Protective Services Research Articles

Borderline personality disorder and parenting capacity: Understanding child protection population characteristics

Objective This paper describes an audit of borderline symptoms, risk factors for maltreatment and types of abuse among parents who completed a parenting capacity assessment at a South Australian health-based child protection service. Method A retrospective case note audit within a 28-month period was conducted and included parents ( n = 107) who had completed a Mclean’s screening instrument for borderline personality disorder and/or had a psychiatric review with a formal diagnosis. Parents who had a borderline personality disorder diagnosis or endorsed five or more symptoms were categorised into the ‘high’ borderline symptom group. Rates of parental risk factors for maltreatment and type of abuse were compared between parents with low or high borderline symptoms. Results Forty percent of parents endorsed at least five borderline symptoms on the screening tool. On average, parents high in borderline symptoms had a greater number of parental risk factors. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of screening for personality pathology among parents presenting to child protection services. Foundational training for staff and making evidence-based interventions available should be considered in such settings.

The Influence of Democratic Leadership on Employee Performance With Psychological Empowerment as a Mediation Variable in the Women's Empowerment Office, the Protection of Children and Community (Dp3am) Binjai City

The purpose of this study is to find out and analyze the influence of Democratic Leadership on Employee Performance mediated by Psychological Empowerment in Employees of the Women's Empowerment, Child Protection and Community Service (DP3AM) of Binjai City. This research was carried out at the Women's Empowerment, Child Protection and Community Protection Office (DP3AM) of Binjai City. The type of research is quantitative associative. The sample in this study is 61 employees of the Women's Empowerment, Child Protection and Community Service (DP3AM) of Binjai City. The sampling technique in this study uses a saturated sample so that the entire population will be a sample of 61 people. The results of the study show that Democratic Leadership has a significant influence on Employee Performance as shown by a T-Statistic value of 9,023 > 1.96 and a P Value of 0.001 < 0.05. In the influence of Democratic Leadership on Psychological Empowerment, data obtained T-Statistical values were obtained from 10,966 > 1.96 and P-Value values of 0.000 < 0.05 or no influence of Democratic Leadership on Psychological Empowerment. Psychological Empowerment has a significant effect on Employee Performance with a T-Statistic value of 16,939 > 1.96 with a P-Value of 0.000 < 0.05. In the indirect influence, the results show that Psychological Empowerment also has a role as an intervening variable that will explain the relationship between Democratic Leadership and the Performance of Employees of the Women's Empowerment, Child and Community Protection Office (DP3AM) of Binjai City. This shows that improvements in Democratic Leadership will be able to increase Psychological Empowerment, which in turn can also contribute to improving the Performance of Employees of the Women's Empowerment, Child and Community Protection Office (DP3AM) of Binjai City.

Identifying pain profiles in employees including work-related factors and pain perceptions: a cross-sectional study in Belgian companies

ObjectivesStudies usually investigate a limited number or a predefined combinations of risk factors for sickness absence in employees with pain. We examined frequently occurring combinations across a wide range of...

The Effect of Training Programs on Capacity Building of Posyandu Cadres Through Managerial Competence in the Women's Empowerment, Child Protection Office and the People of Binjai City

The purpose of this study is to find out and analyze the effect of Training on Knowledge mediated by Managerial Competence in Posyandu Cadres of Employees of the Women's Empowerment, Child Protection and Community Service (DP3AM) of Binjai City. This research was carried out at the Women's Empowerment, Child Protection and Community Protection Office (DP3AM) of Binjai City. The type of research is quantitative associative. The sample in this study was 172 Posyandu Cadres of the Women's Empowerment, Child and Community Protection Office (DP3AM) of Binjai City. The sampling technique in this study uses a random sampling technique from the entire population of 1205 people. The results of the study show that Training has a significant influence on Knowledge as shown by the T-Statistic value of 24,882 > 1.96 and the P Value of 0.000 < 0.05. In the effect of Training on Managerial Competence, data on T-Statistical values were obtained from 4,948 > 1.96 and P-Value values of 0.000 < 0.05 or there was an influence of Training on Managerial Competence. Managerial Competence has a significant effect on Knowledge with a T-Statistic value of 3,039 > 1.96 with a P-Value of 0.000 < 0.05. In the indirect influence, the results show that Managerial Competence has a role as an intervening variable in explaining the relationship between Training and Knowledge of Posyandu Cadres. This shows that improvements in training can improve Managerial Competence, which ultimately contributes to increasing the Knowledge of Posyandu Cadres of the Women's Empowerment, Child and Community Protection Office (DP3AM) of Binjai City.

Optimizing child protection systems: A systematic review of the literature on risk assessment practices

Child maltreatment is a global phenomenon that has affected millions of children, with far-reaching consequences for their development. The assessment of risk has emerged as a fundamental and indispensable component within child protection services. Professionals should use safe and effective risk assessment practices, always prioritizing the best interests of the child. This systematic review aims to elucidate the prevailing risk assessment practices employed by professionals within the child protection systems. The systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Thirteen empirical studies were selected, featuring participants from diverse fields such as social services, health, psychology, and law enforcement. The professionals relied on a multifaceted approach, incorporating clinical judgment, professional expertise, actuarial risk assessment tools, individual interviews with children, adolescents, and family members, as well as the observation of familial dynamics. Moreover, intra- and interinstitutional collaboration played a pivotal role in the comprehensive evaluation of risk. Consequently, the discerned efficient practice appears to be a synergistic effort undertaken by a transdisciplinary team. This collaborative action encompasses the utilization of clinical judgment, augmented by the judicious administration of actuarial risk assessment instruments.

Social Support, Caregiver Burden, Quality of Life and Resilience Among Mothers with Down Syndrome Children in East Kalimantan: A Mixed Method Study

One effect of spending time with children who have Down syndrome is that parents may spend less time interacting with their surroundings. Parents' resilience and quality of life will both be impacted by this behavior. The study sought to ascertain the relationship between quality of life, resilience, carer load, and social support in mothers of children with Down syndrome. This study employed a hybrid methodology, with two phases in February and May of 2023: quantitative and qualitative. In the initial phase, 135 parents with DS children were involved. The qualitative phase involved 8 individuals after that. The quality-of-life variable has a strong correlation; however, it is correlated negatively, meaning that the variable's resilience decreases as quality-of-life increases. However, the variables measuring the burden of caring and social support show a negligible connection with a negative direction. This implies that the resilience variable decreases with increasing stress and increases with social support. Six themes surfaced in the qualitative stage in the meantime. Social support, caregiver burden, and quality of life influence the strengthening of parents who have DS children; therefore, protection service providers can consider parenting using this method as early detection in maintaining the resilience of parents who have DS children.

Social Services in Handling Stunting at the Abeli Community Health Center, Abeli District, Kendari City

The purpose of this study is to find out the factors that cause stunting conditions at the Abeli Community Health Center, Abeli District, Kendari City and to find out the forms of social services in handling stunting at the Abeli Community Health Center, Abeli District, Kendari City. This type of research uses a qualitative descriptive approach with 12 informants selected by purposive sampling technique. The data in this study was obtained through interviews, observations and documentation studies, the data obtained was then analyzed qualitatively with an interactive model consisting of data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawn. The results of this study show that the factors that cause stunting conditions in the Abeli Community Health Center, Abeli District, Kendari City are insufficient nutritional intake, insufficient or insufficient nutrition, lack of access to clean water facilities, wrong parenting, lack of knowledge and education of mothers, non-fulfillment of Toilet Washing, non-fulfillment of exclusive breastfeeding and economic factors. And forms of social services in handling stunting at the Abeli Community Health Center, Abeli Kendari District, include social services for healing, protection and rehabilitation, nutrition services and counseling, nutrition, clean water sanitation improvement, and growth monitoring

Trust Evaluation Techniques for 6G Networks: A Comprehensive Survey with Fuzzy Algorithm Approach

Sixth-generation (6G) networks are poised to support an array of advanced technologies and promising high-quality and secure services. However, ensuring robust security, privacy protection, operational efficiency, and superior service delivery poses significant challenges. In this context, trust emerges as a foundational element that is critical for addressing the multifaceted challenges inherent in 6G networks. This review article comprehensively examines trust concepts, methodologies, and techniques that are vital for establishing and maintaining a secure and reliable 6G ecosystem. Beginning with an overview of the trust problem in 6G networks, this study underscores their pivotal role in navigating the network’s complexities. It proceeds to explore the conceptual frameworks underpinning trust and discuss various trust models tailored to the unique demands of 6G networks. Moreover, this article surveys a range of scholarly works presenting diverse techniques for evaluating trust by using the fuzzy logic algorithm, which is essential for ensuring the integrity and resilience of 6G networks. Through a meticulous analysis of these techniques, this study elucidates their technical nuances, advantages, and limitations. By offering a comprehensive assessment of trust evaluation methodologies, this review facilitates informed decision making in the design and implementation of secure and trustworthy 6G networks.

Prevalence of exposure to domestic and family violence among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory of Australia

IntroductionAlthough there is substantial evidence regarding the detrimental effect exposure to domestic and family violence (DFV) has on healthy child development, there is a paucity of information on the prevalence of childhood DFV exposure. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of DFV exposure among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. MethodsThis was a retrospective observational cohort study using linked individual-level records. The cohort consisted of all children aged 0-17 residing in the NT and exposed to DFV as recorded in Child Protection Services and police data in 2018. ‘Exposure to DFV’ was defined broadly as being a child in a household in which DFV occurred, including children who were not physically present at the time of the incident. In our main analyses, exposure to DFV was defined as having either any DFV-related notification or any DFV-related substantiated notification with Child Protection Services, or any DFV-related record in police datasets. ResultsIn 2018, 13.3% of NT children had a record of exposure to DFV with the prevalence for Aboriginal children around six times greater than non-Aboriginal children (24.4% compared to 4.2%). Using a single data source, the estimates of exposure to DFV, for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, varied from: 3.3% and 0.3% respectively, for substantiated child protection notifications; 7.1% and 1.1% for investigated notifications, 15.9% and 2.6% for all notifications; and, 17.2% and 2.9% for police data. Prevalence of exposure varied with age and was highest for Aboriginal children aged from 0-4 years (31.4%) and for non-Aboriginal children aged 14-17 years (4.9%). ConclusionsMany NT children are exposed to DFV, with much greater exposure among Aboriginal children. The prevalence estimates varied between sources of data and with the definition of childhood exposure to DFV. Our findings highlight the value of linking records from multiple sources to provide a more comprehensive estimate of the magnitude of exposure of children to DFV, an essential base on which to plan a public health response to DFV prevention.

Child maltreatment and peer relationship quality: Types and timing of maltreatment and gender differences.

Research demonstrates that child maltreatment can negatively impact adolescent peer relationships. It is not well understood, however, how the type of maltreatment and its timing (when it occurs) affects the dimensions of peer relationship quality (i.e., companionship, conflict, satisfaction, and intimacy) and differences between genders. This study examines the effects of type and timing of child maltreatment on peer relationship quality, while also exploring the role of gender differences. This study involved 851 adolescents (56.1% girls, 56.2% Black, and 26.8% low-income) drawn from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). We used Child Protective Services' information for the type and timing of child maltreatment, along with self-reports of peer relationship quality. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEEs) were conducted. Sexual abuse and neglect during adolescence were associated with less satisfaction and lower levels of companionship, respectively. Physical abuse during middle childhood was associated with lower levels of intimacy. We also found interactions between gender and type and timing of maltreatment. Compared to girls, boys exhibited lower levels of companionship and satisfaction if they experienced sexual abuse during adolescence. These findings suggest a need for maltreatment-prevention efforts targeting school-aged children and adolescents, as well as gender-sensitive interventions for high-risk boys with a history of maltreatment.

Administrative legal principles of human rights-based approach by the police

One of the priority tasks of reforming law enforcement agencies is to build a preventive mechanism based on the observance of human and civil rights and freedoms, protection of society from violence and discrimination, and creation of barrier-free space for people with limited mobility. The multidimensional nature and complexity of the issues requiring statutory regulation in these areas determine the relevance of the subject under study. The purpose of this study was to model the administrative legal mechanism of police activity in which human rights would be optimally and effectively implemented. To fulfil this purpose, the methodology used included a combination of comparative rule-making, system analysis, internal and external induction, constructive cognition and content analysis. It was found that the observance of human rights in police activities is inextricably linked to the implementation of the rule of law and the provision of protective police services. Numerous cases of violations revealed during journalistic investigations and widely discussed by the public have become one of the reasons for the rapid decline in public trust in state law enforcement institutions, and as a result, a substantial obstacle to Ukraine’s integration into the European space. The study analysed the key reasons affecting the effectiveness of administrative legal strategies for ensuring a human rights-based approach in the practical activities of the National Police bodies (units). Specifically, these include transition processes related to the harmonisation of national legislation with international and European standards, low level of material and social security of police officers, insufficient level of professionalism, influence of negative environment, narrow understanding of administrative legal activities in the field of human rights related to the prevention of administrative and criminal offences. The study concluded that the principles of the rule of law, respect for human rights and freedoms and partnership-based interaction with the public are crucial and interrelated in the preventive activities of police. The study outlined the key areas of improvement of national legislation in the field of development and/or optimisation of administrative legal systems for ensuring the functioning of organisational, technical, information, and economic resources as guarantees of the implementation of the declared constitutional rights and freedoms. The results of this study can be used to formulate and improve the norms of national legislation that regulate the activities of law enforcement agencies and determine the content of its guidelines

Leukemia Incidence by Occupation and Industry: A Cohort Study of 2.3 Million Workers from Ontario, Canada.

Although a significant body of evidence has attributed certain occupational exposures with leukemia, such as benzene, formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene and ionizing radiation, more research is needed to identify work environments at increased risk for this disease. Our study aimed to identify occupational and industry groups associated with an elevated incidence of leukemia using a diverse cohort of workers' compensation claimants from Ontario, Canada. A total of 2,363,818 workers in the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) cohort, with claims between 1983-2019, were followed for malignant leukemia diagnoses up to 31 December 2019. We used a Cox proportional-hazards model to estimate the relative incidence of leukemia in specific occupation and industry groups. After adjusting for age and birth year, males in protective services (HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.02-1.35), metal machining (HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.07-1.41), transport (HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.06-1.25), and mining occupations (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.02-1.60) had elevated risks of leukemia compared to other workers in the ODSS, with comparable findings by industry. Among female workers, slight risk elevations were observed among product fabricating, assembling, and repairing occupations, with other increased risks seen in furniture and fixture manufacturing, storage, and retail industries. These findings underscore the need for exposure-based studies to better understand occupational hazards in these settings.

Domestic and Family Violence Affecting Children and Young People from Culturally and Racially Marginalized Migrant Backgrounds in Australia: A Scoping Review of Child Experiences and Service Responses.

In Australia, children and families from culturally and racially marginalized (CARM) migrant backgrounds experience a range of compounding structural and interpersonal factors that limit help-seeking and exacerbate the impacts of domestic and family violence (DFV). This scoping review examines the current state of knowledge on how children and young people from CARM migrant backgrounds experience DFV, and the services that respond to DFV including child protection services. A systematic search was conducted across PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases and Google Scholar, alongside a complementary grey literature search. Articles were included in the review if participants were from CARM migrant backgrounds, and the article included information related to children and young people's experiences of DFV, and the DFV service system. The review found 19 articles that met selection criteria. Due to limited research on this topic in Australia, most articles focused on children and young people's experiences shared through parental, carer or service provider perspectives. To our knowledge, this is the first scoping review to examine how children and young people from CARM migrant backgrounds experience DFV. Findings demonstrate children and young people are victim-survivors of multiple forms of DFV. Children and young people's engagement with the DFV service system is often accompanied by feelings of fear and distrust. Findings suggest that to strengthen system responses to DFV, services must build their capability to implement intersectional approaches that simultaneously support the safety and well-being of both the child and the non-violent parent or carer.

A System of Indicators as a Measurement of the Contribution of Science to Our Social Development

The definition of social efficiency and social technology is the basis of evaluation methods and models, taking into account the wide range of objective and subjective factors. The methods for evaluating the effectiveness of social programs (projects) are related to the orientation of the social system towards social protection and social services of the population and the use of the process approach and the transition to program-target methods, outlining basic problems, mechanisms for social services and tasks for measurement, defining the basic requirements for evaluating the effectiveness of social programming and the different stages. Considering all these questions, the study proposes a model for evaluating the effectiveness of social programming based on the approach of “organizational effectiveness”, covering the set of certain elements - a system for acquiring resources, choosing goals, assessing the impact of the external environment, choosing a strategy, respecting the “what-if” principle and priorities in social activity resulting from dynamic changes in the social environment Special emphasis is placed on the differentiated effect on higher education institutions, depending on the area in which they carry out teaching and research activities, as well as on the peculiarities of the university business model in the changing environment for the development of higher education institutions.

Differentiating crossover youth: Examining psychological characteristics in a multicultural Australian youth justice cohort

The association between childhood maltreatment and juvenile offending has been well-established, with a significant proportion of justice-involved young people being found to have child protection service histories. However, it is unclear what psychological factors contribute to this complex relationship. This study aimed to compare levels of impulsivity, impulsive aggression, psychopathology, and a sensitivity to anger, as well as gender and ethnocultural background, across justice-involved youth with and without a child protection history. The study sample comprised 215 young people detained in juvenile detention centers across two sites in Victoria, Australia between July 2011 and June 2012. Measures of impulsivity, impulsive aggression, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and sensitivity to anger were administered and compared amongst those who had previously been the subject of a child protection order and those without such histories. Results of logistic regression analyses indicated that impulsivity and impulsive aggression were independently associated with having a child protection history in justice-involved youth. Ethnocultural background was also significantly associated with having a child protection history. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Protection service of a leading silverback male from external threats in wild western gorillas.

Primate males normally protect reproductive females, genetic offspring, and other relatives from external threats. Nevertheless, male protection of group members other than the above individuals is widely reported. Here, we show qualitative data on a silverback's charging behaviors toward human observers (predator surrogates) to protect group members having various age-sex and kinship traits in a group of wild western gorillas containing one reproductive male. We observed 106 and 33 charging behaviors by the leading silverback in two separate study periods. Two natal infants were often involved in his protective charging. Further, the silverback provided protection services to reproductive females. Surprisingly, immigrant individuals (i.e., unrelated to the silverback), including a wide range of age-sex classes, were also protected multiple times. His protection services for natal infants and adult females can be interpreted as a form of parenting effort and mating effort, respectively. Further, those for some immigrant immatures accompanied by their mothers can be considered part of mating effort, advertising his quality as a mate to the mothers. Finally, his charging behaviors to protect immigrant young males, who could be reproductive threats to him, may be due to group augmentation benefits. That is, the recruitment of additional males in exchange for protection services would improve the ability of group defense. Protection services of the leading silverback in the one-male group of western gorillas, in which members of various age-sex classes and kinship traits coexist, could be interpreted by some existing functional explanations.

Use of Firearms in Private Protection Services

Use of Firearms in Private Protection Services

Predictive risk modeling for child maltreatment detection and enhanced decision-making: Evidence from Danish administrative data.

Child maltreatment is a widespread problem with significant costs for both victims and society. In this retrospective cohort study, we develop predictive risk models using Danish administrative data to predict removal decisions among referred children and assess the effectiveness of caseworkers in identifying children at risk of maltreatment. The study analyzes 195,639 referrals involving 102,309 children Danish Child Protection Services received from April 2016 to December 2017. We implement four machine learning models of increasing complexity, incorporating extensive background information on each child and their family. Our best-performing model exhibits robust predictive power, with an AUC-ROC score exceeding 87%, indicating its ability to consistently rank referred children based on their likelihood of being removed. Additionally, we find strong positive correlations between the model's predictions and various adverse child outcomes, such as crime, physical and mental health issues, and school absenteeism. Furthermore, we demonstrate that predictive risk models can enhance caseworkers' decision-making processes by reducing classification errors and identifying at-risk children at an earlier stage, enabling timely interventions and potentially improving outcomes for vulnerable children.

Multi-objective optimization of asymmetric bit rate partitioning for multipath protection in elastic optical networks

In survivable elastic optical networks, multi-path protection combined with traffic squeezing has gained attention. Link-disjoint multipath routing (LD-MPR) and bandwidth squeezing protection (BSP) when applied to the routing, modulation level and spectrum assignment problem are efficient strategies to address the excessive bandwidth demanded by protected services, spectral fragmentation and link-load balancing. LD-MPR enables the division of service transmission bit rate into independent flows, whereas BSP tolerates traffic reduction under link failure. An open issue in the literature is how to efficiently divide demanded traffic among the link-disjoint routes under dynamic-traffic and BSP, while complying the service level agreement (SLA). We propose in this paper a multi-objective-optimization genetic algorithm that defines how service transmission bit rate should be partitioned among the candidate link-disjoint routes. A customized partitioning definition is made for each source–destination node pair in the network, aiming the simultaneous minimization of network blocking probability and average squeezing transmission bit rate experienced by the services during single-link failure. We also propose, a fixed-alternate routing using groups of disjoint paths (FARgdp). Complex dynamic-traffic network scenarios that simultaneously consider BSP, LD-MPR and FARgdp are addressed.

A Qualitative Study of Adult Protective Services Practitioners Responding to Allegations of Elder Abuse and Self-Neglect

ABSTRACT Adult Protective Services (APS) practitioners play an essential role in supporting older adults experiencing elder abuse and self-neglect (EASN), however, very little research has examined their experiences, from their perspectives. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of APS practitioners responding to allegations of EASN. Qualitative interviews were conducted with APS practitioners (n = 14) from the state of Maine. A descriptive phenomenological approach involving two independent assessors was used to code transcripts into themes. Two domains, each with various subthemes, were identified: (1) rewarding elements of role and (2) challenging aspects of role. The findings of this study emphasize how APS practitioners are motivated by their capacity to help elicit positive change in the lives of their clients and support the well-being of older adults experiencing EASN. However, APS practitioners must navigate numerous challenges and barriers in their role, including time constraints, high and complex caseloads, limited resources, and broader misconceptions on APS. These findings highlight the importance of addressing these stressors to support the well-being of APS practitioners, which, in turn, can help support the vulnerable older adults they serve.