Jennifer M. Geiger

The Empathy Assessment Index (EAI): A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Multidimensional Model of Empathy

Both historically and currently, social work and related fields have expressed considerable interest in the construct of empathy. However, the ability to define and ultimately measure empathy is limited. This project validates a revised version of the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), which is a measure rooted in a social cognitive neuroscience conceptualization of empathy. To evaluate the instrument’s psychometric properties, we administered the 50-item EAI with a five-component model of empathy to a sample of 773 undergraduate students and community members. We evaluate the EAI psychometrics conducting internal consistency, testretest, and confirmatory factor analyses. Findings indicate that a 17-item five-factor model of the EAI offers the best fit [CFI = .98; RMSEA = .04 (90% CI (.03; .05); WRMR = .80]. The data do not support using empathic attitudes as a proxy for actions; however, the findings suggest the EAI functions better when measuring a fourfactor model, offering an important implication for future research.

Stopping the Cycle of Child Abuse and Neglect: A Call to Action to Focus on Pregnant and Parenting Youth in and Aging Out of the Foster Care System

Each year, a significant number of adolescents become pregnant in the United States, with more than half of these pregnancies resulting in live births. Adolescent parenting is associated with poor outcomes, including increased risk of child maltreatment. Youth “aging out” of the foster care system may be at greater risk of maltreating their children due to their experiences of child maltreatment, a lack of social support, and little preparation for parenthood. This article examines current programs and policies targeting pregnant and parenting youth aging out and presents a research agenda that focuses on pregnancy prevention and positive parenting.

Examining School-Based Bullying Interventions Using Multilevel Discrete Time Hazard Modeling

Although schools have been trying to address bulling by utilizing different approaches that stop or reduce the incidence of bullying, little remains known about what specific intervention strategies are most successful in reducing bullying in the school setting. Using the social-ecological framework, this paper examines school-based disciplinary interventions often used to deliver consequences to deter the reoccurrence of bullying and aggressive behaviors among school-aged children. Data for this study are drawn from the School-Wide Information System (SWIS) with the final analytic sample consisting of 1,221 students in grades K – 12 who received an office disciplinary referral for bullying during the first semester. Using Kaplan-Meier Failure Functions and Multi-level discrete time hazard models, determinants of the probability of a student receiving a second referral over time were examined. Of the seven interventions tested, only Parent-Teacher Conference (AOR = 0.65, p < .01) and Loss of Privileges (AOR = 0.71, p < .10) were significant in reducing the rate of the reoccurrence of bullying and aggressive behaviors. By using a social-ecological framework, schools can develop strategies that deter the reoccurrence of bullying by identifying key factors that enhance a sense of connection between the students’ mesosystems as well as utilizing disciplinary strategies that take into consideration student’s microsystem roles.

Cultivating Resilience in Families Who Foster: Understanding How Families Cope and Adapt Over Time.

Families who foster offer essential care for children and youth when their own parents are unable to provide for their safety and well-being. Foster caregivers face many challenges including increased workload, emotional distress, and the difficulties associated with health and mental health problems that are more common in children in foster care. Despite these stressors, many families are able to sustain fostering while maintaining or enhancing functioning of their unit. This qualitative study applied an adaptational process model of family resilience that emerged in previous studies to examine narratives of persistent, long-term, and multiple fostering experiences. Data corroborated previous research in two ways. Family resilience was again described as a transactional process of coping and adaptation that evolves over time. This process was cultivated through the activation of 10 family strengths that are important in different ways, during varied phases.

Child Maltreatment Reporting Patterns and Predictors of Substantiation: Comparing Adolescents and Younger Children

Adolescents, and especially male adolescents, make up a disproportionately smaller portion of maltreatment reports compared to younger children. This study used the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System to better understand the characteristics of adolescents reported to Child Protective Services (CPS), to examine whether these characteristics changed over time, and to determine whether certain child or CPS report characteristics predicted CPS involvement. Although adolescents were the focal group, younger children were also analyzed for comparison. Between 2005 and 2010, reports of neglect and the proportion of children of Hispanic and unknown racial/ethnic origins increased. Concurrently, the proportion of cases resulting in CPS involvement declined. Although race/ethnicity predicted CPS involvement, this pattern was not consistent across all age groups or races/ethnicities. The type of alleged maltreatment did not typically predict CPS involvement; however, allegations of sexual abuse among school-aged children and adolescents, particularly among girls, were more likely to result in CPS involvement. These findings can assist child welfare professionals in determining appropriate services tailored to families and developing prevention programs targeting adolescents.

Readiness, Access, Preparation, and Support for Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT Research has shown that foster care alumni have poor educational outcomes and many do not enroll and/or graduate from a postsecondary institution. Many factors have been shown to promote and hinder a youth’s success in higher education and several programs and policies have been developed to address these issues. A literature review was conducted to identify and evaluate publications related to foster care alumni and higher education. A total of 51 scholarly reports and publications related to foster care alumni and higher education were reviewed, and the following three overarching themes emerged following the review: (1) college readiness, access, preparation, and support; (2) postsecondary programs and support for foster care alumni; and (3) outcomes and experiences of foster care alumni in higher education. This article reports on the first two themes, which included 22 articles/reports. Implications for social work and child welfare practice, future research, and policy are discussed.

Intergenerational Transmission of Maltreatment: Ending a Family Tradition

The intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment refers to the continuity of child abuse and neglect in various forms across generations. This chapter reviews existing research and theory related to the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment and focuses on the unique role intimate partner violence, poverty, aging out of foster care, and other trauma that co-occur with child maltreatment can play in contributing to this cycle of violence and neglect. Building on this discussion, this chapter identifies emerging topics and research that can inform the development of promising intervention and prevention strategies. The chapter concludes with an outline of recommendations and strategies for practice, policy, and research.

Providing Foster Care for Adolescents: Barriers and Opportunities

This study used quantitative and qualitative data from a larger research project regarding foster parent experiences to examine the characteristics that predict a parent’s willingness to foster an adolescent. Data collected from closed- and open-ended items related to reasons for not fostering a teen were also analyzed. Findings suggest parents who are older and were a foster child themselves, increased the likelihood they would foster a teen. When discussing reasons for not fostering an adolescent, parents identified fears of problem behaviors and concerns about negative impact on other children; findings that were corroborated in responses to the open-ended comments.

Acculturation and health care utilization among Mexican heritage women in the United States.

With the increasing Latino population in the United States, it is critical to examine the influence of the process of acculturation on health care practices and utilization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between acculturation level and post-partum visit (PPV) compliance among Latinas participating in a larger psycho-educational intervention aimed at encouraging women to engage in positive healthcare practices. Acculturation was measured with the Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire which assigned participants to five categories: Assimilated, Separated, Moderate, Bicultural and Alienation. Logistic Regression analyses were conducted to predict post-partum visit attendance. Odds ratios and relative risk of not attending the post-partum visit are presented. Results suggest women in the Separation and Assimilation groups were less likely than bicultural group members to attend the PPV. The only other variable that was significant in this analysis is the group condition, indicating that the intervention group was more likely to attend the PPV than the control group. Women identifying as bicultural seem to participate more actively in their own healthcare as they draw on the cultural assets that have a positive influence on informal health practices, such as healthy eating and refraining from drug use. Bicultural group members can also use formal skills related to language and knowledge of the dominant culture to help effectively navigate the healthcare system. Implications for research, intervention and practice are discussed to improve healthcare practices and increase utilization among Latinas.

Examination of Known-Groups Validity for the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI): Differences in EAI Scores Between Social Service Providers and Service Recipients

This article reports the findings of a known-groups validity study of the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), which is a 20-item self-report instrument based on an emerging social cognitive neuroscience definition of empathy. A convenience sample formed 2 groups of study participants: social service providers (n = 197), and a group (n =453) of offender service recipients from community treatment agencies, receiving services for (a) sexual offenses (n = 251), (b) anger management or misdemeanor domestic violence (n = 155), and (c), domestic violence (n = 47). The literature suggests providers and offenders should have significantly different levels of empathy. To test this hypothesis, we compare the group scores on the overall EAI and 4 component scores (affective response, perspective taking, self–other awareness, emotion regulation). Differential item functioning analysis is used to determine whether the EAI items measure the same construct within each group, and highlights 5 items. Results include findings from a multilevel regression analysis, using the 20- and 15-item versions of the EAI. For both versions, controlling for gender, age, education, income, class, and race variables, we find treatment groups have lower average empathy scores than service providers; this difference is statistically significant for 2 of the 3 treatment groups. The emotion regulation and self–other awareness EAI components demonstrate known-groups validity in 1 of the 3 treatment groups. Researchers can likely increase both known-groups and content validity of the EAI by using perception-action items of greater specificity in the affective response component and by adding an affective mentalizing component.