A study of the utility of the child behavior checklist with residentially placed children

An evaluation study was conducted to determine the potential usefulness of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) with children placed in residential settings. The CBCL, the Global Assessment Scale, the Progress Evaluation Scales, and the Jesness Behavior Checklist were completed for 97 children in community residential treatment. Children categorized by the CBCL as Externalizers were found to be more obtrusive, hostile, alienated, nonconforming, attention seeking, and sensitive, and less responsible, insightful, and considerate than were Internalizers. The total problem score, the Internalizing scale score, and the Externalizing scale score on the CBCL were significantly correlated with problem severity, predicted length of stay, and a measure of placement appropriateness. These three total scores proved to be useful measures of residentially placed children. Results suggest that a high score on the Externalizing scale may reflect the presence of behaviors difficult to deal with in a residential environment. A high score on the Internalizing scale may be no less serious, but involves behaviors less disruptive of the group setting. The potential value of the CBCL for evaluating residentially placed children is discussed.     

Developing Evidence-Based Interventions for Foster Children: An Example of a Randomized Clinical Trial with Infants and Toddlers

Children who enter foster care have usually experienced maltreatment as well as disruptions in relationships with primary caregivers. These children are at risk for a host of problematic outcomes. However, there are few evidence-based interventions that target foster children. This article presents preliminary data testing the effectiveness of an intervention, Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up, to target relationship formation in young children in the foster care system. Children were randomly assigned to the experimental intervention that was designed to enhance regulatory capabilities or to a control intervention. In both conditions, the foster parents received in-home training for 10 weekly sessions. Post-intervention measures were collected 1 month following the completion of the training. Outcome measures included children's diurnal production of cortisol (a stress hormone), and parent report of children's problem behaviors. Children in the experimental intervention group had lower cortisol values than children in the control intervention. Also, the experimental intervention parents reported fewer behavior problems for older versus younger foster children. Results provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of an intervention that targets children's regulatory capabilities and serve as an example of how interventions can effectively target foster children in the child welfare system.     

Female Juvenile Sexual Offenders: Understanding Who They Are and Possible Steps That May Prevent Some Girls From Offending

In recent years, there has been accumulating evidence that sexual abuse committed by females is not rare and can be just as traumatic as sexual abuse committed by males. Despite the increased recognition given to sex offending by adult women, however, very little attention has been given to sex offenses committed by juvenile females. There has further been very little published material that has focused specifically on intervening with female children and adolescents before they offend. In an attempt to fill this gap, this article describes common characteristics of juvenile female sex offenders, ways in which juvenile female sex offenders are similar to and different from juvenile male sex offenders, and the limitations that exist related to our knowledge about these offenders. Based on this information, suggestions are given for possible ways to intervene in the lives of at-risk female youth before they offend.     

The social model of disability: thirty years on

This year marks exactly 30 years since I published a book introducing the social model of disability onto an unsuspecting world and yet, despite the impact this model has had, all we now seem to do is talk about it. While all this chatter did not matter too much when the economy was booming, now it no longer booms it is proving disastrous for many disabled people whose benefits and services are being severely cut back or removed altogether. In the article I restate my view of what the social model was and what I see as its potential for improving the lives of disabled people. Finally I focus on the unfortunate criticisms of it and the disastrous implications these have had for disabled people.