The goals of the study were aimed at describing the negative effects of working with traumatized children and adolescents on various aspects of the helper's mental health, and describing the characteristics and the role of supervision in the process of empowering the helper to provide support to traumatized children and adolescents, as well as to take better care of their own mental health. 12 participants took part in the research, experts who are employed in public welfare institutions for children and institutions of the health system and the non-governmental sector aimed at providing treatment support to children and young people with trauma experience. Their ratio within regard to the place of employment in the sample was equal. All participants had at least five or more years of work experience. A qualitative approach was used in the research, and the data wereas collected through a semi-structured research interview. The conducted research confirmed the negative effects of working with traumatized children and adolescents, which participants described through the constructs of secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization and compassion fatigue. The key recommendation of the research is focused on the need toof raiseing awareness about the importance of mental health care among helpers, recognizing and acknowledging their susceptibility to the effects of secondary traumatic stress and vicarious traumatization, as well as compassion fatigue, as necessary and inevitable consequences of their work. Key words: helper’s mental health, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, trauma informed approach.
The addictive potential of games of chance is a crucial factor in understanding the risk of problem gambling development. Historically linked to psychoactive substances, the concept of addictive potential is now also applied to behavioral addictions, especially gambling. Research consistently identifies slot machines, casino games, and online betting as the riskiest products, while traditional lottery games pose a lower risk. The online modality further increases addictiveness due to constant availability, anonymity, immersion, and the lack of personal, human interaction. The primary objective of this paper is to comprehensively analyze and illuminate the addictive potential of various games of chance through the identification and comparison of specific structural features (e.g., game speed, event frequency, sensory effects) and situational characteristics (e.g., availability, advertising), with particular emphasis on the risks for developing problem gambling. The paper seeks to answer the question of which specific elements of individual games contribute to their riskiness. Furthermore, the goal is to show how contemporary technological changes in game design, digitalization, and the availability of online modalities further intensify the addictive potential of games of chance, and to discuss the implications for regulation, prevention, and responsible gambling in the context of new legislative frameworks and public health measures. The new Law on Games of Chance Act introduces stricter advertising regulations, as well as certain protection measures for problematic players. However, effective prevention and responsible gaming require continuous monitoring of the risky characteristics of gambling products and proactive adaptation of regulatory frameworks. Key words addictive potential; game riskiness; games of chance; gambling; gambling addiction
The paper presents the results of research on the competencies of caregivers employed in children’s homes which is aimed at the positive development of users. The research was conducted on a sample of N = 137 caregivers from a total of 12 children’s homes, community service centers and SOS Children’s Village in the period from September 2019 to February 2020. Caregivers simultaneously assessed which competencies they consider important for working in the children’s homes, and self-assessment determined their own development. An adapted Self-reported Competency Scale (Hartje et al., 2008) based on the features of the concept of positive youth development (Eccles and Gootman, 2002) was used in the research. Descriptive parameters of assessment and self-assessment are presented, as well as factor analysis of the assessment of required competencies, which resulted in 6 factors (activities, expectations, cooperation, interculturality, safety and structure). High self-esteem of caregivers can be observed in activities that are carried out daily with users in the home, such as learning life skills, learning school content, and problem solving. There was a statistically significant difference in the assessment of the required competencies in relation to the self-assessment of the development of competencies. It is necessary to develop specific competencies in caregivers that will enable greater user safety, easier work with inhomogeneous groups, and greater family involvement, which are necessary prerequisites for positive development, and it is in them that the greatest differences in competency development are observed. The obtained results indicate that it is necessary for caregivers to provide continuous professional development, and to develop specific competencies of educators necessary to provide an environment suitable for positive youth development.
Due to the increasing number of young people with symptoms of social anxiety, especially in the vulnerable developmental period, the period of adolescence, it is important to have a better understanding of its determinants. The aim of this study was to investigate gender and age differences in social anxiety in adolescence, as well as to examine the possibility of predicting adolescent social anxiety based on the gender and age of participants, dimensions of attachment (insecurity in binding, discomfort, relationships as secondary, trust and preoccupation with relationships) and dimensions of perceived mother’s and father’s parental behavior (support, restrictive control and indulgence). The research was conducted online with 414 male and female students of secondary schools (70.5% of female students) aged from 14 to 19 years (M = 16.35; SD = 1.07). The Parental Behavior Questionnaire, the Croatian version of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and the Croatian version of the Attachment Style Questionnaire were used. The results show that adolescent girls are significantly more socially anxious than adolescent boys, but there was no significant age difference. Dimensions of attachment and dimensions of perceived parental behavior are significant predictors of social anxiety. Uncertainty in binding is its strongest positive predictor, while trust is the strongest negative predictor. The obtained results contribute to the expansion of existing knowledge about risk and protective factors for social anxiety. They can also contribute to the creation of social anxiety prevention programs and individual treatment of adolescents and young adults. Key words: social anxiety; attachment; parental behavior; adolescence
Children staying in social welfare institutions are exposed to numerous psychosocial risks. Separation from the biological family and placement into a social welfare institution in itself represents a stressful and/or traumatic situation for the child, and extended exposure to various risks during placement additionally leads to the development of complex post-traumatic symptoms. It is important to consider how professional workers of social welfare institutions can contribute to the preservation and improvement of children’s mental health, and this paper describes the possibility of combining the approach of transactional analysis and non-directive play therapy skills in treatment work. Transactional analysis, as a school of psychotherapy, is based on humanistic principles and has a long tradition of psychotherapy work with children and adolescents in individual work with children. As a personality theory and developmental theory, it offers a framework for understanding the development of dysfunctional and rigid patterns of behaviour and experience, the so-called script. In getting rid of such patterns and preventing their development, combining the approach of transactional analysis with the application of non-directive play therapy skills has proven to be successful in working with children. Play therapy allows children to practice different skills, explore the world, objects and relationships between people, and resolve internal conflicts in a safe and supportive environment. This is achieved through three key skills of non-directive play therapy: empathic reflection, therapeutic boundary setting and encouragement, which we describe through examples from work with children placed in social welfare institutions.
Every day, millions of children worldwide experience maltreatment in their families. Understanding the nature of family processes that lead to this outcome is not only a scientific challenge but also a moral task for the research community. This paper examines the topic from a communication perspective, providing an overview of issues addressed in the present literature as relevant for illuminating the relationship between parent-child communication and physical child abuse. The first part of the paper is focused on different approaches to communication between parents and their children, especially considering the classic typology of parenting styles, as well as patterns of family communication. Afterwards, a brief overview of different models of physical child abuse is laid out. Finally, we present a review of studies that have explored the characteristics of physically abusive parents’ communication with their children. In concluding remarks, we propose that the communication perspective has the potential to strengthen not only the theoretical understanding of this topic but also to empower the practical approaches dedicated to the detection and prevention of domestic violence.
Professionals working in the civil sector are exposed to occupational stress resulting both from the type of work they do, the characteristics of the users they work with and the internal and external factors characterizing civil society. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study is to gain insight into the sources of occupational stress in civil society organizations (CSOs). Moreover, the study aims to examine the role of supervision in reducing occupational stress. The study was done on two focus groups with 13 employees from 9 CSOs from the area of the City of Zagreb; which protect human rights, provide services and direct help to people. A thematic analysis of data determined that the sources of occupational stress in CSO come from two major areas: (1) the characteristics of work in CSO (the workload, insufficient time for preparation, the organization of work, project and administrative work, working conditions, the characteristics and way of working with users, the social context of the work of CSO); (2) how CSOs are managed (the type of leadership and decision-making, precarious and insufficient funding, the functioning of the team). The negative the outcomes of work in CSO are identified as specific topics (dissatisfaction and the need to change jobs, potential physical and mental health hazards). The results indicated that the outcomes of supervision in CSO can be numerous. For example, it can encourage professional development, better professional performance, learning and new insights, professional security, improvement of relationships and functioning of the organization, and reduction of professional stress. But it can also be an additional (undesirable) work obligation in an employee's busy schedule. Therefore, it is necessary to facilitate the development of specific competencies of supervisors for work in civil society organizations that enableel will make them to perceive the interaction of the individual - work - organization in the context of the civil sector. Also, the results showed that experience and knowledge of work in CSOs is a crucial competence for supervisors to work in CSO, which will make it easier for them to perceive the interaction individual - work – organization, and effective mastery of different supervisory situations.
This research examined the role of parental behavior and adolescent personality traits in the occurrence of aggression among adolescents. Aggression was examined within the framework of a multidimensional approach that takes into account the form of aggression (open and relational) and the function of aggression (proactive and reactive) and distinguishes between proactively open, proactively relational, reactively open and reactively relational aggression. Parental behavior was examined within the framework of Dodge’s model (1991), which links parental restrictive control and permissiveness with proactive and reactive aggression. Therefore, the first aim of the research was to examine the connection between parental restrictive control and permissiveness with aggression, taking into account both the function and the form in which they appear. Adolescent personality traits were examined within the framework of the theory of sensitivity to reinforcement, and the second aim of the research was to determine the role of sensitivity to reinforcement in the connections between the aforementioned parental behaviors and types of aggression. The respondents were the third-grade students of secondary schools in the City of Zagreb (N=656, boys 55.3%). The results confirm Dodge’s model by indicating the connection between parental restrictive control with reactive types of aggression and parental permissiveness with proactive types of aggression. The results also indicate the association of restrictive control with proactive types of aggression. The moderation of sensitivity to reward in the relationship between parental restrictive control and proactive open aggression of girls was determined, which was explained by socioemotional deficits of gender non-normative aggression. Key words: aggression, parental behavior, sensitivity to reinforcement
It is estimated that 50-80% of child custody cases worldwide involve mothers with addiction problems who are mothers of minor children (Harp and Oser, 2016, Public Health England, 2018, Taplin and Mattick, 2013). The relationship between maternal addiction disorders and separation from the child is highly complex (Wall Wieler et al, 2018). In recent years, residential recovery programs have offered programs and services that allow children to stay with their mother while she is in intensive addiction treatment (VanDeMark, O’Keefe, Finkleseing & Gampel, 2005; Worley, Conners, Williams & Bokony, 2005). The traditional classic model in the case of a mother in need of residential treatment is aimed at individual recovery from addiction, and does not include parenting, i.e. the children are not placed in the Children’s Home. Integrated treatment models that include children have become more common, and issues of child well-being while simultaneously treating the mother’s addiction remain (Werner, Young, Dennis & Amateri, 2007). The aim of the research is to determine the differences in the socio-emotional functioning of children of mothers undergoing addiction treatment in an integrated model that allows children to stay with their mother in residential treatment until she reaches a stable recovery, compared to the classic model in which children are separated from their mother requires an intensive level of support in residential treatment. For the purposes of this research, Achenbach’s questionnaire for the assessment of behavioral and emotional problems (Achenbach, Rescorla, 2023), and Hudson’s index of relationships in the home (Hudson, 1981) were applied. The results show statistically significant differences in the measured variables, in such a way that children from the integrated care model on children from the classic form of care achieve better results on activity, sociability, school-related competencies as well as overall competencies. Furthermore, children from the integrated form of care compared to the classic form report better relationships in the home, the primary environment in which they live. These are large effect sizes, which indicate significant differences between children from the two forms of care Ljetopis socijalnog rada 2024., 31 (3), 335-358. 358 članci on these variables. The results suggest that integrated family-centered residential treatment could offer a more favorable context in which to coordinate services aimed at promoting maternal and child health, developing healthy relationships, improving the child’s well-being, and optimizing the child’s developmental potential in terms of physical and mental health.
With the aim of reviewing previous approaches in the research on sexting among adolescents and young adults, a systematic search was conducted for English-language scientific papers published from 2009 to 2022 in databases such as Google Scholar, PsychINFO, ScienceDirect, ERIC, PubMed, ProQuest, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, ISI Web of Knowledge, and PsycEXTRA. An analysis of 57 scientific papers revealed a significant increase in the number of publications on sexting during this period, particularly in Europe. Predominantly, cross-sectional studies conducted via internet-based or paper-pencil surveys were found. Most studies were conducted among participants of both genders in late adolescence and young adulthood. Variations were noted in the definitions of sexting (the medium used, activities involved, characteristics, and sexual content features). Consent for involvement in sexting was examined in fewer studies, mostly in more recent research, along with understanding sexting behaviors through various theoretical concepts. In conclusion, definitions and measurements of sexting vary significantly among researchers, complicating the comparison of research results and the understanding of sexting as either developmentally acceptable or risky behavior. Researchers should focus on clearer operationalization of sexting to achieve more consistent results in future sexting research.
The goals of the study were aimed at describing the negative effects of working with traumatized children and adolescents on various aspects of the helper's mental health, and describing the characteristics and the role of supervision in the process of empowering the helper to provide support to traumatized children and adolescents, as well as to take better care of their own mental health. 12 participants took part in the research, experts who are employed in public welfare institutions for children and institutions of the health system and the non-governmental sector aimed at providing treatment support to children and young people with trauma experience. Their ratio within regard to the place of employment in the sample was equal. All participants had at least five or more years of work experience. A qualitative approach was used in the research, and the data wereas collected through a semi-structured research interview. The conducted research confirmed the negative effects of working with traumatized children and adolescents, which participants described through the constructs of secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization and compassion fatigue. The key recommendation of the research is focused on the need toof raiseing awareness about the importance of mental health care among helpers, recognizing and acknowledging their susceptibility to the effects of secondary traumatic stress and vicarious traumatization, as well as compassion fatigue, as necessary and inevitable consequences of their work.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a scientific contribution to the complementarity of dramatic and dance methods with educational, rehabilitation, therapeutic, and other methods. They are presented through eight exercises designed by the authors of this paper and regularly used in professional and amateur drama and dance workshops. Specialists of different profiles, in collaboration with artists, can apply these exercises in their work, adapting them to the needs and capabilities of the individuals and groups they work with. Applied drama and dance methods, presented through concrete exercises, were carried out, with adjustments, with people with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities. The goal of this approach and procedure was to empower people with intellectual disabilities in self-advocacy as an important set of skills in the process of their inclusion in community life. The positive effects on the participants were shown in the social, communication, emotional and cognitive areas.
The addictive potential of games of chance is a crucial factor in understanding the risk of problem gambling development. Historically linked to psychoactive substances, the concept of addictive potential is now also applied to behavioral addictions, es-pecially gambling. Research consistently identifies slot machines, casino games, and online betting as the riskiest products, while traditional lottery games pose a lower risk. The online modality further increases addictiveness due to constant availability, anonymity, immersion, and the lack of personal, human interaction. The primary objective of this paper is to comprehensively analyze and illuminate the addictive potential of various games of chance through the identification and comparison of specific structural features (e.g., game speed, event frequency, sensory effects) and situational characteristics (e.g., availability, advertising), with particular emphasis on the risks for developing problem gambling. The paper seeks to answer the question of which specific elements of individual games contribute to their riskiness. Further-more, the goal is to show how contemporary technological changes in game design, digitalization, and the availability of online modalities further intensify the addictive potential of games of chance, and to discuss the implications for regulation, prevention, and responsible gambling in the context of new legislative frameworks and public health measures. The new Law on Games of Chance Act introduces stricter advertising regulations, as well as certain protection measures for problematic players. However, effective prevention and responsible gaming require continuous monitoring of the risky characteristics of gambling products and proactive adaptation of regulatory frameworks.
Dependency on psychoactive substances is a sociopathological phenomenon with medical, psychiatric, psychological and other dimensions. It is typically chronic and progressive in nature, often leading to physical and mental health impairments not only for the individual consuming the substance but also causing destruction and destabilization of the entire family and, subsequently, the social community. This paper examines the perception of quality of life and its impact on the health status of users of the Public Institution for Housing, Rehabilitation, and Resocializati on of Users of Psychoactive Substances in Podgorica. The research problem is defined and directed toward the subject matter, focusing on the level and correlation of quality of life as a key determinant in the rehabilitation process, with other constructs derived from the theoretical framework-health status and quality of life. The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between quality of life and the health status of former psychoactive substance users after periods of rehabilitation and resocialization. Given the lack of research in this field, the results are expected to highlight the importance of promoting services aimed at improving the quality of life during the post-rehabilitation and resocialization period for both former addicts and their family members.
In today's digital era, when digital content has permeated all aspects of life, it is essential to determine how the interest and attention that partners invest in digital content affect the quality of their relationship, which patterns of use pose the greatest risk, and which may contribute to positive relationship quality. Drawing on the recent relational maintenance model of positive relationship-focused behaviors (Coundouris, Tyson and Henry, 2021), this study aims to examine how partners' use of social media, messaging applications, and partners' common strategies for the digital environment contribute to both the positive and negative dimensions of relationship quality. The study was conducted on a probability cluster sample of 903 respondents with an average age of 44.53 years. Two hierarchical regression analyses were performed, explaining 12% of the variance in the positive dimension of relationship quality and 7.1% of the variance in the negative dimension of relationship quality. The findings indicate that better household financial conditions, less partner's daily social media use, more frequent discussions about social media usage, and more mutual messaging between partners contribute to a higher positive dimension of relationship quality. On the other hand, being female, poorer household financial conditions, and less discussion about social media usage contribute to a higher negative dimension of relationship quality. These results provide a framework for promoting relationship quality and offer insights into digital behaviors that can guide and enhance counselling and family interventions, making the study particularly relevant for social work practice by helping practitioners strengthen relationship functioning in their direct work with clients.
Burnout syndrome occurs as a consequence of stressful, demanding and responsible professional activities in various industries. The most systematic studies of this problem were carried out by Christina Maslach through an examination of three symptoms - emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced professional efficacy. Based on the results that show that professionals who belong to helping professions are the most exposed to this syndrome, the aim of this paper is to examine their sense of professional efficacy, level of depersonalization and emotional exhaustion, as well as the difference in the presence of burnout syndrome's symptoms with regard to the measured socio-demographic variables. The research was conducted on a convenient sample of 98 respondents who are employed in the social protection system in Serbia, using the MBI-GS questionnaire, which measures the respondent's attitude towards work in the continuum from engagement to burnout. The results showed a relatively high degree of emotional exhaustion, a moderate level of depersonalization and a moderate level of satisfaction with success at work. The results can be significant from the aspect of considering the possibility of applying preventive measures for the preservation and improvement of life quality and professional efficacy of helping profession employees, as well as from the aspect of planning and developing burnout prevention competencies through their initial education.
Due to the increasing number of young people with symptoms of social anxiety, especially in the vulnerable developmental period, the period of adolescence, it is important to have a better understanding of its determinants. The aim of this study was to investigate gender and age differences in social anxiety in adolescence, as well as to examine the possibility of predicting adolescent social anxiety based on the gender and age of participants, dimensions of attachment (insecurity in binding, discomfort, relationships as secondary, trust and preoccupation with relationships) and dimensions of perceived mother's and father's parental behavior (support, restrictive control and indulgence). The research was conducted online with 414 male and female students of secondary schools (70.5% of female students) aged from 14 to 19 years (M = 16.35; SD = 1.07). The Parental Behavior Questionnaire, the Croatian version of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and the Croatian version of the Attachment Style Questionnaire were used. The results show that adolescent girls are significantly more socially anxious than adolescent boys, but there was no significant age differ- ence. Dimensions of attachment and dimensions of perceived parental behavior are significant predictors of social anxiety. Uncertainty in binding is its strongest positive predictor, while trust is the strongest negative predictor. The obtained results con- tribute to the expansion of existing knowledge about risk and protective factors for social anxiety. They can also contribute to the creation of social anxiety prevention programs and individual treatment of adolescents and young adults.
Corporal punishment (CP) is not yet legally regulated in Serbia, and it hasn't been a very researched topic, especially in vulnerable families who have children with speech and language disorders (SLD). As worldwide research indicates that children with various developmental disorders are at a higher risk for CP, we hypothesized that parents of children with SLD would have a more positive attitude towards this discipline method compared to parents of typically developing children. Participants were 290 parents (67% female), divided into two groups: parents of children with speech and language disorders (SLDP) and parents of typically developing children (TDP). Two parental groups were matched in terms
Intergenerational transmission of trauma (ITT) is a process in which the trauma experienced in one generation is transmitted to the second or third generation. Understanding intergenerational transmission of trauma and its complexity promotes further understanding of how trauma affects individuals, families, and communities across generations, how to address it through effective intervention, and how offspring can be protected from ITT. The focus of this paper is to describe the effects and mechanisms of transmission between several war-related potentially traumatic events that parents experienced during their childhood and its intergenerational effects on their children. Using the PRISMA criteria, 34 psycho- social studies and 7 epigenetic studies met the scope of the inclusion criteria. Overall findings indicate that the children of war survivors often face mental health difficulties and suffer from PTSD symptoms, internalizing symptoms, externalizing problems, and attachment anxiety and avoidance. Regarding the mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of war trauma, self-report measures show different parenting and family-mediated transmission mechanisms of mental health risks on children while epigenetics reveals the underlying biological basis of ITT. Future research must work towards a more precise operationalizati on of the transmission mechanisms, protective factors, and risk factors. This will provide a better understanding of the underlying processes and enable the planning of targeted and timely prevention programs for war-affected parents to protect the immediate and long-term mental health and well-being of children.
The paper presents the results of research on the competencies of caregivers employed in children's homes which is aimed at the positive development of users. The research was conducted on a sample of N = 137 caregivers from a total of 12 children's homes, community service centers and SOS Children's Village in the period from September 2019 to February 2020. Caregivers simultaneously assessed which competencies they consider important for working in the children's homes, and self-assessment determined their own development. An adapted Self-reported Competency Scale (Hartje et al., 2008) based on the features of the concept of positive youth development (Eccles and Gootman, 2002) was used in the research. Descriptive parameters of assessment and self-assessment are presented, as well as factor analysis of the assessment of required competencies, which resulted in 6 factors (activities, expectations, cooperation, interculturality, safety and structure). High self-esteem of caregivers can be observed in activities that are carried out daily with users in the home, such as learning life skills, learning school content, and problem solving. There was a statistically significant difference in the assessment of the required competencies in relation to the self-assessment of the development of competencies. It is necessary to develop specific competencies in caregivers that will enable greater user safety, easier work with inhomogeneous groups, and greater family involvement, which are necessary prerequisites for positive development, and it is in them that the greatest differences in competency development are observed. The obtained results indicate that it is necessary for caregivers to provide continuous professional development, and to develop specific competencies of educators necessary to provide an environment suitable for positive youth development.
