VOLUNTEERS AS PARENTAL SOCIALIZATION AGENTS APPLICATIONS WITHIN THE MILITARY CULTURE (FROM CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT - ISSUES ON INNOVATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATIONS - V 2, 1978 - SEE NCJ-59285)

• NCJ Number: 59292
• Author(s): C SHANNON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE RATIONALE FOR THE PARENTING GUIDANCE CENTER IN TARRANT COUNTY, TEX., INVOLVING THE USE OF VOLUNTEERS IN A SOCIALIZATION PROGRAM FOR EXISTING AND POTENTIAL ABUSIVE PARENTS IN A MILITARY SETTING, IS DISCUSSED.

Abstract

IN STUDIES DEALING WITH CHARACTERISTICS OF ABUSING AND NEGLECTFUL PARENTS, SOCIAL ISOLATION IS DEFINED AS A FUNCTIONAL STATE IN WHICH PARENTS HAVE FEW OR NO FRIENDS AND NO ONE TO TURN TO IN CRISIS SITUATIONS. CORRELATES OF SOCIAL ISOLATION ARE PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ABUSING AND NEGLECTFUL PARENTS (LOW SELF-ESTEEM, DISTRUST OF SELF AND THE ENVIRONMENT, RELUCTANCE TO SEEK HELP, INADEQUATE SOCIAL SKILLS, AND LITTLE ABILITY TO EXPERIENCE PLEASURE). MALADAPTIVE SOCIALIZATION TO THE ROLE OF PARENTING INCLUDES A NUMBER OF BEHAVIORAL AND KNOWLEDGE MISCONCEPTIONS AND DEFICITS. PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS OF CHILDREN ARE UNREALISTIC AND INAPPROPRIATE, AND KNOWLEDGE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT IS INADEQUATE. THE PARENT PARTNER PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED BY THE PARENTING GUIDANCE CENTER REPRESENTS AN EFFORT TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT BY REVERSING SOCIAL ISOLATION AND KNOWLEDGE DEFICITS. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ARE TO PROVIDE A BEGINNING SOCIAL NETWORK, TO TEACH INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, TO MODEL NURTURING BEHAVIOR, TO PROVIDE A SAFETY VALVE FOR TENSIONS, TO ENABLE REALITY COMPARISONS, TO ENGAGE PARENTS WITH ACCEPTABLE HELP, TO CORRECT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHILD CARE, AND TO ENLARGE KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIORAL REPERTOIRES OF PARENTS. AS PARENT PARTNERS, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION AND MODEL SOCIAL AND NURTURING BEHAVIORS IN THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH PARENTS. THEY OFFER THEMSELVES TO PARENTS IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND MAKE AT LEAST ONE PHONE CALL PER WEEK TO CHECK ON THEIR PARENTS. IN THE MILITARY SETTING, A PARENT PARTNER PROGRAM EMERGED THROUGH COOPERATIVE EFFORTS OF A MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC OPERATED BY THE U.S. AIR FORCE, THE RED CROSS, AND THE PARENTING GUIDANCE CENTER. THIS MILITARY PARENT PARTNER PROGRAM IS DETAILED IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP, THE SELECTION AND TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS, AND PROGRAM EVALUATION. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (DEP)