Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Academic Achievement of Romanian Institutionalized Children: A Social–Ecological Approach

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Child Maltreatment in Residential Care

  • 711 Accesses

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the self-reported academic performance of Romanian institutionalized children placed in long-term residential centers in 1999 and multiple child- and institution-related variables considered to have an impact on children’s development and their everyday functioning.

A nationally representative sample of 1479 institutionalized children (783 boys and 696 girls) aged 7–19 years old (M = 12.69; SD = 2.83) and living in 53 long-term residential centers was used. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to measure the effect of punishments enacted by staff and children and institutional characteristics on children’s performance. The analyses revealed that 53.5% of children reported having a very good or good academic performance, and this performance varied based on individual characteristics (e.g., age, gender, type of education), experiences of punishment by institutional staff, as well as institutional characteristics (e.g., readiness of institutional setting to protect children’s most basic rights, optimal child–staff ratio, type of institution). These results provide an insight into some of the contributing factors that predict school achievement in a highly vulnerable population of school-aged children and may be informative for practitioners working with institutionalized children around the globe and policymakers tasked with improving the quality of care and education for this population.

If we want the best academic outcomes, the most efficient and cost-effective route to achieve that is, counterintuitively, not to narrowly focus on academics, but to also address children’s social, emotional, and physical development.

Adele Diamond (2010, p. 780)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alloway, T. P., & Alloway, R. G. (2010). Investigating the predictive roles of working memory and IQ in academic attainment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 106, 20–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Public Health Association (APHA), & National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRCHSCCEE). (2011). Caring for our children: National health and safety performance standards; guidelines for early care and education programs (3rd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL/Washington, DC: American Academy of Pediatrics/American Public Health Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Attar-Schwartz, S. (2009). School functioning of children in residential care: The contributions of multilevel correlates. Child Abuse and Neglect, 33(7), 429–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attar-Schwartz, S. (2011). Maltreatment by staff in residential care facilities: The adolescents’ perspectives. Social Service Review, 85(4), 635–664.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attar-Schwartz, S. (2013). Runaway behavior among adolescents in residential care: The role of personal characteristics, victimization experiences while in care, social climate, and institutional factors. Children & Youth Services Review, 35(2), 258–267. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.11.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attar-Schwartz, S. (2014). Experiences of sexual victimization by peers among adolescents in residential care settings. Social Service Review, 88(4), 594–629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attar-Schwartz, S., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2015). Indirect and verbal victimization by peers among at-risk youth in residential care. Child Abuse & Neglect, 4284–4298. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.12.007.

  • Barnett, W. S. (1998). Long-term cognitive and academic effects of early childhood education on children in poverty. Preventive Medicine, 27, 204–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bates, D., Maechler, M., Bolker, B., & Walker, S. (2015). Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. Journal of Statistical Software, 67(1), 1–48. doi:10.18637/jss.v067.i01.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckett, C., Maughan, B., Rutter, M., Castle, J., Colvert, E., Groothues, C., … Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S. (2006). Do the effects of early severe deprivation on cognition persist into early adolescence? Findings from the English and Romanian adoptees study. Child Development, 77, 696–711.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckett, C., Maughan, B., Rutter, M., Castle, J., Colvert, E., Groothues, C., … Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S. (2007). Scholastic attainment following severe early institutional deprivation: A study of 242 adoptees adopted from Romania. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 1063–1073.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biancarosa, C., & Snow, C. E. (2006). Reading next – A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy: A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bos, K. J., Fox, N., Zeanah, C. H., & Nelson, C. A. (2009). Effects of early psychosocial deprivation on the development of memory and executive function. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 316. doi:10.3389/neuro.08.016.2009.

  • Braitstein, P., Ayaya, S., Nyandiko, W. M., Kamanda, A., Koech, J., Gisore, P., … Ayuku, D. O. (2013). Nutritional status of orphaned and separated children and adolescents living in community and institutional environments in Uasin Gishu county, Kenya. PloS One, 8(7), e70054. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0070054.

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (1998). The ecology of developmental processes. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology, Theoretical models of human development (Vol. 1, 5th ed., pp. 993–1028). New York, NY: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browne, W. J. (2012). MCMC estimation in MLwiN, v2.26. Centre for Multilevel Modelling, University of Bristol.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, A. (2010). The evidence base for improving school outcomes by addressing the whole child and by addressing skills and attitudes, not just content. Early Education and Development, 21(5), 780–793.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eckenrode, J., & Laird, M. (1993). School performance and disciplinary problems among abused and neglected children. Developmental Psychology, 29(1), 53–62. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.29.1.53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egeland, B., Sroufe, L. A., & Erickson, M. (1983). The developmental consequence of different patterns of maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 7(4), 459–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Escueta, M., Whetten, K., Ostermann, J., & O’Donnell, K. (2014). Adverse childhood experiences, psychosocial well-being and cognitive development among orphans and abandoned children in five low income countries. BMC International Health & Human Rights, 14(1), 1–13. doi:10.1186/1472-698X-14-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Euser, S., Alink, L. A., Tharner, A., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2016). The prevalence of child sexual abuse in out-of-home care: Increased risk for children with a mild intellectual disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 29, 83–92. doi:10.1111/jar.12160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Euser, S., Alink, L. R., Tharner, A., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2014). Out of home placement to promote safety? The prevalence of physical abuse in residential and foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 37, 3764–3770.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furrer, C., & Skinner, E. (2003). Sense of relatedness as a factor in children’s academic engagement and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(1), 148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gelman, A., & Hill, J. (2007). Data analysis using regression and multilevel/hierarchical models. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gramzow, R. H., Elliot, A. J., Asher, E., & McGregor, H. A. (2003). Self-evaluation bias and academic performance: Some ways and some reasons why. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(2), 41. doi:10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00535-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, C. L., Pence, B. W., Ostermann, J., Whetten, R. A., O’Donnell, K., Thielman, N. M., & Whetten, K. (2015). Prevalence and incidence of traumatic experiences among orphans in institutional and family-based settings in 5 low- and middle-income countries: A longitudinal study. Global Health, Science and Practice, 3(3), 395–404. doi:10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00093.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1990). Social skills rating system manual. Circle Pines, MN: AGS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haarr, R. N. (2011). Violence against children in state-run residential institutions in Kazakhstan: An assessment. Astana, Kazakhstan: United Nations Children’s Fund. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://www.ceecis.org/ccc/publications/Violence_against_children_in_state-run_residential_institutions_in_Kazakhstan_2011_ENG.pdf

  • Hermenau, K., Hecker, T., Elbert, T., & Ruf-Leuschner, M. (2014). Maltreatment and mental health in institutional care-comparing early and late institutionalized children in Tanzania. Infant Mental Health Journal, 35(2), 102–110. doi:10.1002/imhj.21440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermenau, K., Hecker, T., Ruf, M., Schauer, E., Elbert, T., & Schauer, M. (2011). Childhood adversity, mental ill-health and aggressive behavior in an African orphanage: Changes in response to trauma-focused therapy and the implementation of a new instructional system. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Mental Health, 5(1), 29–37. doi:10.1186/1753-2000-5-29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, J., & Tizard, B. (1989). IQ and behavioural adjustment of ex-institutional adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 30, 53–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Humphreys, K. L., Gleason, M. M., Drury, S. S., Miron, D., Nelson 3rd, C., Fox, N. A., & Zeanah, C. H. (2015). Effects of institutional rearing and foster care on psychopathology at age 12 years in Romania: Follow-up of an open, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(7), 625–634. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00095-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IBM Corp. (2010). IBM SPSS statistics for Windows (Version 19.0). Armonk, NY: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, V. A. (2008). Adolescent literacy: Putting the crisis in context. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 7–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, C., Schene, P., DePanfilis, D., & Gilmore, D. (2009). Introduction: Shining light on chronic neglect. Protecting Children, 24(1), 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall-Tackett, K. A., & Eckenrode, J. (1996). The effects of neglect on academic achievement and disciplinary problems: A developmental perspective. Child Abuse & Neglect, 20(3), 161–169. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(95)00139-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumsta, R., Kreppner, J., Kennedy, M., Knights, N., Rutter, M., & Sonuga-Barke, E. (2015). Psychological consequences of early global deprivation. European Psychologist, 20, 138–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lansford, J. E., Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., Crozier, J., & Kaplow, J. (2002). A 12-year prospective study of the long-term effects of early child physical maltreatment on psychological, behavioral, and academic problems in adolescence. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 156(8), 824–830.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C. D., & Spratley, A. (2010). Reading in the disciplines: The challenges of adolescent literacy. New York, NY: Carnegie Corporation of New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loman, M. M., Wiik, K. L., Frenn, K. A., Pollak, S. D., & Gunnar, M. R. (2009). Post-institutionalized children’s development: Cognitive, academic, and health outcomes. Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics, 30(5), 1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDermott, J. M., Westerlund, A., Zeanah, C. H., Nelson, C. A., & Fox, N. A. (2012). Early adversity and neural correlates of executive function. Implications for academic adjustment. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2(Suppl. 1), S59–S66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Rettinger, D. A., Shah, P., & Hegarty, M. (2001). How are visuospatial working memory, executive functioning, and spatial abilities related? A latent variable analysis. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130, 621–640.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Authority for the Protection of Child’s Rights & Phare 2003 “Educational Campaign on Child’s Rights”. (2006). Child welfare in Romania: The story of a reform process. Bucharest, Romania. Retrieved December 3, 2016, from https://www.unicef.org/ceecis/Rom_RefHist.pdf

  • Nelson, C. A., Fox, N. A., & Zeanah, C. H. (2014). Romania’s abandoned children: Deprivation, brain development, and the struggle for recovery. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, C. A., Zeanah, C. H., Fox, N. A., Marshall, P. J., Smyke, A. T., & Guthrie, D. (2007). Cognitive recovery in socially deprived young children: The Bucharest Early Intervention Project. Science, 318, 1937–1940.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollak, S. D., Nelson, C. A., Schlaak, M. F., Roeber, B. J., Wewerka, S. S., Wiik, K. L., … Gunnar, M. R. (2010). Neurodevelopmental effects of early deprivation in postinstitutionalized children. Child Development, 81, 224–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pomerantz, E. M., Saxon, J. L., & Altermatt, E. R. (2002). Making the grade but feeling distressed: Gender differences in academic performance and internal distress. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(2), 396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team. (2016). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing. ISBN:3-900051-07-0. Retrieved June 27, 2013, from https://www.r-project.org/

  • Rasbash, J., Steele, F., Browne, W. J. & Goldstein, H. (2012). A user’s guide to MLwiN, v2.26. Centre for Multilevel Modelling, University of Bristol.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, D. R., Pajer, K., & Rancurello, M. (1992). Neuropsychiatric assessment of orphans in one Romanian orphanage for “unsalvageables”. JAMA, 268(24), 3489–3490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowe, E., & Eckenrode, J. (1999). The timing of academic difficulties among maltreated and nonmaltreated children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 23(8), 813–832.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rus, A. V., Parris, S., Cross, D., Purvis, K., & Drăghici, S. (2011). Reforming the Romanian child welfare system: 1990–2010. Review of Research and Social Intervention, 34, 56–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rus, A. V., Stativa, E., Pennings, J. S., Cross, D. R., Ekas, N., Purvis, K., & Parris, S. R. (2013). Severe punishment of children by staff in Romanian placement centers for school-aged children: Effects of child and institutional characteristics. Child Abuse and Neglect, 37(12), 1152–1162. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.07.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Kreppner, J. M., O’Connor, T. G., & The English Romanian Adoptees (ERA) Study Team. (2001). Specificity and heterogeneity in children’s responses to profound institutional privation. British Journal of Psychiatry, 17, 97–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Sonuga-Barke, E., Beckett, C., Castle, J., Kreppner, J., Kumsta, R., … Gunnar, M. (2010). Deprivation-specific psychological patterns: Effects of institutional deprivation. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 75, 1–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., & the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study team. (1998). Developmental catch-up and deficit following adoption after severe global early privation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 39(4), 465–476.

    Google Scholar 

  • Segura, A., Pereda, N., Abad, J., & Guilera, G. (2015). Victimization and polyvictimization among Spanish youth protected by the child welfare system. Children and Youth Services Review, 59, 105–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segura, A., Pereda, N., Guilera, G., & Abad, J. (2016). Poly-victimization and psychopathology among Spanish adolescents in residential care. Child Abuse & Neglect, 5540–5551. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.03.009.

  • Shonk, S. M., Cicchetti, D., Susan, M. S., & Dante, C. (2001). Maltreatment, competency deficits, and risk for academic and behavioral maladjustment. Developmental Psychology, 37(1), 3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slade, E. P., & Wissow, L. S. (2007). The influence of childhood maltreatment on adolescents’ academic performance. Economics of Education Review, 26(5), 604–614. doi:10.1016/j.econedurev.2006.10.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stativa, E., Anghelescu, C., Palicari, G., Stanescu, A., & Nanu, R. (2002). Child abuse in residential care institutions in Romania. Bucharest, Romania: Extrem Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephenson, P., Anghelescu, C., Fumarel, S., Georgescu, A., Iorgulescu, D., McCreery, R., … Stanescu, A. (1993). Training needs of staff in Romanian institutions for young children. Child: Care, Health and Development, 19(3), 221–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan, T. X. (2009). School-age adopted Chinese girls’ behavioral adjustment, academic performance, and social skills: Longitudinal results. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 79(2), 244–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan, T. X., Rice, J. L., & Mahoney, E. E. (2015). Developmental delays at arrival and postmenarcheal Chinese adolescents’ adjustment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85(1), 93–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tibu, F., Sheridan, M., McLaughlin, K. A., Fox, N. A., Zeanah, C. H., & Nelson, C. A. (2016). Disruptions of working memory and inhibition mediate the association between exposure to institutionalization and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychological Medicine, 46, 529–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UN General Assembly. (1989, November 20). Convention on the rights of the child (United Nations, Treaty Series, Vol. 1577, p. 3).

    Google Scholar 

  • Universitatea Babes-Bolyai, Facultatea de Psychologie si Stiinte ale Educatiei (n.d.). Scurt istoric al facultatii de Psihologie si Stiinte ale Educatiei [Brief history of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences]. Retrieved July 15, 2016, from http://psiedu.ubbcluj.ro/index.php?id=11-istoric-psihologie

  • Universitatea Bucuresti, Facultatea de Sociologie si Asistenta Sociala. (n.d.). Trecut [Past]. Retrieved July 15, 2016, from http://sas.unibuc.ro/trecut_ro

  • van IJzendoorn, M. H., Juffer, F., & Klein Poelhuis, C. W. (2005). Adoption and cognitive development: A metaanalytic comparison of adopted and nonadopted children’s IQ and school performances. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 301–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vorria, P., Ntouma, M., & Rutter, M. (2015). The cognitive development and school achievement of adopted adolescents: The Greek “Metera” study. European Journal of Developmental Psychology., 12(1), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whetten, K., Ostermann, J., Whetten, R., O’Donnell, K., & Thielman, N. (2011). More than the loss of a parent: Potentially traumatic events among orphaned and abandoned children. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 24(2), 174–182. doi:10.1002/jts.20625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whetten, K., Ostermann, J., Whetten, R. A., Pence, B. W., O’Donnell, K., Messer, L. C., & Thielman, N. M. (2009). A comparison of the wellbeing of orphans and abandoned children ages 6–12 in institutional and community-based care settings in 5 less wealthy nations. PloS One, 4(12), e8169. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, C. J. (1990, December 10). The unwanted children: Casualties left by a tyrant. Los Angeles Times.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeanah, C. H., Nelson, C. A., Fox, N. A., Smyke, A. T., Marshall, P., Parker, S., & Koga, S. (2003). Designing research to study the effects of institutionalization on brain and behavioral development: The Bucharest Early Intervention Project. Development and Psychopathology, 15, 885–907.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z., Charlton, C., Parker, R., Leckie, G. & Browne, W. J. (2016). R2MLwiN: Running MLwiN from within R. R package version 0.8-2. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=R2MLwiN

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Southwestern Christian University, 7210 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany, OK, 73008-0340, USA

    Adrian V. Rus

  2. Social Pediatrics and Obstetrics Research Department, The National Institute for Mother and Child Health “Alessandrescu-Rusescu”, Bucharest, Romania

    Ecaterina Stativa

  3. Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA

    Sheri R. Parris

  4. Elite Research, LLC, Irving, TX, USA

    Jacquelyn S. Pennings

  5. Institute of Child Development, Bucharest, Romania

    Florin Tibu

  6. Southwestern Christian University, Bethany, OK, USA

    Reggies Wenyika

  7. Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK

    Gabriel Burcea

Authors
  1. Adrian V. Rus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ecaterina Stativa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sheri R. Parris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jacquelyn S. Pennings
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Florin Tibu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Reggies Wenyika
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gabriel Burcea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adrian V. Rus .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Southwestern Christian University, Bethany, Oklahoma, USA

    Adrian V. Rus

  2. Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

    Sheri R. Parris

  3. Social Pediatrics and Obstetrics Research Department, National Institute for Mother and Child Health “Alessandrescu-Rusescu”, Bucuresti, Romania

    Ecaterina Stativa

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rus, A.V. et al. (2017). Academic Achievement of Romanian Institutionalized Children: A Social–Ecological Approach. In: Rus, A., Parris, S., Stativa, E. (eds) Child Maltreatment in Residential Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57990-0_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57990-0_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57989-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57990-0

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation