Unit 5 - Positively Guiding Children and Resources and

Policies

Chapter 18 - Family Concerns AND Chapter 19 - Family Crises

Parents and Their Children

Balancing Family and Work

• Must balance

• Must work to supply income to meet family needs

• Working a necessity, not an option

• Managing responsibilities can be challenging

• Single parent family - one must take on all responsibilities– only source of income– only adult responsible for providing care– stressful for all

• Dual-career families– two people share responsibilities– able to divide responsibilities– must juggle two schedules

Reasons Parents Work

• Provide financially for family

• Gain personal satisfaction from job

• Important part of their identity

• Personal growth

• Develop new skills

• Meet new people

Benefits of working parents

• Research indicates:– children of dual-career families are more

independent and achievement oriented– children are more social

• Stay-at-home parents– may stifle children’s attempts at independence

Divorce

• Children view as break-up of family - end of the world

• frightening

• tell children as soon as decision has been made– time to adjust– truthfully explain

• Tell children together

• Reinforce that child is still loved and that parents can work together as parents

• No not lie to children

• Explain that have tried everything and this is the final decision

• Explain it is NOT the children’s fault

Watch for:

• Regressive behavior

• Feelings of guilt

• Infants and toddlers– May not remember much– Must adjust if “new” parent joins family

• Preschoolers– Often quite upset– Cannot understand how parent can love them

and not be with them– Will think they caused the divorce– React with helplessness, grief, and fear– Bed-wetting, thumb-sucking, and whining may

surface

• School-Age children– May be better able to cope with changes– May want to talk– May blame selves– May pit one parent against the other

• Teens– May show more pain than other aged children– May damage their self-esteem– May take sides and fight against one parent– May withdraw– May rebel - skipping school, stealing, drinking,

using drugs– May be embarrassed

Crisis

• An unforeseen situation that demands adjustment by all members of a family

• Occur at one time or another within all families

• Strong families help one another through

• Dysfunctional family- cannot function properly– needs of family members cannot be met– parents cannot function to care for and nurture

children– interactions between family members not

healthy

Crises

• Unemployment and Financial Crises– May not be able to pay bills– May not be able to buy essentials– Teens may help with financial needs of family

if they have a job– Community resources may be needed– Often temporary situation, require adjustment

and cooperation of all family members

• Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse– condition in which a person’s drinking cause

the person to hurt him/herself and others– damage the body– damages family members ability to function– usually begins during teen years

• Deny problem

• Family must face the problem

• May need professional help

• Entire family attend counseling

• Addictions have no cure!

Child Abuse and Neglect

• Child Abuse– a non-accidental injury or pattern of injuries to

a child; damage to a child for which there is no reasonable explanation - physical, sexual, and emotional

• Child Neglect– failing to provide basic needs of children

Physical Abuse

• intentional infliction of physical injury upon a child

• hitting, biting, beating, shaking, pushing, kicking

• adult uses physical force to punish or hurt the child

Emotional Abuse

• use of words to belittle, threaten or exert control over another person

• humiliation, name-calling, or other belittling remarks meant to hurt self-esteem of person

Sexual Abuse

• Forcing a child to engage in or witness sexual activities

• Incest - sexual activity with a family member– most often between fathers and daughters– occurs when very young

Physical Neglect

• failure to provide sufficient food, clothing, shelter, guidance, medical care, education, and supervision for a child

• can often be observed

• failure to protect child from abuse

Emotional Neglect

• failure to provide love and affection

• may receive good physical care, but still be neglected emotionally

• caring for, holding, touching stimulates brain growth

• difficult to prove, but it does occur

Gangs, Bullies, & Peer Violence

• Peer violence– violence directed at a person by someone of

same peer group

• Bullying– one or more people inflicting physical,

emotional or verbal abuse on another person

• Gangs– groups of bullies who seek to inflict power

through physical means– set up territorial restrictions and codes– wear identifiable clothing to designate

membership

• Bullies and Gangs may seem strong, but actually need help

• Not receiving enough care and love, discipline, and structure at home

• may be abused or neglected by their parents

• come from every ethnic and economic group

• lack problem-solving skills and solve conflicts with violence

Missing Children

• Runaways– over 450,000 run away from home every year– run because of family problems, leave abusive

homes, don’t get along with parents, seeking independence

– families live in constant fear– several local and national agencies to help

runaways

Suicide

• 9th leading cause of death in U.S.

• people ages 10 - 45 most likely to commit suicide

• way to end problems

• leave family and friends wondering why, shock, anger, sadness, fear, and uncertainty

• Rate among 15 - 24 year olds is especially high

• 3rd leading cause of death for this age group

• over 2,000 teens commit suicide annually

• for every successful suicide, 25 others have attempted

Risk factors

• emotional problems

• substance abuse

• feeling isolated or hopeless

• family violence

• family history

• depression

• change in well-being or loss of self-esteem

• loss of important relationship

• death of a loved one

Preventing Suicide

• Act quickly

• TALK to the person

• LISTEN to what is said or what they are trying to say

• Seek professional help– private and group counseling services available