Displaying 1 - 10 of 18
Abstract: Research on residential care has been well established in the literature. Nonetheless, research drawing from the actual experiences of adolescents is relatively scarce. A qualitative study was designed highlighting the voices of children, analysing their fostering experience, interpersonal relationships, their participation in daily decisions, and future aspirations. The sample included 33 early adolescents in residential care aged 12–14 in Portugal (n = 17) and Spain (n = 16). Results showed that there was agreement in terms of the importance given to education, their satisfaction…
Abstract
A rights-based approach calls for studies to explore further the extent to which rights’ fulfillment in residential care affects young people’s mental health. A focus on protective factors, such as supportive relations, can inform policies and practices in residential care which is critical for youths’ empowerment and adaptive outcomes. However, existing studies on social support are mainly descriptive and qualitative in nature or focus on the effect of support in mental health. This study builds upon and enhances existing knowledge by exploring the moderating role of social…
Abstract
The objective of this study was to explore the effects of previous maltreatment on current self-representations (i.e., the attributes used to describe oneself) of youth in residential care and the moderating role of gender, age, number of previous placements and length of placement in residential care. The sample was composed of 809 adolescents and youths in residential care. The youth completed the self-representation questionnaire for youths in residential care (SRQYRC). In order to analyze the impact of previous maltreatment on self-representation, retrospective accounts of…
Abstract
The subjective well-being (SWB) of children in out-of-home care is crucial to assess their potential quality of life today and in the future. This study aims at comparing SWB of children in residential care and in foster families in two European territories or jurisdictions: Portugal and Catalonia (Spain). This study used a sample of 551 children, aged between 11 and 15, being 39 in foster care and 145 in residential care in Portugal, and 41 and 326 respectively in Catalonia. SWB was measured with the Personal Well-being Index-School Children (PWI-SC9) and other variables were…
Abstract
Little evidence exists on the relationship between rights’ perceptions and well-being outcomes during the adolescence, and particularly in care, as well as on the mediating role of place attachment. Young people in residential care are psychologically and socially vulnerable, showing greater difficulties than their peers do in the family. Youth’s rights fulfilment in residential care may positively affect their psychological functioning together with positive attachments to this place. A sample of 365 adolescents in residential care settings (M = 14.71, SD…
Abstract
The quality of the relationship between adolescents and significant figures constitutes a relevant factor to emotional and adaptive functioning. Caregivers at the institution have a significant responsibility in caring for adolescents and represent a key determinant in adolescents’ adaptation. However, less attention has been devoted to how adolescents perceive these relationships and to predictors of their quality. This study aims to analyze different level predictors (sociodemographic and institutional hystory-related, emotional/relational and contextual level) of the quality of…
Abstract— Foster care is a legally recognized family-community alternative in Portugal, designed to protect and care for children in situations where their rights are under attack. With the intent of expanding our knowledge of the Portuguese experience, through an intercultural dialogue between Brazil and Portugal, this article allows us to problematize what has happened with the process of family reintegration of those under care. To this end, we have used the content analysis methodology proposed by Bardin. It was possible to see that Portuguese foster care has been a residual protective…
Abstract
Restriction of living environment refers to limits, rules, and structures in place in an out‐of‐home residential placement for children/youth. This article describes the process of revising a measure of out‐of‐home living restrictiveness to be culturally congruent for Portugal, providing preliminary data on validity and reliability, and discusses the feasibility of using this measure in Portugal. The findings suggest that the Portuguese language version has acceptable reliability. The interviewers identified several additional content areas to increase coverage of the construct.…
Abstract
The literature suggests that families of children and youths in residential care are often associated with negative social images. These images may shape prejudiced attitudes and behavior toward them and, when shared by care professionals, compromise the effectiveness of family intervention and reintegration. This study explored these social images in a sample of 176 participants with and without professional contact with this population. Participants were asked to indicate five attributes describing families of children or youths living in residential care or in mainstream…
Abstract
Most studies with children in out-of-home care highlight the problems and challenges associated with residential or foster care, and few have investigated the well-being of these children. The aim of this study is to compare the subjective well-being (SWB) of children hosted in institutions and in foster families with the well-being of children living with their families. We used a sample of 422 children, aged between 11 and 15, being 39 in foster care, 145 in residential care, and 238 living with their families in the general population. We measured SWB with the Personal Well-…