The backyard: Cumulative trauma of children from East Jerusalem who were removed from their homes.

BACKGROUND: Few studies examined child abuse and neglect and its consequences in the context of a complex socio-political reality such as East Jerusalem. Additionally, research typically addresses trauma resulting of child maltreatment from the perspective of the children. Yet, little is known about the perceptions of the parents whose children were removed from their home by court order. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the perceptions of families in East Jerusalem whose young children were removed from their home by an Israeli court order. Specifically, the parents' perceptions of the trauma experienced by their children and of the responses of their children to the removal from home. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 22 caregivers (13 mothers, 8 fathers, and one aunt) of children at risk from East Jerusalem. The qualitative analysis was based on the principles of grounded theory. RESULTS: The analysis of the data revealed five risk factors attributed by the parents to their children's situation: Their young age, the abuse and neglect, the secondary victimization, the removal from home, and living in a conflict zone such as East Jerusalem. CONCLUSIONS: These risk factors of the children who are at the center of this study result in a cumulative trauma which intensifies their vulnerability. The lack of early childhood educational services in East Jerusalem places these children under the radar of the social service. Therefore, it is essential for policymakers to provide the necessary resources to these families.

Unveiling the role of residential care in care leavers' personal development and life outcomes.

In the current quantitative study, we explored the perceived contribution of residential care (PCRC) to multiple life domains and the factors associated with these perceptions from three main stages in Israelis' care leavers' lives: precare, in care, and postcare. Drawing on a representative sample of 2,295 care leavers' retrospective reports, integrated with their longitudinal administrative records, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis and identified two constructs pertaining to participants' PCRC. The first focused on contribution to personal development, and the second on contribution to achieving tangible and intangible life outcomes. In-care experiences of peer and staff support were strong predictors of both perceived personal development and life outcomes. Only a few precare factors and none of the postcare factors were predictive of PCRC. Specifically, PCRC was lower among men compared with women. Additionally, compared to Israeli-born participants, PCRC to personal development was lower among Ethiopian immigrants but higher in the life outcomes domain. PCRC was also higher in both domains among participants whose parents had a criminal conviction. In the Discussion section, we highlight the importance of understanding care leavers' perceptions in relation to different life course stages. Implications for policy and practice in care and postcare are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Labor market position among care leavers and their matched peers: A longitudinal comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The adverse labor market experience of care leavers is well-documented. Care leavers lag behind their peers in the general population in all employment aspects and even fall short compared to young people from low-income families. Yet, there are only very few comparative longitudinal studies on care leavers' relative labor market position (LMP). OBJECTIVES: To examine and predict: (1) LMP, an integrative measure of labor market connectedness and earning level, among care leavers and a matched comparison group from age 22 to 34; (2) gender differences in LMP among care leavers and their same-sex matched peers. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were alumni of youth villages in Israel from 13 consecutive birth cohorts (20,758) and a double-sized matched comparison group (41,510). METHODS: Based on longitudinal administrative records bivariate analyses examined differences in age-related LMP between care leavers and their matched peers. Gender-stratified analyses were also performed. A multilevel multinomial model predicted LMP throughout the age span. RESULTS: Care leavers were less likely than their matched peers to be disconnected from employment. The rate of low-wage earners was similar in the two groups. Male care leavers performed better than their matched peers, while female care leavers performed worse than their matched peers. Controlling for pre-care factors, in-care and post-care achievements and experiences, both men and women care leavers performed better than their matched peers. CONCLUSIONS: Labor market connectedness and relative earning progression are shaped by pre-care factors, in-care and post-care achievements and experiences. Three sub-groups of care leavers and similar young people were identified based on their characteristics.

Labor force attachment among care leavers in Israel: A longitudinal cross-sequential between-groups design.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the long-term labor force attachment (LFA) of care leavers and how they compare with similar youth. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to: (1) examine LFA from age 21 to 34 among care leavers and a comparison group; (2) explain variability in age-related LFA. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Two groups were studied: all alumni of 14 consecutive birth cohorts (1982-1995) of care leavers of youth villages in Israel (22,670) and a double-sized matched comparison group drawn from the corresponding cohorts in the general population (45,340). METHODS: The study is based on a longitudinal cross-sequential between-groups design. The dataset integrates an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records. Descriptive statistic was used to describe and compare care leavers and their matched peers, in terms of background and achievements. Bivariate analyses examined differences in age-related LFA between care leavers and their matched peers. A multilevel multinomial model was employed to predict LFA levels throughout the age span. RESULTS: In terms of achievements, care leavers show poorer educational attainment, greater reliance on social welfare services and experienced more difficulties during the mandatory military service. The rate of care leavers strongly connected to the labor market gradually increased as they grew older, reaching to about 65 % by age 34, whereas the rate of those disconnected from the labor market decreased with age, standing on 19 % by age 34. Care leavers had stronger LFA than their matched peers during their entire 20's, and similar levels thereafter. Multiple factors (e.g., family background, educational attainments) were associated with different levels of LFA. CONCLUSIONS: Differential policy measures, while in-care and afterward, are needed to address care leavers' variability in labor market experience.

Ten years later: Satisfaction with intimate relationships and parenthood of young people aging out of residential care.

BACKGROUND: Care leavers, young people who have aged out of residential or foster care, experience many challenges during their transition to adulthood. However, there is relatively little research on care leavers' intimate relationships. Their parenthood has been explored to a greater extent, but mostly qualitatively. OBJECTIVE: This study focused on Israeli care leavers a decade after leaving care and explored various factors associated with satisfaction with both intimate relationships and parenthood. METHODS: One-hundred-and-fifty-two young people participated in the study ten years after leaving care. Toward the end of their 20s, 74.3% were either married or had stable intimate relationships, and 40.1% were parents. To assess satisfaction with intimate relationships and parenthood, two hierarchical regressions were conducted that examined the cumulative contribution of background factors (care variables and traumatic life events), personal characteristics (self-esteem, mental distress, and alcohol use) and social support. RESULTS: Satisfaction with intimate relationships was associated with higher income, fewer traumatic life events, and higher self-esteem. Gender moderated the association of traumatic life events with satisfaction with intimate relationships. Satisfaction with parenthood was associated with fewer traumatic events throughout care leavers' lives; it was also associated with lower levels of mental distress and alcohol use and with higher levels of satisfaction with intimate relationships. Gender moderated the association of mental distress with satisfaction with parenthood. CONCLUSIONS: Ten years after leaving care, care leavers' backgrounds (i.e., their traumatic life events) were strongly associated with their situation as adults. Other risk factors such as alcohol use and mental distress were especially relevant to care leavers' satisfaction as parents, demanding longitudinal interventions. Further exploration of the role of gender in satisfaction with intimate relationships and parenthood is needed.

Life satisfaction among alumni of youth villages in Israel: A life course perspective.

Empirical evidence on life satisfaction of care leavers is scant and often based on small and nonrepresentative samples. Based on the life course perspective, this study explored the role of objective and subjective factors in explaining life satisfaction among care leavers, both general and domain-specific (work-financial-housing, social relationships-emotional state). The sample was randomly drawn from the whole population of eight graduating birth cohorts of alumni of educational residential care in Israel and consists of 2, 295 alumni (24-31 years old). The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews. Bivariate analysis and multiple regression models were used to assess associations between precare context, in-care and postcare experiences and achievements with general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Gender differences were found in both domain-specific life satisfactions with men having greater satisfaction. Family background indicators were generally more predictive of general and social relationships- emotional state satisfaction. In-care experiences of peer and staff support and postcare experience of material deprivation were strong predictors of general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Postcare contacts with care staff, surprisingly, were associated with lower general satisfaction and satisfaction with social relationships-emotional state. Higher educational attainment at the end of placement and integration into postsecondary education were associated with greater general and work-financial-housing satisfaction. The effects of in-care preparation for independent adult living, employment and parenthood are not consistent across different domains of life satisfaction. Implications for policy and practice during and after care are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Out-of-home care for children at-risk in Israel and in Spain: current lessons and future challenges / La acogida a niños en riesgo de separación familiar en Israel y en España: lecciones actuales y retos futuros

This article compares the out-of-home care (OOHC) systems for children at-risk in Spain and Israel. Both countries share a strong tradition of placing children at-risk mainly in large residential care settings rather than familial solutions, and both face the challenge of the deinstitutionalization of care, including the tendency to substitute family-based solutions for institutional care. This article follows the historical development and current status of out-of-home care systems, as well as the main research contributions on these topics in both nations, revealing a great similarity. Both countries share a Mediterranean culture, in which the family ties are dominant in providing personal and social well-being. The strong family ties are assumed to be related to the slower consolidation of foster family care as an alternative for out-of-home placement. In Spain it has led to a high prevalence of kinship foster care, while in Israel this has led to high use of residential care settings. The challenges Spain and Israel face given this structure of public child care are discussed

Este artículo compara los sistemas de separación familiar de niños en riesgo en España e Israel. Ambos países comparten una fuerte tradición de dejar a los niños en riesgo principalmente en grandes ispositivos asistenciales residenciales en vez de recurrir a soluciones familiares; ambos hacen frente al reto de la desinstitucionalización de la asistencia, así como la tendencia a sustituir las soluciones centradas en la familia por la acogida institucional. Este artículo sigue el desarrollo histórico y el estado actual de los sistemas de separación familiar y las principales aportaciones de la investigación principal sobre estos temas en ambos países, que muestran una gran semejanza. Ambos países comparten la cultura mediterránea, en la que predominan los lazos familiares en la prestación del bienestar personal y social. Se supone que la fortaleza de estos lazos familiares tiene que ver con la lenta consolidación del acogimiento en una familia como alternativa a la separación familiar. En España esto ha dado lugar a una elevada prevalencia del acogimiento en la familia extensa, mientras que en Israel se han utilizado dispositivos de acogida residencial. Se discuten los retos que afrontan España e Israel ante esta estructura de acogida infantil pública

Acogimiento residencial terapéutico para niños y adolescentes: una declaración de consenso del Grupo de Trabajo Internacional sobre Acogimiento Residencial Terapéutico / Therapeutic Residential Care for Children and Youth: A Consensus Statement of the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care

En muchos países desarrollados a lo largo del mundo las intervenciones en acogimiento residencial para niños y adolescentes se encuentran en un momento de creciente debate. Ante esta situación, se organizó una cumbre internacional en Inglaterra (primavera de 2016) con expertos de 13 países para reflexionar sobre el acogimiento residencial terapéutico (ART). Se partió de la siguiente definición de ART: "el acogimiento residencial terapéutico implica el uso planificado de un ambiente de convivencia multidimensional, construido a propósito, diseñado para desarrollar o proveer tratamiento, educación, socialización, apoyo y protección a niños y jóvenes con necesidades reconocidas de salud mental o conductuales, en cooperación con sus familias y la colaboración de un amplio espectro recursos comunitarios formales e informales». La reunión se caracterizó por el intercambio de información y evidencias y la preparación de una agenda internacional de investigación. Además, se discutieron las bases para una declaración de consenso. Esta declaración, originalmente publicada en inglés y ahora reproducida en español, comprende, entre otras cuestiones, cinco principios básicos de acogimiento que de acuerdo con el grupo de trabajo en acogimiento residencial terapéutico deben guiar el acogimiento residencial de jóvenes que se preste en todo momento (AU)

In many developed countries around the world residential care interventions for children and adolescents have come under increasing scrutiny. Against this background an international summit was organised in England (spring 2016) with experts from 13 countries to reflect on therapeutic residential care (TRC). The following working definition of TRC was leading: «Therapeutic residential care involves the planful use of a purposefully constructed, multi-dimensional living environment designed to enhance or provide treatment, education, socialization, support, and protection to children and youth with identified mental health or behavioral needs in partnership with their families and in collaboration with a full spectrum of community based formal and informal helping resources». The meeting was characterised by exchange of information and evidence, and by preparing an international research agenda. In addition, the outlines of a consensus statement on TRC were discussed. This statement, originally published in English and now reproduced in a Spanish translation, comprises inter alia five basic principles of care that according to the Work Group on Therapeutic Residental Care should be guiding for residential youth care provided at any time (AU)

[Therapeutic Residential Care for Children and Youth: A Consensus Statement of the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care].

Therapeutic Residential Care for Children and Youth: A Consensus Statement of the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care. In many developed countries around the world residential care interventions for children and adolescents have come under increasing scrutiny. Against this background an international summit was organised in England (spring 2016) with experts from 13 countries to reflect on therapeutic residential care (TRC). The following working definition of TRC was leading: “Therapeutic residential care involves the planful use of a purposefully constructed, multi-dimensional living environment designed to enhance or provide treatment, education, socialization, support, and protection to children and youth with identified mental health or behavioral needs in partnership with their families and in collaboration with a full spectrum of community based formal and informal helping resources”. The meeting was characterised by exchange of information and evidence, and by preparing an international research agenda. In addition, the outlines of a consensus statement on TRC were discussed. This statement, originally published in English and now reproduced in a Spanish translation, comprises inter alia five basic principles of care that according to the Work Group on Therapeutic Residental Care should be guiding for residential youth care provided at any time.

Putting context into a cultural perspective: examining Arab and Jewish adolescents' judgments and reasoning about spousal retribution.

In this study, we examined what contextual factors influence adolescents' judgments and reasoning about spousal retribution. Adolescents were drawn from Central and Northern Israel and consisted of 2,324 Arab and Jewish students (Grades 7-11). The study was set up in a 2 (Arab/Jewish respondent) × 2 (spousal retribution scenarios) factorial design. Our findings suggest that societal and cultural norms may be more powerful contextual variables than group stereotypes in influencing Arab and Jewish adolescents' evaluations of spousal retribution. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Arab and Jewish elementary school students' perceptions of fear and school violence: understanding the influence of school context.

This inquiry explores variables that predict elementary school students' fear of attending school due to school violence and their overall judgments of school violence as a problem. Using a nationally representative sample (Israel) of 5,472 elementary-school-aged children, this study tested the hypotheses that: (a) young students' personal fear of attending school due to violence, and (b) students' assessment of a school violence problem, are best understood as separate conceptual constructs. Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed theoretical model for the sample as a whole and separately for across gender and for Arab and Jewish students. Student fear of attending school due to violence was related directly to experiences of personal victimization on school grounds by students and teachers. Children's judgments of their schools' overall violence problem were influenced directly by the school climate, risky peer-group behaviours, and personal victimization. The findings provide evidence that the proposed theoretical model applies across gender groups and for both Arab and Jewish students. Implications for policy, theory, and future research are highlighted.

Dating violence and sexual risk behaviors in a sample of at-risk Israeli youth.

OBJECTIVE: This exploratory study examines the reported dating violence and its association with sexual risk behavior among Israeli adolescents, who are at risk for dropping out of school. METHODOLOGY: A convenience sample of 105 at-risk youth (51 boys and 54 girls) completed self-administered anonymous, questionnaires in small same-gender groups. The questionnaire included a Hebrew version of the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory, a valid scale developed in the US especially for adolescents, the Hebrew version of the Conflict Tactics Scale and the Self-Efficacy to Refuse Sexual Behavior Scale. RESULTS: We found high rates of perpetration of verbal-emotional abuse for both girls and boys. Rates of reported victimization by physical abuse were higher among boys but that by sexual abuse were higher among girls. We found a moderate inverse association between victimization by dating violence and practicing safe sex among girls. There was a similar but much stronger association for boys who were victims of dating violence. CONCLUSIONS: The high rates of various types of dating violence in Israel, at least among at-risk adolescents, should raise concern and motivate designing and implementing specific prevention interventions. The high reported rates of victimization from dating violence among boys are somewhat surprising and call for special attention and more indepth studies.

The contributions of community, family, and school variables to student victimization.

An ecological perspective was used to predict school violence from a number of variables describing the students and their families based on nationally representative sample of 10,400 students in grades 7-11 in 162 schools across Israel. Self-administered anonymous questionnaires that included a scale for reporting victimization by serious and moderate physical violence, threats, and verbal-social victimization were filled out during class. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) examined the relationships between students' reports of victimization and student level variables (gender, age) and the school-level variables--cultural affiliation (Jewish vs. Arab), the socio-economic status (SES) of the school's neighborhood and students' families, school and class size, school level (junior high vs. high), and school climate. Variance between schools accounted for 9-15% of the variance in student victimization (major factors being school climate characteristics and percent of boys at the school). Boys reported higher victimization than girls for all forms of school violence. Students in junior high schools reported more victimization than high school students. Higher levels of victimization were reported in overcrowded classes, while school size was not associated with students' reports of victimization. Although there were almost no differences between Jewish and Arab schools in students' reports of victimization, the SES of the school's neighborhood and students did have a moderate effect. The discussion highlights the importance of improving school climate and the need to allocate more resources to schools in low SES contexts in order to protect students from school violence.

School violence in Israel: findings of a national survey.

The authors report preliminary findings of a national survey on school violence in Israel. The national representative sample was stratified on school type--elementary, middle, and high schools--and ethnicity--Jewish and Arab students. A total of 15,916 students from 603 classes and 232 schools participated in the study, resulting in a 91 percent response rate. Findings revealed high rates of violence in all areas and among all age groups, but relatively higher rates of low-level violent behaviors and lower rates of more severe violent events. The authors report on age-related, gender, and cultural differences and discuss social workers' roles in shaping national policy and professional discourse on school violence.

The effects of group stereotypes on adolescents' reasoning about peer retribution.

This study examined the effects of negative group stereotypes on adolescents' reasoning about peer retribution. The sample of adolescents was drawn from central and northern Israel and consisted of 2,604 Arab and Jewish students (ages 13-17; grades 7-11). A quasi-experimental, between-subject design was used, in which the students in each grade were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 peer retribution scenarios. The findings provide evidence that Arab and Jewish students have stereotypes about one another and that in-group bias affected their approval and reasoning about peer retribution only in specific situations. This inquiry provides evidence that it was the number of justifications endorsed within a specific domain that distinguished Arab and Jewish respondents. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Maltreatment of primary school students by educational staff in Israel.

OBJECTIVES: This paper reports on the prevalence of emotional and physical maltreatment of students in primary schools by school staff in Israel. Victimization by staff was analyzed according to students' gender, age group (4th, 5th, and 6th grade), cultural group (Jewish-non-religious, Jewish-religious, and Arab schools), school characteristics (school size and class size), and by socio-economic status of the students' families. METHOD: Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 5472 students in Grades 4-6 in 71 schools across Israel. The students completed questionnaires during class, which included a scale for reporting physical and psychological maltreatment by staff. Data on the socio-economic status of the families of the students in each school were also obtained. RESULTS: Students reported generally high rates of maltreatment by staff members. Almost a third reported being emotionally maltreated by a staff member, and more than a fifth (22.2%) reported being a victim of at least one type of physical maltreatment. The most vulnerable groups for maltreatment were males, students in Arab schools, and students in schools with a high percentage of students from low-income and low-education families. CONCLUSIONS: These high rates of primary school students' victimization by staff are unacceptable. We recommend educational campaigns among teachers, as well as allocating more resources to support staff in low socio-economic neighborhoods.

School climate, observed risky behaviors, and victimization as predictors of high school students' fear and judgments of school violence as a problem.

The primary aim of this study is to explore how school-related variables predict high school students' subjective judgements of school violence. Using a nationally representative sample (Israel) of 3,518 high school-aged youth, this study tested the hypotheses that (a) students' personal fear of attending school due to violence and (b) students' assessment of a school violence problem are best understood as separate conceptual constructs. The findings support the proposition that student fear of attending school and assessments of school violence as a problem are influenced by different types of school-related variables. Student fear of attending school due to violence was directly related to experiences of personal victimization by students and school staff. In contrast with fear, students'judgements of their schools' overall violence problem were directly associated with the variables of school climate, observed risk behaviors, and personal victimization. Implications for policy, theory, and future research are highlighted.

Children's reports of emotional, physical and sexual maltreatment by educational staff in Israel.

OBJECTIVES: This paper reports on the first nationally representative study on the prevalence of emotional, physical, and sexual victimization of children by school staff in Israel. The study identifies groups of children that are at higher risk for such maltreatment. We examine the differences in staff-induced victimization by the children's gender, age group (junior high vs. high school), cultural groups (Jewish non-religious, Jewish-religious and Arab schools) and by socioeconomic status of the children's families. METHOD: The study is based on a nationally representative sample of 10,410 Israeli students in Grades 7-11 in 161 schools across Israel. Students completed questionnaires during class. In addition, we obtained data on the socioeconomic status of the families of the students in each school. RESULTS: Overall, children reported high rates of victimization by staff members. Almost a quarter of all children participating in this study reported being emotionally maltreated by a staff member, almost a fifth (18.7%) reported being a victim of at least one type of physical forms of maltreatment, and 8.2% reported on at least one sexually inappropriate behavior by a staff member. The most vulnerable groups for all types of maltreatment were males, children in junior high schools, children in Arab schools, and children in schools with a high concentration of students coming from low-income and low-education families. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence rates of staff maltreatment should be considered high and unacceptable. Although rates of physical and sexual maltreatment were lower than emotional maltreatment, they were still high and are worthy of greater attention. Both cultural beliefs and low family socioeconomic status increase vulnerability to staff maltreatment. We suggest conducting an educational campaign to reduce rates of staff maltreatment. We also recommend allocating more resources to support staff in low SES neighborhoods, to alleviate their stress and to provide them with the support that would reduce maltreatment of children in the educational system.

Sexual harassment in Jewish and Arab public schools in Israel.

OBJECTIVE: Current empirical literature on sexual harassment in schools is mostly based on nonrepresentative samples of middle-class high-school Caucasian female students. Thus the scope of research regarding gender, age, and cultural differences is very limited. This article reports on findings on sexual harassment in Jewish and Arab schools in Israel with regard to gender, age, and cultural differences. METHOD: The study is part of the first national survey on school violence in Israel. The representative sample includes 10,400 students in grades 7 through 11 attending public schools in Israel. Students were asked to report whether they were victims of specific acts of sexual harassment in school during the month before the survey. RESULTS: Overall, 29.1% of the students were victims of at least one act of harassment. The more common acts were to show offensive pictures or to send obscene letters, to take off or to try to take off part of the student's clothing, and to try to kiss a student. The most vulnerable groups are the Arab boys and 8th grade students. Report rates were the lowest among Arab girls. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual harassment is prevalent in Israeli schools. The pattern of victimization is different for boys and girls and for students in Jewish and Arab schools. These patterns are a complex phenomenon that must be considered in the intervention and policy measures addressing sexual harassment at school.