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Screening Tool Helps Caregivers Identify At-Risk Older Drivers
The University of Florida has launched a free online tool to help caregivers and family members identify drivers aged 65 and older who may be at risk of driving problems. Read more »
Wireless Implanted Sensor Broadens Range of Brain Research
A National Institutes of Health-funded breakthrough points toward future rehabilitation options for people with physical disabilities. Read more » |
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Suicide Note Analysis Helps Create Tool for Mental Health Professionals
According to USA Today, researchers are collecting data from more than 1,000 suicide notes to help create an assessment tool for mental health professionals.
Group Medical Appointments May Help Ease Primary Care Shortage
NPR reports on the trend of group medical appointments for a range of conditions requiring routine care.
LA County Supports Court-Ordered Mental Health Treatment Bills
According to the Los Angeles Times, the county is supporting Laura’s Law, allowing court-ordered mental health treatment for those who have been repeatedly hospitalized or incarcerated and continue to refuse treatment.
Study Shows More Evidence
of Yoga’s Mental Health Benefits
CNN reports on an analysis of multiple studies showing the tangible benefits of yoga on several mental health conditions. |
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Approximately one year after the Sandusky child abuse conviction and after many criminal prosecutions and convictions of Catholic church clergy, professionals and the public must be better prepared and willing to understand and accept that sexual, physical, and emotional abuse can exist at all levels and in all aspects of our culture—at home, in school, and even in places of worship.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and at this time, all professionals who work with children are especially aware of their responsibility to stay informed and educate families and other caregivers about risk factors for child abuse. This month’s E-News Exclusive focuses on three factors that emerged in two different studies of adult victims of childhood physical abuse. The relationship between these risk factors and the incidence of abuse may come as no surprise to social workers. However, the correlation found in these studies is dramatic and warrants special attention in settings in which they occur.
Stay informed and aware this Child Abuse Prevention Month and always!
We welcome your comments at SWTeditor@gvpub.com. Visit our website at www.SocialWorkToday.com, join our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter.
— Marianne Mallon, editor |
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Study Finds Three Key Factors Increase
Childhood Physical Abuse Risk
By Lindsey Getz
A recent study published in Child: Care, Health & Development found that adults who had parents who struggled with addiction, unemployment, and divorce are 10 times more likely to have been victims of childhood physical abuse.
The study, conducted by the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, found that more than one-third of adults raised in homes where all three risk factors (addiction, unemployment, and divorce) were present reported they had been physically abused by someone close to them while under the age of 18 and still living at home. The results found that only 3.4% of those with none of the three risk factors reported they had been physically abused. However, with each additional risk factor experienced, the prevalence of childhood physical abuse increased dramatically.
Lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson, PhD, MSW, the Sandra Rotman Chair in Social Work and a professor of family and community medicine, says that for the past four years, she and coauthor Jami-Leigh Sawyer, MSW, a doctoral candidate and a social worker at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, have been documenting the strong link between childhood physical abuse and a wide range of negative adult health outcomes, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, ulcers, anxiety, and obesity. “We became very interested in potential avenues to prevent child abuse,” Fuller-Thomson explains. “The first task was to more effectively identify those at higher risk for physical abuse.”
Full Story » |
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The Growth of Legalized Gambling — A Professional Wake-Up Call
Expanded legalization increases the accessibility and risk for individuals vulnerable to pathological gambling. Social workers must be prepared to recognize symptoms and make treatment referrals. Read more »
Multidisciplinary Child Protection Teams — The Social Worker’s Role
Clinically diverse professional teams identify and treat child abuse, and a social worker is often the team coordinator. Read more »
The Human-Animal Connection in Social Work
The strong bond between animals and humans is at the heart of two increasingly popular specialties in social work education. Read more » |
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