In: Journal of community practice: organizing, planning, development, and change sponsored by the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA), Volume 24, Issue 4, p. 410-427
Abstract Given the paucity of research on the experiences of women who are sexually abused by clergy as adults and the advent of the #ChurchToo movement in 2017, the results of a mixed-methods national study highlight the experiences of those who survived the abuse and report on what factors are most healing in their recovery. Internet-based surveys with both quantitative and qualitative items were completed by 159 respondents. Less than 10 percent reported receiving help and support from their congregation after they reported the abuse, and about half of the respondents were blamed for the abuse and ignored by people in their congregations. In spite of the poor responses from their churches, these respondents reported positive beliefs regarding their ability to recover and heal. Mental health counseling was listed as a primary mechanism for healing. Multiple regression was used to develop a model of resilience. Faith in God was the most salient predictor. Those who survived sexual abuse need social workers who can navigate the complex set of factors and issues at the intersection of religion/spirituality, mental health treatment, and policy advocacy, including the ability to see what has been helpful about religious experiences and what has not.
Abstract Family reunification following migration-related separations is often challenging for immigrant youth as they adjust to their new environment and reacquaint with their caregiver. Scant research has explored the experiences of family reunification specifically for unaccompanied immigrant youth. This study was a secondary analysis to explore the complexities of family reunification through the lens of attachment theory and family systems. Data were collected from 30 youth, six parents, and four school administrators via focus groups and semistructured interviews. Unaccompanied immigrant youth had arrived to the United States in the previous three years from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Mexico. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed that the youth struggled to reconnect with their parents due to prolonged separations, which contributed to loneliness and feelings of loss. Parent–child attachment disruptions contributed to problems related to relationships among family members, traditional family roles and hierarchies, and new family constellations (e.g., blended families). Results point to the importance of developing interventions to increase trust, empathy, and communication between unaccompanied immigrant youth and their parents.
AbstractUnaccompanied minors, or "newcomer youths," come to the United States from Mexico and Central America to escape violence and persecution, and to seek financial and academic opportunities. Many newcomer youths arrive with gaps in their formal education attributed to the immigration process and the heterogeneity of their pre-U.S. lives. Once they are enrolled in the U.S. school system, many educators struggle to accommodate the academic needs of these students. Drawing on the framework of social and cultural capital, this article aimed to expand the current knowledge on the experiences of Latino unaccompanied youths in the U.S. school system. A thematic analysis of semistructured interviews with 30 newcomer students and 10 key informants revealed six themes: socialización con los demás compañeros (getting along with the other students); poca confianza (little trust); no sé lo que decían (I do not know what they were saying); it is a hard landing; education, interrupted; and estoy agradecido (I am grateful). The article offers suggestions for school social workers and educators on how to promote academic success, student resilience, and school connectedness for a vulnerable youth population.
Abstract Social and emotional learning (SEL) and equity issues have each been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic for students of color. This brief seeks to call to action school social workers who can identify social and emotional barriers to learning that students of color experience in schools through a critical race theory (CRT) lens. School social workers are well positioned to address equity concerns and systemic racism in schools. They play a key role in addressing SEL, reducing equity barriers, and navigating the CRT opposition. The authors view the role of the school social worker as an integral part of social and emotional teaching and learning. This is a call to mobilize school social workers to advocacy roles for SEL, equity, and racism concerns that have long impacted students of color. The authors' aim is to provide social workers with actionable strategies in reducing social and emotional barriers to learning for students of color.