Paper
Personal, school and social adjustment of children in residential care
- issue: Issue 2 / 2009
- authors: Maria Dolores García Hernández, Eduardo Martín Cabrera
- keywords: Spain, adjustment, residential care, children
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abstract
Background. As part of residential care programmes, the analysis of children' adjustment can be used as a valid indicator of the effects of such programmes.
Purpose. The main aim of this study is to analyse personal, school and social adjustment of children in residential care.
Method and sample. Exploratory and quantitative. 93 minors in residential and protective care on the island of Tenerife participated in this study. Furthermore, a normative sample of 364 children from various schools were selected.
Once approval was received from the Family and Infant Unit of the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife (Island Government), contact was made with the institutions that manage homes and residences. A date was arranged for the collection of data and the TAMAI was administered in the home in which the children lived.
Following collection, the data were input using the program SPSS 14. For intergroup analysis, we carried out a three-factor ANOVA: sample x sex x age group (design 2 x 2 x 3) for each of the general factors of the TAMAI: personal, school and social maladjustment. For the intragroup analysis of the RC sample, we carried out an analysis of the differences between means, T-Test, on the samples independent of the administrative function (guarda o tutela) and reason for admission into RC (inadequate compliance of parental functions or impossible compliance of parental functions). Finally, to check if there is any relation between the scores in the three factors of maladjustment and the time the children has been living in the RC centres, we carried out a Pearson correlation.
Instruments. Test Autoevaluativo Multifactorial de Adaptación Infantil (Multifactor Self-Assessment Test of Child Adjustment), TAMAI (Hernández, 1996). This test consists of two parts: one in which the personal maladjustment (PM), school maladjustment (SCM) and social maladjustment (SOM) are measured, and the other in which the parental educational styles are measured. We have only used the first part, which consists of 105 statements requiring a dichotomous response (yes or no), and from which a score of maladjustment, perceived by the children themselves, is obtained. The TAMAI can be used by youngsters between the ages of 8 to 18 years old and has different correction forms, with three factor levels. In this study and according to the objectives fixed, we chose to treat the maladjustment variables as continuous variables. For this reason we have used the simple correction form from which direct scores are obtained for third order factors: personal maladjustment (score range: 0-39), school (score range: 0-31) and social (score range: 0-35)
Findings. First, we observed that there were no significant differences between children in residential care and the comparison sample in the three areas of maladjustment evaluated. That is to say, children in RC are not more maladjusted personally, in school or socially than other children, at least from their own perspective.
Second, the intragroup analysis carried out on the residential care sample show no differences in function of the type of legal measure or the time of stay. Although there are differences due to the reason for admission, where there is a greater social maladjustment of children admitted because of an inadequate compliance of parental functions.
A final result worth mentioning is the lack of any relation between time of stay in RC and maladjustment scores.
Implications and recommendations. Taken all together, the results lead us to the general conclusion that children in residential care do not show greater adjustment problems than those that live in a family context. This should be interpreted as a sign of success of the residential care programmes that take in children in situations of neglect, which itself is a risk factor in developing adjustment problems.
Clearly, residential care is not negative in itself, and it will be necessary to carry out differential analysis to find out the cases that display greater maladjustment and which therefore require specific intervention. This, together with promoting and strengthening residential care services in our country is the way forward to respond to the problem of neglected children.
Key references
Fernández del Valle, J., Álvarez, E. & Bravo, A. (2003). Evaluación de resultados a largo plazo en acogimiento residencial de protección a la infancia. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 26(2), 235-249.
García, M. D. & Siverio, M. A. (2005). La tristeza en niños, adolescentes y adultos: un estudio comparativo. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 28(4), 453-469.
Martín, E., Rodríguez, T. & Torbay, A. (2007). Evaluación diferencial de los programas de acogimiento residencial para menores. Psicothema, 19(3), 406-412.
Contacts: María Dolores García Hernández, University of La Laguna, Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, s/n, 38205, La Laguna. Tenerife, Islas Canarias. España, E-mail: mgarciah@ull.es, Phone 34 922317547.