Margrite Kalverboer

Securing the Downside Up: Client and Care Factors Associated with Outcomes of Secure Residential Youth Care

BackgroundAlthough secure residential care has the potential of reducing young people’s behavioral problems, it is often difficult to achieve positive outcomes. Research suggests that there are several common success factors of treatment, of which the client’s motivation for treatment and the quality of the therapeutic relationship between clients and therapists might be especially relevant and important in the context of secure residential care.ObjectiveThe objective of the present study was to explore the association of these potential success factors with secure residential care outcomes.MethodsA repeated measures research design was applied in the study, including a group of adolescents in a secure residential care center that was followed up on three measurements in time. Interviews and questionnaires concerning care outcomes in terms of adolescents’ behavior change during care were administered to 22 adolescents and 27 group care workers. Outcomes in terms of adolescents’ treatment satisfaction were assessed by the use of questionnaires, which were completed by 51 adolescents.ResultsAdolescents reported some positive changes in their treatment motivation, but those who were more likely to be motivated at admission were also more likely to deteriorate in treatment motivation from admission to departure. Treatment satisfaction was associated with better treatment motivation at admission and with a positive adolescent-group care worker relationship.ConclusionsThe results suggest that outcomes can be improved by a more explicit treatment focus on improving the adolescent’s treatment motivation and the quality of the adolescent-care worker relationship during secure residential care.

The developmental consequences for asylum-seeking children living with the prospect for five years or more of enforced return to their home country

This study examines the European legal framework and policy on children’s rights and on the development and developmental risks of children from asylum-seeking families who have lived in asylum centres for over five years with the prospect of being forced to return to their home country. The legal procedures and practices of Member States in the Western European countries seem to be far too lengthy, and the standards for reception far too low to protect the children’s positive development.

Risky or Needy? Dynamic Risk Factors and Delinquent Behavior of Adolescents in Secure Residential Youth Care

Although it is known that adolescents in secure residential care often show multiple behavior problems, it is largely unknown which dynamic risk factors are associated with their problems. The aim of the present study is to examine dynamic risk factors for 164 Dutch adolescents in secure residential care. Results show that a majority reports multiple risk factors in both an individual and contextual domain but that about a fifth shows relatively few risk factors. Substance abuse and delinquent friends were among the five most prevalent risk factors and predicted the seriousness of the adolescents’ delinquent behavior prior to admission. The four groups that were found by cluster analysis could be distinguished by problem type and seriousness. The findings indicate that treatment for some adolescents should be mainly focused on their individual needs, while other adolescents need intensive, multimodal treatment focusing on both risks in the individual, family, and peer domains.

Knowledge of the unknown child: A systematic review of the elements of the Best Interests of the Child Assessment for recently arrived refugee children

Decision-making regarding an asylum request of a minor requires decision-makers to determine the best interests of the child when the minor is relatively unknown. This article presents a systematic review of the existing knowledge of the situation of recently arrived refugee children in the host country. This research is based on the General Comment No. 14 of UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. It shows the importance of knowing the type and number of stressful life events a refugee child has experienced before arrival, as well as the duration and severity of these events. The most common mental health problems children face upon arrival in the host country are PTSD, depression and various anxiety disorders. The results identify the relevant elements of the best interests of the child assessment, including implications for procedural safeguards, which should promote a child rights-based decision in the asylum procedure.

Could the BIC-Q be a decision-support tool to predict the development of asylum-seeking children?

The Best Interest of the Child Questionnaire (BIC-Q) is an instrument to measure the quality of the childrearing environment. We used a sample of asylum-seeking children (N=79) in the Netherlands to determine the relationship between the quality of the childrearing environment and the childs internalizing behavioural problems. In decisions as to whether asylum-seeking children may remain in the Netherlands or must return to their country of origin, those in favour of the childs positive development are in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The aim of the present study is to determine the criterion-related validity of the BIC-Q using internalizing behavioural problems as criteria. In the case of good predictive validity, this instrument might be a suitable tool in judicial decision-making with respect to a possible change in an asylum-seeking childs place of residence. We investigated the criterion-related validity of the BIC-Q using logistical regression analysis and an ROC-curve to determine the relation between the quality of the childrearing environment and the childs internalizing behavioural problems. Logistic regression analysis showed that the current quality of the childrearing environment is negatively related to the risk of internalizing behavioural problems in children. The ROC shows that 81% of the children are correctly predicted whether they have internalizing behavioural problems or not. For seven conditions, the sum of the sensitivity and specificity was at a maximum (.75 and .71, respectively).

The Quality of the Childrearing Environment of Refugee or Asylum-Seeking Children and the Best Interests of the Child: Reliability and Validity of the BIC-Q

The Best Interest of the Child Questionnaire (BIC-Q) has been designed as an instrument for screening the quality of the rearing situation of asylum-seeking or refugee children. It is intended to aid legal decisions in asylum procedures. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and the construct validity of the BIC-Q. Based on a study sample of refugee or asylum-seeking children in the Netherlands (N = 74), the psychometric quality of the BIC-Q was investigated using Cohens kappa for the inter- and intrarater reliability and a nonparametric item response model for the construct validity. The interrater and intrarater reliabilities of the BIC-Q were good (kappa = .65 and .74 respectively). The results of the item response model revealed that the 14 pedagogical environmental conditions formed a strong and valid measurement scale for the quality of the childrearing environment (H = .55; rho = .94). Preliminary results indicate that the BIC-Q may be applied to support decisions on where the asylum-seeking or refugee child has the best opportunities for development.

Returned Migrant Children in Kosovo and Albania: Assessing the Quality of Child-Rearing From a Non-Western Perspective

This study discusses methodological considerations and cultural sensitivity issues in cross-cultural research. A multi-method approach was adopted—consisting of a seminar, an expert’s opinion, and a focus-group discussion with Western-Balkan professionals—to assess the content validity of the Best Interest of the Child Model (BIC Model) and Questionnaire (BIC-Q) in the cultural context of the Western Balkans. The cultural sensitivity of the assessment was evaluated during a field study with local interviewers, who assessed the quality of the child-rearing environment of returned migrant children (N = 66) in Kosovo and Albania. The findings indicate that specific cultural aspects influence the meaning and interpretation of child-rearing conditions, such as the importance of the extended family in child-rearing, authoritarian child-rearing practices, the within-society heterogeneity, and the stability of the state. Regarding assessment, factors affecting outcomes were identified as they related to the questionnaire as well as to the cultural perspectives of the interviewers and the regional population characteristics. The study resulted in an understanding of the child-rearing situation of returned migrant children from a local cultural perspective and avoided the imposition of Western-European standards on the assessment of “good-enough” child-rearing.

Participation of youth in decision‐making procedures during residential care: A narrative review

Participation in decision-making procedures of young people in care is considered a key element that affects their current or future living circumstances and might improve the quality of decision-making on and delivery of provided services. This narrative literature review, covering the period 2000–2016, focuses on the opportunities of young people to participate, the challenges and facilitators to participation, and the outcomes of care related to participation. Sixteen studies met our search criteria. Several studies show that young people seem to have limited possibilities to “meaningful” participation in decision-making. Various challenges and facilitators in the participation process emerge with regard to the level of the young person, the professional, and the (sociocultural) context. None of the studies provides evidence for a connection between the “amount” of youth participation in decision-making and/or treatment during the care process and the outcomes of residential care. Implications for research and practice are reflected upon.

Unaccompanied minors in the Netherlands and the care facility in which they flourish best.

Abstract This study compares the views of unaccompanied minors living in four different types of care facilities in the Netherlands: namely in foster care, small living units, childrens living groups and campuses on their wellbeing, living circumstances and place in Dutch society. Interviews with 132 minors were both qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. Based on the transcripts from the interviews the researchers completed a questionnaire (BIC-Q) to judge the quality of the child rearing environment in the different types of care facilities. Minors in foster care fare best and are most positive about their place in Dutch society. Minors in small living units and small living groups often miss affectionate bonds, care, support and stability in their lives. Minors in campuses most often expressed feeling lonely and sad and being excluded from the Dutch society. They experience a lack of care and support from adults. The quality of the child rearing environment in campuses was judged by the researchers as being so low that these facilities appear to be unfit for unaccompanied minors.

Space between the borders? Perceptions of professionals on the participation in decision-making of young people in coercive care

The participation of young people in care and treatment decisions is regarded as an essential element in effective decision-making and care. Although care and treatment in juvenile justice facilities is, in the first instance, based on a coercive placement (i.e. non-participatory decision-making), it is likely that participation is also essential for young offenders during their stay in care. In our study, we interviewed 24 care professionals working in two different juvenile justice facilities in the Netherlands. Professionals understand what participation entails (e.g. informing, listening to, taking views into account), and how and why they can use participation in everyday practice. Typically, they link issues such as safety and existing boundaries when talking about participation in a coercive context. Based on our findings, we present a conceptual model of factors that seem to influence a young person’s participation process. These findings indicate that there is a need for the structural incorporation of youth participation into juvenile justice facilities in such a way as to consider the needs and perspectives of both young people and professionals.