Displaying 1 - 10 of 15
This report from the UN Office of the SRSG on Violence against Children explores repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the tens of thousands of foreign, Iraqi and Syrian children who are being held in detention on suspected ISIS association or terror-related offenses, or in camps. The report notes that these children are exposed to violence, due process violations (e.g. lack of hearings and legal representation) and family separation. Separated from their families, these children are deprived of knowing their family relations and are at risk of statelessness. In…
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…
This report aims to bring global attention to the challenges related to the reintegration of children associated with armed forces and groups, and promote better policy, practice and funding in the future. The findings are based on a literature review and primary research in Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo, and interviews with government departments, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society in Colombia, Iraq and South Sudan. The global financial analysis was undertaken in 2018.
This report identifies key barriers to reintegration programming that War Child has…
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…
The aim of this report from SOS Children's Villages is to increase the knowledge and understanding of the needs and rights of young people ageing out of alternative care around the world, in order to inform strategies, policies and services to improve their life chances and outcomes through appropriate preparation for leaving care as well as after-care support. The specific objectives of the research were to highlight facts and figures (or in some cases, lack thereof) on the experiences and challenges of young people leaving care, including through their own voice and the testimony of experts…
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…
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…