abusive behaviors, given their own age-related health issues and other competing caregiving demands. Most of the elder abuse literature has focused on general demographic predictors of elder abuse, regarding the caregiver, care recipient, and the care environment. Less attention has been paid towards relationship factors, which may play a large role among these parent-child dyads. This study examined how relationship factors are associated with potentially harmful caregiver behaviors (PHCB; e.g., screaming), which have been identified as “early warning signs” for elder abuse. Relationship factors of interest include positive and negative relationship quality measured by caregivers’ mean scores on the support and conflict subscales on the Quality of Relationship Inventory (QRI). We conducted in-depth interviews with 88 caregivers (65+) who are caring for their parents with dementia (90+) as the part of the Boston Aging Together Study. Regression models revealed that relationship conflict was significantly associated with higher levels of PHCB, accounting for caregiver, care recipient, and care environment characteristics. The creation of screeners to identify “high conflict” care dyads could prove useful in the early detection and intervention of potential elder abuse cases, given that caregivers may be more willing to report negative aspects of their relationship (e.g., fighting) than more obviously harmful or abusive behaviors.

The increase in the number of women entering the migration chain has made a qualitative change in this process. Many studies, including ours, have revealed how women play an active role in decision-making and advocacy and in achieving their goals. This makes immigrant women more independent and enables them to shape the fate of themselves and their children. They maintain family ties but face greater risks. Their dependence makes them belittled in front of themselves and society, and they may be abused and beaten without being regarded as a violation of their rights. Culturally, the distribution of social (productive/reproductive) roles depends on the attribution of men’s and women’s personalities, resulting in inequality.

AbstractSuicide is a major public health problem in the WHO European Region accounting for over 150,000 deaths per year.Suicidal crisis:Acute intervention should start immediately in order to keep the patient alive.Diagnosis:An underlying psychiatric disorder is present in up to 90% of people who completed suicide. Comorbidity with depression, anxiety, substance abuse and personality disorders is high. In order to achieve successful prevention of suicidality, adequate diagnostic procedures and appropriate treatment for the underlying disorder are essential.Treatment:Existing evidence supports the efficacy of pharmacological treatment and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in preventing suicidal behaviour. Some other psychological treatments are promising, but the supporting evidence is currently insufficient. Studies show that antidepressant treatment decreases the risk for suicidality among depressed patients. However, the risk of suicidal behaviour in depressed patients treated with antidepressants exists during the first 10–14 days of treatment, which requires careful monitoring. Short-term supplementary medication with anxiolytics and hypnotics in the case of anxiety and insomnia is recommended. Treatment with antidepressants of children and adolescents should only be given under supervision of a specialist. Long-term treatment with lithium has been shown to be effective in preventing both suicide and attempted suicide in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression. Treatment with clozapine is effective in reducing suicidal behaviour in patients with schizophrenia. Other atypical antipsychotics are promising but more evidence is required.Treatment team:Multidisciplinary treatment teams including psychiatrist and other professionals such as psychologist, social worker, and occupational therapist are always preferable, as integration of pharmacological, psychological and social rehabilitation is recommended especially for patients with chronic suicidality.Family:The suicidal person independently of age should always be motivated to involve family in the treatment.Social support:Psychosocial treatment and support is recommended, as the majority of suicidal patients have problems with relationships, work, school and lack functioning social networks.Safety:A secure home, public and hospital environment, without access to suicidal means is a necessary strategy in suicide prevention. Each treatment option, prescription of medication and discharge of the patient from hospital should be carefully evaluated against the involved risks.Training of personnel:Training of general practitioners (GPs) is effective in the prevention of suicide. It improves treatment of depression and anxiety, quality of the provided care and attitudes towards suicide. Continuous training including discussions about ethical and legal issues is necessary for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.

The most vulnerable member of the peasant household was reported to be the soldatka, the soldier's wife. The quintessential outsider in a community based on married couples, the soldatka suffered from the general coldness of the village toward single women. Stereotyped as abused, neglected, and without resources, she was seen as a loose woman who drank and the bearer of illegitimate children. We know little about her. Popular imagination has been informed largely by the soldatka's plaintive voice in folk "recruit" laments. Historians have paid scant attention to the marginal members of peasant society. Yet focusing on the weaker persons in the peasant household provides insight into little-known subjects: family antagonisms, interpersonal relationships, and the status of women.

AbstractTheologians like Blumenthal, Brueggemann, and Chastain have recently stressed the abusive and sometimes capricious nature of Yahweh's actions toward his people, at times using studies of present-day child abuse to bolster their case. Predictably, such indictments of Yahweh have met with considerable resistance. This paper assesses the proposed analogy between Yahweh's behavior and that of abusive parents, by making more extensive use of the psychological literature on child abuse and trauma. The discussion also moves in a new direction, by employing recent research on narcissistic parenting to analyze Yahweh's behavior as father (and mother) to his "special" child Israel and his unique son Job. Passages in which Yahweh is said to love or hate his human children are examined in terms of psychological studies of parental ambivalence, narcissism and emotional "splitting." The final section of the paper examines the relationship between Yahweh's own lack of a family history and his narcissism, in part by comparing the unique and parentless divine king Yahweh with the Egyptian god Amun. The paper concludes by contrasting the single parent Yahweh with Assmann's characterization of ancient polytheisms, and asking whether monotheism itself is the most dramatic example of divine royal narcissism.

Child sexual abuse is an important public health issue given its magnitude and the multiple associated consequences. The diversity of profiles in child victims of sexual abuse calls for a more personalized approach to treatment. Indeed, recent studies suggest that children display a variety of symptoms and that a subgroup of sexually abused children may present a profile of complex trauma. This article first presents a review of the scientific literature that positions Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT; Cohen et al., 2017) amongst the best practices to address trauma-related symptoms following child sexual abuse; whether it is co-occurring with other forms of violence or not. Various adaptations of TF-CBT therapy are proposed by the authors (Cohen et al., 2012) to treat children facing complex trauma. These adaptations are summarized and illustrated with the presentation of a clinical case involving two siblings from the same family.

This article examines the place of gendered relationships between parents with regard to child protection work in England, and the effects of this on mothers who are abused by their male partners. These areas are discussed within an emotionally, socially, and politically charged set of issues concerning to what extent the State should intervene, why, and how between parents and their children in terms of parental rights and child protection. In this way, the article examines fault lines in the Western world’s ideology of the family, and concepts and realities of parental, mothers’ and children’s rights. In examining dominant and competing discourses on parental rights in child protection work, the case is made for the need to disaggregate concepts and approaches away from parental rights per se, to viewing the possibility of needing to see fathers and mothers needs and rights as at times being in conflict. This becomes particularly problematic in relation to mothers’ rights to their own protection from abuse, and how this relates to professional interventions when both the mother and the children are being abused. It considers the need to acknowledge and foreground taking account of how the mother and child(ren) are experiencing the abuse, not how society and professionals might like to view the situation by way of an idealized view of families through a particular ideological lens.

A descriptive study was conducted to investigate the adoption experience within the family. Adoptive families who participated in this study were assumed to be a relatively heterogeneous sample of the target population - families with at least one adopted child who had been adopted early in life, and who was presently 14-18 years of age. Thirteen adoptive families participated in the study. Qualitative data regarding each individual's perception of the adoption experience was obtained through semi-structured interviews. Each participant also completed the Family Environment Scale (Moos, 1974), which was used as a descriptive measure only. Data from the interviews underwent a qualitative data analysis to arrive at the themes and patterns that described the adoptee's and the adoptive parents' experiences. Parent-child perceptual discrepancies were also analysed to assess the similarities and the differences in family perceptions regarding the adoption experience. Conclusions that can be drawn based on the results of the qualitative analysis is that adoptive families appear to be vulnerable to problems during the adolescent stage of the family life cycle because of the adoptee's emerging curiosity and the problems of openly communicating these concerns within the family. Results from this study also point to the need for adopting couples to receive education regarding the role of adoptive parenthood, and counsellors who work with adoptive families should be aware of when the factors of adoption can contribute to family difficulties and dysfunction
Education, Faculty of
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of
Graduate

Legislative changes during the 1980s and 1990s opened confidential adoption files of the past enabling many adoptees and relinquishing parents to establish contact. This study examines the way in which the meaning of family is constructed by adoptees who have made contact with their birth relatives, and how these constructions were altered after contact. The ways in which biological and social definitions of family are constructed and contested in these settings is explored. Sociological definitions of family are discussed and the gap between ideal notions of 'family' and the lived experience of 'family' is explored. The study focuses on the process by which people are assigned as family. It explores what 'family' means to those involved in the study and the criteria they employ to construct their meanings of 'family'.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is aimed at gaining insight into the experiences of siblings of an individual with an intellectual and physical disability. Attaining greater insight into their lived reality, their feelings and concerns could make it possible to provide appropriate support. The review of selected literature provides information on many aspects of the these siblings' experience. Although many studies are quantitative in their approach, the literature review provides relevant and useful findings and inferences which were used to support and substantiate findings. During this qualitative study, which is situated within an interpretive phenomenological paradigm, four participants between the ages of eight and sixteen years were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. This format of interview allowed participants to use their own words to express their personal experiences. The results showed that siblings have both positive and negative experiences when another sibling has an intellectual disability. Other common difficulties include embarrassment, guilt, and the experience of differential treatment. Positive experiences and competencies include love and acceptance, personal growth, maturity, pride in siblings accomplishments, and appreciation for one's sibling. Several experiences were congruent with those mentioned in the literature. The insights into the experiences this study provides has implications for the development and provision of sibling support programmes and interventions. At present, state group support programmes for siblings are not provided within the Western Cape area. The interventions and assistance that do exist seem to be provided by the private sector only. Support can prove very costly, which means that it is not accessible to many who require it. Sibling workshop groups could provide a valuable support alternative to a currently "unsupported" group, the siblings.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie poog om insig te verkry in die ondervindings van die broers en susters van 'n kind met intellektuele en fisiese gestremdhede. Beter insig in die realiteit van hul leefwyse, hulle gevoelens en bekommernisse kan beter ondersteuning aan hulle moontlik te maak. Die ondersoek van geselekteerde literatuur voorsien inligting rakende vele aspekte van die ondervindings van hierdie kinders. Alhoewel baie van die studies kwantitatief in hul benadering is, het die bestaande literatuur tog relevante en bruikbare bydraes en gevolgtrekkings verskaf wat gebruik kon word om bevindings te bevestig en te staaf. Hierdie kwantitatiewe studie het plaasgevind in 'n verklarende fenomenologiese paradigma en vier semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met deelnemers tussen die ouderomme van 8 jaar en 16 jaar. Hierdie formaat van onderhoudvoering dra by dat deelnemers hulle gevoelens in hul eie woorde uitdruk. Die bevindings het gewys dat broers/susters beide positiewe en negatiewe ondervindings van kinders met 'n intellektuele gestremdheid het. Ander algemene probleme sluit in skaamte, skuldgevoelens en die gevoel van gedifferensieerde behandeling. Positiewe ondervindings en vaardighede van broers en susters sluit liefde en aanvaarding, persoonlike groei, volwassenheid, trots op die broers/suster se bekwaamheid en die waardering van so 'n broer/suster in. Verskeie van die ondervindings het ooreengestem met bevindings wat in die literatuur gevind is. Die insigte in hierdie ondervindings wat deur hierdie studie voorsien word het implikasies vir programme en intervensies wat ondersteuning aan hierdie kinders bied. Tans is daar nie sodanige staatsgefinansierde ondersteuningsprogramme in die Wes-Kaap area nie. Die intervensies en ondersteuning wat wel beskikbaar is word slegs in die privaatsektor aangebied. Ondersteuning kan baie duur wees, wat beteken dat dit vir baie kinders wat dit nodig het, ontoeganklik is. Ondersteuningsgroepwerkswinkels kan 'n waardevolle alternatief bied vir die "nieondersteunde" groep, die kinders.

The lives of family members of a child with a developmental disability are typically influenced by acute as well as chronic stressful events. These families are compared to families of typically developing children. In order for a family with a child with a developmental disability to function as effectively as possible, it may be necessary to renegotiate and reassign traditional family roles of parent, spouse, brother and sister.

This chapter reviews meta-analytic evidence for the alliance-outcome relation in couple and family therapy (CFT). The authors describe the unique features of CFT alliances and their measurement, followed by case descriptions. A meta-analysis of 48 studies (Ns = 2,568 families, 1,545 couples, and 491 effect sizes) found r = .297. In another analysis with 7 independent samples and 31 effect sizes, the split alliance–outcome association was also significant, r = .316, indicating that the more split or unbalanced the alliance, the poorer the outcome. Moderator analyses showed that alliance–outcome associations did not differ for couple versus family therapy, but correlations were significantly stronger in samples with younger problem children, older adults, proportionally more male youth and adults, and when the families voluntarily sought help (as compared to involuntary or mandated families). The chapter concludes with research-informed strategies for building and sustaining strong alliances in CFT.