Background: Aggression in residential youth care institutions is a frequent problem. Objective: The present short-term longitudinal study examined individual and institutional predictors of aggression in a group of 198 adolescents placed in open, semi-secure and secure residential institutions from the perspective of the importation and…

Background: Previous studies have shown that social climate in therapeutic residential youth care (TRC) is important to the welfare of residents, staff, and assessing treatment outcomes. The most influential theory on social climate in residential settings is the theory of Moos. The measurement of the concepts and aspects of this theory using the…

This study examined the internal structure, convergent validity, and reliability of the student self-report Special Education Classroom Climate Inventory (SECCI) in a sample of 325 students attending special education classes in six (semi) secure residential settings and in two youth prisons in the Netherlands. Both exploratory factor analysis…

Qualitative methods (i.e. semi-structured interviews) were used in this micro-research to explore the different ways in which young people and social and residential workers perceive the outcomes of the residential care experience. By comparing the participants' points of view, it was possible to investigate different ways of thinking about…

Youth served in residential care often demonstrate significant educational and behavioral gains during treatment; however, struggles evidenced during the reunification and reintegration process underscore the importance of continued aftercare services and supports. While these needs have been widely noted in the literature, little is known about…

Coyle and Pinkerton identify gaps in the care leaving system in Northern Ireland regarding social work training and meeting the challenges of transitioning from care. The primary focus of this article is to provide a perspective of care and leaving care which could contribute to social work education and practice in these areas. Framed within a…

Youths in residential care have likely experienced trauma as they have had atypical and disruptive events occur in their lives that has contributed to their out-of-home placement. For people who have been traumatized, the regulation of emotions is an important feature of their recovery. This article presents a model that traces phases from…

Everyone experiences stress and needs extra help at times. Often this involves informal support, but in certain circumstances, help comes in the form of therapy. Sometimes there is a negative impression about "needing" therapy. But when the going gets tough, sometimes the tough go to therapy. With a wide range of factors working against them,…

Background: Although secure residential care has the potential of reducing young people's behavioral problems, it is often difficult to achieve positive outcomes. Research suggests that there are several common success factors of treatment, of which the client's motivation for treatment and the quality of the therapeutic relationship between…

Although much is known about the behavioral and educational characteristics of youth at entry to residential care, little is known about youth language performance. Given the impact of language deficits on outcomes, this study assessed the specific language skills of 70 adolescents at entry to a residential treatment setting. Results revealed…

Though research has focused on clinical characteristics and behavioral problems of youth in out-of-home mental health placement settings, few studies have examined how adolescents and emerging adults (Arnett, 2000) experience and make sense of treatment. In this study, semistructured interviews regarding the experience of mental health placement…

Although youth with disabilities represent nearly a third of the population served in residential care, little is known about the functioning of these children as compared to their peers without disabilities at program entry, departure and six-month follow-up. This study sought to extend previous research by evaluating the behavioral, mental…

We examined the differential outcomes in residential treatment for youths with conduct disorder (CD)--with special attention paid to interactions with age and gender--in a sample of children and adolescents in 50 residential treatment centers and group homes across Illinois. Multi-disciplinary teams rated youths ages 6-20 (N = 457) on measures of…

Objective: This qualitative study examined stakeholders' perceptions of the safety of youth ages 12 and older living in congregate care facilities within the New York City foster care system. The study explored the youth's physical safety, the safety of their personal belongings, the physical conditions of congregate care settings, and the…

We examined Treatment Foster Care (TFC) in residential trajectories for youth with psychiatric disorders and aggressive behavior. We analyzed residential placements of a statewide sample of youth during the 12 months preceding and following admission to TFC. Prior to TFC, the majority of youth were residing in more restrictive settings (group…