G a y M a r r i a g e , S a m e -S e x P a r e n t i n g , a n d A m e r i c a 's C h i l d r e n V O L . 1 5 / N O. 2 / FA L L 2 0 0 5 99 G a y M a r r i a g e , S a m e -S e x P a r e n t i n g , a n d A m e r i c a 's C h i l d r e n
Much of the emphasis in the nation's system of child protection focuses on investigations to determine whether child abuse or neglect has occurred, and procedures for arranging out-of-home care for children who are not safe at home. Less attention often goes to the capacity of public and private agencies to provide services that help stressed families prevent child maltreatment before it begins, or that enable families with serious child-rearing problems to stabilize the home and provide more appropriate care for their children. This article examines the current understanding of the most promising and effective means of serving families. It highlights the family-centered service approach, which encompasses family support services for families coping with normal parenting stresses, and family preservation services designed to help families facing serious problems and possible out-of-home placement. The article explains the characteristics of family support and family preservation services, and discusses how these services are accessed and financed. It reviews available evaluation findings regarding the effectiveness of the two types of family-centered services, and considers the challenges faced when evaluating such services. Finally, the article discusses issues related to planning and service delivery, such as coordination and system reform, financing, targeting, relationships between workers and families, and efforts to strengthen entire communities.
The authors compare the effectiveness of multifamily group therapy (MFGT) with traditional family therapy with abusive and neglectful caregivers and their children. Positive changes in the family functioning of the MFGT group occurred in areas critical to the reduction of child abuse and neglect, whereas changes in the family functioning of those in traditional family therapy occurred only in the area of parental support. The MFGT group children became significantly more assertive and less submissive according to their self-report and, according to their caregivers, showed significantly fewer overall behavior problems and greater social competence at the end of treatment. Changes in the children in the comparison group were not self-reported and did not occur in the area of social competence. These positive findings argue that agencies should consider adopting this modality in the treatment of this population and that it should be included as a treatment option in family-centered child welfare services.
This article examines social learning theory as a construct that is applicable to adolescent sexual abusers based upon recent published research. Bandura's (1986) work is used to outline the theory and then research on victimization, aggression, criminality, pornography and personality is reviewed to assess the theory as a reasonable fit for adolescent sexually abusive behavior. Research implications are offered that argue for rigorous research methods in the field to allow for further test of this theory.
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