engleski

Residential Care for Children at Risk - Additional Source of Trauma

The aim of the paper is to analyze the effect of living in children's homes or foster families on the quality of life and mental health of children. The research was carried out on 263 children who live in children's homes, 112 children who live in foster families and 200 children who live in own families. Behavioral problems were assessed by the Youth Self-Report by T.M.Achembach. The children who live in children's homes show more behavioral and emotional problems in comparison with the other two subgroups. In both samples of children that have been removed from their families, the female sex is significantly related with a higher level of internalized problems in behaviour and feelings (withdrawl, anxiety, depression, and somatic disorders). Changing different residences after the removal from the family is also significantly correlated with a higher level of internalized difficulties. The exposure to war activities and exile were also significantly correlated to internalized problems of children in foster families. The level of internalized difficulties or externalized problems is not significantly related to the index of stress before the removal from the family, but it is connected with current daily stress, perceived poor social support, school failure and poor adjustment.

child trauma; residential care

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