Carol A. Plummer

Cultural Issues in Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse.

Cultural norms affect the likelihood that child sexual abuse will be discovered by an adult or disclosed by a child. Cultural norms also affect whether abused childrens families will report child sexual abuse to authorities. This article explores the ways ethnic and religious culture affect child sexual abuse disclosure and reporting, both in the United States and internationally. Guidelines for culturally sensitive child abuse interviewing are provided to facilitate disclosures of abuse from culturally diverse children in formal settings.

Cultural Protective and Risk Factors: Professional Perspectives about Child Sexual Abuse in Kenya.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore perspectives on cultural risks and protective factors among professionals in Kenya. METHOD An exploratory/descriptive survey of Kenyan professionals working to prevent or intervene with child sexual abuse was undertaken to determine their perspectives on how tribal culture impacts vulnerability to sexual abuse. Participants at a conference workshop, were grouped according to tribal affiliation and asked to list key factors that they believe increase or decrease risk to children of sexual abuse in that tribe. Participants from seven ethnic groupings (Somali, Miji Kendas, Luo, Kamba, Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Kisii) identified factors which were then categorized by themes using qualitative examination. RESULTS Participants identified a number of cultural factors that protect children from sexual abuse as well as those that create risk for sexual abuse. Strong similarities were identified across groups; however in some cases factors viewed as risks by some were viewed as protective by others. CONCLUSIONS In this exploratory study in Kenya, professionals identified many culturally supported practices that protect against or create potential risks for child sexual abuse. Awareness of traditions and practices may inform creation of interventions for preventing child sexual abuse. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Cultural/community level factors must be considered in designing prevention and intervention programs, particularly in more collective societies.

Volunteerism among social work students during hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Abstract This study examined volunteer activities and predictors of volunteerism among graduate and undergraduate social work students (N = 416) from four universities in the Gulf Coast area following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The convenience sample drawn from all social work students at these universities included 89% females, and 52% of the students were in a masters level program. Sixty-one percent of the respondents were African American and 31% were non-Hispanic white. The majority of students volunteered (97%) despite experiencing a range of hurricane-related stressors. Multivariate analyses yielded a regression model that best predicted heightened volunteerism, which included age, school site, previous volunteer experience, hurricane-related stressors, altruism, and increased commitment to social work values (R 2 = .35). The strongest predictors of volunteerism were stressor, increased commitment to social work values, and altruism (betas = .30, .26, and .21 respectively). The findings are consistent with previous research on volunteering in times of disaster and with current thinking about posttraumatic growth .

The Effect of Child Sexual Abuse Allegations/ Investigations on the Mother/Child Relationship

In alleged sexual abuse cases, the mothers efforts to provide a protective environment, including detecting signs of abuse and providing support subsequent to abuse, are critical to the childs well-being. This qualitative study, using two focus groups with 10 participants, examines changes in the mother/child relationship after disclosures of sexual abuse of preschoolers. Mother/child relationships were affected by suspicions and discovery of child sexual abuse in the following categories: interference of investigators, behavior problems in the child, parental exhaustion from increased demands, and parenting insecurity. Suggestions for further research and intervention implications are discussed.

Mental Health, Substance Use, and Adaptive Coping among Social Work Students in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

The current study examined mental health symptomology, substance use, and adaptive coping among 416 social work students following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Among participants, 47% scored at or above the clinical level for depression, with 6% of students showing clinical PTSD-like symptoms, and 16.9% reporting substance use. Two thirds (66.9%) employed 8 of the 10 adaptive coping responses. Negative cognitive and emotional reactions to the hurricanes correlated positively with mental health symptomology and 7 of the 10 adaptive coping responses. In the aftermath of a natural disaster, it is critical to provide students with education, information, and close supervision to address issues around impairment and vulnerability and to maximize resilience.

Weathering the Storm: Persistent Effects and Psychological First Aid with Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

There is a growing body of research on mental health outcomes among, and interventions with, children exposed to disaster. A recommended form of postdisaster intervention is psychological first aid (PFA). This research examines the use of a 6-week PFA group intervention among children ages 5 to 15 displaced due to Hurricane Katrina. Within 20 months post-Katrina, children participated in the Weathering the Storm Psychological First Aid (WTS PFA) groups in public schools and at a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer park. A total of 99 children (95% African American) completed the WTS PFA intervention. Mean posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores remained in the moderate range two years postevent. Postintervention scores reflect a statistically significant improvement in PTSD symptoms among the sample.

Non-Abusive Mothers of Sexually Abused Children: The Role of Rumination in Maternal Outcomes.

ABSTRACT This study of 125 mothers examined the role of rumination in maternal emotional and behavioral outcomes subsequent to discovery of the sexual abuse of their children. Abuse severity, a maternal history of child abuse experiences, and life hassles were examined as predictors of negative outcomes. The central finding was that these factors, many of which are not controllable, were less likely to predict poor maternal outcomes than was rumination, a cognitive process that may be alterable. Rumination was the strongest correlate with each outcome. Further, the effects of most predictors on outcomes in this study were mediated by a ruminative cognitive style. Abuse severity, income, ethnicity, and education lacked significant relationships with maternal outcomes. This study asserts that rumination is a central component for understanding maternal outcomes in the post-discovery phase of sexual abuse cases. It recommends that rumination be routinely assessed both for research and treatment purposes.

Reciprocal e-mentoring Accessible international exchanges

English Few have been able to benefit from international exchanges due to the distance, cost and complications of cross-cultural teaching and learning. This article discusses how university and non-profit social work professionals can create, sustain and benefit from internet communication. A case example provides concrete examples of possibilities inherent in this international exchange. French Seuls quelques individus ont pu bénéficier d’échanges internationaux: à cause de la distance, du coût et des complications de l’enseignement et de l’apprentissage interculturels. Cet article traite de la façon dont l’université et les professionnels du travail social à but non lucratif peuvent créer, maintenir et bénéficier de la communication internet. Une étude de cas apporte des exemples concrets de possibilités inhérentes à cet échange international. Spanish Pocos han podido beneficiarse de intercambios internacionales debido a la distancia, el costo y las complicaciones del aprendizaje y la enseñanza intercultural. Este artículo discute como las universidades y los profesionales del trabajo social sin fines de lucro pueden crear, mantener y beneficiarse de la comunicación vía Internet. Un caso tipo provee ejemplos concretos de las posibilidades inherentes a este intercambio internacional.

Post disaster resilience

The present analyses examined the differential risks of and protective factors against depressive symptoms of African American and Non-Hispanic White American student volunteers, respectively after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (H-KR). A total sample of 554 student volunteers were recruited from mental health professional programs at five universities located in the Deep South, namely areas severely impacted by H-KR during fall semester 2005. The response rate was 91% (n = 505). African American respondents (n = 299) and Non-Hispanic White Americans (n = 206) completed the survey questionnaires. Respondents retrospectively provided information on peritraumatic emotional reactions and previous trauma that were recalled by H-KR and H-KR stressors. African American respondents reported higher levels of depressive symptoms (65.2%) than their Non-Hispanic White counterparts (34.8%). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that disaster related stressors affected African Americans (p < 0.001), but not Non-Hispanic Whites. However, African Americans who experienced peritraumatic positive emotions had lower depression levels. Lower rates of recollection of prior traumas during H-KR were reported by African American respondents, whereas previous trauma recollections predicted symptoms among Non-Hispanic White Americans (p < 0.05). Exhibiting more optimism had lower depression levels among Non-Hispanic White Americans. Peritraumatic negative emotion was the only shared risk for depressive symptoms of both groups. Findings underscore racially different levels of depressive symptoms that may contribute to varying degrees of resilience among student volunteers. Future research and practice may address these racial differences by understanding the risk factors for depressive symptoms to develop appropriate interventions for racial groups, and cultivating the protective factors that contribute to resilience from traumatic experiences.