Posttraumatic Growth and Related Factors of Child Protective Service Workers

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to measure the level of vicarious trauma, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and other factors affecting PTG among child protective service workers. METHODS: We include posttraumatic stress, social support, stress coping, and demographic data as independent variables. Data was collected from 255 full-time social workers from 43 child protective agencies as acomplete enumeration and 204 included in the final analysis. RESULTS: The major findings of the study were as follows: The mean score of PTG was 44.09 (SD:21.73). Hierarchical multiple regression was adopted and "pursuing social support as a way of coping with stress" was the strongest predictive factor (beta=0.319, p<0.001) of PTG. CONCLUSION: We suggest that child protective workers are vulnerable to posttraumatic stress and mental health services are indicated. We also recommend various types of training for stress coping program, especially strengthening the social support system of the child protective service workers in South Korea.

Sexual Behavior and Related Factors of Coitus of Teenage Girls in Korea / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of pregnancy, abortion, delivery and contraceptive use and the relationship between the related factors and the early coitus among Korean teenagers. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 12,733 teenagers age 13-19 years in 7 major cities and 9 provinces in Korea. Data was collected from 2 Oct., to 28 Oct., 2000 and analyzed by using SPSS 10.0 Program. RESULTS: The results showed pregnancy rate 4.5%, delivery rate 0.5%, abortion rate 0.4%. Adolescent girls who experienced coitus relatively went to vocational school, coeduaction school, night school in the general characteristics (p=0.000). Adolescent girls who experienced coitus tend to go to video room (18.5%), go the singing room (60.7%), the bar (54.8%), petting with the partner during the dates. There were overlapping juvenile delinquencies such as drinking (89.2%), pornography (65.3%), bond inhalation (2.7%), leaving homes (43.7%), smoking (14.5%), cyber sex (70.8%), phone sex (12.9%). Adolescent girls who experienced coitus were more suffering from Wangtta (26.1%) than who had not. They showed significant positive attitudes toward coitus; such as feeling of excitement (6.6%), nature (37.9%), beauty (8.7%). On the other hand, they had more guilty (2.8%) than the inexperienced (p=0.000). The main factors relating to early coitus were 'to confirm love' (46.9%), 'afraid of rejection' (32.2%). They think the benefits of coitus were 'more intimacy with boyfriends' (20.6%), 'satisfaction of curiosity' (16.8%). The losses on coitus were 'worry about pregnancy' (73.7%) and 'unability to refuse sexual contacts' (28.7%) CONCLUSION: It could be concluded that it is necessary to plan different sex education programs according to general characteristics and delinquency behaviors of teenage girls in Korea.