Children's Social Networks Research Articles

The social network of children with special healthcare needs in the (in)visibility of nursing care

This study aimed to identify the (in)visibility of nursing care and discuss ways of (dis)articulating this care with family care in the social network of children with special healthcare needs. A qualitative research was performed with health professionals at a pediatric hospital, four units of the Family Medical Program (FMP), and children's relatives living in Niterói (RJ). The field work was put in practice after IRB approval (HESFA/EEAN), consisting of five semi-structured interviews and two group dynamics. Critical Discourse Analysis indicated that nursing care is visible in the child's social network through the nurse's educational and care activities and home visits by the nurisng aide of the FMP. Due to errors in the national health system's referral and counter-referral, mothers articulate the network and not the health service; thus, the reorganization of the system in the State would foster social networks that are less wearing for their families.

School Participation and Social Networks of Children with Complex Communication Needs, Physical Disabilities, and Typically Developing Peers

The aim of the study was to describe and compare the school participation and social networks of children with physical disabilities and complex communication needs (Group CCN), children with physical disabilities only (Group PD), and children with typical development (Group TD). The 39 participants, 10–15 years of age, were observed for 4 hours at school. School staff and the parent and/or child provided information on children’s social networks. A striking observation was that, while participants in Group TD continuously conversed and socialized with peers inside and outside classrooms; those in Group CCN rarely used aided AAC, were provided with limited communication opportunities at school, and had fewer acquaintances and friends. Findings warrant intervention at the participation level at school and in the community.

Resilience in Children Diagnosed With a Chronic Neuromuscular Disorder

: To examine what contributes to resiliency in children living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a chronic, progressive neuromuscular disorder that also influences cognitive ability. The authors hypothesized that family and social support will moderate the effects of individual symptoms of illness severity and influence positive adjustment in boys with DMD. : One hundred forty-six boys with DMD were included. Child adjustment, as determined by parent ratings of their son's behavior using the Total Behavior score from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), was examined as an outcome measure. The contributions of individual variables (including age [which serves also as a proxy for degree of physical disability], wheelchair use, and estimated verbal IQ), family variables (the Parental Distress score from the Parent Stress Index), and social environment variables (the Social Competence score from the CBCL) on child adjustment were examined in a linear regression analysis. : Both family and social environment variables significantly contributed to the variance in the CBCL Total Behavior score. In contrast, individual factors that are related to illness severity (age, degree of physical involvement, and estimated verbal IQ) were not associated with child adjustment. : Increased children's social networks and decreased parents' stress levels positively contributed to good child adjustment, whereas degree of individual clinical severity did not. Thus, emphasis on providing opportunities for friendships and social support and on parents' adjustment will aid in children's resilience, ensuring they can live well, even while living with the significant burdens associated with DMD.

Parental Attitudes, Attachment Styles, Social Networks, and Psychological Processes in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

ABSTRACT In this study the authors used a cross-cultural approach to examine parental attitudes, attachment styles, social networks, and some of the psychological processes involved in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Fifty-two children (aged 4–11 years) took part in the study: 30 Italians (15 with ASD and 15 controls) and 22 Cubans (11 with ASD and 11 controls). Findings indicated significant differences between the two cultural groups in terms of the structure of the children's social network and parental attitudes toward their children. However, the mother–child attachment relationship and cognitive and emotional functioning of the study participants were independent of culture.

INTERACCIONES SOCIALES DE NIÑOS CON NECESIDADES EDUCATIVAS ESPECIALES: UN ENFOQUE FUNCIONAL

The stategy presented in this study integrates sociometry and behavioral information to evaluate the stability or change of the social behavior of children with special needs. This work compares proximal and contextual factors that explain the patterns of interaction of children with and without special needs. We analyze the implementation of this strategy with respect to the social behavior of elementary school children of different grades. The participants were 15 children considered as children with special needs, ea eh one matched with another child without special needs. Target children displayed less social interactions, a lower academic persistence, a lower number of social episodes, and a higher frequency of leisure episodes than comparison children. Functional indices of social effectiveness and responsivenesss helped to elucidate the mechanisms that control the children's behavior patterns. We discuss the stability of the children's social network and its function with respect to adaptation difficulties in integrated classrooms.

The Peer Social Networks of Young Children with Down Syndrome in Classroom Programmes

BACKGROUND: The nature and characteristics of the peer social networks of young children with Down syndrome in classroom settings were examined within a developmental framework. METHOD: Comparisons were made with younger typically developing children matched on mental age and typically developing children matched on chronological age. RESULTS: Similar patterns were found for all three groups for most peer social network measures. However, group differences were obtained for measures of teacher assistance and peer interactions in unstructured situations. CONCLUSIONS: Positive patterns appeared to be related to the social orientation of children with Down syndrome and the special efforts of teachers to support children's peer social networks. Findings also suggested that fundamental peer competence problems for children with Down syndrome remain and may best be addressed within the framework of contemporary models of peer-related social competence.

A Qualitative Analysis of Email Interactions of Children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The aim of this study was to introduce email as a form of interaction for a group of six children who used augmentative and alternative communication. In a 12-week exploratory study, aspects of the email messages sent were analyzed. The content of the messages was analyzed by an inductive qualitative method, and seven descriptive categories emerged. The most frequently occurring categories were Social Etiquette, Personal/Family Statistics and Personal Common Ground. The children utilized different email strategies that included use of most of the above-mentioned categories. Through the email writing practice, the children developed new social skills and increased their social participation. Email practice may be a good strategy to increase children's social networks.

Sex differences in the structure and stability of children's playground social networks and their overlap with friendship relations

Gender segregated peer networks during middle childhood have been highlighted as important for explaining later sex differences in behaviour, yet few studies have examined the structural composition of these networks and their implications. This short-term longitudinal study of 119 children (7-8 years) examined the size and internal structure of boys' and girls' social networks, their overlap with friendship relations, and their stability over time. Data collection at the start and end of the year involved systematic playground observations of pupils' play networks during team and non-team activities and measures of friendship from peer nomination interviews. Social networks were identified by aggregating play network data at each time point. Findings showed that the size of boy's play networks on the playground, but not their social networks, varied according to activity type. Social network cores consisted mainly of friends. Girl's social networks were more likely to be composed of friends and boys' networks contained friends and non-friends. Girls had more friends outside of the social network than boys. Stability of social network membership and internal network relations were higher for boys than girls. These patterns have implications for the nature of social experiences within these network contexts.

Addressing the disturbed, like ripples in water: intervention with the social networks of children who transe

Children who “transe” (i.e. children who perform gender different from their assigned sex) are a group deserving of attention. The majority of these children grow up to be either lesbian, gay bisexual and/or transe and, as a result of the attached social stigma, are at increased risk for grave psychological consequences. When brought to professional attention, children who transe will often be brought to designated specialty clinics. This is especially true for somatic boys, since boys in girls' attire and performance evoke more anxiety in their environment than boyish girls. Centralized clinics can only to a certain degree meet these children's special needs concerning how to cope with the challenges they face, because those challenges are found in their immediate and extended networks, located far away from the specialist consulting rooms. The clinical work described here has been collected over a period of 10–15 years. The work focus has been with those who are or might be disturbed by the children. Like ripples in water, the children's networks are educated to achieve a more nuanced understanding of sex and gender. This work has proved to be very effective in relieving the anxieties in the networks of children who transe.

Strengths-Based Partnerships: A School-Family-Community Partnership Approach to Empowering Students

When school counselors team and collaborate with school personnel, families, and community members to foster strengths-based partnerships, they are able to implement classroom, schoolwide, and community-based programs and interventions that support and empower children and families. Strengths-based partnerships utilize the assets found in schools, families, and communities to create strengths-enhancing environments, promote caring and positive adult-child relationships, strengthen children's social support networks, foster academic success, and empower children with a sense of purpose. This article describes a case example of a strengths-based approach to school-family- community partnerships that a school counselor in a Title I elementary school is implementing to empower low-income children and families of color.

Strengths-Based Partnerships: A School-Family-Community Partnership Approach to Empowering Students

When school counselors team and collaborate with school personnel, families, and community members to foster strengths-based partnerships, they are able to implement classroom, schoolwide, and community-based programs and interventions that support and empower children and families. Strengths-based partnerships utilize the assets found in schools, families, and communities to create strengths-enhancing environments, promote caring and positive adult-child relationships, strengthen children's social support networks, foster academic success, and empower children with a sense of purpose. This article describes a case example of a strengths-based approach to school-family-community partnerships that a school counselor in a Title I elementary school is implementing to empower low-income children and families of color.

A comparative social network analysis of wasp colonies and classrooms: Linking network structure to functioning

A major question in current network science is how to understand the relationship between structure and functioning of real networks. Here we present a comparative network analysis of 48 wasp and 36 human social networks. We have compared the centralisation and small world character of these interaction networks and have studied how these properties change over time. We compared the interaction networks of (1) two congeneric wasp species ( Ropalidia marginata and Ropalidia cyathiformis), (2) the queen-right (with the queen) and queen-less (without the queen) networks of wasps, (3) the four network types obtained by combining (1) and (2) above, and (4) wasp networks with the social networks of children in 36 classrooms. We have found perfect (100%) centralisation in a queen-less wasp colony and nearly perfect centralisation in several other queen-less wasp colonies. Note that the perfectly centralised interaction network is quite unique in the literature of real-world networks. Differences between the interaction networks of the two wasp species are smaller than differences between the networks describing their different colony conditions. Also, the differences between different colony conditions are larger than the differences between wasp and children networks. For example, the structure of queen-right R. marginata colonies is more similar to children social networks than to that of their queen-less colonies. We conclude that network architecture depends more on the functioning of the particular community than on taxonomic differences (either between two wasp species or between wasps and humans).

Lead users in social networks of children

Purpose – The goal of this research is to fill the gap in lead users' research under children. An effort is made to analyze the characteristics of lead users in social networks of children. Furthermore, their role in the adoption and diffusion of innovations is examined.Design/methodology/approach – An experiment is conducted at primary schools in The Netherlands, with children aged between 8 and 12 years. An innovation is introduced in a social network (school class). Lead users are identified and their adoptive behavior is examined.Findings – The following characteristics of lead users are identified in this study. Lead users have an efficient place within a social network, which allows them to receive diverse and non‐redundant information. They have a higher familiarity with the product category, and they are perceived as experts by their peers. Finally, lead users are more likely to be boys than girls. This study discovers as well that there is a significant positive relationship between lead userness...

A Social Network Perspective of Lead Users and Creativity: An Empirical Study among Children

Generating ideas at the ‘fuzzy front end’ of new product development is risky and has serious consequences for all preceding development stages. One of the currently most prominent techniques in supporting this idea‐generation stage is the lead user approach. Involving lead users in idea generation closely correlates to individual creativity, and both, in turn, to the provision of information in social networks. This study, guided by lead user theory, creativity research and network theory, investigates 16 school‐groups of children examining the relationship between the children's social networks and their resulting creativity and lead userness. In addition, the interplay between lead userness and creativity is discussed and empirically tested. The main result of this study is that children who are positioned as bridging links between different groups in social networks reveal both a high degree of lead userness and a high level of creativity.

Social influences in sports activity among adolescents

Habits of leisure time sports activity, similar to other health behaviours, are established during late childhood and early adolescence. While regular leisure time sports activity is a natural part of children's lifestyle, it starts to decrease during adolescence, particularly among girls. Among the factors influencing children's sports activity, the role of parents, peers, and other members of children's social networks seem to be crucial. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of social influences in early adolescents' leisure time sports activity and to examine gender differences. Data were collected from middle school students using randomly selected classes from four schools in distinct school districts in Szeged, Hungary, using a self-administered questionnaire (n = 548) in which a response rate of 91% was achieved. Respondents were 10-15 years of age (mean = 12.2 years, SD = 1.2 years) with 54.9% of the sample male and 45.1% female. Results show significant others as an important influence on sport-related behaviours and suggest that during early adolescence girls' sports participation is particularly influenced by the social influence of peers (e.g. friends, classmates, boy/girlfriend). Our findings suggest that health promotion programmes should build on possible social influences, i.e. the role of peers, parents and significant others in general, in fostering adolescents' physical activity.

Social Capital, Ethnicity and Children's Well‐Being: Aspects of Social Capital in the Everyday Lives of British Punjabi Children

This paper discusses the relationship between minority ethnicity, well‐being and children's social capital in the light of data from a qualitative study on social capital among 32 British Punjabi primary school children. Through a broad overview of social capital literature on ethnic minorities and children's welfare, the case is made for placing children's well‐being in a contextual framework that acknowledges the variety and wealth of children's everyday experiences. Looking at the children's social networks and future aspirations, the discussion will draw out ways in which social capital processes interact with other aspects of children's identity, including ethnicity and gender, from a child‐centred perspective. Finally, some exploratory ideas are offered as to how bonding processes may affect children's psychological well‐being, and how they may be viewed through the concept of ‘emotional capital’.

‘Sticking with your Mates?’ Children's Friendship Trajectories during the Transition from Primary to Secondary School

For many children, the transition to secondary school is marked by both anxiety and excitement, particularly in relation to friendship. This article draws upon the concept of social capital — the resources individuals and collectives derive from their social networks — in order to understand the significance of change and continuity in children's friendships during a challenging period in their lives. Children's social networks often provide important, but under‐researched resources which aid their progress through the transition. This article presents findings from a three‐year ESRC study exploring children's and parents’ use of social capital during their secondary school transfer.

Significando a morte, através de redes sociais, em um contexto de vulnerabilidade social: um estudo com crianças pré-escolares, seus pais e professores

O presente artigo resulta de uma pesquisa realizada durante 2004, em um bairro popular de Salvador, com o objetivo de compreender os processos de significação da morte, apresentados por um grupo de crianças pré-escolares, que se encontravam em uma situação de vulnerabilidade social. O intuito primordial não foi descrever tais significados, mas compreender como o contexto vivenciado, intermediado pelas relações com pais e outros educadores, promoviam o surgimento de determinadas falas e comportamentos por parte das crianças. No contexto investigado, as crianças se encontravam expostas a mortes decorrentes de conflitos relacionados ao tráfico de drogas. Para atingir tal objetivo, foi desenvolvido um estudo exploratório, em uma creche, na qual entrevistamos doze crianças, nove dos seus responsáveis e quatro educadores. Os instrumentos foram adequados de acordo com cada um dos grupos. Como resultado do estudo, observamos que, apesar das crianças conviverem com situações de violência e morte, os pais encontram grandes dificuldades em abordarem o tema com as mesmas que não obstante trazem, principalmente para a escola, através da fala e das brincadeiras, as experiências vividas em sua comunidade.

Diffusion of innovations through social networks of children

Purpose – The paper aims to examine the role of social networks of children on the diffusion of an innovation.Design/methodology/approach – The impact of social networks on the adoptive behavior of children is measured in the study and then compared to more traditional marketing strategies. Therefore an experiment was conducted on three primary public schools in The Netherlands, with children aged eight to 12.Findings – The paper finds that a child's centrality in his/her social network was the most important determinant for adoptive behavior. The higher a child's centrality in his/her social network, the stronger a child's adoptive behavior. In addition the findings show that traditional marketing strategies such as mass media appeared to have no impact on adoptive behavior at all.Research limitations/implications – Results indicate that instead of focusing on traditional marketing strategies for children, more attention should be paid to a child's social network position.Originality/value – The number o...

Inclusion, Social Networks and Resilience: Strategies, Practices and Outcomes for Disabled Children and their Families

This paper explores the strategies of service providers and the benefits reported by disabled children and their parents/carers in three Children's Fund programmes in England. Based on National Evaluation of the Children's Fund research, we discuss how different understandings of ‘inclusion’ informed the diverse strategies and approaches service providers adopted. While disabled children and families perceived the benefits of services predominantly in terms of building individual children's resilience and social networks, the paper highlights the need for holistic approaches which have a broad view of inclusion, support children's networks and tackle disabling barriers within all the spheres of children's lives.