Welfare Practice Research Articles

A Cross-Cultural Study of Veterinarians’ Attitudes to the Euthanasia of Companion Animals

ABSTRACT The attitudes of veterinarians to the euthanasia of companion animals were investigated using an online questionnaire in Hungary (n = 93), Sweden (n = 145), and Jordan (n = 40). The questions concerned the number of euthanasia performed and the reasons for and circumstances surrounding them, the veterinarians’ opinions on four clinical cases, and the mental burden associated with euthanasia (using a 7-point Likert scale). The monthly number of euthanasia performed by the veterinarians was significantly related to the country (highest in Sweden), but no differences were found by age group (≤ 34 years, 35–54 years, ≥ 55 years) or gender. Untreatable conditions were the most common reason for euthanasia in all countries, but old age was also an important factor in Sweden. Swedish respondents were the most likely, and Jordanians the least likely, to fulfill euthanasia requests about aggressive, but otherwise healthy, animals. The reported mental burden of euthanasia was lowest in Sweden and highest in Jordan, and male veterinarians reported a lower burden than female veterinarians. The attachment of owners to their animals was not associated with the ethical burden of euthanasia experienced by the respondents. Veterinarians who performed more euthanasia per month reported a lower ethical burden. Most respondents considered what they had learned about the topic during their university education to be insufficient. According to our model, veterinarians’ attitudes toward euthanasia are associated with a combination of personal (gender, age, training background) and social (cultural, religious background) factors. Further research on this topic is important, not only for animal welfare rules and practices but also for the protection of veterinarians’ mental health.

The factors influencing university students’ participation in social welfare activities

Social public welfare practice is an important way to realize the goal of practical education in colleges and universities. Through a survey of 439 university students in Beijing, the results in this study showed that university students’ intention to participate in social public welfare practice was influenced by perceived value, behavioral attitude, and perceived behavioral control, and was not affected by subjective norms. Behavioral attitude and perceived behavioral control played a mediating role between perceived value and intention to participate. These findings extend the research perspective to the field of social welfare and have the potential to promote the development of social welfare practice activities for university students.

Surviving Violence, Ambiguity and Oneself: The Experience of Child Protection Workers in Chile

Abstract The challenges of contemporary child welfare practice are well documented in many countries worldwide. The current study enhances this work by reporting the lived experiences of child welfare workers in Chile, who negotiate their practice in a strained political and organisational context. A qualitative methodology was used to understand the complexities of the survival strategies of these workers. Data were collected via multiple individual interviews and group workshop sessions with six workers of different Chilean National Service for Minors’ collaborating organisations. Through a constructivist grounded theory analysis, we identify three major complexities that shape and construct the strategies of survival that the Chilean child welfare workers deploy in a neo-liberalised labour context: (1) Surviving a violent labour context (precariousness and dehumanisation); (2) surviving labour ambiguities (fractures and resistance) and (3) surviving oneself (pain-filled and violence executors’ bodies). We discuss these findings in the context of the scholarly literature and offer implications for policy and macro practice to alter the work conditions of this professional field.

Increasing Family Engagement in Child Welfare Practice: Findings from a Pilot of the Texas Permanency Outcomes Project

Increasing Family Engagement in Child Welfare Practice: Findings from a Pilot of the Texas Permanency Outcomes Project

Preliminary evaluation of the proteomic profiling in the hippocampus of aged grazing cattle.

Brain aging is a physiological process associated with physical and cognitive decline; however, in both humans and animals, it can be regarded as a risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Among several brain regions, hippocampus appears to be more susceptible to detrimental effects of aging. Hippocampus belongs to limbic system and is mainly involved in declarative memories and context-dependent spatial-learning, whose integrity is compromised in an age-dependent manner. In the present work, taking advantage of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteomics, we sought to identify proteins differentially expressed in the hippocampus of the aged grazing milk cows. Our exploratory findings showed that, out of 707 identified proteins, 112 were significantly altered in old cattle, when compared to the adult controls, and functional clusterization highlighted their involvement in myelination, synaptic vesicle, metabolism, and calcium-related biological pathways. Overall, our preliminary data pave the way for the future studies, aimed at better characterizing the role of such a subcortical brain region in the age-dependent cognitive decline, as well as identifying early aging markers to improve animal welfare and husbandry practices of dairy cattle from intensive livestock.

‘Family doesn’t have to be mom and dad’: an exploration of the meaning of family for care-experienced young people

Young people who experience out-of-home care have typically encountered difficult and/or disrupted family relationships. This article reports on a survey undertaken in the US with 215 young adults (aged 18–22) who experienced out-of-home care starting in pre-adolescence. The article examines responses to an open-ended interview question, ‘How do you define family?’ The analysis highlighted that few young people define family as confined to blood relations. More commonly, young people adopted more flexible definitions, prioritising the ‘doing’ and reflecting on their conceptions of family; attempting to ‘do family’ differently from what they had experienced was also evident. The findings encourage consideration of the utility of family as an important concept for child welfare practice, as positive and flexible understandings of family were imbued with a sense of agency, identity, belonging and overall wellbeing.

Economic considerations of breeding for polledness versus disbudding in beef cattle.

The domestication of animals has rendered horns less necessary for survival. Moreover, the use of polled and disbudded animals is interesting in order to avoid injuries of animals and handlers, among other advantages. We therefore conducted a comparative economic analysis of different traditional disbudding techniques versus selective breeding for polledness in Nelore cattle, the main beef breed of tropical systems in Brazil. The cost to obtain animals without horns was estimated in three different scenarios: disbudding with hot iron, disbudding with caustic paste, and phenotypic selection for polled animals. Price quotations of the materials were obtained in different states of the country and averaged. An initial frequency of horned animals of 92.16% was obtained based on the records of the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders. Selective breeding was found to be the best cost-effective scenario. This result differs from intensive production systems of dairy cattle in which traditional disbudding continues to be the best cost-effective scenario. The main explanation is the lack of difference in the price of Nelore semen from polled and horned bulls. Phenotypic selection for polled animals is the best cost-effective method, and it is in accordance with welfare practices. Care should be taken regarding the intensive use of few polled breeding animals in order to avoid inbreeding depression in other traits.

Colonial constructions: Systemic racism in child welfare practice

Summary Drawing on historical constructions of Indigenous peoples, this paper analyses the continued impact of settler discourses of Indigenous families, parenting, and children on child welfare policy in Canada today. Findings In this work, two provincial children's Advocate reports on the deaths of Indigenous children in care, Tina Fontaine and Alex Gervais, are critically assessed in order to explore the processes through which these colonial constructions operate to create adverse outcomes for Indigenous people. Through this analysis, a number of contemporary colonial narratives are made visible, including the belief that Indigenous parents are inherently incapable of caring for their children, and the gendered construction of Indigenous men and boys as criminal and deviant and Indigenous girls as sexually exploitable. Application These findings suggest that greater critical reflection is needed when working with Indigenous peoples, including greater awareness of the ongoing impact of settler colonialism and the necessity of engaging in anti-colonial work.

Comparative Studies of Russian and European Welfare Polities

The authors provide a scholarly conspectus of comparative studies involving Russian, EU8 and EU15 Welfare Polities. They elaborate the notion of the ‘welfare polity’ and its potential for enhancing comparative studies of welfare institutions, policies and practices. This is accompanied by an overview of trends in comparative studies involving Russian, EU8 and EU15 countries, along with a consideration of how comparative research involving these states can be strengthened. Gaps in the literature and evidence base, including systematic cross-national and temporal data on the design and implementation of social policies and social protection, are highlighted. A shared concern was found with the growth of division and exclusion exacerbated by global economic factors and by state-level policy shifts, a trend especially notable in Russian studies. Fruitful pointers for future research and international collaboration are indicated and the need for further comparative efforts emphasised at a challenging time for geopolitical relations.

The Pitfalls of a Popular Concept: Co-Production in Times of Individualization, Marketization, and De-Politicization

Co-production between public administrators and citizens has attracted renewed interest in recent years. Co-production is predominantly perceived as something desirable and is claimed to improve service efficiency and outcome and user satisfaction, at the same time as addressing democratic ideals. Drawing from interviews with public administrators and patients in a Swedish healthcare context, this paper seeks to nuance the often overly positive notion of co-production by understanding these micro-level practices as being embedded in a macro-level societal context. Theorizing the empirical material based on three features of contemporary society – individualization, marketization, and de-politicization – we argue that co-production risks placing a burden and responsibility on individual users and creating a (welfare)market in which better-off people are recruited and benefitted. In this sense, co-production may consolidate or reinforce inequalities. Through de-politicization, political issues may appear as value-free; however, as long as market-logics prevail, the welfare system and practices of co-production will, in some respects, be impotent to address crucial societal issues. Co-production as a collective practice targeting democratic standards is called for, rather than an efficiency focus, preferably by taking the recruitment of those in the greatest need seriously – scaffolded by a revitalized public service ethos of public administrators and their organizations.

Contextual determinants of re-reporting for families receiving alternative response: A survival analysis in a Midwestern State

Differential response (DR) has been widely adopted in over 30 states to address shortcomings of the traditional approach to child maltreatment reports in complex family and case circumstances. However, despite continued evaluation efforts, evidence of the effectiveness of DR remains inconclusive. The current study aims to assess the impact of a DR program and potential predictors, including service match and number of family case workers, on maltreatment re-reports in a Midwestern state. The study utilized a randomized control trial and assigned eligible families to either the Alternative Response (AR) track or Traditional Response (TR) track. The enrollment was implemented in a phased rollout covering all counties in the state. Data were drawn from state child welfare administrative datasets and case worker surveys. The probability and time to re-reporting was calculated using survival analysis, while adjusting for case-level covariates. Prior ongoing case (HR = 3.24, p < 0.001), high risk level (HR = 1.43, p < 0.05), and having only one worker (HR = 1.92, p < 0.001) serve the case were strong predictors of re-reporting. The effect of service match within each level of prior ongoing case (No, Yes) was also a significant predictor of re-reporting (p < 0.05). AR had limited, but nonsignificant, impact on preventing re-reporting after adjusting for these factors, as there was no difference in terms of re-reporting between DR tracks. However, findings suggest that matching child welfare service with family needs is an important component of child welfare practice. Implications for DR policy and practice are discussed.

Farm animal welfare as a key element of sustainable food production

This comprehensive review article explores the critical relationship between farm animal welfare and sustainable food production, addressing the growing awareness of the ethical, environmental, and economic implications of animal treatment in agriculture. Prioritizing farm animal welfare is not only a moral imperative but also a key element in achieving a truly sustainable and resilient food system. The study examines the challenges and opportunities associated with enhancing animal welfare practices and their profound impact on sustainability. It analyzes potential benefits and barriers for farmers, consumers, and society at large in adopting more ethical and humane food production practices. By addressing these issues, the article aims to foster a more sustainable food production system that promotes animal welfare, environmental conservation, and social responsibility. Emphasizing the importance of ethical treatment, the review discusses improved animal health and productivity, the environmental impact, consumer perspectives, and successful case studies that highlight the transformative potential of embracing farm animal welfare in shaping a compassionate, resilient, and sustainable food industry.

Who makes the call? Examining the relationship between child maltreatment referral sources and case outcomes in the United States, 2008-2018

BackgroundResearch shows general increases in child maltreatment reports in the U.S. However, less is understood about how reporting varies across states and changes over time, from a perspective of referral sources. While recent studies during COVID-19 reported a reduction in maltreatment referrals, predominantly school referrals, little research has examined changes in maltreatment referrals by referral sources before the pandemic and how different referral sources are associated with case outcomes, particularly out-of-home placement. ObjectivesThis study examined 1) variations across states and changes over time in maltreatment reporting by referral source and 2) the relationship between referral sources type and two case outcomes: substantiated maltreatment and out-of-home placement. Participants and settingWe used 2008–2018 data (N = 24,349,293) from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. MethodsWe used descriptive trend analysis and pooled, fixed effects binary logistic regression. ResultsWe found gradual increases in reporting during 2008–2018, with substantial variations across states and referral sources. States rely differently on certain reporter types, while we see the largest increase in education referrals and a small decrease in social services referrals. Regression results showed that education referrals were less likely to result in out-of-home placement; law enforcement referrals were most likely to be substantiated, while social service referrals were most likely to result in out-of-home placement. ConclusionThis study makes unique contributions to literature by expanding our knowledge of referral sources and examining the likelihood of substantiation and out-of-home placement by referral source type. We provide child welfare policy and practice implications.

Labour market, social welfare, and migrant remittance: COVID-19 implications in the UK

Immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020, most countries took measures to prevent international human mobility. While the economic consequences of the pandemic significantly reduced remittances sent by migrants through formal channels, restrictions on human mobility almost halted the cross-border movements of remittances through informal channels. Policy measures related to the labour market and social welfare practices have also played determining roles in remittance transfers. This paper aims to examine how the labour-market participation of migrants and pandemic-induced financial support affect remittances sent migrants to their home countries during the COVID-19 outbreak. The author used an inductive approach and analysed qualitative data from two groups of Turkish migrants with different status in the UK labour market. The findings demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic measures to restrict human mobility, migrants’ income/job losses, and dependence on tightly regulated financial support can have devastating effects on remittances sent from the UK to Turkey through both formal and informal channels. This study contributes to remittance literature by evincing the vicious cycle of irregularity in the relationships among remittances, labour markets, and welfare regulations in host countries. In countries with a tight regulatory system, irregularity in the labour market brings about irregularities in money transfers. In possible future events where there is a high probability of an economic downturn and travel restrictions, such as pandemic, natural disasters, armed conflicts and so on, especially for migrants, it is important to set a minimum base wage which can be referred to as ‘Temporary Basic Income Support’. This policy proposal is important as measures that facilitate remittance transfers through formal channels, are one of the most important means of reducing global inequalities and disadvantages.

Child Welfare and Social Work Education

Social work has long been involved in child welfare practice. Though lauded as well- intended and admirable work, the profession’s involvement in the child welfare system is fraught with contradictions, ethical tensions, and a legacy of historical trauma and deep mistrust in Black and Native American communities. Challenging this legacy requires an honest look at how schools of social work participate in policies and practices that work to uphold racialized surveillance and forcible family separation. Accordingly, this paper invites readers into a critical conversation regarding social work’s collaboration with child welfare systems via Title IV-E training programs. To these ends, we draw on the conceptual framework of abolition as a useful tool for interrogating and disrupting social work’s relationship to child welfare.

1인 가구 청년의 독립생활을 통한 성장 경험

Recently, single-person households have surged across all age groups, including young adults, and there is a strong need from a social welfare perspective to understand the implications of this type of independent living in terms of human growth. Thus, this study would explore the growth experience of single young households through independent lives in depth. To gather data, this study interviewed 12 young individuals, meeting the study’s criteria, for a total of 26 hours, two sessions per each person. The study employed thematic analysis and constant comparative methods to reconstruct the participants’ experiences and perspectives. As a result, the meanings of growth experience through the independent living of single young households were identified along with five upper categories: ‘Leaving the original family and growing up in confusion,’ ‘Worries accumulated soon while enjoying freedom,’ ‘Taking a life path without minding others,’ ‘Worthy values learned while living alone,’ ‘Desiring a better world that embraces young independence,’ and the central theme of ‘Living as an adult firming up, weaving the world with my hands after leaving the nest.’ Based on these findings, recommendations were provided to enhance the quality of life and support the growth of young adults residing independently in single-person households through social welfare policies and practices.

Reducing Foster Care Entry Rates for Children in Sacramento County: A Spotlight on Practice

Beginning in 2006, Sacramento County implemented multiple child welfare practices and policies to reduce high rates of foster care entries (e.g., early intervention family drug courts, differential response, team decision-making, a family-centered approach to safety and risk assessment). Those strategies were identified through interviews with County child welfare leaders; and then the strategies were placed chronically in a table to inform a longitudinal data analysis. Between 2000 and 2020, entry rates in Sacramento County declined at a faster rate than entry rates in California (when all state counties but Sacramento were combined), and by 2020 were statistically significantly lower than entry rates in California. Between 2000 and 2020, recurrence of maltreatment rates for children in Sacramento County were higher than California; however, those declined more rapidly than recurrence rates in California and were similar by 2020. Both foster care entry and child maltreatment recurrence rates for children in Sacramento County declined between 2000 and 2020, indicating that foster care entry rates were safely reduced but additional data about child safety and well-being are needed. In addition, although Black children less than one year old continue to enter care at higher rates within Sacramento County, their entry rates declined more rapidly than other ethnic and age groups. This suggests that Sacramento’s focus on the youngest children, with multiple services specially designed for Black children and families, may be contributing to these positive trends. Future studies should examine the individual impact of the multiple interventions and programs implemented in Sacramento County on the rates of entry into foster care. Further investigations could also help unpack the racial/ethnic group and age differences seen in Sacramento County foster care entry rates and inform the timing of future practice improvements.

Mapping local policy approaches to child neglect assessment practice and use of tools in England

AbstractChild neglect has devastating enduring consequences for children and its identification and assessment remains challenging for practitioners. In England, assessment tools and standardised measures have been incorporated in welfare and safeguarding practice to help practitioners' critical observation and analysis and improve their assessments of risk. However, the picture regarding child neglect assessment practice trends on the ground remains unknown. This mapping exercise aimed to, firstly, provide an overview of the approaches to neglect practice and neglect assessment tools promoted by Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships (LSCPs) across England, and secondly, provide a brief examination of the types of tools advocated. An email survey was sent to the safeguarding leads or chairs of LSCPs in England (n = 121). Forty‐two valid responses were received (34.7%). Almost all participating LSCPs had a Neglect Strategy in place and recommended the use of tools and chronologies when working with neglect. Eighteen individual neglect tools were reported with only two of these having undergone psychometric testing. The findings affirm that the use of tools or instruments with low or no testing for psychometric properties continues to be widespread in children's social care and welfare practice in England. Implications and recommendations for practice, policy and future research are discussed.

Observational approaches to chimpanzee behavior in an African sanctuary: Implications for research, welfare, and capacity-building.

Research in African ape sanctuaries has emerged as an important context for our understanding of comparative cognition and behavior. While much of this work has focused on experimental studies of cognition, these animals semi-free-range in forest habitats and therefore can also provide important information about the behavior of primates in socioecologically-relevant naturalistic contexts. In this "New Approaches" article, we describe a project where we implemented a synthetic program of observational data collection at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda, directly modeled after long-term data collection protocols at the Kibale Chimpanzee Project in Uganda, a wild chimpanzee field site. The foundation for this project was a strong partnership between sanctuary staff, field site staff, and external researchers. We describe how we developed a data-collection protocol through discussion and collaboration among these groups, and trained sanctuary caregivers to collect novel observational data using these protocols. We use these data as a case study to examine: (1) how behavioral observations in sanctuaries can inform primate welfare and care practices, such as by understanding aggression within the group; (2) how matched observational protocols across sites can inform our understanding of primate behavior across different contexts, including sex differences in social relationships; and (3) how more robust collaborations between foreign researchers and local partners can support capacity-building in primate range countries, along with mentoring and training students more broadly.

Circulating Concentrations of Cortisol Encompassing Controlled Cessation of Suckling During Weaning Under Managed Care in Cow and Calf Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

The evaluation of circulating concentrations of cortisol associated with controlled cessation of suckling encompassing the weaning process in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under managed care has fundamental and practical implications to enhance and improve management and welfare practices. This study involved five cow–calf pairs of which calves were 12 to 19 months at weaning and accustomed to a fish diet. Blood samples were collected from cows and calves between 0800 and 1100 h episodically for two weeks before weaning day (Day 0) and on Days 1, 3, 5, 8 12, 16, 20, and 31 post-weaning. Pre-weaning involved conditioning through positive reinforcement with respective trainers where cows moved freely from maternity to holding pens while calves remained in maternity pens. After 2 to 6 months, when cows and calves remained separated for at least several minutes without reuniting, weaning day was initiated, and gates between maternity and holding pens were closed. Physical separation resulted in cows and calves exhibiting different types and degrees of behavior dominated by increased vocalization and locomotor activities (rapid and erratic swimming, side jumping, breaching). While pre-weaning cortisol concentrations were at baseline and not different (p &gt; 0.1) between cows and calves, post-weaning concentrations on Day 1 increased in cows (p = 0.0045) and calves (p = 0.0001), reaching higher (p &lt; 0.07) concentrations in calves than in cows. Thereafter, cortisol decreased to pre-weaning concentrations on Day 5 (p = 0.0031) in cows and Day 12 (p = 0.0417) in calves. While stress-like behavior post-weaning returned to pre-weaning conditions by Day 5 in cows and calves, cortisol remained slightly higher (p &lt; 0.1) in calves than in cows until the study ended on Day 31. Thus, although preliminary, the acute, temporal physiological and behavioral responses to the cessation of suckling encompassing weaning in dolphin cow–calf pairs are novel and provide a basis for future studies to comprehensively evaluate short- and long-term physiological and behavioral relationships associated with weaning in dolphins under managed care.