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Staff Intervention and Youth Behaviors in a Child Welfare Residence

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the bidirectional relationship between youth behaviours, more specifically opposition and aggression, and the types of interventions used by staff within a child welfare residential setting. Intervention forms were completed by staff after their interventions with youth. A total of 278 micro-interactions between staff and youth were coded from 84 forms. Generalised estimating equations were conducted controlling for past aggression during the intervention. Reminding youth of rules and using constraining methods were the interventions used with greater frequency when youth were oppositional or aggressive. These two interventions were also found to increase the odds of opposition and aggression among youth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Sarah L. Fraser, Isabelle Archambault & Valérie Parent

  2. Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Sarah L. Fraser & Isabelle Archambault

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  1. Sarah L. Fraser
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Correspondence to Sarah L. Fraser.

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Fraser, S.L., Archambault, I. & Parent, V. Staff Intervention and Youth Behaviors in a Child Welfare Residence. J Child Fam Stud 25, 1188–1199 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0312-6

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