Suchergebnisse

In this longitudinal study, we tested whether adolescent maltreatment and out-of-home placement as a response to maltreatment altered developmental patterns of sexual risk behaviors in a nationally representative sample of youth involved in the child welfare system. Participants included adolescents aged 13 to 17 ( M = 15.5, SD = 1.49) at baseline ( n = 714), followed over 18 months. Computer-assisted interviews were used to collect self-reported sexual practices and experiences of physical and psychological abuse at both time points. Latent transition analyses were used to identify three patterns of sexual risk behaviors: abstainers, safe sex with multiple partners, and unsafe sex with multiple partners. Most adolescents transitioned to safer sexual behavior patterns over time. Adolescents exhibiting the riskiest sexual practices at baseline were most likely to report subsequent abuse and less likely to be placed into out-of-home care. Findings provide a more nuanced understanding of sexual risk among child welfare–involved adolescents and inform practices to promote positive transitions within the system.

This study examines the relative risk of first entry into restrictive care settings (RCSs) such as group homes, residential treatment, or inpatient psychiatric care for a cohort of children (N = 570) in out-of-home care, and determines reasons and determinants related to the risk of entering such settings. Findings indicate the cumulative hazard of entering restrictive settings is highest during the first 2 to 3 months following entry into care. Behavior-related placement disruptions, behavior problems, and older age are the primary determinants of this finding. Although the majority of children entered an RCS for behavior-related reasons, close to one third entered an RCS because of reasons unrelated to behavior. Implications for service delivery to children in out-of-home care are discussed.