Stefan Rücker

Zur Wirksamkeit ambulanter und teilstationärer Jugendhilfemaßnahmen

Fragestellung: Um Familien in schwierigen Lebenslagen optimale Versorgung anbieten zu konnen, bedarf es empirisch gesicherter Erkenntnisse uber die Angemessenheit der in den Hilfen eingesetzten padagogisch-therapeutischen Konzepte. In dieser Studie wird gepruft, in welchem Ausmas Leistungsnutzer zwischen Hilfebeginn und Hilfeende von Jugendhilfe-Masnahmen profitieren. Methodik: Insgesamt 50 Jugendliche erhielten erzieherische Hilfen mit einer Laufzeit von durchschnittlich zwei Jahren. Vor Hilfebeginn sowie nach Abschluss der Masnahme wurden die zur Indikation einer erzieherischen Hilfe fuhrenden Problembereiche systematisch erfasst und die Belastungsausmase in einem Pra-Post-Vergleich gegenubergestellt. Ergebnisse: Insbesondere die zentralen Ziele ambulanter und teilstationarer Hilfen wurden erreicht. Zum Hilfeende wiesen die Jugendlichen deutlich weniger Probleme im Sozialverhalten auf. Schulleistungsprobleme konnten wahrend der erzieherischen Hilfe ebenfalls stark reduziert werden. Ausgepragte und im Fa...OBJECTIVE In order to provide optimal support to families living in precarious circumstances, empirically sound findings on the adequacy of the educational-therapeutic concepts that are being implemented in the context of these measures are required. Our study investigates to what extent service-users benefit from youth welfare measures between the measures between start and finish. METHOD Altogether, 50 adolescents have participated in educational measures for a period of two years on average. Problem areas constituting an indication for an educational measure were assessed systematically at the beginning and after termination of the measure (pre-post-comparison). RESULTS The primary goals of day care in particular were clearly reached. Compared to their level at the beginning of the measure, problems concerning social behaviour had clearly improved at the measures termination. Further, school achievement problems were clearly reduced during the educational measure. In cooperation with the parents it was possible to significantly reduce deficits in parenting skills inherent in the family system. CONCLUSIONS Results underscore the high effectiveness of educational measures in reducing strain and problem behaviour.

[Follow-up support measures as parameters for the effectiveness of day-care measures in youth welfare - a comparative study].

OBJECTIVE Educational support measures aim at reducing strain on families in precarious life situations. In children and adolescents, measures usually focus on reducing conduct problems and promoting competencies; parents are supported in order to improve their parenting competencies. But youth welfare measures have different effects on children, adolescents, and their parents, and a national comparison reveals that most families require follow-up support measures afterwards. This study compares different courses of youth assistance measures in families with or without follow-up support measures. METHODS A total of 89 families received day-care educational support for an average period of 2 years. Subsequently, 26 families required further support. In order to identify predictors for follow-up support measures, we systematically assessed problem areas indicating a need for further support prior to and after youth help measures, and contrasted them in a pre-post-design. RESULTS Children in need of further support displayed significantly more symptoms of strain and less improvement in their competencies after the end of youth help measures. However, the most distinctive differences resulted for ineffective parenting. These groups differed significantly. CONCLUSIONS The effectiveness of youth welfare measures strongly depends on an improvement of parenting competencies. A lack thereof points toward further need for support, even after intensive educational support measures.

Anschlusshilfen als Parameter für die Wirksamkeit teilstationärer Jugendhilfe-Maßnahmen

OBJECTIVE Educational support measures aim at reducing strain on families in precarious life situations. In children and adolescents, measures usually focus on reducing conduct problems and promoting competencies; parents are supported in order to improve their parenting competencies. But youth welfare measures have different effects on children, adolescents, and their parents, and a national comparison reveals that most families require follow-up support measures afterwards. This study compares different courses of youth assistance measures in families with or without follow-up support measures. METHODS A total of 89 families received day-care educational support for an average period of 2 years. Subsequently, 26 families required further support. In order to identify predictors for follow-up support measures, we systematically assessed problem areas indicating a need for further support prior to and after youth help measures, and contrasted them in a pre-post-design. RESULTS Children in need of further support displayed significantly more symptoms of strain and less improvement in their competencies after the end of youth help measures. However, the most distinctive differences resulted for ineffective parenting. These groups differed significantly. CONCLUSIONS The effectiveness of youth welfare measures strongly depends on an improvement of parenting competencies. A lack thereof points toward further need for support, even after intensive educational support measures.

Educational competence of parents with children participating in youth welfare measures

OBJECTIVE The study examines the influence of specific risks on parenting at the beginning of youth welfare measures. METHOD Family risk factors as well as parental behaviour styles of N = 74 parents were assessed with standardized questionnaires. RESULTS The results were evaluated cross-sectionally with one-way factor analysis. Three groups were formed according to degree of risk factors. Families with special risks, i.e., material needs, physically ill parents, or single parents, show a significantly lower level of parenting competence. Differences in negative parenting features are not found to be under the influence of specific risks. CONCLUSIONS Parents of children in youth welfare measures who are specifically stressed may need special training to increase their parenting skills, especially when pre-post comparisons show lower parenting quality in the group with specific risk factors at the end of an intervention.

Erziehungskompetenz von Eltern mit Kindern in Jugendhilfe-Maßnahmen

OBJECTIVE The study examines the influence of specific risks on parenting at the beginning of youth welfare measures. METHOD Family risk factors as well as parental behaviour styles of N = 74 parents were assessed with standardized questionnaires. RESULTS The results were evaluated cross-sectionally with one-way factor analysis. Three groups were formed according to degree of risk factors. Families with special risks, i.e., material needs, physically ill parents, or single parents, show a significantly lower level of parenting competence. Differences in negative parenting features are not found to be under the influence of specific risks. CONCLUSIONS Parents of children in youth welfare measures who are specifically stressed may need special training to increase their parenting skills, especially when pre-post comparisons show lower parenting quality in the group with specific risk factors at the end of an intervention.

Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede im Belastungsausmaß bei in Obhut genommenen Kindern und Jugendlichen (§42, SGB VIII)

Gender-specific Differences in the Degree of Burden on Children and Adolescents Taken into Custody Children and adolescents who were taken into care are a high-risk group for mental disorders such as externalizing problems or conduct disorders. 95 children and adolescents who were taken into care were tested with the Screening Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument 2 (MAYSI-2). In a large proportion of those children and adolescents emotional and physical neglect and abuse was identified. There were sex differences in suicidal thoughts, somatoform disorders, and emotional abuse. The knowledge of mental disorders as well as the gender-specific characteristics is important for specialists of inhospital institutions, in order to optimize their quality of care.