Naslov
Individual and environmental determinants of peer violence in children homes in Croatia

Autori
Vejmelka, Lucija

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, ostalo

Skup
4th ENSEC Conference: Social and emotional competence in a changing world

Mjesto i datum
Zagreb, Hrvatska, 03.07.2013. - 07.07.2013

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
peer violence; children homes

Sažetak
Although peer violence has been the subject of research there is a lack of studies in context of children’s homes. This research included 14 public children homes for children without appropriate parental care in Croatia, using sample of 301 children from 11 to 18 years old. Though permission for the research was granted by the relevant government ministry, passive parental consent was also needed for children younger than 14 years old, according to the Croatian code of ethics for the research with children. The aims and purposes of the research was to explore the influence of individual and environmental predictors of the participation in the violent behaviors among children, to identify characteristics of peer violence in children’s homes and to assess the contribution of individual and environmental determinants on experiences of victimization and involvement in peer violence perpetration in children’s homes in Croatia. Individual determinants included in the research were social demographic variables and self-descriptions of research participants. Self description included general sense of self, social functioning (relationship with peers of the same and different gender), emotional stability, honesty/trustworthiness and self-description in school context. Environmental determinants included the child's impression of their psychosocial climate and social support they perceive themselves as receiving from the significant adults and pears. The analyses suggest a high incidence of peer violence in children's homes. Incidence rates show that 93% of children claimed that they had at least one experience of violence, and 85 % of children claimed that they had perpetrated violent behavior at least once in the last year. Results of hierarchical regression analysis indicate that the most significant predictor of experienced violent behavior was the perpetration of violent behavior and vice versa. This paper explores individual and environmental correlates of peer violence which will be discussed in the context of the daily life of children in residential settings. The results of this research may be useful for planning to prevent and treat violence among children in children homes with the aim of developing various programs for the safety and quality of the environment for children in care.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Socijalne djelatnosti

POVEZANOST RADA