Friday, 14 January 2005 - 8:00 AM

This presentation is part of: Secondary Analysis of NSCAW: Effects of Social Supports, Special Caregiver Needs and Family Structure on the Well-being of Children Receivng In-home Child Welfare Services

Relationships Between Social Supports and Pro-Social Behavior: A Child's Perspective

Purpose: Using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), this study explores the impact of youth social supports on the pro-social behaviors of at-risk youth. Grounded in resiliency theory, this study defines social supports in terms of quality of relationships with caregivers and peers. Pro-social behavior is defined as positive youth behavior and school engagement. Earlier studies have found peer and parental relationships and to be influential in the development of youth pro-social behavior. This study's primary purpose is to test the effect of at-risk youths’ perceptions of parental caregiver and peer social supports on child behavior and school engagement. Using the at-risk child's point of view reflects the theoretical perspective of empowerment and the notion of giving voice to the recipients of child welfare services.

Methods: This study sample includes 1179 at-risk children aged 11 -14 who have been reported to the child welfare system. Social support is indicated by the child self reported relationships with peers and caregivers. Pro-social behavior is measured by NSCAWS' school engagement measure and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, Achenbach, 1991). Regression analysis of Wave 1 data test predicted relationships between social support and the likelihood of prosocial behavior.

Findings: Positive caregiver relationships and low loneliness in peer relationships predict lower scores (less distress) on the CBCL. High loneliness in peer relationships predicts lower school engagement. School engagement is positively correlated with CBCL scores. Positive caregiver relationships predict less loneliness in peer relationships Relationships between peer and caregiver relationships and youth behavior are stronger than are relationships between peer and caregiver relationships and school engagement. The findings support resiliency theory and suggest that the quality of relationships in a child's life can reduce maladaptive behavior and potentially improve school engagement.

Implications for Practice/Policy: Findings from this analysis provide direction for services to enhance key relationships for youth. They also demonstrate that the youth perspective on their relationship quality is important in predicting child behavior and school attachment. The study findings suggest that youth perspectives be taken directly into account in the provision of supportive child welfare services. Services should be designed to provide supports for children’s peer and caregiver relationships. A study strength is that it is based on the most representative dataset available pertaining to the well-being of children in the child welfare system. A study limitation is its cross sectional analysis. Results should be replicated using the NASCAW longitudinal data. Future studies should also include effects of teacher relationships, as well as peer relationships on school engagement.

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