Typological Analysis of Victimization Profiles of Young Children.

Although the scope of violence against children has been well documented, the reality of this phenomenon remains to be examined. Using data collected during a populationbased survey on the polyvictimization of children between 2 and 11 years old, this study explores the profiles of 972 children who are victims of many forms of violence (in family, school, and/or community). Cluster analyses identified 4 groups (minimal victimization, generalized victimization, threatening environment, aggressive environment), which differ according to the forms and extent of the violence experienced. The role of age, gender, and adverse life events in forming groups is also examined, as are the links with mental health disorders. Fostering the examination of the phenomenon of violence against children in all its diversity, this taxonomy presents advantages for researchers and professionals, which are discussed.

The Impact of Lifetime Victimization and Polyvictimization on Adolescents in Québec: Mental Health Symptoms and Gender Differences.

This study documents lifetime experiences of victimizations, polyvictimization, and trauma symptoms among 1,400 adolescents from the province of Québec. The vast majority (81%) of adolescents were victimized during their lifetime, with most victims (82%) being the target of more than one form of victimization. Polyvictimization accounted for most variability in scores of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anger/ aggression compared to individual victimization categories. Sexual victimization and maltreatment still made an independent contribution in predicting all trauma scores once polyvictimization was considered. Gender differences were found in the victimization experiences contributing to the prediction of mental health symptoms. Sexual victimization was a significant predictor of PTSD and anger/aggression symptoms for girls, whereas witnessing violence predicted anger and PTSD symptoms for boys, and assault predicted their anger. This study outlines the importance of assessing various types of victimization among adolescents. Systematic data and observation of trends on child victimization are needed in Canada and elsewhere.

Community Violence and Associated Psychological Problems Among Adolescents in the General Population.

Based on a populational survey conducted among 1400 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years old, the aim of this study is to assess the relationships between their community violence experiences and their psychological health (anger, depressive symptoms, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms). One MANOVA confirms that both boys and girls who report at least one incident of physical community violence present more psychological difficulties, especially anger. Subsequent MANOVAs show that anger intensity varies depending on whether the youth was a direct victim or a witness only, as well as on the diversity of the types of violent manifestations and on acquaintance with the perpetrator, whereas the presence of injuries has no significant effect. This study highlights the importance of considering the context of the community violence incident, to clearly understand its relationships with the youth's psychological difficulties.

Physical violence and psychological aggression towards children: five-year trends in practices and attitudes from two population surveys.

OBJECTIVE: To present prevalence rates of child psychological aggression and physical violence from a population survey conducted in 2004 and to compare the rates with the rates obtained in the 1999 edition of the survey. METHODS: The survey used a randomly generated telephone number methodology. Interviews were conducted using a computer-assisted telephone interview system with a representative sample of 3,148 mothers living in Quebec province, Canada. Responses relating to psychological aggression, minor and severe physical violence were collected using the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales. RESULTS: Eighty percent of the mothers reported the use of psychological aggression towards a child by an adult living in the household, 43% reported at least one episode of minor violence, and 6% reported at least one episode of severe physical violence. When compared to the 1999 surveys, mothers reported 5% less minor physical violence in 2004, a result that is counterbalanced by a similar significant increase in the report of repeated psychological violence towards children in a year. Results also reveal a significant decrease in attitudes favoring the use of violence for discipline purpose between 2004 and 1999. CONCLUSIONS: The trends observed in violence towards children over the 5-year period may partly be attributed to a change in mother's attitudes concerning methods of disciplining children. Findings support the need to promote alternative methods of firm discipline that do not involve violence.

Men's recognition of violence against women and spousal abuse: comparison of three groups of men.

Our goal was to assess whether men in the following three groups differ in their ability to recognize and judge the severity of diverse forms of aggressive behavior: (a) men who reported being physically aggressive toward their spouses and who were entering treatment for domestic violence; (b) men who, after participating in a treatment program, were no longer physically violent; and (c) men who reported never having been physically violent towards their spouses (NPV group-non-physically violent). All 81 men in the study reported being verbally aggressive toward their spouses. Men who had been in treatment for spousal abuse and who had not been physically violent toward their spouses since finishing the program were better able than the other two groups to recognize emotionally abusive behaviors.

Intimate Partner Violence Among Pregnant Young Women: A Qualitative Inquiry.

This article explores intimate partner violence (IPV) as experienced by young women during the perinatal period. Using purposive sampling, data pertaining to the experiences of 10 young mothers were gathered through on-site participative observation and individual in-depth interviews. Interviews were coded in an inductive way to reflect the experiences of the participants before pregnancy and following pregnancy confirmation. Overall, the analyses of different manifestations of IPV and their contexts reveal the difficulty these young mothers experience in identifying themselves as a victim of IPV and in categorizing their partner's acts as intimate violence. The fear of family separation and the desire to protect their child contributed to the complexity of violence experienced in a context of motherhood. This article also reflects on the limits of data collection on this subject through comparison of the results of the interviews with the results of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2). Further research is needed to provide more insight into victimization among young mothers and to inform interventions with the goal of helping young women overcome the intersecting challenges of violence and motherhood.

[Not Available]. / Que nous apprend l'initiative MAP sur les pratiques d'insertion auprès des femmes responsables de familles monoparentales avec jeunes enfants?

OBJECTIVES: MAP (mothers with power) is a program that proposes a comprehensive approach to promote social and professional integration of low income single mothers with children under six years old. Using the results of a qualitative evaluation of the program 's outcomes and the contextual factors that produced them, this article aims to identify the aspects of the program that are the most promising for practise. METHOD: To assess the program's outcomes, the study uses two monitoring tools and an information sheet on each participant. An in-depth analysis of the connections between the program's outcomes and the contextual factors that produced them is conducted using 16 case studies, a case being defined as the integration path of each participant during the participation in the program. For each case, four data sources were used: in addition to the monitoring tools, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants and the case workers at two points in time. RESULTS: Data show positive outcomes of this program. After three years, a majority of participants went back to school, finished high school, started collegial studies or found a job. These outcomes resulted from a set of factors: structuring actions on the life environment, support from an intervention team working closely with the participants and personalized references to programs and services in the community. CONCLUSION: The results support the relevance of an integrated and comprehensive approach to the social and professional integration of low-income single mothers.

Prevalence, co-occurrence and decennial trends of family violence toward children in the general population.

OBJECTIVES: In Quebec, three population-based surveys have documented the prevalence of psychological aggression, and minor and severe physical violence toward children. This paper aims to present 1) the results of the 2012 survey with regard to the frequency and annual prevalence of violence, and 2) the trends in all three forms of violence between 1999 and 2012 according to children's age. METHODS: The three independent surveys were all conducted through telephone interviews in 1999, 2004 and 2012 by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec and reached a total sample of 9,646 children living with a mother figure. Psychological aggression, and minor and severe physical violence were measured using the Parent Child Conflict Tactics Scales. RESULTS: The results show that repeated psychological aggression, after having increased between 1999 (48%) and 2004 (53%), slightly decreased in 2012 (49%). Minor physical violence decreased steadily between 1999 and 2012, from 48% to 35%, and severe physical violence remained stable (6%). These three forms of violence varied by the age category of the children. Finally, the results show that the co-occurrence of the use of physical and psychological violence remained high in all three surveys. CONCLUSION: The results are consistent with trends in North America and are discussed in terms of services to support families.

Facilitators and barriers to implementation of the AIDES initiative, a social innovation for participative assessment of children in need and for coordination of services.

As part of an implementation evaluation, this study aims to identify the conditions of practice that facilitated or hindered implementation of the AIDES initiative, a social innovation to support collaboration between partners involved with vulnerable children. Evaluators conducted qualitative telephone interviews with 36 respondents (19 practitioners and 17 managers) who participated in the AIDES initiative trial. Respondents were chosen to include all participating organisations (child protection services, prevention social services). Participants' comments were submitted to descriptive content analysis. Conditions facilitating or hindering implementation of the initiative included the following dimensions: (1) implementation quality; (2) organisational elements (organisational functioning, cooperation between organisations); (3) socio-political issues; and (4) personal and professional characteristics. The study highlights critical elements to consider in implementing and maintaining significant changes in practice in organisations providing assistance to vulnerable children and their families. Social innovations that do not consider such elements are likely to compromise their implementation and sustainability. We must prevent promising social changes from being considered unrealistic or inappropriate due to contextual barriers.

Lifetime prevalence of multiple victimizations and its impact on children's mental health.

This study sought to document lifetime experiences of individual categories of victimizations and polyvictimization using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire among children from the province of Quebec (Canada) to examine whether polyvictimization predicts mental health symptoms and to assess whether categories of victimization still contribute to mental health symptoms after considering polyvictimization. Polyvictimization accounted for the most variability in scores for depression, anxiety, and anger/aggression compared with individual victimization categories. None of the individual categories of victimization made an independent contribution to the prediction of trauma scores, once polyvictimization was considered.

Evaluating where we're at with differential response.

OBJECTIVE: Differential response (DR) models have been implemented internationally since the mid-1990s as an innovative way of responding to child maltreatment. The purpose of the present article is to review the literature on DR and the implications it has for current child welfare research, policy, and practice. METHODS: A review of DR studies published from 2000 to 2012 available through various social service databases was conducted. DR evaluation reports from various states were also reviewed. Salient factors are reported. RESULTS: DR does not compromise child safety; positive results have been found with regards to family engagement, worker satisfaction, quicker response times, and involvement with community organizations. CONCLUSIONS: Rigorous methodological testing needs to be conducted to further strengthen DR findings.

Emotional maltreatment in Canada: prevalence, reporting and child welfare responses (CIS2).

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of reports of emotional maltreatment (EMT) in Canada, as well as changes in these reports between 1998 and 2003. METHODS: This study is based on a secondary analysis of data collected in the first and second Canadian Incidence Study. Emotional maltreatment (excluding exposure to intimate partner violence) investigations were categorized into six groups: emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and other maltreatment as the only investigated form of maltreatment, and these same three groups were examined when they co-occurred with another form of maltreatment. RESULTS: Both the rate of emotional-abuse-only investigations and emotional-neglect-only investigations increased almost threefold from 1998 to 2003. Substantiated emotional neglect investigations had the highest rate of transfer to ongoing services. Half of the investigations involving single forms of emotional maltreatment occurred for six months or more. Finally, emotional neglect cases (in single form and when it co-occurs with another form of maltreatment) were more likely to be associated with emotional harm and longer duration of maltreatment. CONCLUSIONS: In 2003, EMT represented a significant increasing form of maltreatment and is detected nearly twice as often in situations in which abuse or neglect are also reported. Reports of emotional abuse are two and a half times more frequent than reports of emotional neglect. Nevertheless, lack of emotional engagement may also be difficult to identify, since an omission is more difficult to detect. Reports of EMT often reveal situations of chronic victimization that have been the subject of previous reports and are associated with greater emotional impact.

Shifting definitions of emotional maltreatment: an analysis child welfare investigation laws and practices in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: Although there is growing evidence that the emotional dimensions of child maltreatment are particularly damaging, the feasibility and appropriateness of including emotional maltreatment (EM) in child welfare statutes continues to be questioned. Unlike physical and sexual abuse where investigations focus on discreet incidents of maltreatment, EM is not as easily defined and delimited. Through a review of legislation and child welfare investigation practices in Canada, this paper examines (1) whether Canadian child welfare services respond to EM with the same level of perseverance as with other forms of maltreatment and (2) the extent to which the introduction in 2008 of a more specific EM taxonomy distinguishes between EM and family problems that could lead to EM. METHOD: Following an analysis of the legislative framework for EM across Canada, investigations practices in Canada are examined using data from the 1998, 2003 and 2008 cycles of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS). Using data from the 2008 cycle, EM investigations are compared to other maltreatment investigations for all of Canada (N=15,980). Changes in EM investigations over time are then compared using data from the three cycles of the study, excluding Québec because of limited data availability in 2003 (N=5,360 in 1998, 11,562 in 2003 and 14,050 in 2008). RESULTS: EM is included as a form of reportable maltreatment in all provincial and territorial statutes in Canada. Over 11,000 cases of EM were substantiated in Canada in 2008, at a rate of 1.86 cases per 1,000 children. While EM investigations were substantiated at a lower rate as other forms of maltreatment, a higher proportion of EM cases were referred for specialized services, kept open for on-going child welfare services, lead to an out of home placement, and lead to an application to child welfare court. Using a broad definition of EM the number of investigations classified as EM in Canada, excluding Québec, nearly tripled from 1998 to 2003. In 2008, using more specific definitions focusing on caregiver definitions, the number of investigations classified as EM nearly returned to their 1998 level, with nearly twice as many cases being classified as risk of future maltreatment. CONCLUSION: EM is a well established category for child welfare intervention in Canada, however, more emphasis should be given to distinguishing between EM and family problems that place children at risk of EM.