...temporary placement for children who can no longer stay in the care of their parents or guardian. The overall goal of foster care is for the children to return home to their caregiver. If the caregiver fails to regain custody the child is placed in other living arrangements, to include foster homes. However there is a controversy over the effectiveness of the foster care system in regards to child development. Foster care has been linked to negative impacts in child development to include; physical and sexual abuse, attachment disorders, and behavioral problems that eventually lead to children being placed in multiple placements and in some cases the juvenile justice system,. Children who are in foster care are a vulnerable group due to the being removed from their home, in some cases abruptly. It has been proven that the longer children living in foster care are subject to negative development more than children who do not live in foster care. Based on these factors the foster care system needs to focus more on the needs of the child so that positive development can occur. Keywords: child welfare, abuse, child development The Negative Impacts of Foster Care on Child Development The foster care system was designed to provide a safety net for children and families and to reunite children with their biological parents if possible (Martin, 2014). It is meant to provide children with a temporary living arrangement until permanent living arrangement is found. Children are generally placed...
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...Infant And Child Development Case Study 1 Physical, emotional and social interaction with contact, and nurtured prenatal care is critically important in neurological, physical, sensory, intellectual, cognitive, social and emotional development (Drubach, 2000). Just as babies are born with the instincts for surviving and orienting to their new environment, most parents are programmed to love and respond to their babies cues. The plasticity of the brain has a positive and negative side. Children who receive positive physical, social and emotional interaction are more open to learning and enriching influences. On the other hand, a baby's brain is more vulnerable to developmental problems when their environment is negative due to impoverished or un-nurturing (Berk, 2012). The child I chose to complete my case study on is Spencer Hanson, the five year old white male in kindergarten who has a hard time expressing emotion and lacks gross and fine motor skills. He is a very bright child that is above average in most subjects, but is very dis-organized. Even though Spencer exceeds in math, science and reading, he struggles with keeping his work organized, poor handwriting and sitting still listening during rug time. Spencer has a hard time sitting without falling over into another child's space. He seems to always be in deep thought that distracts him from good listening skills. Spencer was born prematurely with possible exposure to drug abuse and lack of prenatal care from his...
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... 2 Child Anxiety When discussing anxiety in children, there are three main anxiety disorders that are unique to children alone. These disorders are separation anxiety, selective mutism, and reactive attachment disorder. While anxiety can be seen as a normal part of childhood and learning to adapt to new surroundings and situations, for some children, this anxiety can be persistent and intense. Furthermore, this persistent anxiety can lead to interfering with the child's ability to make new friends, trouble in school, and trouble with sleeping. Separation anxiety can occur in a child when a parent or caregiver leaves the room or even when they are dropping their child off to a daycare or preschool environment. Most of the time, separation anxiety will diminish the more the child gets acclimated to their new surroundings and environment. If separation anxiety persists, the child may also have fears of something bad happening to their parents while they are not around. Symptoms of separation anxiety include: excessive distress when separated from a caregiver, nightmares, reluctance to go to school or go to sleep without the caregiver nearby, and repeated physical complaints (Stafford, Boris, & Dalton, 2007). Generally there are no tests for this condition because some separation anxiety is normal in all children, but a doctor should be consulted if the anxiety persists after the age of two. Some treatments that...
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...Introduction Attachment is the bond that links humans to vital people in their lives. This bond begins to develop early on in life. According to Berk (2012), infants can become attached to regular people in their lives before the second half of their first year of life. These early attachments are normally to the primary caregivers of the infant. An infant with an attachment disorder is an infant who is unable to connect with his or her caregiver. This can also be called insecure attachment, meaning that the infant is indifferent or opposed to the affections of his or her caregiver. Reactive attachment disorder, or RAD, is a common attachment disorder that causes an infant to show either no attachment to anyone or sweeping attachment to everyone (Lubit, 2009). Multiple studies have been performed to reveal the how individual situations affect the development of attachment disorders. Depressed mothers, parental divorce, and maltreatment situations have all been investigated to establish their connections to attachments disorders in children. By identifying the factors related to attachment disorders, the development of attachment disorders can be reduced by taking actions against these factors. Maternal Depression A great deal of research has found a link between maternal depression and the appearance of attachment disorders in children. A study performed by Campbell, Brownell, Hungerford, Spieker, Mohan, & Blessing (2004) examined...
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...Bowlby’s Ethological Attachment Theory Rhonda Lawson Excelsior College Lifespan Developmental Psychology June 10, 2014 Bowlby’s Ethological Attachment Theory I) Abstract a) A natural inclination b) Strength and stability c) Theory of lifespan development II) Introduction a) Evolution and biology b) Critical periods c) Behavioral study on graylag geese d) Creation of attachment III) Bowlby’s perspectives a) Biological preparation b) Ethological theory c) Adaptive value d) Physical, social as well as cultural e) Lasting relationships IV) Application of Bowlby’s ethological attachment a) Survival b) Increases in cortisol levels and heart rates c) Psychotherapy d) Anxiety and avoidance with depression e) Development of a new attachment with a therapist f) Outcomes of a therapy process g) Diagnosis of the reactive attachment disorder V) Conclusion a) Begins at birth b) Develop attachments to primary caregivers c) Widespread acceptance d) Diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder VI) References Abstract Bowlby’s ethological attachment theory bases its argument on the premise that human individuals, just like animals have a tendency to have a natural inclination to establish and maintain lasting affectionate bonds (attachments) to the familiar and irreplaceable others. Bowlby further asserts that once the attachments are established, the strength, and stability of the...
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...shape a child’s development. Timothy’s behavior from the beginning was a perfect example of how children model after their parents or caregiver. He was exposed to violence at a very young age from his parents, and therefore that was how he learned how to express himself. With his parents out of work and in low paying jobs, the whole family was under a lot of stress. Timothy was spanked as a result of them not dealing with their stress in a constructive way. Even away from home, at an unauthorized daycare, he was subject to spanking. With the family having a limited income, Timothy continued to go to a daycare that was unclean, unhealthy and detrimental to his development. When Timothy started school at a public school he was not prepared. Having had no structure, healthy social interaction or exposure to learning, he was very behind his peers. He had limited experience controlling his emotions and therefore was subject to angry outbursts and an inability to follow the rules. By the time he was eleven years old; he failed a grade and was not able to continue to 6th grade with his peers and was even suspended for instigating a fight. Secure attachment is the term used to support the instance of infants using their parents as a sense of security, or base. This then causes infants to feel relaxed and protected as opposed to fearful and agitated. Parents can foster this healthy attachment relationship through affection and positive interaction. Four factors that can have an impact...
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...Influence of Early Life Experiences on Anxiety disorders Anxiety disorder is a mental health description for all forms of uneasiness, excessive worry,and phobias of life events. Such fears can based on events that happened or just imagination and it affects the physical well-being of a person. Different studies have shown that anxiety disorders in different family members overlap. This may be due to the factors experienced while growing up, family factors and genetic transmission. A Childs needs and issues are diverse but a general assessment would indicate that all early experiences can lead to psychological problems. For example, a need to over-achieve, an anxiety disorder of a generalized nature or dysthymic disorder (mood disorder characterized by chronic depression). Such disorders can be traced to a long standing inability to derive satisfaction from one’s life alongside the family issues that worry people, the expectations from the society that leave one apprehensive and a person’s coping strategies which mostly are maladaptive (Corey, 2012). The details do not present a clear diagnosis as to anxiety disorder’s root cause in many cases, hence the need to be cautious when deciding on a therapeutic course of action. Everyone’s unique experiences bring up psychosocial challenges which may become the main focus of the clinical therapies. People may experience phase-of-life issues; present parent-child problems while at the same time having partner...
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...Privation of attachment means failure to form an attachment. Privation usually occurs when children have been kept in extreme isolation and therefoe have never had the opppurtunity to form an attachment. There are 3 main types of evidence regarding privation and those are longitudinal studies of children in instituational care; case studies of children raised in extreme isolation; and studies of reactive attachment disorder which is a category of mental disorder attributed to a lack of early attachments. A longiudinal study of ex-institutional children was done by Hodges and Tizard in 1989, to investigate the effects of privation by following the same children over a long period of time to collect reliable information linking early experiences to later outcomes for the same individual. The participants were 65 children who had been placed in an instituation when they were less than 4 months old. There was an explicit policy in the institution against caregivers forming attachments with the children. This would suggest the children experienced early privation. By the age of 4, 24 of the institutionalized children had been adopted, 15 had returned to their natural homes and the rest remained in the institution. Assessment at the age of 8 and 16 years old involved interviewing those children who were adopted and those who had returned to their original homes. Their parents, their teachers and their peers were also interviewed. Data was also collected from a control group...
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...maltreatment and being removed from their homes. They are also aging out without being without being linked with adequate resources and the continuity of support services. The rescores and support system will end abruptly and they will have to quickly adapt to adulthood alone. I selected Young Adults with Severe Mental Illness as my community focus because I discovered that they face significant adversity after they age out of the Child Welfare System. As a result of being abused or neglected as a child, these young adults have spent the first 21 years of their life separated from their biological family, bouncing from one placement to another and changing schools every few years; never really given the opportunity to develop any secure attachments, are forced to function in this world alone. After working hands on and reviewing comprehensive literature on young adults with...
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...all children wish they had different parents or wished they could be adopted by adults who are “cool, understandable, and rich” because out parents seemed to always find a way to ruin our lives. Unfortunately this is no wish for some children, being adopted by strangers is some children’s reality. Adoption is viewed as a lifetime commitment to raise babies or children who are not biologically yours into the best person they can be. People who adopt get that great sense of satisfaction that they reached out and changed a person’s life. Even though the adopters get that great sense of satisfaction, no one stops to think about the hurt and negative emotions that the adoptee may feel in regards to their adoption. Adoption can have a harmful negative reaction impact on the adoptees as they go through their journey of life. I believe that even though there are negative emotions that come with adoption there are some solutions such as therapy to cope with the emotions. Review of the Literature The emotional effect adoption can have on a child is a problem in society today. Researchers show there are different aspects of adoption people need to understand and different ways to cope with adoptees and the emotional hurt they feel. The following researchers discuss different emotional effects adoption can have on adopted children. Child Welfare Information Gateway (CWIG) (2004) is a service that provides information based on the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families...
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...An estimated 905,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). While physical injuries may or may not be immediately visible, abuse and neglect can have consequences for children, families, and society that last lifetimes, if not generations. The impact of child abuse and neglect is often discussed in terms of physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences. In reality, however, it is impossible to separate them completely. Physical consequences, such as damage to a child's growing brain, can have psychological implications such as cognitive delays or emotional difficulties. Psychological problems often manifest as high-risk behaviors. Depression and anxiety, for example, may make a person more likely to smoke, abuse alcohol or illicit drugs, or overeat. High-risk behaviors, in turn, can lead to long-term physical health problems such as sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, and obesity. This factsheet provides an overview of some of the most common physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences of child abuse and neglect, while acknowledging that much crossover among categories exists. Factors Affecting the Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect Physical Health Consequences Psychological Consequences Behavioral Consequences Societal Consequences Summary References The Federal Government has made a considerable investment in research regarding the causes and long-term...
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...sexual, or emotional mistreatment or neglect of children and therefore resulting in a child suffering from various detrimental effects. Child abuse includes four major categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. Physical abuse is the most easily detected form of abuse and involves injuries located on the outside of a child’s body. A form of abuse that many people are unaware of is child neglect. However, in 2009 78.3% of child abuse comes from child neglect. This makes child neglect the most common form of abuse Child neglect occurs when a parent/guardian has failed at providing a child with the basic necessities of life, such as shelter, food, clothing, and supervision of an extended period. The consequences if child abuse varies according to the situation, individual, and the form of abuse suffered from. Some of the most common consequences of child abuse and neglect are physical, behavioral, and psychological (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008). Victims of child abuse and neglect can suffer from one consequence or a combination of them all. First, physical consequence is one of the many consequences of child abuse. The physical consequences of child abuse can range from minor injuries (bruises or cuts) to near death experiences (broken bones, hemorrhage, or even death). According to the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), more than one-quarter of children who were in foster care for over 12 months had a...
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...Abuse Rhonda Swazer SOC203 Instructor James Knapp April 14, 2012 The Silent Killer Child Abuse Child abuse is the physical, sexual or emotional mistreatment or neglect of a child (Britannica). In the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and he Department for Children and Families (DCF) define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that result in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child (Leeb , Paulozzi, Melanson, Simon, Arias, 2008). The abuse of children has come to be a major social problem and a main cause of many people suffering and personal problems. Child abuse is a social problem that affects millions of children each year. Not only does child abuse have multiple society effects, but it also effect has individual effects that can create lifelong scars. There are many forms of child abuse, sexual, physical, verbal, and emotional. The most widespread form of child is sexual child abuse also known as incest. A study showed that about 27% of the women in every state of the union, and 16% of the men said they been sexually abuse as children. Child abuse is not always obvious, but the earlier it is caught the better the changes of recovery and appropriate treatment for the child. Knowing some of the warning signs of child abuse and neglect, a person can catch the problem as early as possible and get both the child and the abuser the...
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...Adolescent Cognitive Development After Trauma Raquel A. Figueroa Liberty University COUN 620-B02 Abstract In a generation of hopelessness, adolescents seek a purpose for their existence. They seek refugee from violence, abuse and maltreatment. The overwhelming pressure opens the door for instant gratification in drugs, alcohol, sexual activity, and fail to make appropriate adjustments in compromising circumstances. There is a correlation between traumatic experiences and adolescent cognitive development. A traumatic experience can alter an adolescent’s neural system and adversely affect the latter stages of brain development. Working with survivors of traumatic events requires an understanding of maladaptive behaviors, reactions and coping skills. Behavioral patterns emerge and become part of an adolescent’s personality. This paper will highlight the impact of traumatic experiences on adolescent cognitive development and their ability to foster an intrinsic knowledge of self. Maltreatment of adolescents has reached epidemic proportions within the United States. According to Bright (2008), “One in four children/adolescents experience at least one traumatic event before age 16” (p. 11). A study commissioned by Finkelhor, Ormrod, & Turner (2005) concluded the exposure to “physical abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence, community violence, and natural disasters is a common occurrence among children in the U.S.” (p. 314). Reports of...
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...113th Street New York, New York 10027 212/854-5461 Paper prepared for presentation at the conference entitled “Protecting Children in Substance Abusing Families,” September 28, 1998, sponsored by the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, University of Minnesota School of Social Work, Minneapolis, MN. Researchers are just beginning to demonstrate empirically what child protective services workers have been observing for nearly two decades now: many, if not most, families who come to the attention of the child welfare system are involved with drugs or alcohol or both. Founded cases of child abuse and neglect have risen exponentially since the mid-1980s, when the crack form of cocaine, a cheap, easily used form of the drug, became widely available. Studies conducted since that time have identified substance abuse as a contributing factor in 40% to 80% of substantiated cases of child maltreatment (Curtis & McCullough, 1993; Magura & Laudet, 1996; Murphy, Jellinek, Quinn, Smith, Poitrast, & Goshko, 1991). Further, studies of substance abusing parents have found child-rearing beliefs and attitudes that heighten risk for child abuse (Williams-Peterson et al., 1994), as well as elevated rates of first-time reports to child protective services (Jaudes & Ekwo, 1995), re-reports (Wolock & Magura, 1996), and out-of-home placements of maltreated children (Nair et al., 1997). Substance abuse contributes to maladaptive parenting in three ways. First, there is the direct effect of...
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