| 1. |
- Berlin, Marie, et al.
(author)
-
School performance in primary school and psychosocial problems in young adulthood among care leavers from long term foster care
- 2011
-
In: Children and youth services review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409 .- 1873-7765. ; 33:12, s. 2489-2494
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We used data from Swedish national registers for ten entire birth year cohorts (1972–1981) to examine psychosocial outcomes in young adulthood for youth that left long term foster care after age 17, comparing them with majority population peers, national adoptees and peers who had received in-home interventions before age 13. The population was followed in the registers from age 16 to 2005. Data were analyzed in Cox regression models.Youth who left long term foster care had six-to eleven fold sex and birth year adjusted excess risks for suicide attempts, substance abuse and serious criminality from age 20, and for public welfare dependency at age 25. Overrisks were considerably lower for the in-home intervention group and the national adoptees. Adjusting results for poor school performance in the final year in primary school (ages 15–16) reduced overrisks by 38–52% for care leavers from long term foster care.Irrespective of issues of causality, poor school performance seems to be a major risk factor for future psychosocial problems among youth who age out of long term foster care. The results suggest that promoting foster children's school performance should be given high priority by agencies.
|
|
| 2. |
- Brolin Låftman, Sara, et al.
(author)
-
Cyberbullying and subjective health : A large-scale study of students in Stockholm, Sweden
- 2013
-
In: Children and youth services review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409 .- 1873-7765. ; 35:1, s. 112-119
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The increase in the use of mobile phones and the Internet has given rise to new opportunities for people to meet and communicate. However, there are also dark sides to these new forms of communication. One of these is cyberbullying, i.e. bullying via mobile phone and the Internet. Given that cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon, empirical knowledge is still limited and particularly so in Sweden, which in international comparison has reported low rates of bullying in general. The aim of the study is to investigate: 1) the prevalence of cyberbullying among students in Stockholm, Sweden; 2) the overlap between cyberbullying and traditional forms of school bullying, and 3) the association between the experience of cyberbullying and subjective health. The study uses the Stockholm School Survey of 2008 which is a total population survey of students in grade 9 of compulsory school (i.e. aged 15-16) and in the second year of upper secondary school (i.e. aged 17-18) in Stockholm and eighteen of its surrounding municipalities (N=22,544). About 5% of the students are victims of cyberbullying, 4% are perpetrators, and 2% are both victims and perpetrators. There is some overlap between cyberbullying and traditional bullying: those who are victims of traditional bullying are at increased risk of also being victims of cyberbullying; while being a traditional bully is strongly associated with the likelihood of also being a cyberbully. However, many students who are involved in cyberbullying are not involved in traditional bullying. OLS regression analyses show that being a victim of cyberbullying remains associated with worse subjective health when being the victim of traditional bullying and socioeconomic factors are taken into account. In addition, perpetrators of cyberbullying as well as students who are both victims and bullies, have worse subjective health than those who are not involved in cyberbullying.
|
|
| 3. |
- Cocozza, Madeleine, et al.
(author)
-
Child Protection in a Family Service Organisation in Sweden- What is the outcome for maltreated children?
- 2010
-
In: Children and youth services review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409 .- 1873-7765. ; 32:7, s. 922-928
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study was conducted to increase the knowledge of what characterises the child-protection process in family-service organisations. A total of 1570 (regarding 1051 children) reports made to Social Services in one municipality during 1 year were followed to a final decision. A five-year follow-up study was conducted. There were 651 (41%) of the reports that were not investigated, 84% of the reports filed were judged not to demonstrate child maltreatment. The most usual cluster consisted of children that had committed a crime/offence when they were between 13 and 18 years old (314/1051–30%). The social worker reported 38% of the reports that regarded sexual or physical abuse to the police. Comparing the filtering pattern with the results from a study conducted in England, the family-service organisation does not seem to lead to the provision of services for a greater percentage of children than does a distinctive child-protection system. In the five-year follow-up period there were 61% of the children that were or had been targeted for an intervention or an investigation. This study raises questions about child protection in Sweden and emphasises the need for the system to be studied further.
|
|
| 4. |
- Forsman, Hilma, et al.
(author)
-
Interventions aiming to improve school achievements of children in out-of-home care : a scoping review
- 2012
-
In: Children and youth services review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409 .- 1873-7765. ; 34:6, s. 1084-1091
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The educational underachievement of children in out-of-home care has been known for decades. In this scoping review, we compiled and analyzed – with a narrative approach – evaluated interventions that aimed to improve foster children's school achievements. Despite a comprehensive searching strategy, only eleven relevant studies were found, indicating that little has been done in intervention research to improve educational outcomes for children in public care. Nine out of the eleven interventions reported some positive results. Literacy was improved in most studies, while evaluated attempts to enhance numeracy skills yielded mixed results. Positive results came from a range of different interventions, e.g. tutoring projects and structured individualized support. We conclude that most focused interventions seem to improve foster children's poor academic achievements, but tutoring projects have so far the best empirical support from evaluations with rigorous designs. Also there's a definite need for more intervention research.
|
|
| 5. |
- Gornick, Janet C., et al.
(author)
-
Child poverty in cross-national perspective : Lessons from the Luxembourg Income Study
- 2012
-
In: Children and youth services review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409 .- 1873-7765. ; 34:3, s. 558-568
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper draws on the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) microdata to paint a portrait of child poverty across a diverse group of countries, as of 2004-2006. We will first synthesize past LIS-based research on child poverty, focusing on studies that aim to explain cross-national variation in child poverty rates. Our empirical sections will focus on child poverty in 20 high- and middle-income countries including three Latin American countries, newly added to LIS. We will assess poverty among all households and among those with children, and using multiple poverty measures (relative and absolute, pre- and post-taxes and transfers). We will assess the effects of crucial micro-level factors - family structure, educational attainment, and labor market attachment - considering how the effects of these factors vary across counties. Finally, we will analyze the extent to which cross-national variation in child poverty is explained by families' characteristics and/or by the effects of (or returns to) those characteristics. Those returns encompass both market and state-generated income.
|
|
| 6. |
- Hansson, Kjell, et al.
(author)
-
Effects of multidimensional treatment foster care (MTFC): Results from a RCT study in Sweden
- 2012
-
In: Children and Youth Services Review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409. ; 34:9, s. 1929-1936
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study examines 24-month post-baseline outcomes for a RCT study of Swedish antisocial youths who received either treatment in multidimensional treatment foster care (MTFC) or treatment as usual (TAU). MTFC, a community-based treatment program, has successfully treated chronic juvenile offenders in the USA This study is the second randomized control study in Sweden that includes MTFC. Compared to the first Swedish MTFC study, this study's breakdown rate was low (15%). In Sweden, MTFC has lower breakdown frequencies compared to traditional out-of-home care. The youths (n = 46) showed a significant reduction in symptoms, but no group differences were apparent. However, when clinical change was analyzed, the MTFC had significant better reduction during the treatment period. The take away message is that both MTFC and TAU are good at lowering psychiatric symptoms. However, MTFC has low breakdown rates and better reduction in clinical change, which makes MTFC an interesting alternative treatment for antisocial youths. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 7. |
- Hedin, Lena, et al.
(author)
-
Settling into a new home as a teenager : about establishing social bonds in different types of foster families in Sweden
- 2011
-
In: Children and youth services review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409 .- 1873-7765. ; 33:11, s. 2282-2289
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper provides a glimpse into young people's experiences and understandings of everyday life during their initial stages of placement in various types of foster families. The way family interactions strengthen or weaken the social bond between foster youth and foster family is focused upon. In this study the young people in kinship foster families reported the strongest social bonds to their foster families and the adolescents in traditional foster families the weakest. This is in line with previous research. However, youth in network foster families with whom they were not so close prior to placement also reported rather strong social bonds to the foster family, which is not well known. Including network foster families in the study sheds light on the importance of adolescents' active involvement and agency in choosing their foster family. Examples of family interactions which seem to be crucial in strengthening social bonds, also in traditional foster families, are e.g. fair treatment by other family members, mutual family activities, negotiating to find solutions, and, which is not so well known, humorous joking and laughing together. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 8. |
- Höjer, Ingrid, 1953, et al.
(author)
-
Procedures when young people leave care : Views of 111 swedish social services mangers
- 2011
-
In: Children and youth services review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409 .- 1873-7765. ; 33:12, s. 2452-2460:33, s. 2452 - 2460
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In western societies, there is a general tendency towards a protracted transition to adulthood for young people, who thereby may become increasingly dependent on support from family. Young people leaving a placement in out-of-home care often lack such support, and will thus have a disadvantageous position compared to their peers. With the purpose of looking into the procedures when young people leave a placement in out-of-home care, telephone interviews were performed with 111 managers of social service units in two Swedish regions (West Sweden, and Stockholm Region), using a structured interview schedule. Answering rate was 99.1%. Only 6% of the managers had information of the young people's whereabouts once they had left care. 86-88% had general support programmes for all young people concerning housing, employment etc. but only 2-4% had specific programmes for young people leaving care. A majority of the managers were attentive of the difficulties the young people leaving care may encounter, but displayed little awareness of the consequences of a prolonged transition to adulthood, and the need for continued support after leaving care. Several managers referred to the general support of the Swedish welfare state, meaning that young people leaving care had the same access to support as all other young people in Sweden. Consequently, young people leaving care are at risk of being invisible in the welfare system and facing a compressed transition to adulthood.
|
|
| 9. |
- Johansson, Helena, 1962, et al.
(author)
-
Education for disadvantaged groups — Structural and individual challenges
- 2012
-
In: Children and Youth Services Review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0190-7409. ; 34:6, s. 1135-1142
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Who pursues an educational pathway, and who doesn't is highly connected to class position. On the other hand, education may function as a means of disconnecting with a socially disadvantaged background. This article explores the situation of one of the most disadvantaged groups; young people with experience of being placed in foster or residential care. As part of the YiPPEE project, including five European countries, two extensive data sets were combined and analyzed, 33 young people were interviewed, as well as 111 social service managers and 26 nominated adults. The article discusses, using Bourdieu's much used concepts of capital, barriers for continued education after compulsory school. These barriers are found on both individual and family level as well as in relation to national policies and welfare regimes. The findings point to low expectations for higher education from both professionals and carers. The analyses also show that having acquired an educational identity, or cultural capital, is one of the strongest incitements for continued education. However, our results also show that not all young persons from a public care background have had the possibilities of acquiring a sufficient cultural and social capital, and often stand alone and thus choose other pathways. The results have consequences for social work and the authors draw the conclusion that in order to improve the situation for this group, as well as other disadvantaged groups, it is necessary to take into consideration both individual educational support and structural measures. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
|
|
| 10. |
- Khoo, Evelyn, 1964-, et al.
(author)
-
In and out of care : a profile and analysis of children in the out-of-home care system in Sweden
- 2012
-
In: Children and youth services review. - : Elsevier. - 0190-7409 .- 1873-7765. ; 34:5, s. 900-907
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper we present a profile and analysis of children in the out-of-home care system in Sweden. We describe the conditions of three age groups of children and young people prior to their entry into care, the reasons for placement as given by social workers and documented in the children's case files, and analyze their movements in and out of care drawing attention to the issues of placement instability and breakdown. Our analyses reveal that there are important differences between age groups in rationales for placement, that a significant majority of children who returned home from care did so before social workers considered care no longer necessary, and that significant numbers of placements are notable in their instability. This study points to the need to develop participatory frameworks for practice beyond the rhetoric of solidarity and democracy that underlies Sweden's Social Services Act. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
|
