Susan J. Rose

Defining Child Neglect: Evolution, Influences, and Issues

In this article, we trace the evolution of the concept of child neglect in state statutes and the professional literature. We discuss two competing perspectives in defining child neglect: parental behavior and potential or actual harm to the child. We also analyze the literature on cultural group variation in defining neglect, as well as variations in the definition of neglect based on social role. Conclusions for child welfare practice and policy are presented.

Child neglect: A study of the perceptions of mothers and child welfare workers

Abstract This study explored the perceptions of the seriousness of specific components of child neglect by mothers from three cultural groups and of child welfare workers who perform two different functions. It then compared the perceptions of the mothers to the workers. Using a factor analysis to specify four dimensions of child neglect, the findings confirm that judgements of the seriousness of child neglect vary by the subjects role and relationship to children, the mothers cultural group, and the workers function. The mothers judgements of all categories of child neglect were more serious than those of the workers. White mothers rated all dimensions of child neglect as less serious than African American or Hispanic mothers (although only two of these differences were statistically significant), and investigative workers rated all dimensions of child neglect as more serious than service caseworkers. Comparisons to previous research and implications are drawn.

Intervening with Women in Jail around Alcohol and Substance Abuse During Preparation for Community Reentry

The Women and Jails Project involved a jail in-reach brief screening and feedback intervention for women experiencing problems with alcohol or other substances. The screening and brief intervention (SBI) protocol involved the application of an evidence-informed screening interview (the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Including Drugs, or AUDIT-12) and the provision of personalized feedback on each womans screening results, delivered in a brief motivational interview format. Comparisons of interview data while incarcerated and 2 months postrelease indicated significantly greater improvement in alcohol and other substance use screening results (lower AUDIT-12 scores) among women randomly assigned to intervention versus treatment as usual groups. This greater improvement could not be attributed to greater treatment engagement because that difference was not significant. The authors discuss practice and future research implications of the jail in-reach intervention and providing resource information to women preparing for community reentry.

Child neglect An English perspective

This study explores the perceptions of mothers of the seriousness of specific components of neglect compared with those of local authority child protection workers in England. The findings report the mothers’ overall judgements of most categories as more serious than the workers’. Workers and mothers agree on the relative harm of the categories of neglect, in particular which categories of harm are the most and least serious. Implications for social work practice, policy and research are drawn.

Reaching consensus on child neglect: African American mothers and child welfare workers

Abstract This study explores the working definitions of neglect used by a group of public child welfare workers and African American mothers. Each group was asked to judge the potential harm t a 6-year-old child from a series of statements reflective of some specific components of neglect. The findings report the African American mothers overall judgements of all categories as more serious than the workers. Implications for policy in framing useable definitions are discussed.

Looking Out from the Inside: Incarcerated Women's Perceived Barriers to Treatment of Substance Use

Using the Allen Barriers to Treatment Instrument (ABTI), 299 women incarcerated in a local jail were asked about the barriers they believed they would face in seeking treatment after their release. The top reported barriers were the inability to pay for treatment, the lack of health insurance, and long waiting lists for publicly funded care. An exploratory factor analysis was used to categorize the ABTI barriers into seven factors these women believed would stand in their way: Program Characteristics, Non-Gender Specific Programming, Treatment Site Access, Financial Access, Personal Beliefs About Use & Recovery, Community & Social Environment, and Children & Work Obligations.

Interrelationship of Substance Abuse and Social Problems

There is a growing acceptance that substance-related problems are not narrowly confined. That is, problematic alcohol and other drug use, despite level of severity, does not affect just an individual’s job performance or personal relationships or health status, but touches many aspects of an individual’s life and the lives of those around them. In addition, there is an elevated probability of social problems among those with substance abuse in their everyday experience, including mental health disorders (Kessler et al., 1996; Castanada et al., 1996) homelessness (Fisher & Breakey, 1991), child adjustment and behavior problems (Johnson & Leff, 1999), domestic violence (Greenfield, 1998; Kantor & Asdigian, 1997), child maltreatment (NCASA, 1999), and AIDS (NIAAA, 2000).

Screening for Problem Substance Use in Community-Based Agencies

Brief screening for problem substance use was conducted in a midsize Midwestern city in community-based agencies that provided a range of services. Over 3 years, 14,162 persons requesting both substance-use-specific and non-substance-use-specific services were screened with the Rapid Alcohol Problem Screen. Of all persons screened, 28% reported a positive score. The percentage of positives by agency type were reported as 83.7% for substance abuse services, 57.8% for mental health and substance abuse services, 53.6% for mental health services, 58.6% for health care, 25.7% for homeless services, 22.1% for social services, 12.8% for child welfare, and 9.5% for welfare to work agencies.

Incarcerated Mothers of Minor Children: Physical Health, Substance Use, and Mental Health Needs

Mothers of minor children serving sentences in a large Midwestern jail were screened for potential substance use problems and asked to report their physical and mental health status and treatment experiences. Of mothers screened for substance use problems, 72.1% had positive findings on the AUDIT-12, 56.7% reported at least one serious physical health problem, and 67.1% had received mental health treatment. More than two-thirds (68.8%) of the 240 mothers reported a co-occurring condition, and a third (33.8%) reported problems in all three spheres (substance use, mental health, and physical health). The relationship among the three health-related problems is examined as well as the characteristics of mothers related to having co-occurring health conditions. Given that the overwhelming majority of mothers reported more than one health-related problem, the changes to policy and practice need to avoid simplistic solutions.

Book Reviews : Healing the Divided Self: Clinical and Ericksonian Hypnotherapy for Post- traumatic and Dissociative Conditions. By Maggie Phillips and Claire Frederick. New York: W. W. Norton, 371 pp.,

on pathology Little attention is given to how the codependency label is used against battered women and survivors of incest. A few authors, however, do note the lack of critiques of the concept from race, class, or lesbian perspectives. Several essays acknowledge that the assumptions and core concepts of the codependency model have no empirical support and that codependency treatment can damage women by imposing stigma and exacerbating guilt. Nevertheless, little attention is devoted to feminist treatment approaches that address institutionalized and internalized sexism and seek to empower women. And there is no mention of the importance of reconnecting with, instead of separating from, the family of origin. Challenging Codependency: Feminist Critiques is not a readable or