Poverty and Abortion: A Vicious Cycle
In a 2005 study, 73% of women undergoing an abortion said not being
able to afford a baby now was a reason for the abortion. That number
rose to 81% for women below the federal poverty line.1 And
while the abortion rate for American women declined by 8% between 2000
and 2008, among poor American women it increased by 18%.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Vision Statement: Reducing Unwanted Pregnancies & Abortion Through Prevention in Early Childhood. A Proposal for Research and Policy Change © 2005
By A Donlan, Ph.D.
Few national policy issues have so polarized citizens as has abortion. Citizens concerned with the issue say its rate in the US is higher than many other nations. Yet political officials and partisans remain extremely divided over what to do. One side highlights the need for prohibitions and punitive measures, while the other side just points to the need to sustain personal freedom. On the whole, there might seem little hope of resolution.
An essential issue is that many portray abortion as only a matter of personal character, one entirely separate from various realities of life. But few aspects of life are entirely separable from social and economic conditions around us. If abortion is seen only as a matter of moral character, then the question allegedly becomes only one of legal restrictions and punishments; opponents of abortion will advocate circumstances in which a doctor and/or woman undertaking the procedure will be imprisoned or otherwise sanctioned. But abortion rates are influenced by the world around the woman, and this raises the question of how positive supports, not just reactive punishments, could affect unwanted pregnancy.
The “punishment only” approach fails to appreciate decades of findings in child development and sociology on the remarkable influence of early family life on countless later outcomes. Vast research famously indicates that early childhood is a period in human development critical to later social and economic outcomes. A child subject to various difficult conditions in early years is more likely to re-experience those conditions in adulthood.
Consider the research. Early childhood factors found to affect adulthood are diverse and include various aspects of parent-child interactions and socioeconomic status. These can in turn affect later academic success, interpersonal bonding, prosocial behavior and economic status. Even from studies of neglected orphans we know that the seeds of instability in adulthood are often sewn in childhood. In short, poverty, violence and related factors in youth are important determinants of later life circumstances.
This has important implications for unwanted pregnancy abortion.
The decision to have a child is affected by whether the woman feels supported (by the father and others) and by whether she believes she can support the child materially. Since early childhood experiences affect whether a person later forms strong social bonds and is economically stable, those early experiences have implications for unwanted pregnancy. This is the model that needs to be understood and communicated as clearly as possible.
In this way, prevention can be part of a comprehensive approach. It differs from many policies that wait too long - until after a person’s risk profile for later life unwanted pregnancy is already established. Proactive prevention has advantages over policies that are reactive, ones that would only punish the woman for electing abortion or the doctor for implementing it.
Policy initiatives related to early childhood that have a track record of positively affecting later outcomes are not hard to find. Research has even identified programs that yield benefits greater than program costs. Such initiatives are not commonly highlighted in national media, but they are a remarkable achievement of modern man. When benefits exceed costs, society overall can come out ahead. Examples of initiatives identified as effective include domestic violence prevention, high quality early education, parenting classes, family support through home visitation, and WIC.
Development of the vision of prevention here will show that it draws on empirical research to a greater degree than many policy proposals in Washington. The case for early prevention is very strong in that hundreds of studies form an interlocking web of support. This research is found in multiple academic fields, suggesting the need to bring the strands together into a coherent whole. Support for new research is essential in order to explain the matter simply.
It is no surprise that there are those who seek from policy a way to mobilize voters for various political aims and to express moral censure of abortion, forgetting that abortion is often a reflection of a difficult situation of unwanted pregnancy. Such opponents of abortion may say that, if a policy does not express their visceral moral censure, it is not worth consideration. The necessary response is that punitive and coercive public policy has inevitable limits. Furthermore, public policy has multiple functions other than moral censure. If citizens concerned with abortion really have its reduction as their priority, they will be interested in how this can be achieved through initiatives that are proactive and supportive, rather than merely reactive and punitive.
To put the issue in context, it may be useful to remember how pervasive is violence in modern society and to ask what might be the root causes. The US has had among the highest rates of violent crime in the developed world and among the highest rates of prison incarceration. The number of murders in other developed countries is often less than the number of murders in medium sized US cities. Whatever the benefits of incarceration, the high rates of violence persist. And despite the visceral appeal of incarceration, we know that early life is the seed of a later life outcomes and circumstances. How long shall we persist in our disinterest in the fact that so many children in the US face severe hardship in early life, and at far greater rates than most other developed nations? Does that disinterest support the sanctity of life?
For many decades political officials have pushed easy answers instead of addressing the most important factor in human development, the experiences in early childhood. When we realize the importance of those experiences, we can recognize their importance to abortion too. Unlike policies that are reactive and rely on punishment only, policies of prevention hold the promise of helping make society more humane in many ways. I invite interested citizens and researchers to join in advancing this vision to advance the common good.
By A Donlan, Ph.D.
Few national policy issues have so polarized citizens as has abortion. Citizens concerned with the issue say its rate in the US is higher than many other nations. Yet political officials and partisans remain extremely divided over what to do. One side highlights the need for prohibitions and punitive measures, while the other side just points to the need to sustain personal freedom. On the whole, there might seem little hope of resolution.
An essential issue is that many portray abortion as only a matter of personal character, one entirely separate from various realities of life. But few aspects of life are entirely separable from social and economic conditions around us. If abortion is seen only as a matter of moral character, then the question allegedly becomes only one of legal restrictions and punishments; opponents of abortion will advocate circumstances in which a doctor and/or woman undertaking the procedure will be imprisoned or otherwise sanctioned. But abortion rates are influenced by the world around the woman, and this raises the question of how positive supports, not just reactive punishments, could affect unwanted pregnancy.
The “punishment only” approach fails to appreciate decades of findings in child development and sociology on the remarkable influence of early family life on countless later outcomes. Vast research famously indicates that early childhood is a period in human development critical to later social and economic outcomes. A child subject to various difficult conditions in early years is more likely to re-experience those conditions in adulthood.
Consider the research. Early childhood factors found to affect adulthood are diverse and include various aspects of parent-child interactions and socioeconomic status. These can in turn affect later academic success, interpersonal bonding, prosocial behavior and economic status. Even from studies of neglected orphans we know that the seeds of instability in adulthood are often sewn in childhood. In short, poverty, violence and related factors in youth are important determinants of later life circumstances.
This has important implications for unwanted pregnancy abortion.
The decision to have a child is affected by whether the woman feels supported (by the father and others) and by whether she believes she can support the child materially. Since early childhood experiences affect whether a person later forms strong social bonds and is economically stable, those early experiences have implications for unwanted pregnancy. This is the model that needs to be understood and communicated as clearly as possible.
In this way, prevention can be part of a comprehensive approach. It differs from many policies that wait too long - until after a person’s risk profile for later life unwanted pregnancy is already established. Proactive prevention has advantages over policies that are reactive, ones that would only punish the woman for electing abortion or the doctor for implementing it.
Policy initiatives related to early childhood that have a track record of positively affecting later outcomes are not hard to find. Research has even identified programs that yield benefits greater than program costs. Such initiatives are not commonly highlighted in national media, but they are a remarkable achievement of modern man. When benefits exceed costs, society overall can come out ahead. Examples of initiatives identified as effective include domestic violence prevention, high quality early education, parenting classes, family support through home visitation, and WIC.
Development of the vision of prevention here will show that it draws on empirical research to a greater degree than many policy proposals in Washington. The case for early prevention is very strong in that hundreds of studies form an interlocking web of support. This research is found in multiple academic fields, suggesting the need to bring the strands together into a coherent whole. Support for new research is essential in order to explain the matter simply.
It is no surprise that there are those who seek from policy a way to mobilize voters for various political aims and to express moral censure of abortion, forgetting that abortion is often a reflection of a difficult situation of unwanted pregnancy. Such opponents of abortion may say that, if a policy does not express their visceral moral censure, it is not worth consideration. The necessary response is that punitive and coercive public policy has inevitable limits. Furthermore, public policy has multiple functions other than moral censure. If citizens concerned with abortion really have its reduction as their priority, they will be interested in how this can be achieved through initiatives that are proactive and supportive, rather than merely reactive and punitive.
To put the issue in context, it may be useful to remember how pervasive is violence in modern society and to ask what might be the root causes. The US has had among the highest rates of violent crime in the developed world and among the highest rates of prison incarceration. The number of murders in other developed countries is often less than the number of murders in medium sized US cities. Whatever the benefits of incarceration, the high rates of violence persist. And despite the visceral appeal of incarceration, we know that early life is the seed of a later life outcomes and circumstances. How long shall we persist in our disinterest in the fact that so many children in the US face severe hardship in early life, and at far greater rates than most other developed nations? Does that disinterest support the sanctity of life?
For many decades political officials have pushed easy answers instead of addressing the most important factor in human development, the experiences in early childhood. When we realize the importance of those experiences, we can recognize their importance to abortion too. Unlike policies that are reactive and rely on punishment only, policies of prevention hold the promise of helping make society more humane in many ways. I invite interested citizens and researchers to join in advancing this vision to advance the common good.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
U.S. Worst in Child Abuse : Discovery News
U.S. Worst in Child Abuse : Discovery News
q:
Twenty-seven children under the age of 15 die from physical abuse or neglect every week in America. According to UNICEF, the United States has 2.4 annual deaths per 100,000 children, compared to 1.4 for France; 1 in Japan, and 0.9 in the United Kingdom.
q:
Twenty-seven children under the age of 15 die from physical abuse or neglect every week in America. According to UNICEF, the United States has 2.4 annual deaths per 100,000 children, compared to 1.4 for France; 1 in Japan, and 0.9 in the United Kingdom.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
US Hunger Rate Triple That in China
US Hunger Rate Triple That in China
American workers are now three times more likely than Chinese workers to lack the means of feeding their families, according to a startling new report from the Gallup organization. The polling group found that 19 percent of Americans worried about being able to feed themselves or their families, compared to only 6 percent of Chinese.
The Gallup finding showed a near reversal in the proportions of American and Chinese workers at risk of hunger over the past three years, an indication of the shattering impact of the economic slump brought on by the 2008 Wall Street financial crash. In 2008, 16 percent of Chinese said they at times lacked the money to put food on the table, compared to 9 percent of Americans.
American workers are now three times more likely than Chinese workers to lack the means of feeding their families, according to a startling new report from the Gallup organization. The polling group found that 19 percent of Americans worried about being able to feed themselves or their families, compared to only 6 percent of Chinese.
The Gallup finding showed a near reversal in the proportions of American and Chinese workers at risk of hunger over the past three years, an indication of the shattering impact of the economic slump brought on by the 2008 Wall Street financial crash. In 2008, 16 percent of Chinese said they at times lacked the money to put food on the table, compared to 9 percent of Americans.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The effect of brief interventions on the drinking behaviour of pregnant women in a high-risk rural South African community: a cluster randomised trial
From Early Child Development and Care:
The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a series of brief interventions (BIs) on anti-natal alcohol consumption of women from a disadvantaged and high-risk background attending state health clinics in a rural district, Western Cape Province, South Africa. A pragmatic cluster randomised trial design was followed. All pregnant women, who were less than 20 weeks pregnant and more than 15 years of age, were eligible for the study. The intervention comprised a comprehensive assessment for current and lifetime alcohol use plus information (control group) or comprehensive assessment plus four BI sessions over the pregnancy period (intervention group). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was completed pre- and post-intervention. Although both groups demonstrated declines in AUDIT scores, findings showed a statistically significant difference in the total AUDIT scores between the intervention and control groups post-intervention (F = 9.54, p = 0.002). The difference was two units (SE = 0.6). The follow-up rate was 92% (N = 179 of the original 194 eligible women). The impact of BIs is shown to be a powerful tool. Information and an understanding, supportive attitude seem to be crucial agents for behaviour change.
The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a series of brief interventions (BIs) on anti-natal alcohol consumption of women from a disadvantaged and high-risk background attending state health clinics in a rural district, Western Cape Province, South Africa. A pragmatic cluster randomised trial design was followed. All pregnant women, who were less than 20 weeks pregnant and more than 15 years of age, were eligible for the study. The intervention comprised a comprehensive assessment for current and lifetime alcohol use plus information (control group) or comprehensive assessment plus four BI sessions over the pregnancy period (intervention group). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was completed pre- and post-intervention. Although both groups demonstrated declines in AUDIT scores, findings showed a statistically significant difference in the total AUDIT scores between the intervention and control groups post-intervention (F = 9.54, p = 0.002). The difference was two units (SE = 0.6). The follow-up rate was 92% (N = 179 of the original 194 eligible women). The impact of BIs is shown to be a powerful tool. Information and an understanding, supportive attitude seem to be crucial agents for behaviour change.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
The Long-Term Sequelae of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Women
Child Maltreatment:
The authors conducted a meta-analytic review of the relationship between a history of child sexual abuse (CSA) and psychological problems in adult women in 38 studies meeting rigorous research criteria. Across all symptoms, a significant association was found between history of CSA and adult symptomatology. Analysis of the role of moderating variables indicated the associations were stronger among subjects recruited from clinical populations. When individual symptom domains were examined, anxiety, anger, depression, revictimization, self-mutilation, sexual problems, substance abuse, suicidality, impairment of self-concept, interpersonal problems, obsessions and compulsions, dissociation, posttraumatic stress responses, and somatization all yielded significant associations with sexual abuse. These results are discussed in light of their relevance to research methodology and clinical intervention.
The authors conducted a meta-analytic review of the relationship between a history of child sexual abuse (CSA) and psychological problems in adult women in 38 studies meeting rigorous research criteria. Across all symptoms, a significant association was found between history of CSA and adult symptomatology. Analysis of the role of moderating variables indicated the associations were stronger among subjects recruited from clinical populations. When individual symptom domains were examined, anxiety, anger, depression, revictimization, self-mutilation, sexual problems, substance abuse, suicidality, impairment of self-concept, interpersonal problems, obsessions and compulsions, dissociation, posttraumatic stress responses, and somatization all yielded significant associations with sexual abuse. These results are discussed in light of their relevance to research methodology and clinical intervention.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Creating a culture of vocabulary acquisition for children living in poverty
Journal of Children and Poverty: _
This paper presents a compelling case for early and sustained vocabulary development for children reared in poverty. Research findings indicate that vocabulary knowledge is a critical factor in literacy and academic success for low-income children from preschool to higher levels of schooling. Vocabulary proficiency is strongly related to language and reading understanding and to success in academic subjects, particularly when topics are presented with semantically laden words related to conceptual knowledge. Practitioners learn which words to emphasize in the continuum range of high frequency/high utility to rare words and why conversation, discussion, book readings, morpheme and root word play, and writing become so important in the learning of new words. Presented are four broad suggestions relating to (1) using enhanced talk in the classroom, (2) capitalizing on the rich vocabulary of children's book authors, (3) manipulating morphemes with word roots, and (4) developing the vocabulary of informational topics. Practitioners can readily implement these suggestions in their own classroom contexts, thereby creating positive climates of vocabulary acquisition for children with low and meager receptive and productive vocabularies.
This paper presents a compelling case for early and sustained vocabulary development for children reared in poverty. Research findings indicate that vocabulary knowledge is a critical factor in literacy and academic success for low-income children from preschool to higher levels of schooling. Vocabulary proficiency is strongly related to language and reading understanding and to success in academic subjects, particularly when topics are presented with semantically laden words related to conceptual knowledge. Practitioners learn which words to emphasize in the continuum range of high frequency/high utility to rare words and why conversation, discussion, book readings, morpheme and root word play, and writing become so important in the learning of new words. Presented are four broad suggestions relating to (1) using enhanced talk in the classroom, (2) capitalizing on the rich vocabulary of children's book authors, (3) manipulating morphemes with word roots, and (4) developing the vocabulary of informational topics. Practitioners can readily implement these suggestions in their own classroom contexts, thereby creating positive climates of vocabulary acquisition for children with low and meager receptive and productive vocabularies.
Maternal Socialization of Positive Affect: Impact of Invalidation on Adolescent Emotion Regulation and Depressive Symptomatology
Child Development:__
This study examined the relations among maternal socialization of positive affect (PA), adolescent emotion regulation (ER), and adolescent depressive symptoms. Two hundred early adolescents, 11–13 years old, provided self-reports of ER strategies and depressive symptomatology; their mothers provided self-reports of socialization responses to adolescent PA. One hundred and sixty-three mother–adolescent dyads participated in 2 interaction tasks. Adolescents whose mothers responded in an invalidating or "dampening" manner toward their PA displayed more emotionally dysregulated behaviors and reported using maladaptive ER strategies more frequently. Adolescents whose mothers dampened their PA more frequently during mother–adolescent interactions, and girls whose mothers reported invalidating their PA, reported more depressive symptoms. Adolescent use of maladaptive ER strategies mediated the association between maternal invalidation of PA and early adolescents' concurrent depressive symptoms.
This study examined the relations among maternal socialization of positive affect (PA), adolescent emotion regulation (ER), and adolescent depressive symptoms. Two hundred early adolescents, 11–13 years old, provided self-reports of ER strategies and depressive symptomatology; their mothers provided self-reports of socialization responses to adolescent PA. One hundred and sixty-three mother–adolescent dyads participated in 2 interaction tasks. Adolescents whose mothers responded in an invalidating or "dampening" manner toward their PA displayed more emotionally dysregulated behaviors and reported using maladaptive ER strategies more frequently. Adolescents whose mothers dampened their PA more frequently during mother–adolescent interactions, and girls whose mothers reported invalidating their PA, reported more depressive symptoms. Adolescent use of maladaptive ER strategies mediated the association between maternal invalidation of PA and early adolescents' concurrent depressive symptoms.
Preventing Problem Behavior by Increasing Parents' Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood
Child Development:__
Seven hundred thirty-one income-eligible families in 3 geographical regions who were enrolled in a national food supplement program were screened and randomized to a brief family intervention. At child ages 2 and 3, the intervention group caregivers were offered the Family Check-Up and linked parenting support services. Latent growth models on caregiver reports at child ages 2, 3, and 4 revealed decreased behavior problems when compared with the control group. Intervention effects occurred predominantly among families reporting high levels of problem behavior at child age 2. Families in the intervention condition improved on direct observation measures of caregivers' positive behavior support at child ages 2 and 3; improvements in positive behavior support mediated improvements in children's early problem behavior.
Seven hundred thirty-one income-eligible families in 3 geographical regions who were enrolled in a national food supplement program were screened and randomized to a brief family intervention. At child ages 2 and 3, the intervention group caregivers were offered the Family Check-Up and linked parenting support services. Latent growth models on caregiver reports at child ages 2, 3, and 4 revealed decreased behavior problems when compared with the control group. Intervention effects occurred predominantly among families reporting high levels of problem behavior at child age 2. Families in the intervention condition improved on direct observation measures of caregivers' positive behavior support at child ages 2 and 3; improvements in positive behavior support mediated improvements in children's early problem behavior.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Can Technology and the Media Help Reduce Dysfunctional Parenting and Increase Engagement With Preventative Parenting Interventions?
Child Maltreatment
In an evaluation of the television series "Driving Mum and Dad Mad," 723 families participated and were randomly assigned to either a standard or technology enhanced viewing condition (included additional Web-support). Parents in both conditions reported significant improvements from pre- to postintervention in their child's behavior, dysfunctional parenting, parental anger, depression, and self-efficacy. Short-term improvements were maintained at 6-months follow-up. Regressions identified predictors of program outcomes and level of involvement. Parents who watched the entire series had more severe problems at preintervention and high sociodemographic risk than parents who did not watch the entire series. Few sociodemographic, child, or parent variables assessed at preintervention predicted program outcomes or program engagement, suggesting that a wide range of parents from diverse socioeconomic status benefited from the program. Media interventions depicting evidence-based parenting programs may be a useful means of reaching hard to engage families in population-level child maltreatment prevention programs.
In an evaluation of the television series "Driving Mum and Dad Mad," 723 families participated and were randomly assigned to either a standard or technology enhanced viewing condition (included additional Web-support). Parents in both conditions reported significant improvements from pre- to postintervention in their child's behavior, dysfunctional parenting, parental anger, depression, and self-efficacy. Short-term improvements were maintained at 6-months follow-up. Regressions identified predictors of program outcomes and level of involvement. Parents who watched the entire series had more severe problems at preintervention and high sociodemographic risk than parents who did not watch the entire series. Few sociodemographic, child, or parent variables assessed at preintervention predicted program outcomes or program engagement, suggesting that a wide range of parents from diverse socioeconomic status benefited from the program. Media interventions depicting evidence-based parenting programs may be a useful means of reaching hard to engage families in population-level child maltreatment prevention programs.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Cost-Effective Investments in Children - Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
q:
American children are facing an uncertain economic future. Rising spending for health and retirement benefits for an aging population, combined with falling tax revenues after several rounds of tax cuts, have led to a fiscal crisis. If the current generation fails to take on the responsibility for balancing the budget, future generations will pay the cost—plus interest—of paying off the debt and addressing unfunded financial commitments. Balancing the budget will require a combination of reductions in entitlement spending, reforms in defense and other discretionary spending, and increases in revenues. While the major focus of a responsible, future-oriented budget plan should be deficit reduction, a good budget strategy also needs to make targeted investments in programs that will improve America’s future economic well-being. Chief among these is effective investments in children to ensure they have the skills to become tomorrow’s adult workers, caregivers, taxpayers, and citizens.
q:
American children are facing an uncertain economic future. Rising spending for health and retirement benefits for an aging population, combined with falling tax revenues after several rounds of tax cuts, have led to a fiscal crisis. If the current generation fails to take on the responsibility for balancing the budget, future generations will pay the cost—plus interest—of paying off the debt and addressing unfunded financial commitments. Balancing the budget will require a combination of reductions in entitlement spending, reforms in defense and other discretionary spending, and increases in revenues. While the major focus of a responsible, future-oriented budget plan should be deficit reduction, a good budget strategy also needs to make targeted investments in programs that will improve America’s future economic well-being. Chief among these is effective investments in children to ensure they have the skills to become tomorrow’s adult workers, caregivers, taxpayers, and citizens.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Abortion Reduction Has Its Day
Third Way
q:
The Democrats are showing signs of change on abortion. Yesterday, the Democratically controlled House easily passed an appropriations bill that contains a major – and brand new – abortion initiative. But unlike Democratic abortion bills of yore, this one brings together both sides of the debate and is aimed squarely at abortion reduction.
This “Reducing the Need for Abortions Initiative,” which grew out of a bill crafted by Tim Ryan (pro-life D-OH) and Rosa DeLauro (pro-choice D-CT) passed as part of the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding bill. It invests real money – $647 million – in reducing the need for abortion by funding programs that address the circumstances that lead to abortion. It contains provisions that prevent unintended pregnancies, such as increasing the funding for the nation’s only dedicated family planning program (Title X) and also creates and funds a new teen pregnancy prevention program at CDC. At the same time, it includes measures designed to help support pregnant women and new families who need more support to go forward with their pregnancies, such as increased funding for child care, after-school programs, and nurse home visitation programs for new moms. It also funds an adoption awareness campaign at CDC and domestic violence prevention.
In proposing and then passing this bill, the Democrats have made a bold new statement about their changed outlook on abortion. First, they are showing that they are dedicated to finding common ground on this divisive issue. As Congressman Ryan put it: “It is our moral obligation to address those issues with which all sides agree. Whether you are pro-life like me or pro-choice like my friend Congresswoman DeLauro, the common ground we must build upon is our serious desire to reduce the rate of abortions.”
Second, – the Party is now letting pro-life Democrats inside the tent. We saw this with their loyalty to Bob Casey, Jr. in Pennsylvania – his dad was barred from the podium at the 1992 Democratic Convention for his pro-life views, but now-Senator Casey (who shares his father’s views on abortion) was warmly embraced by the Party during his Senate run last year. We are seeing it again in their decision to listen closely and follow the lead of pro-life Congressman Tim Ryan.
Third, by prioritizing an initiative designed to reduce the need for abortion, Democrats are making a clear statement that they understand the moral complexity of abortion.
The Democrats remain and will always be the party of abortion rights, but they are looking more and more like they are ALSO the party of reducing the need for abortion.
q:
The Democrats are showing signs of change on abortion. Yesterday, the Democratically controlled House easily passed an appropriations bill that contains a major – and brand new – abortion initiative. But unlike Democratic abortion bills of yore, this one brings together both sides of the debate and is aimed squarely at abortion reduction.
This “Reducing the Need for Abortions Initiative,” which grew out of a bill crafted by Tim Ryan (pro-life D-OH) and Rosa DeLauro (pro-choice D-CT) passed as part of the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding bill. It invests real money – $647 million – in reducing the need for abortion by funding programs that address the circumstances that lead to abortion. It contains provisions that prevent unintended pregnancies, such as increasing the funding for the nation’s only dedicated family planning program (Title X) and also creates and funds a new teen pregnancy prevention program at CDC. At the same time, it includes measures designed to help support pregnant women and new families who need more support to go forward with their pregnancies, such as increased funding for child care, after-school programs, and nurse home visitation programs for new moms. It also funds an adoption awareness campaign at CDC and domestic violence prevention.
In proposing and then passing this bill, the Democrats have made a bold new statement about their changed outlook on abortion. First, they are showing that they are dedicated to finding common ground on this divisive issue. As Congressman Ryan put it: “It is our moral obligation to address those issues with which all sides agree. Whether you are pro-life like me or pro-choice like my friend Congresswoman DeLauro, the common ground we must build upon is our serious desire to reduce the rate of abortions.”
Second, – the Party is now letting pro-life Democrats inside the tent. We saw this with their loyalty to Bob Casey, Jr. in Pennsylvania – his dad was barred from the podium at the 1992 Democratic Convention for his pro-life views, but now-Senator Casey (who shares his father’s views on abortion) was warmly embraced by the Party during his Senate run last year. We are seeing it again in their decision to listen closely and follow the lead of pro-life Congressman Tim Ryan.
Third, by prioritizing an initiative designed to reduce the need for abortion, Democrats are making a clear statement that they understand the moral complexity of abortion.
The Democrats remain and will always be the party of abortion rights, but they are looking more and more like they are ALSO the party of reducing the need for abortion.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Importance of Early Neglect for Childhood Aggression
Pediatrics
q:
...
RESULTS. Only early neglect significantly predicted aggression scores. Early abuse, later abuse, and later neglect were not significantly predictive in a controlled model with all 4 predictors.
CONCLUSION. This longitudinal study suggests that child neglect in the first 2 years of life may be a more-important precursor of childhood aggression than later neglect or physical abuse at any age.
q:
...
RESULTS. Only early neglect significantly predicted aggression scores. Early abuse, later abuse, and later neglect were not significantly predictive in a controlled model with all 4 predictors.
CONCLUSION. This longitudinal study suggests that child neglect in the first 2 years of life may be a more-important precursor of childhood aggression than later neglect or physical abuse at any age.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Community Violence, Interpartner Conflict, Parenting, and Social Support as Predictors of the Social Competence of African American Preschool Children
Journal of Black Psychology
q:
Adopting an ecological framework, this study examines the role of community violence exposure, interpartner conflict, positive parenting, and informal social support in predicting the social skills and behavior problems of low-income African American preschoolers. Participants were 184 African American mothers and female caregivers of Head Start children who completed study measures in a structured interview. Regression analyses revealed that greater community violence exposure predicted more internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems and lower levels of self-control and cooperation. Greater interpartner conflict predicted more internalizing problems. Positive parenting was predictive of fewer internalizing and externalizing problems and higher levels of child self-control and cooperation. Greater informal social support predicted higher levels of all four child social skills, including self-control, cooperation, assertion, and responsibility. Positive parenting and informal social support failed to moderate the relationships between community violence exposure and interpartner conflict and child outcomes. Implications of the findings for intervention and future research are discussed.
q:
Adopting an ecological framework, this study examines the role of community violence exposure, interpartner conflict, positive parenting, and informal social support in predicting the social skills and behavior problems of low-income African American preschoolers. Participants were 184 African American mothers and female caregivers of Head Start children who completed study measures in a structured interview. Regression analyses revealed that greater community violence exposure predicted more internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems and lower levels of self-control and cooperation. Greater interpartner conflict predicted more internalizing problems. Positive parenting was predictive of fewer internalizing and externalizing problems and higher levels of child self-control and cooperation. Greater informal social support predicted higher levels of all four child social skills, including self-control, cooperation, assertion, and responsibility. Positive parenting and informal social support failed to moderate the relationships between community violence exposure and interpartner conflict and child outcomes. Implications of the findings for intervention and future research are discussed.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Predictors (0–10 months) of psychopathology at age 1½ years ...
J Child Psychol & Psychiatry
q:
...
Conclusions: Predictors of neuro-developmental disorders and parent–child relationship disturbances can be identified in the first 10 months of life in children from the general population.
q:
...
Conclusions: Predictors of neuro-developmental disorders and parent–child relationship disturbances can be identified in the first 10 months of life in children from the general population.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Current-Generation Youth Programs: What Works, What Doesn't, and at What Cost?
RAND
q:
Policymakers nationwide must decide how to best invest in education and related opportunities, such as out-of-school-time programs targeting youth and early-childhood education programs. In this paper, we review the costs, benefits, and costs and benefits relative to one another for one alternative type of investment: youth programs that are offered during the time that students are not in school. Such programs are often viewed as a mechanism for addressing working parents’ needs for care of their school-age children, for improving the developmental outcomes of youth, and for reducing the gap in academic achievement between advantaged youth and disadvantaged youth.
At this time, the evidence of evaluations of such programs, all of which were geared to at-risk youths, is strongest for programs that are costlier and provide more-intense resources to youth.
q:
Policymakers nationwide must decide how to best invest in education and related opportunities, such as out-of-school-time programs targeting youth and early-childhood education programs. In this paper, we review the costs, benefits, and costs and benefits relative to one another for one alternative type of investment: youth programs that are offered during the time that students are not in school. Such programs are often viewed as a mechanism for addressing working parents’ needs for care of their school-age children, for improving the developmental outcomes of youth, and for reducing the gap in academic achievement between advantaged youth and disadvantaged youth.
At this time, the evidence of evaluations of such programs, all of which were geared to at-risk youths, is strongest for programs that are costlier and provide more-intense resources to youth.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The Family: America's Smallest School
ETS
q:
If the United States is to reach our ambitious national education goals, we need to focus as much attention on the starting line as we do on the finish line. While most reform debate centers on improving schools, increasing teaching quality and raising student achievement, success also requires changes within America’s smallest school as well: the family.
In the ETS Policy Information Center’s new report, The Family: America's Smallest School, ETS researchers Paul E. Barton and Richard J. Coley outline the family and home conditions affecting children’s cognitive development and school achievement and how gaps beginning early persist throughout life. With a preface and endorsement by Marc H. Morial, President of the National Urban League, both organizations call on leaders and policymakers to improve not only schools, but also home and family conditions, to help all students succeed.
Critical factors examined in the report include child care quality, parental involvement in schools, parent/pupil ratio, family finances, literacy development, student absences and physical home environments.
q:
If the United States is to reach our ambitious national education goals, we need to focus as much attention on the starting line as we do on the finish line. While most reform debate centers on improving schools, increasing teaching quality and raising student achievement, success also requires changes within America’s smallest school as well: the family.
In the ETS Policy Information Center’s new report, The Family: America's Smallest School, ETS researchers Paul E. Barton and Richard J. Coley outline the family and home conditions affecting children’s cognitive development and school achievement and how gaps beginning early persist throughout life. With a preface and endorsement by Marc H. Morial, President of the National Urban League, both organizations call on leaders and policymakers to improve not only schools, but also home and family conditions, to help all students succeed.
Critical factors examined in the report include child care quality, parental involvement in schools, parent/pupil ratio, family finances, literacy development, student absences and physical home environments.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Early motherhood and subsequent life outcomes
Journal Child Psychology & Psychiatry
q:
..
Results: Early motherhood was associated with higher levels of mental health disorders, lower levels of educational achievement, higher levels of welfare dependence, lower levels of workforce participation, and lower income. Control for confounding factors reduced the associations between early motherhood and later mental health disorders to statistical non-significance. However, the associations between early motherhood and later educational achievement and economic circumstances persisted after control for potentially confounding factors.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that early motherhood puts young women at risk for educational underachievement and poorer economic circumstances. The linkages between early motherhood and later mental health difficulties can largely be accounted for by childhood, family, and related circumstances that occurred prior to parenthood.
q:
..
Results: Early motherhood was associated with higher levels of mental health disorders, lower levels of educational achievement, higher levels of welfare dependence, lower levels of workforce participation, and lower income. Control for confounding factors reduced the associations between early motherhood and later mental health disorders to statistical non-significance. However, the associations between early motherhood and later educational achievement and economic circumstances persisted after control for potentially confounding factors.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that early motherhood puts young women at risk for educational underachievement and poorer economic circumstances. The linkages between early motherhood and later mental health difficulties can largely be accounted for by childhood, family, and related circumstances that occurred prior to parenthood.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Reducing Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Young Children
NCCP
q:
Maternal depression is a significant risk factor affecting the
well-being and school readiness of young children. Low-income
mothers of young children experience particularly high levels
of depression, often in combination with other risk factors.
This policy brief provides an overview of why it is so important
to address maternal depression as a central part of the effort
to ensure that ALL young children enter school ready to succeed.
...
q:
Maternal depression is a significant risk factor affecting the
well-being and school readiness of young children. Low-income
mothers of young children experience particularly high levels
of depression, often in combination with other risk factors.
This policy brief provides an overview of why it is so important
to address maternal depression as a central part of the effort
to ensure that ALL young children enter school ready to succeed.
...
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