The Children’s Measurement Framework: A new Indicator-Based Tool for Monitoring Children’s Equality and Human Rights

The Children’s Measurement Framework (CMF) is a new indicator-based tool for monitoring children’s equality and human rights in Britain. The article provides a conceptual and methodological overview of the CMF and presents initial findings against a subset of indicators. We begin by locating the CMF within the growing body of research that uses statistical indicators to monitor child well-being; and by considering the Framework’s conceptual and methodological positioning in the light of the broader themes discussed in the broader literature on child indicators. The theoretical underpinnings of the CMF in Sen's capability approach are next explored. The CMF indicator set, comprising 50 statistical indicators for monitoring children's equality and human rights across 10 critical domains, is described. Finally, illustrations of CMF indicators are provided for the life, health, education and physical security domains drawing on a range of administrative and social survey data sources.     

Children’s Bonding with Parents and Grandparents and Its Associated Factors

Previous literature has focused on the importance of both parental and grandparental bonding. However, few studies have been conducted to measure children’s bonding with parents and grandparents simultaneously, especially tested by the same instrument that offers more comparable results. Therefore, we studied the relationships between parental and grandparental bonding using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), and possible associations between these bonds and sociodemographic variables in 905 Chinese children aged 10–14 years. Children’s bonding with mother, father, and grandparents were positively correlated, and the final mixed-effect model showed that several sociodemographic factors (e.g., gender, only children, parents’ marital status, and mother’s occupation) were associated with parental and grandparental bonding.     

Editorial Perspective: Prato Research Collaborative for change in parent and child mental health – principles and recommendations for working with children and parents living with parental mental illness

Children whose parents have mental illnesses are among the most vulnerable in our communities. There is however, much that can be done to prevent or mitigate the impact of a parent’s illness on children. Notwithstanding the availability of several evidence-based interventions, efforts to support these children have been limited by a lack of adequate support structures. Major service reorientation is required to better meet the needs of these children and their families. This editorial provides recommendations for practice, organisational, and systems change.     

Spending Time with Family and Friends: Children’s Views on Relationships and Shared Activities

Sociologists of childhood have stressed the importance of children??s experience in the present and children as agents who actively construct their own lives and influence relationships with family and friends. Current thinking in the field of child well-being emphasises the need to consult children as experts in their own lives. Findings from research with children have led to important insights about what contributes to well-being. Relationships with family and friends have been found to be central to well-being whilst bullying by peers deeply impacts on their well-being. Shared activities appear to be the context for children to not only master competences but also learn about and negotiate relationships. The Growing Up in Ireland interviews with 9?year old children were re-analysed with a view to exploring these crucial domains and how they impact on the children??s well-being. The children were found to have a wide circle of family connections and were particularly close to their mothers although also close to their fathers. Grandparents played a significant role in their lives and their relationships with siblings were often positive but did fluctuate. Reasons for closeness centred around trust. Lack of availability due to work was a key contributor to children feeling less close to a family member. The children were involved in a wide range of structured activities after school and at the weekend, This was usually balanced with free time although some ??hurried?? children had frenetic lifestyles. Involvement in unstructured activities such as free play was particularly associated with time with friends and choice. Friendship was characterised by sharing and trust. On the other hand, bullying by peers had been experienced by many of the children and almost all were conscious of the danger of becoming bullied. The wider issues of work-family balance and its impact on children, the predominance of bullying and children??s right to be heard are reflected upon.     

A Systematic Review of Children’s Construction of the Self: Implications for Children’s Subjective Well-being

This research aimed to systematically review academic literature focused on how children construct and assign meaning to the ‘self.’ An article search and appraisal yielded 38 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Within these articles, six central thematic categories emerged as the key influences on children’s constructions of the self. These include multidimensionality, discursive practices, socio-environmental conditions, oppression & marginalisation, culture, and social support. The study highlights the multidimensional and fluid nature of the self and emphasises the self-concept to be mutually influenced and supported by an individual’s immediate social networks, socio-environmental resources, and internal processes. A child’s ability to meaningfully construct a sense of self was associated with higher levels of coping and resilience and improved well-being. The review provides considerations for increased interventions aimed at improving child well-being which must take into account the unique ways in which children construct and assign meaning to the self. Such interventions should be inclusive of the individual and contextual issues influencing a child’s self-constructions, including coping skills, structural challenges and proximal economic and social resources.     

Children’s Discourses of Natural Spaces: Considerations for children’s Subjective Well-Being

Based on the evidence provided in the literature, it is manifest that increased time spent in nature increases various aspects of children’s well-being. Using discourse analysis on focus group interviews with 28 children between the ages of 12 and 14 years old from three socio-economically diverse communities in the Western Cape of South Africa, the study aimed to explore how children construct and assign meaning to natural spaces. More specifically the study explored how children use specific discursive resources and repertoires to construct and assign meaning to their engagement with natural spaces, and the extent to which this influences their subjective well-being. Several pertinent discourses emerged from the participants’ accounts within four themes of: Safety and natural spaces, Appreciation for natural spaces, Degradation of Nature: Thinking environmentally, acting pro-environmentally, and Natural spaces and children’s subjective well-being. The study highlights the critical role that children’s engagement in natural spaces has on their subjective well-being, and how these benefits can be harnessed to better children’s overall quality of life.     

Children’s Subjective Well-being: Socio-demographic Characteristics and Personality

Over the past few decades, a large number of studies have been conducted to explain variations in subjective well-being (SWB). Most of these studies emphasised socio-demographic factors, which were consistently found to be able to explicate only a small amount of variation in well-being. To find a better explanation, researchers have recently focused on the personality of individuals. However, these studies are mainly based on adults. There is little evidence on how personality characteristics are related to children’s SWB. This study aims to fill this gap by bringing together socio-demographic characteristics and individual personality within a single framework to explain variation in children’s SWB. Data for this article were obtained from a national survey among 2,400 young people aged 10 to 15 from mainstream schools in England. A two-stage multiple regression analysis indicated that the socio-demographic characteristics in model 1 accounted for 15 % of the variation in SWB. Model 2, containing both socio-demographic and personality characteristics, explained 33.5 % of the variation, of which personality contributed to explaining additional 18.5 % variation. Overall the personality factor explained slightly more variation (3.5 %) in SWB compared to the socio-demographic characteristics. However, looking at the standardised regression coefficient value for each factor separately, it was observed that some socio-demographic factors (e.g., material deprivation, age) were more influential in children’s SWB than some personality domains such as openness, extraversion and conscientiousness. These findings are discussed in the context of previous empirical studies and theories on SWB. Suggestions for future research are also put forward.     

Editorial: The near ubiquity of comorbidity – what are the implications for children’s mental health research and practice?

The experience of two or more mental health disorders or symptom-clusters, either simultaneously or sequentially, is common among adults. Increasing evidence suggests that such comorbidity may also be prevalent among children though it often extends beyond mental health disorders. This is highlighted by several of the papers featured in the current issue of the Journal, which are summarised in this editorial. These studies underscore the importance of providing integrated care for children to ensure all their needs are effectively addressed. It also raises questions about the distinctions we draw between disorders and supports calls for dimensional approaches to conceptualising psychopathology and its inter-relatedness with other aspects of health and functioning.     

Children’s virilization and the use of a testosterone gel by their fathers

We report severe virilization in three unrelated children by contact with their fathers, who had been using a testosterone lipogel.     

Parents’ Experiences with Services and Treatment for Their Children Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy

ABSTRACT

While there is a considerable body of knowledge investigating the efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), there is a need for information focusing on parents’ experiences when their children receive these services. This qualitative research study initially explored the experiences of four parents with children who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) and who participated in CIMT using a group format. Additionally, the richness of the information shared by parents provided insights on other important issues related to family supports when raising a child and the availability of resources for children diagnosed with CP. Response analysis from in-depth interviews with parents resulted in three themes: (a) Everything in my family changed when my child was diagnosed with CP and the support I feel from my family makes all the difference in how I cope. (b) It was so hard to get the information and support that I needed for my child. (c) The group format enhanced CIMT for my child and provided social benefits as well. Findings from this study suggest there are benefits of using CIMT in group formats.     

Child Poverty and Children’s Subjective Well-Being

This article examines the relationship between child poverty and children’s subjective well-being on the range of domains identified by Rees et al. (2010) in the Good Childhood Index. Data are taken from a school-based survey of children in England. Child poverty is measured using a child-derived index of material deprivation (proposed by Main and Bradshaw in Child Indicators Research 5(3): 503–521, 2012) and indicators of children living in households likely to qualify for minimum income benefits. After a review of relevant literature to provide background to the study, the relationship between material deprivation, qualification for minimum income benefits and various domains of children’s subjective well-being are examined. Finally, a more detailed analysis is performed on the relationship between poverty and children’s subjective well-being in the domains of family and choice, as relationships were found to be strongest in these domains. Findings show that poverty is an important predictor of subjective well-being and that the child-derived index is more successful than household qualification for minimum income benefits in explaining variation in Rees et al’s (2010) Good Childhood Index domains. This lends support to Cummins’s (Journal of Happiness Studies 1(2):133–158, 2000) argument that the relationship between income and subjective well-being exists but is confounded by mediating factors. The domains in which the association to material deprivation is especially strong – family and choice - are identified by Rees et al. (2010) as amongst the most strongly associated with overall subjective well-being.     

Children’s Cyberbullying Victimization: Associations with Social Anxiety and Social Competence in a Spanish Sample

Cyberbullying research has increased in recent years given the consequences of victims’ personal and social domains. However, very few studies have analyzed the antecedents that make individuals more vulnerable to cyberbullying victimization. This research, based on previous studies on school bullying, aimed to examine social anxiety, interpersonal difficulties and lack of social skills as predictors of victimization in cyberspace and to extend the research done to date by assessing the antecedents of these negative online interactions. Public primary school students aged 10–12 years old (n = 1127) completed a self-report questionnaire which measures being cyberbullied, social anxiety and social competence. Logistic regression analyses examined the associations between cyberbullying victimization and social anxiety, and two measures of social competence: social skills and interpersonal difficulties. The results reveal that specific symptoms of social anxiety (fear of negative evaluation), interpersonal difficulties to communicate with peers and close friends, and lack of appropriate social skills, all increased the likelihood of cyberbullying victimization. They suggest that increasing worry about others’ evaluation makes children vulnerable to cyberbullying and, likewise, children with poor social skills and difficulties to act in front of a large group of people or to interact with friends are at risk of being victimized in cyberspace. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Children’s exposure to intimate partner violence: Impacts and interventions

Exposure to intimate partner violence is increasingly being recognized as a form of child maltreatment; it is prevalent, and is associated with significant mental health impairment and other important consequences. The present article provides an evidence-based overview regarding children’s exposure to intimate partner violence, including epidemiology, risks, consequences, assessment and interventions to identify and prevent both initial exposure and impairment after exposure. It concludes with specific guidance for the clinician.