Erik J. Knorth

Marginalization of immigrant youth and risk factors in their everyday lives: The european experience

In this article the marginalization of immigrant youth in Europe and the risk factors they face in daily life are described. We conclude that immigrant youth are more at risk than native youth, but that there is considerable variation among immigrant groups with Maghrebian youth running the highest risks of becoming marginalized. The article depicts the problems immigrant families in Northwest Europe, particularly those from Mediterranean countries, are confronted with in the first period after immigration. Immigrant families appear to be in a state of disharmony upon their arrival in the new country as family members have to accommodate to each other again. Immigrant families with a traditional role pattern are less competent in guiding their children in the acculturation process after immigration than are egalitarian families. Differences between parents and children in acculturation level cause many conflicts, particularly concerning schooling, going out with friends, and arranged marriages.

Cultural Differences in Residential Child and Youth Care: Analyzing Perspectives

In many Western-European countries, clients from ethnic minority groups form an increasingly large proportion of the client population of child and youth care centers. This development raises the question of how to respond to cultural differences between professionals and clients. In this article we discuss the concepts “clinical reality,” “world view,” and “acculturation” to provide a theoretical framework for studying the influence of cultural differences on the care and support process. We focus on Moroccan youth in Dutch residential youth care centers and present a case from our study to illustrate the theoretical issues raised.

Immigrant Adolescents in Residential Group Care and Treatment Settings: Research and Experience in the Netherlands

Increasing numbers of children and adolescents of foreign descent are currently being admitted to residential homes in the Netherlands. Based on research carried out in the Netherlands, this article deals with the immigrant youngsters problems, the placement process, diagnostics, treatment, the involvement of parents, and the impact of cultural differences. The authors conclude that, compared to indigenous Dutch adolescents, immigrant youths in residential care more often show externalized behavioral problems. A second conclusion is that it appears to take more effort and time to find a suitable residential setting for these youngsters, mainly because they seem to be more often unmotivated for treatment and more frequently engaged in antisocial or delinquent activities than indigenous Dutch adolescents. A third conclusion is that there are several impediments to the full involvement of immigrant parents in their childrens treatment. The treatment itself almost completely remains a “black box.” The impact of culture-related differences between immigrant families and care institutions on communication and treatment needs more attention in practice and research.

Evaluating child and youth care programs

Program evaluation is systematically answering empirical questions concerning the functioning of a program. For a long time, the central issue in program evaluation was assessment of the value of a program, using experimental methods (the classical view). In the more modern view, program evaluation entails the collection of multiple data on a program, using any appropriate research method. The information that is collected can be used for a variety of purposes. We will first describe some limitations of the classical view of program evaluation, and then the more modern view. We will discuss various types of evaluation, including five types of process evaluation, four types of product evaluation and three mixed types of evaluation.

A method for supporting intake decisions in residential child and youth care: Initial experiences and a case description

From the point of view of professional care providers, residential treatment can be conceived as a decision process. Three decision points can be distinguished which appear to be crucial: Admission to residential care, treatment planning and implementation, and termination of a stay. Research shows that these intervention decisions can easily be affected by subjective or coincidental factors, posing a threat to the methodical character of the treatment process. At Leiden University we developed a method to support a more structured approach of decision-making related to admission, theIntake-Decisional Balance Sheet (IDBS). In the paper the theoretical background, the format, and the usefulness of this method will be discussed. An application of the IDBS is illustrated with a specific case.

Child and youth care in the Netherlands: Services and developments

In the Netherlands, child and youth care is in a state of flux. There are initiatives to arrive at one coherent youth care system and a more systematic approach. New target groups and new areas require extra attention, and new methods are being used. This article describes these developments, gives a description of the field of youth care, and introduces the contributions to this special issue.