Are grandparents raising grandchildren receiving the services they need?

Grandparents play an important role in the upbringing of grandchildren and face increased levels of stress. Using family stress theory, the present study examined the effectiveness of service programs for grandparents raising grandchildren. Data were collected through focus group interviews and audiotaped from a sample of four custodial grandparents living in Ohio U.S.A. To better understand grandparents that are raising their grandchildren, we asked the following questions: 1) What support is needed for grandparents raising grandchildren? 2) At what stage is the support needed: beginning, middle or late stages of caregiving? 3) What are grandparent caregivers’ perceptions of service programs? The audiotape was transcribed verbatim and analyzed for themes relevant to the research questions. The findings from these questions are examined and implications discussed.

Suffering in Silence: Examining the Silent Suffering of the Wives of Christian Clergy, Advocating for their Voice and Value

Research was conducted into ministry families using qualitative critical realist grounded theory methodology. This research was based on the foundations of family stress theory. One of the outcomes of the findings of this research emphasizes the need to recognize the silent suffering of ministers’ wives and to advocate for their voice and value in a way that will enhance their wellbeing. Recommendations for pastoral/spiritual counsellors and other professionals involved in helping ministers’ wives are presented.

The impact of war followed by forced displacement on women and children: how Syrian mothers perceive their experiences

PurposeThis research aimed to describe and examine the effects of war followed by forced displacement on Syrian mothers and their children in terms of Reuben Hill's Family Stress Theory and identify essential elements to consider in social work practice with this population.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 Syrian mothers living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A thematic analysis at both a semantic and latent level was completed. A case study – “Noor” – was developed to offer insight into one Syrian woman's experiences and response to war-related stressors and displacement.FindingsThe findings from the analysis of the interviews and case study indicated that for Syrian families displaced by conflict the traumas of war were compounded by ongoing and multiple emotional and practical stressors, with ongoing experiences of “loss” being the significant stressor. Giving context to these findings highlights the demand and impost on the host countries, in this study, the UAE, to continue their significant humanitarian efforts to Syrian families.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings will assist social workers, humanitarian organisations and their staff and others working with Syrian families, to respond more effectively.Originality/valueThere is no research in evidence in the professional literature that addresses the effects of war on displaced Syrian families in terms of Reuben Hill's Family Stress Theory.

Parenting stress and risk of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic: A family stress theory-informed perspective

The risk of child maltreatment is heightened during the pandemic due to multiple COVID-19 related stressors, such as physical and mental health concerns, economic stress, challenges in homeschooling, marital conflicts and intimate personal violence, and intensified child–parent relationships. Both parental internal (e.g., parenting styles) and external resources (e.g., social support), and parental perceptions toward stressors will affect how parents cope with these stressors, which may exacerbate or mitigate the risk of child maltreatment. Guided by family stress theory, this article identifies COVID-19 related stressors at the family level, and further elaborates on how these stressors are associated with child maltreatment via parents’ resources, perceptions, and coping strategies. Implications for future practice and research are discussed.

Parental Incarceration and Family Inequality in the United States

This chapter argues that mass incarceration is an insidious mechanism to limit equal opportunity to freely and optimally ‘do family’. Indeed, research documents a host of negative family outcomes associated with parental incarceration and children seem to be particularly vulnerable. This chapter introduces a ‘Family Inequality Framework’ (FIF), which builds on research and theory that conceptualizes parental incarceration as an ongoing family stressor that influences critical parenting processes and indices of family functioning. Based on family stress theory and ecological frameworks, the FIF points to material hardship as the main conduit through which parental incarceration contributes to and reproduces family inequality. Moreover, an FIF represents a shift in emphasis from how mass imprisonment contributes to inequality among incarcerated adults, to how parental incarceration contributes to inequality among children.