Child and Family Social Work, 26(3), 2021, pp.467-475.
Publisher:
Wiley
... interviewees even think that professionals act to promote private interests, including economic ones. Parents' reflections revealed also positive experiences; respondents underlined the value of a participatory approach, characterized by transparency, constant dialogue and partnership among service users and professionals involved.
(Edited publisher abstract)
In the Child Protection context, assessment is a very delicate phase that often indelibly marks the whole process of helping. In the Italian context, it is very important to deepen this topic: first because it is rarely studied and second because parental skills assessment is carried out by social workers almost exclusively after a request of the Local Authority. This qualitative research aimed to investigate the experiences and the feelings of 16 people assessed about parental skills; furthermore, the study aimed to focus on the quality of their relationship with social workers. The findings have largely confirmed the evidence of international literature: most of the respondents described a difficult path, characterized by strict procedures, poor listening and lack of participation. Some interviewees even think that professionals act to promote private interests, including economic ones. Parents' reflections revealed also positive experiences; respondents underlined the value of a participatory approach, characterized by transparency, constant dialogue and partnership among service users and professionals involved.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
child protection, user views, assessment, social worker-service user relationships, parents;
Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 43(4), 2018, pp.473-482.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Background: Parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) have been found to be more likely to experience lower levels of life satisfaction than parents of typically developing children as a result of the increased challenges they experience. Based on a life design approach, which emphasises the role of career adaptability and resilience in dealing with life challenges, this study aimed at analysing the relationship between career adaptability and life satisfaction through the mediational role of resilience in parents of children with mild ID.
Method: One hundred and fifty-two (62 fathers and 90 mothers) parents of children with mild ID were involved and were administered measures of life satisfaction, career adaptability, and resilience. Results: The structural equation model showed
(Publisher abstract)
Background: Parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) have been found to be more likely to experience lower levels of life satisfaction than parents of typically developing children as a result of the increased challenges they experience. Based on a life design approach, which emphasises the role of career adaptability and resilience in dealing with life challenges, this study aimed at analysing the relationship between career adaptability and life satisfaction through the mediational role of resilience in parents of children with mild ID.
Method: One hundred and fifty-two (62 fathers and 90 mothers) parents of children with mild ID were involved and were administered measures of life satisfaction, career adaptability, and resilience. Results: The structural equation model showed that career adaptability is indirectly, through resilience, related to life satisfaction. Conclusion: This result has important implications for practice, and it underscores the need to support parents’ life satisfaction, promoting their resilience, and especially their career adaptability.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
parents, job satisfaction, life style, quality of life, learning disabilities, children, resilience;
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(1), 2017, pp.71-83.
Publisher:
Wiley
Background: Despite the wide documentation of the physical/psychological benefits derived from regular physical activity (PA), high levels of inactivity are reported among people with Down syndrome.
This study aims to explore parental beliefs concerning involvement, facilitators/barriers and benefits of PA in young people.
Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 parents of young
(Publisher abstract)
Background: Despite the wide documentation of the physical/psychological benefits derived from regular physical activity (PA), high levels of inactivity are reported among people with Down syndrome.
This study aims to explore parental beliefs concerning involvement, facilitators/barriers and benefits of PA in young people.
Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 parents of young people with Down syndrome.
Results: Three facilitation themes were identified: (i) the support derived from family; (ii) the availability of APA (Adapted Physical Activity) expert instructors and coaches; (iii) the challenging nature of sport activities. Three barrier themes were identified: (i) the lack of APA expert coaches and specialized gyms; (ii) the characteristics of Down syndrome; and (iii) the parental beliefs and worries.
Conclusions: Family plays a key role, as facilitator and barrier, to the participation of their children with Down syndrome in PA. Crucial is the implementation of evidence-based exercise programmes involving people with Down syndrome and their families.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
physical exercise, young people, learning disabilities, Downs syndrome, parents, attitudes;
The paper presents findings from explorative research conducted in Italy with seven 9- to 12-year-old children with non-heterosexual parents. The aim was to find out how children describe their family structure, how they talk about their family with peers, and how they experience peers' attitudes towards non-heterosexual families. Findings show that children have a flexible and inclusive
(Publisher abstract)
The paper presents findings from explorative research conducted in Italy with seven 9- to 12-year-old children with non-heterosexual parents. The aim was to find out how children describe their family structure, how they talk about their family with peers, and how they experience peers' attitudes towards non-heterosexual families. Findings show that children have a flexible and inclusive representation of family and they disclose selectively with their peers who don't always consider homosexuality normal and homoparental families ‘real families’. The paper concludes by suggesting that institutional recognition for same-sex parenting would support children in the everyday work of negotiating diversity.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
families, children, LGBT people, parents, attitudes, homosexuality, diversity;
... concerning adoption are similar or complementary. Thirty-four couples consisting of one adopted and one non-adopted partner, now parents, were interviewed and a graphic instrument, the Double Moon Test, was administered. Results revealed that most couples showed a shared attitude in valorising both the origin background and the adoptive family. However, in a number of cases a divergent position emerged,
(Edited publisher abstract)
Adoption is unanimously considered a lifelong process, but adulthood and parenthood are life cycle stages that up to now have been explored only marginally. The principal aim of the present study is twofold: first, to analyse whether and how parenthood might lead the adoptee and his/her partner to reinterpret the adoption history and, second, to verify whether the attitudes of the two partners concerning adoption are similar or complementary. Thirty-four couples consisting of one adopted and one non-adopted partner, now parents, were interviewed and a graphic instrument, the Double Moon Test, was administered. Results revealed that most couples showed a shared attitude in valorising both the origin background and the adoptive family. However, in a number of cases a divergent position emerged, highlighting the crucial role of the non-adopted partner in encouraging the adoptee to revisit his/her adoption history. Overall, the practical relevance of the research findings is discussed and future direction of research are suggested.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
adults, adoption, parents, adopted people, attitudes, family relations, birth families;
Families, Relationships and Societies, 2(2), 2013, pp.159-174.
Publisher:
Policy Press
Place of publication:
Bristol
This article explores parenting support as a field of social policy in Europe by comparing developments in England, France, Germany and Italy. The results suggest cross-national diversity and a need to differentiate between parental support for more general family purposes and measures oriented to teach parents particular skills in childraising. Comparatively, England has by far the most extensive architecture of services to engage with parents and is set apart from the other countries also in terms of the extent to which 'support' means intervention to (re) skill or (re)train parents through standardised parenting programmes. Elsewhere, 'support' has deeper roots in education for family and social life and interventions tend to be more tailored and home-grown. However, despite varying philosophies of child and family welfare, they all show evidence of a move in the direction of greater state engagement with how parents rear their children and their competence in this role.
(Publisher abstract)
This article explores parenting support as a field of social policy in Europe by comparing developments in England, France, Germany and Italy. The results suggest cross-national diversity and a need to differentiate between parental support for more general family purposes and measures oriented to teach parents particular skills in childraising. Comparatively, England has by far the most extensive architecture of services to engage with parents and is set apart from the other countries also in terms of the extent to which 'support' means intervention to (re) skill or (re)train parents through standardised parenting programmes. Elsewhere, 'support' has deeper roots in education for family and social life and interventions tend to be more tailored and home-grown. However, despite varying philosophies of child and family welfare, they all show evidence of a move in the direction of greater state engagement with how parents rear their children and their competence in this role.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
comparative studies, parenting, parental skills training, social policy, intervention, parents;
... 7 and 11. Adoptive parents reported a higher marital relationship quality, more social support, and better well-being than the non-adoptive parents. Moreover, in both adoptive and non-adoptive families fathers were less anxious than their wives and mothers relied on a broader social network.
(Publisher abstract)
This study compared mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of family and social relationships (marital relationship quality and social support) and psychosocial well-being (self-esteem, anxiety, child-rearing stress, and satisfaction) in adoptive and non-adoptive families. Participants were 163 Italian international adoptive and 195 non-adoptive couples (mothers and fathers) with children aged between 7 and 11. Adoptive parents reported a higher marital relationship quality, more social support, and better well-being than the non-adoptive parents. Moreover, in both adoptive and non-adoptive families fathers were less anxious than their wives and mothers relied on a broader social network.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
intercountry adoption, family support, wellbeing, parents, relationships, adoptive parents;
Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 38(1), April 2012, pp.22-31.
Publisher:
Routledge
The aim of this paper is to describe some acute responses to the suicide of a parent, through the account of the analytic psychotherapy of a child who found the body of his dead father. The clinical material is structured as a first-person narrative of the retrospective reconstruction of events that struck the 9-year-old boy who found his dead father hanging having committed suicide. The narrative attempts to evoke the emotional climate experienced during the sessions as well as the boy’s state of mind. The acute traumatic responses of the child show that the perceptual apparatus, time and space are subverted, while the functioning of the contact barrier is deeply damaged. The importance of the environment in facilitating the first stages of the mourning process is stressed as well as the pre-traumatic personality structure. Preconceptions and archetypal dispositions to survive traumatic events are very important to the therapeutic outcome, along with the opportunity to start the treatment as early as possible after the traumatic event. The importance of allowing the child to work through all the stages of mourning is also considered, particularly rage, protest and hostile fantasies towards the lost object.
The aim of this paper is to describe some acute responses to the suicide of a parent, through the account of the analytic psychotherapy of a child who found the body of his dead father. The clinical material is structured as a first-person narrative of the retrospective reconstruction of events that struck the 9-year-old boy who found his dead father hanging having committed suicide. The narrative attempts to evoke the emotional climate experienced during the sessions as well as the boy’s state of mind. The acute traumatic responses of the child show that the perceptual apparatus, time and space are subverted, while the functioning of the contact barrier is deeply damaged. The importance of the environment in facilitating the first stages of the mourning process is stressed as well as the pre-traumatic personality structure. Preconceptions and archetypal dispositions to survive traumatic events are very important to the therapeutic outcome, along with the opportunity to start the treatment as early as possible after the traumatic event. The importance of allowing the child to work through all the stages of mourning is also considered, particularly rage, protest and hostile fantasies towards the lost object.
Subject terms:
parents, psychotherapy, suicide, traumas, bereavement, case studies, children;
Journal of Social Service Research, 46(1), 2020, pp.1-11.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
... concerned how much and how do the discourses (discursive repertoires) produced by the conflicting parents change as a result of an intervention by the Service? And how much is it possible to evaluate the change in short texts? The research used the Methodology for the Analysis of Computerised Text Data (MADIT) methodology that makes it possible to analyze the texts produced by the parents after the Service consultancy. The text is acquired through 14 emails sent by each parent to the other. The results showed that it was possible to detect a change in the repertoires used by the two parents to make decisions regarding their child. This data could increase the use of evaluation in the Services, reducing costs and evaluating change also by email. Future research could apply this methodology
(Edited publisher abstract)
The assessment of the family system is very complex, as several factors have to be taken into account: The number of people involved (one or more children), the involvement of other partners, and the presence of legal disputes. Although evaluation practices have increased considerably, it remains difficult for services to prove their effectiveness. The questions that have guided this work have concerned how much and how do the discourses (discursive repertoires) produced by the conflicting parents change as a result of an intervention by the Service? And how much is it possible to evaluate the change in short texts? The research used the Methodology for the Analysis of Computerised Text Data (MADIT) methodology that makes it possible to analyze the texts produced by the parents after the Service consultancy. The text is acquired through 14 emails sent by each parent to the other. The results showed that it was possible to detect a change in the repertoires used by the two parents to make decisions regarding their child. This data could increase the use of evaluation in the Services, reducing costs and evaluating change also by email. Future research could apply this methodology in situations where the conflict has not yet exploded and has not had an impact on children.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 33(2), March 2007, pp.275-297.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
This paper is an ethnographic exploration of a seldom-discussed 'micro' dimension of transnational studies, the practices of long-distance family relations and aged care. The importance of time as a key variable in transnational research is demonstrated through comparisons of the care exchanges of three cohorts of Italian migrants in Australia and their kin in Italy. A focus on 'transnationalism from below', the more quotidian and domestic features of transmigrant experience, highlights the importance of considering the role of homeland kin and communities in discussions of migration. The analysis of transnational care-giving practices illustrates that migrancy is sometimes triggered by the need to give or receive care rather than the more commonly assumed 'rational' economic motivations. Transnational lives are thus shaped by the 'economies of kinship', which develop across changing state ('macro'), community ('meso') and family migration ('micro') histories, including, in particular, culturally constructed notions of 'ideal' family relations and obligations, as well as notions of 'successful' migration and 'licence to leave'.
This paper is an ethnographic exploration of a seldom-discussed 'micro' dimension of transnational studies, the practices of long-distance family relations and aged care. The importance of time as a key variable in transnational research is demonstrated through comparisons of the care exchanges of three cohorts of Italian migrants in Australia and their kin in Italy. A focus on 'transnationalism from below', the more quotidian and domestic features of transmigrant experience, highlights the importance of considering the role of homeland kin and communities in discussions of migration. The analysis of transnational care-giving practices illustrates that migrancy is sometimes triggered by the need to give or receive care rather than the more commonly assumed 'rational' economic motivations. Transnational lives are thus shaped by the 'economies of kinship', which develop across changing state ('macro'), community ('meso') and family migration ('micro') histories, including, in particular, culturally constructed notions of 'ideal' family relations and obligations, as well as notions of 'successful' migration and 'licence to leave'.
Subject terms:
migrants, older people, parents, social networks, ageing, carers, cultural identity, families, family relations;