IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v116y2020ics0190740920300918.html

Maltreatment and youth self-representations in residential care: The moderating role of individual and placement variables

Author

Listed:
  • Calheiros, Maria Manuela
  • Silva, Carla
  • Patrício, Joana Nunes

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the effects of previous maltreatment on current self-representations (i.e., the attributes used to describe oneself) of youth in residential care and the moderating role of gender, age, number of previous placements and length of placement in residential care. The sample was composed of 809 adolescents and youths in residential care. The youth completed the self-representation questionnaire for youths in residential care (SRQYRC). In order to analyze the impact of previous maltreatment on self-representation, retrospective accounts of previous maltreatment experiences were used, and a set of multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results of multiple regressions suggest previous experiences of maltreatment contribute to youth’s self-representations. Specifically, youth that experienced sexual abuse reported higher levels of negative self-representations (i.e., negative valence attributes, such as aggressive, sad, misfit, neglected) while youth that experienced physical and psychological abuse, emotional and educational maltreatment, and neglect in terms of physical provision reported less positive self-representations (i.e., positive valence attributes, such as nice, intelligent, cherished). Some of these associations were moderated by gender, age, number and length of placements in residential care. These results underline that the type of maltreatment has a differential impact on youth’s self-representation dimensions and that placement stability (i.e., without moving the youth other residential care placements), and the continuity of care in the same residential care unit may protect the self-representations of youth with previous experiences of abuse and neglect.

Suggested Citation

  • Calheiros, Maria Manuela & Silva, Carla & Patrício, Joana Nunes, 2020. "Maltreatment and youth self-representations in residential care: The moderating role of individual and placement variables," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:116:y:2020:i:c:s0190740920300918
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105230
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740920300918
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105230?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Calheiros, Maria Manuela & Garrido, Margarida Vaz & Lopes, Diniz & Patrício, Joana Nunes, 2015. "Social images of residential care: How children, youth and residential care institutions are portrayed?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 159-169.
    2. Osborn, Alexandra L. & Delfabbro, Paul & Barber, James G., 2008. "The psychosocial functioning and family background of children experiencing significant placement instability in Australian out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 847-860, August.
    3. Neagu, Mariela & Sebba, Judy, 2019. "Who do they think they are: Making sense of self in residential care, foster care, and adoption," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 1-1.
    4. de Kwaadsteniet, Leontien & Bartelink, Cora & Witteman, Cilia & ten Berge, Ingrid & van Yperen, Tom, 2013. "Improved decision making about suspected child maltreatment: Results of structuring the decision process," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 347-352.
    5. Ringle, Jay L. & Ingram, Stephanie D. & Thompson, Ronald W., 2010. "The association between length of stay in residential care and educational achievement: Results from 5- and 16-year follow-up studies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 974-980, July.
    6. Cho, Bridget & Jackson, Yo, 2016. "Self-reported and case file maltreatment: Relations to psychosocial outcomes for youth in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 241-247.
    7. James, Sigrid & Landsverk, John & Slymen, Donald J., 2004. "Placement movement in out-of-home care: patterns and predictors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 185-206, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Silva, Carla Sofia & Calheiros, Maria Manuela, 2022. "Youth’s self-construction in the context of residential care: The looking-glass self within the youth-caregiver relationship," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Patrício, Joana Nunes & Calheiros, Maria Manuela & Martins, Ana Catarina, 2016. "Self-representation questionnaire for youths in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 317-326.
    2. Ćosić, Andrea & Borić, Ivana & Rihtarić, Martina Lotar, 2025. "Unveiling Inequity: Experiences of peer discrimination from perspective of young people in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    3. Silva, Carla Sofia & Calheiros, Maria Manuela, 2022. "Youth’s self-construction in the context of residential care: The looking-glass self within the youth-caregiver relationship," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    4. Christiansen, Øivin & Havik, Toril & Anderssen, Norman, 2010. "Arranging stability for children in long-term out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 913-921, July.
    5. Costa, Mónica & Melim, Beatriz & Tagliabue, Semira & Mota, Catarina Pinheiro & Matos, Paula Mena, 2020. "Predictors of the quality of the relationship with caregivers in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    6. Gendron-Cloutier, Lauranne & Daigneault, Isabelle & Esposito, Tonino, 2024. "Predictors of placement instability for sexually abused children served by child protection services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    7. Doyle, Joseph J., 2013. "Causal effects of foster care: An instrumental-variables approach," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 1143-1151.
    8. Hoffnung Assouline, Adena A. & Attar-Schwartz, Shalhevet, 2020. "Staff support and adolescent adjustment difficulties: The moderating role of length of stay in the residential care setting," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    9. Tucker, Romina & Mares, Sarah, 2013. "Establishing a mental health service for young children in out-of-home care: The Gumnut Clinic for 0 to 5year olds in Western Sydney," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 205-212.
    10. Hébert, Sophie T. & Esposito, Tonino & Hélie, Sonia, 2018. "How short-term placements affect placement trajectories: A propensity-weighted analysis of re-entry into care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 117-124.
    11. Phillips, Lee Ann & Powers, Laurie E. & Geenen, Sarah & Schmidt, Jessica & Winges-Yanez, Nichole & McNeely, Isha Charlie & Merritt, Lindsay & Williamson, Candis & Turner, Shannon & Zweben, Harry & Bod, 2015. "Better Futures: A validated model for increasing postsecondary preparation and participation of youth in foster care with mental health challenges," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 50-59.
    12. Magalhães, Eunice & Calheiros, Maria Manuela & Costa, Patrício, 2016. "To be or not to be a rights holder: Direct and indirect effects of perceived rights on psychological adjustment through group identification in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 110-118.
    13. Havlicek, Judy, 2011. "Lives in motion: A review of former foster youth in the context of their experiences in the child welfare system," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 1090-1100, July.
    14. Crea, Thomas M. & Lopez, Anayeli & Hasson, Robert G. & Evans, Kerri & Palleschi, Caroline & Underwood, Dawnya, 2018. "Unaccompanied immigrant children in long term foster care: Identifying needs and best practices from a child welfare perspective," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 56-64.
    15. Unrau, Yvonne A., 2007. "Research on placement moves: Seeking the perspective of foster children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 122-137, January.
    16. Crea, Thomas M. & Lopez, Anayeli & Taylor, Theresa & Underwood, Dawnya, 2017. "Unaccompanied migrant children in the United States: Predictors of placement stability in long term foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 93-99.
    17. Amitay, Gila & Einat, Tomer & Vishnikov, Olga, 2025. "Home sweet-and-sour home: Changes experienced by girls in a gender-sensitive and trauma-informed authoritative out-of-home placement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    18. Eunice Magalhães & Maria Manuela Calheiros & Carla Antunes, 2018. "‘I Always Say What I Think’: a Rights-Based Approach of Young People’s Psychosocial Functioning in Residential Care," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(6), pages 1801-1816, December.
    19. Longhofer, Jeffrey & Floersch, Jerry & Okpych, Nate, 2011. "Foster youth and psychotropic treatment: Where next?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 395-404, February.
    20. Khoo, Evelyn & Skoog, Viktoria & Dalin, Rolf, 2012. "In and out of care. A profile and analysis of children in the out-of-home care system in Sweden," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 900-907.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:116:y:2020:i:c:s0190740920300918. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.