Decreasing risk factors for later alcohol use and antisocial behaviors in children in foster care by increasing early promotive factors

Abstract

Children in foster care are at high risk for poor psychosocial outcomes, including school failure, alcohol and other substance abuse, and criminal behaviors. Promoting healthy development by increasing broad-impact positive skills may help reduce some of the risk factors for longer-term negative outcomes. School readiness has been linked to a number of positive outcomes across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and may also boost intermediary positive skills such as self-competence. This paper presents findings from a longitudinal study involving 192 children in foster care who were 5 years old at the start of the study. They participated in a randomized controlled trial of a school readiness program to prepare them for kindergarten. Outcomes were assessed at third grade (9 years old) on variables associated with risk for later involvement in substance use and delinquency. These included positive attitudes towards alcohol use, positive attitudes towards antisocial behaviors, and involvement with deviant peers. Results showed that the intervention decreased positive attitudes towards alcohol use and antisocial behaviors. Further, the mediating role of children’s self-competence was tested. The intervention positively influenced children’s third-grade self-competence, which in turn, decreased their involvement with deviant peers. Findings suggest that promoting school readiness in children in foster care can have far-reaching, positive effects and that increased self-competence may be a mechanism for reducing risk.

Diverse Autonomic Nervous System Stress Response Patterns in Childhood Sensory Modulation

“…Aligning with NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC; Sanislow et al, 2019), SMD can be viewed as an integral aspect of stress response physiology, providing an underlying dimension to join other categorical diagnostic entities formerly considered discrete. This supports work wherein SMD is expanded beyond neurodiverse populations, and considered an essential means of accessing evidence of autonomic dysregulation characteristic of various populations with vulnerable nervous systems, including individuals with prematurity, mental health diagnosis, or early adversity (Shonkoff et al, 2012;Paul-Ward and Lambdin-Pattavina, 2016;Pears et al, 2016;Andersen et al, 2018;Germain, 2018;Machingura et al, 2018;Brown et al, 2019;Mulkey and du Plessis, 2019).…”

Factors in Assessing Recidivism Risk in Young Offenders

“…The results of many investigations give precedence to risk factors over protective factors [6][7][8]. However, recent research indicates that protective factors are catalysts for prosocial behavior [9], helping to reduce risk practices and favoring the development of an adult life following accepted rules of behavior [10].…”

Does poor school performance cause later psychosocial problems among children in foster care? Evidence from national longitudinal registry data

“…Another credible intervention pathway is systematic provision of high quality school readiness programs in pre-school settings (Pears, Kim, & Fisher, 2012;Pears et al, 2013;Pears, Kim, & Fisher, 2016;Ramey & Ramey, 2004). But it is reasonable to assume that foster children's academic achievements can be enhanced also after they have started school.…”

“…The estimated impact of poor school performance on later outcomes provides validation for investment in interventions targeting foster children's educational potential as possible methods of improving their overall life chances. Interventions could be delivered in pre-school settings through school readiness programs (Pears et al, 2016), but also during their many years in the compulsory school system. Furthermore, the high prevalence of poor school performance among children in OHC (Berlin et al, 2011) motivates systematic assessments of academic skills and educational needs when children enter societal care or after 2-3 years in primary school in order to detect signs of early school failure.…”