Displaying 1 - 10 of 15
Abstract
Based on the resilience theory, which highlights the role of one’s social resources in fostering resilience (Masten, Obradović, & Burt, 2006), the current study explored the role of care leavers' formal and informal social networks during the transition to adulthood, from the point of view of 50 young adults and their social workers. The themes that arose highlighted the contribution of the care leavers’ formal social networks (i.e., social workers, counselors) via their enabling of care leavers’ self-exploration, their provision of practical support, and their promotion of…
Abstract
Emerging adulthood is a complex and critical period during which young adults are required to make significant decisions that will affect their adult lives (Arnett, 2000). The current exploratory study is the first to look at the challenges and barriers in this transitional life stage of 23 Israeli Arab young adults, from their own perspectives, after leaving residential care. Thematic analysis revealed several main themes among the participants, including cultural and social expectations, self-perceptions as a minority group, harmful and unsupportive family relationships, lack of…
Abstract
Data are scarce on the long‐term needs of care‐leavers and on the support resources that are available for them in the years after leaving care. This mixed‐methods study presents data on the needs and availability of support of 222 Israeli care‐leavers, suggesting that the most urgent needs of care‐leavers are a lasting need for a stable and available support figure and assistance with educational issues. For some care‐leavers, these needs are fulfilled by their mentors. Parents and other familial figures were found to be the most common support resource for care‐leavers, which…
Abstract
The goal of this study was to examine the contribution of natural mentoring to the improvement of life skills among youth in care in core areas of education, employment, and avoidance of risk behaviours while controlling for personal characteristics and placement history. The sample includes 174 adolescents in residential care in Israel. Results showed that mentoring duration and mentoring functions including mentor as “role model,” “parental figure,” and “independence promoter” significantly contributed to the prediction of the three life skills above and beyond control variables…
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed a growing worldwide recognition for the need to incorporate children's right to participate into the child welfare system. Yet studies show that most children in the welfare system do not feel that they are listened to or that their opinions are taken into account. This paper presents findings from a study conducted among 151 Israeli social workers, examining their perceptions on children's participation. The study explored to what extent they implement this principle in their everyday practice and whether there is a relationship between their…
Abstract
Most studies on young people aging-out of residential care (care leavers) have examined their situation in various post-care life domains (e.g. education, employment), but their subjective well-being, particularly life satisfaction, has been neglected. Here we focus on life satisfaction among care leavers four years after leaving care in Israel. Mixed-methods and longitudinal approaches were used to identify personal and social factors contributing to life satisfaction. The quantitative sample included 222 young people who were interviewed at three time points (T1-T3): on the…
Abstract
Thinking about and planning for the future are crucial in emerging adulthood. The goal of this study was to explore the assets and pathways in pursuing the future goals of 25 care leavers in Israel. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes including the young adults' professional figures, informal network and personal characteristics. The findings indicate that care leavers utilize their reliance on themselves in order to move towards their goals. In addition, their parents' struggles in life are perceived as a motivator in seeking a better future for themselves. The…
Abstract
Purpose:
Four factors might bias child risk assessment and recommendation of treatment for children at high risk among Arab social workers in Israel: collaboration of parents and social workers; improvement in child conditions; and child’s gender; as well as the social worker’s personal, cultural, and professional characteristics.
Methods:
An experimental survey design, using case descriptions manipulating cooperation, improvement and child’s gender, in addition to a questionnaire regarding the social workers’ personal and professional characteristics. The case…
Social support networks of care leavers: Mediating between childhood adversity and adult functioning
Abstract
Care leavers' social support networks have often been theorized as having a salient role in explaining youths' functional outcomes and the way these relate to their adverse pasts. The goals of the present study are to examine the association between childhood adversity and adult functioning among youth aging out-of-care, and to explore how attributes of their social support networks mediate this association.
The sample consisted of 345 Israeli care leavers (ages 18 to 25), formerly placed in residential or foster care. Standardized self-report questionnaires were…
Abstract
Studies have revealed that young people who age out of residential or foster care (care leavers) must cope with a variety of challenges as they transition to adulthood. In addition, there are wide gaps in achievements in different life domains between care leavers and other people in their age group. Using a narrative approach, the study presented in this article analyzed the life stories of 16 care leavers in Israel. To shed light on their subjective experiences in life after care, data were collected four years after the participants left residential care. The analysis…