Lack of Maternal Social Capital Increases the Likelihood of Harsh Parenting.

Does low maternal social capital increase the likelihood of parents using harsh parenting behaviors? We analyzed random digit dial telephone survey data from 661 female primary caregivers across Colorado. Positive reports of the use of either physically or psychologically harsh parenting methods were classified as harsh parenting. Absence of social capital was assessed within the family and the community; lack of social capital within the family was measured in terms of an absence of support from a partner and an additional caregiver. Absence of social capital within the community was measured as lack of interpersonal resources from neighbors and religious activities. Nearly 30% admitted to one or more physically harsh parenting behaviors in the prior year, and 85.8% reported at least one psychologically harsh parenting behavior. Lower levels of neighborhood connectedness were associated with physically harsh parenting (odds ratio = 1.50). Conflict between partners (odd ratio = 2.50) and the absence of an additional caregiver (odds ratio = 1.88) increased psychologically harsh parenting. One practical implication is that mental health and medical providers should help new parents value, access, or develop social networks within the community to prevent children from experiencing harsh parenting.

Examining the profiles of school violence and their association with individual and relational covariates among South Korean children.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to identify the profiles of children who experience perpetration and victimization in school violence and to test whether individual- and relational factors may differentiate the identified profiles. METHOD: This study targeted 4328 children in the 6 th -grade (47.8% female) extracted from the Seoul Education Longitudinal Study (SELS). Items used to measure school violence includes verbal violence, social exclusion, physical violence, spreading malicious rumors, extortion, coercion/threat. Those experiences were captured on the basis of frequency. Individual factors cover self-esteem and self-control, and relationship factors contain parent-child relationship and teacher-student relationship. Gender was introduced as a control variable. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was utilized to classify profiles, and a modified three-step procedure was used to verify individual and relational factors in created profiles of school violence. RESULT: A three-profile solution was obtained: Exchanging rare verbal violence (90.20%), interpersonal victimization (7.50%), and inflicting violence (2.30%). First, higher levels of self-esteem made children less likely to belong to the interpersonal victimization group than exchanging rare verbal violence group. Second, greater selfcontrol made children less likely to belong to the inflicting violence group than the exchanging rare verbal violence group. Higher levels of self-control also increased the likelihood of children being placed in interpersonal victimization group rather than inflicting violence group. Third, cohesive and close parent-child relationship made children have a lower likelihood to be affiliated with the interpersonal victimization group than exchanging rare verbal violence group. Lastly, a cohesive and close teacher-student relationship made children less likely to belong to the inflicting violence group or interpersonal victimization group than exchanging rare verbal violence group. CONCLUSION: The findings can guide how school-based violence prevention can be designed, including enhancing individual competencies (i.e., self-esteem and selfcontrol), by establishing regular training programs in school settings. In addition, findings that relationships with parents and teachers affect children's experiences of school violence suggest focusing not only on affected children but also on taking an approach that encompasses the organically connected relationships surrounding children. This could be achieved by developing and distributing relevant materials or various training programs for the purpose of building their cohesive and supportive relationship with children. Practical implications are discussed according to the findings.

Do Multiple Forms of Social Capital Mediate the Relationship Between Parental Violence and Children's Maladaptive Behaviors?

Many things can harm children's well-being. Among them, exposure to parental violence makes children vulnerable and often leads to aggression and/or depression. However, not all children who have suffered parental violence show aggressive behavior or depressive mood. Social capital, defined as resources accruing from interpersonal relationships, was proposed to significantly mediate the relationships among adverse experiences and their negative impacts. In previous studies, social capital accrued from parents played a positive role for children in violent situations, but children exposed to parental violence need alternative sources of social capital. This study targeted fourth-grade Korean children and aimed to identify and test the role of various forms of social capital to help children overcome negative consequences from parental violence. Siblings, friends, teachers, neighbors, and online acquaintances were sources of social capital, and the results showed that social capital from siblings, teachers, neighbors, or online acquaintances mediated in the relationships between parental violence and aggressive behavior. In addition, social capital from siblings and online acquaintances mediated in the relationships between parental violence and depressive mood. The findings have implications in terms of intervention. It is suggested that multiple forms of social capital from children's immediate environments are helpful in their adaptation from exposure to parental violence, and thus, relationship-based interventions are recommended.

Role of self-esteem and family-level social capital in the pathway from victimization to aggression.

BACKGROUND: Children's aggressive behaviors remain a critical global concern that may cause harm to other children's behavioral, emotional and psychological, social, and academic functions. However, in this context, the possibility that children's aggressive behaviors might be responsive consequences triggered by the antecedent victimization should not be dismissed. In order to explore the pathway from victimization to later aggression, the structural relationships among victimization, self-esteem, social capital within the family, and aggression were tested, followed by further examination of the mediating roles of social capital within the family and the sequential mediating role of self-esteem and social capital in the pathway. METHOD: To test this hypothesized model, the responses of 2,844 fourth graders (48.4 % female), extracted from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) were used. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized model using Mplus 7.4. RESULTS: According to the findings, victimization indirectly influenced later displays of aggression, but not directly. In addition, social capital either from parent(s) or sibling(s) was significantly mediated in the pathway from victimization to aggression. Lastly, when considering self- esteem in the model, the sequential mediating role of self-esteem and social capital from parent(s) was confirmed in the pathway, but not for the other sequential mediating role of self-esteem and social capital from sibling(s). CONCLUSION: The study's findings reveal the necessity of reconsidering the adequacy of a punitive approach towards children who display aggression. They also provide guidance for determining where to intervene in preventing victimized children from developing aggression. Practical implications are discussed accordingly.

The role of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in monitoring child abuse and neglect.

This article illuminates the important role the Committee on the Rights of the Child played in monitoring child abuse and neglect in the implementation of the now thirty years old Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Attention is first given to the core mandate of the Committee: the monitoring of the progress made and the remaining difficulties in the implementation of the CRC in each of its 196 State parties. The remainder of the article considers how the Committee has attempted to provide guidance in addressing child abuse and neglect through specific recommendations given to individual State parties in its Concluding Observations, thorough considerations presented at the Days of General Discussion, and in the Committee's General Comments.

Developmental trajectories and longitudinal mediation effects of self-esteem, peer attachment, child maltreatment and depression on early adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to identify the developmental trajectories of peer attachment, self-esteem, depression, and child maltreatment, and to understand the longitudinal mediation effects that peer attachment and self-esteem have on the influence of perceived abuse on early adolescent depression. METHODS: This study uses Year 1 to Year 5 data of the 4th grader panel of the Korea Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) and utilizes a multivariate latent growth model to analyze the main variables in the applicable data between 5th (i.e., Year 2) and 8th (i.e., Year 5) grades. RESULTS: The results indicate that from the 5th to the 8th grade, the degree of abuse and depression increases while self-esteem gradually decreases with slowly lowering peer attachment. A significant distribution of the initial values and the rate of change were present for all main variables of the study, confirming individual differences in time wise changes. Further, more exposure to abuse correlated with a decrease in self-esteem, while an increase in self-esteem greatly reduced depression. The initial value of self-esteem showed a partial mediation effect, whereas the rate of change indicated a full mediation effect with a significant longitudinal mediation effect. More experience of abuse during early adolescence indicated a lower degree of peer attachment, and a higher peer attachment was related to decreased depression. A significant partial mediation effect was present for both the initial value and the rate of change of peer attachment, and a longitudinal mediation effect was present. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study confirmed that self-esteem in early adolescents is an important protective factor that can greatly reduce the degree of depression, and suggests continuous interventions conducted to increase self-esteem in adolescence. Furthermore, by determining that peer attachment decreases the degree of depression in children at risk, the study emphasizes the healing aspect of adolescent peer attachment.

The role of anger and depressive mood in transformation process from victimization to perpetration.

Violence exerts detrimental influence on children's lives. Reported delinquent behaviors of children have reached an alarming level throughout all societies, and tend to be followed by further victimization. Victimized children suffer various physical and psychological difficulties, with the worst being further involved in perpetrations which puts these children at a greater risk. This study explores the transformation process from victimization to perpetration, by hypothesizing that depressive mood and anger serve as mediators. Data extracted from the Korean Child Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS), of which the first wave (8th graders, n=2283) were used. Apart from depressive mood and anger, we included violent parenting and peer victimization to measure victimization, and for perpetration, conventional and cyber delinquent behaviors were s included in this model. Structural Equation Modeling was employed to test the hypothesis using Mplus, and bootstrapping method was used to test mediators while FIML was used to handle missing responses. The model yielded an appropriate fit including chi-square=391.477 (df=73, p< 0.001), CFI=0.968, TLI=0.954, RMSEA=0.044 (0.040-0.048). Specifically, anger was reported to be mediated in the relations between victimization and perpetration. Depressive mood was mediated in the relations between victimization and perpetration, except for the relation arising from parental victimization. The implications of these findings related to the transformation process and future research direction are discussed.

Post-irradiation promotes susceptibility to reprogramming to pluripotent state in human fibroblasts.

Ionizing radiation causes not only targeted effects in cells that have been directly irradiated but also non-targeted effects in several cell generations after initial exposure. Recent studies suggest that radiation can enrich for a population of stem cells, derived from differentiated cells, through cellular reprogramming. Here, we elucidate the effect of irradiation on reprogramming, subjected to two different responses, using an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) model. iPSCs were generated from non-irradiated cells, directly-irradiated cells, or cells subsequently generated after initial radiation exposure. We found that direct irradiation negatively affected iPSC induction in a dose-dependent manner. However, in the post-irradiated group, after five subsequent generations, cells became increasingly sensitive to the induction of reprogramming compared to that in non-irradiated cells as observed by an increased number of Tra1-81-stained colonies as well as enhanced alkaline phosphatase and Oct4 promoter activity. Comparative analysis, based on reducing the number of defined factors utilized for reprogramming, also revealed enhanced efficiency of iPSC generation in post-irradiated cells. Furthermore, the phenotypic acquisition of characteristics of pluripotent stem cells was observed in all resulting iPSC lines, as shown by morphology, the expression of pluripotent markers, DNA methylation patterns of pluripotency genes, a normal diploid karyotype, and teratoma formation. Overall, these results suggested that reprogramming capability might be differentially modulated by altered radiation-induced responses. Our findings provide that susceptibility to reprogramming in somatic cells might be improved by the delayed effects of non-targeted response, and contribute to a better understanding of the biological effects of radiation exposure.

Childhood maltreatment in South Korea: retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the prevalence of childhood maltreatment in South Korea using the retrospective version of ICAST and the associations between perceptions of abuse experienced during childhood and recent interpersonal problems and depression. METHODS: 539 young persons, aged 18-24 years, from various universities, work places, and clinical settings participated in a study using the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool-Retrospective Version (ICAST-R), the short form of the Korean-Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scale (KIIP-SC), and the Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI). RESULTS: While males reported more physical abuse, females reported being exposed to more emotional or sexual abuse. The proportion of reported extra-familial or peer abuse was relatively high. Interpersonal problems and depression were significantly high for those who experienced all types of abuse during childhood. Perception of physical abuse as reasonable/justified discipline affected interpersonal problems and perception of emotional abuse when compared to peers affected interpersonal problems and depression. Unlike previous studies, this study identified more depressive symptoms reported with disclosure of sexual abuse. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: These findings highlight the importance of understanding how one perceives maltreatment. Perceiving an abusive act as a justifiable disciplinary method may affect reporting as well as longer term consequences for the victim. A wide range of perpetrators and different settings in which maltreatment may occur must be considered as influencing these perceptions. This study contributed to the determination of validity of the ICAST-R for use in wider population surveys.

A new age for child protection--General Comment 13: why it is important, how it was constructed, and what it intends?

Children continue to be subjected to high levels of violence (i.e., physical, psychological and sexual maltreatment) throughout the world. International concern about violence against children has increased significantly during the last decade. A Study on Violence Against Children, encouraged by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, conducted under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary General and reported in 2006, has become a rallying call to improve child protection. Child protection practices and systems have been judged to be generally inadequate and, in some cases, destructive. It is widely recognized that business as usual-more of the same-will not do. A General Comment (guide to fulfilling obligations) for Article 19, the central conceptualization of child protection of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, has the potential to promote a worldwide reformulation of child protection priorities, policies, and practices by virtue of the infusion of a child rights approach. It can be a mechanism for framing and promoting the transformational change needed - for a genuine paradigm shift. Here, explication is given for the historical context, rationale, centrality of child rights, process of development, holistic nature, and primary elements of General Comment 13 (GC13): The child's right to freedom from all forms of violence. GC13 embodies and champions a child rights approach to child protection entailing strong support for proactive primary prevention, promotion of good child care, and a commitment to secure the rights and well-being of all children. A child rights-based, comprehensive coordinating framework is recommended for the implementation of GC13.

Experiences of family maltreatment by Korean children in Korean National Protective Services.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is twofold. The first objective is to explore the extent of family maltreatment experiences of children in protective care in South Korea. The second objective is to analyze the circumstances around the maltreatment and to obtain a better understanding of how maltreated children deal with the experience. METHODS: Quantitative data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 357 children aged between 9 and 12, living in protective care as a result of maltreatment. Among these children, qualitative data were collected from 14 children who experienced serious maltreatment using in-depth interviews. RESULTS: The results showed that, to a large extent, physical abuse very often occurred alongside emotional abuse. Most offenders were biological parents, who tended to be poor and have problems with alcohol. The majority of children in protective care were preschoolers. While in care, 40% of the children did not have any contact with their family for over a year. The results of the qualitative analysis of this study demonstrated that the abuse had multiple and long-term effects. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that many children living in Child Protective Services (CPS) have been abandoned by their families; moreover, they tend to lead highly unstable lives characterized by a vicious circle of being referred to protective care, returning to their families, experiencing a second round of abuse, then being readmitted to care. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study emphasizes the need for communities to provide safe social support networks that can assist children who are victims of maltreatment to recover and readjust positively. It further suggests the need for a comprehensive holistic approach which takes the best interest of the child into primary consideration.

Enhancement of electrocatalytic activity of gold nanoparticles by sonochemical treatment.

We demonstrate that gold nanoparticles can become catalytically active for the electrochemical hydrogen oxidation reaction by a sonication treatment. Experimental data and theoretical calculations indicate that the activity arises from the supercooled molten state of gold nanoparticles which are enriched with coordinatively unsaturated gold atoms.