[German Military Families: A Qualitative Inquiry of Strategies of Coping with the Fathers' Absence]. / Kinder deutscher Soldatenfamilien: Qualitative Untersuchung zu Strategien im Umgang mit der Abwesenheit des Vaters.

German Military Families: A Qualitative Inquiry of Strategies of Coping with the Fathers' Absence Military families with experiences of deployment are subject to multiple stressors. In this research an explorative qualitative design was used to identify specific challenges, resources and strategies of coping within the families, focusing on the children's perspective. Results show that the fathers' absence causes vital changes in the family system, which demand specific strategies to deal with the abrupt emotional and social challenges. Four of these coping strategies will be presented in this article. Furthermore, resources embedded in the social environment as well as supportive structures provided by the German military will be discussed. Two hypotheses were formulated to outline the findings that the preparation for a deployment as well as patterns of communication about the father's absence are the most crucial factors for the children's resilience in the case of military families.

[Risk epidemiology and child protection statistics in early childhood ­ a pilot study in southern Germany]. / Risikoepidemiologie und Kinderschutzstatistik in der frühen Kindheit: Eine Pilotuntersuchung mit dem "Wahrnehmungsbogen für den Kinderschutz".

In contrast to many other countries in Europe, Germany lacks sufficient empirical data on the incidence/prevalence of child maltreatment and its risk factors. This pilot study generated systematic data on the prevalence of child abuse and neglect and its risk factors in Germany. Using a newly developed questionnaire (ESM1 and ESM2) on child abuse and neglect as well as indicators for risk factors, we conducted a survey on 35 child daycare centers in a county in southern Germany, the goal being to generate reliable data. The questionnaire and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was completed by daycare professionals for every child between 4 and under 7 years who was attending the participating daycare center (1,122 children). Child maltreatment was reported in 13.2 % of the cases, and risk factors for future child maltreatment were detected in 38.4 % cases. This study demonstrates that systematic data collection concerning child protection is feasible in child daycare centers. In the future, we recommend that local child protection networks be modified on the basis of reliable empirical data.

[School escorts in inclusive education- the current situation in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg]. / Schulbegleiter als Unterstützung von Inklusion im Schulwesen.

In the context of inclusive education, so-called «Schulbegleiter¼ (school escorts) have been installed to assist children with special needs. However, adequate conceptions of their role are lacking, and no provisions exist describing the exact tasks and duties of these school escorts. This article presents data on a statewide empirical study and provides information on the professional background, qualifications, and assignments of such escorts as well as the nature of the assisted children in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The data were collected in nearly 50 % of all schools providing general education in Baden-Württemberg, and a total of 526 school escorts completed a questionnaire on their work. Children with special needs who received such assistance were aged 6 to 19 years (M = 10.4) and had a mental disorder in nearly three-fourths of all cases, with autism spectrum disorders being most common (59.4 %). The most frequent assignments of the escorts were providing practical assistance during classes and mobilizing the child as well as providing direct support in emotionally challenging situations. Such escorts can make a significant contribution to the inclusive education of disabled children. They do, however, need an adequate qualification and practical competences to meet the diverse challenges of children with special needs. Child and adolescent psychiatrists are supposed to stay involved in the process, not only by planning interventions, but also during the course of inclusive education itself. Thus, the emotional situation and adjustment of included children with mental disorders over time must be monitored adequately.

[Epidemiology of risks and child maltreatment in early childhood: a pilot study]. / Risikoepidemiologie und Kinderschutzstatistik in der frühen Kindheit--eine Pilotuntersuchung.

There is a lack of prevalence data of child maltreatment and neglect in German speaking countries. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a questionnaire as a generally useable method for surveys of early child maltreatment and to test its feasibility and usefulness. The pilot study of this methodology would also give a first indication of the prevalence of risk factors and of child maltreatment itself. The study was carried out in 21 day-care centres in Vorarlberg, Austria. The questionnaire was judged as very user-friendly and useable. Prevalence was 5.3 % for neglect and 1.2 % for abuse in the study sample. The results demonstrate that systematic data collection in the field of youth welfare is practicable in German speaking countries. In addition, day-care centres allow easy access to data collection. Further psychometric testing of the questionnaire with normative data samples and across different professional groups is required.