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ERIC Number: ED538384
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Dec
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review. Executive Summary
Scott, Mindy E.; Moore, Kristin Anderson; Hawkins, Alan J.; Malm, Karin; Beltz, Martha
Child Trends
Child Trends reviewed existing evidence on a somewhat neglected topic: relationship education for youth in foster care. The goals of this research review were to identify the needs of disadvantaged young people around intimate partner relationships, to identify evaluated relationship education programs, to highlight and synthesize common themes and gaps in research and evaluation in this area, and to make recommendations about opportunities to improve relationship skills among vulnerable youth in foster care. A review of the research indicates that having the skills to manage healthy intimate partner relationships can help vulnerable youth make a successful transition to adulthood and can support positive decisions related to school, employment, pregnancy prevention, and establishing strong, constructive relationships. These skills are important for all youth, including and perhaps especially among youth involved in or aging out of the child welfare system. Relationship education programs typically focus on building skills needed for positive romantic relationships, addressing topics such as interpersonal skills, safety, knowing oneself, and setting the stage for healthy relationships. These types of programs can equip youth to have healthy intimate relationships as adolescents, as well as healthier peer and adult relationships. This review identified several dozen intervention studies that represent a diverse set of programs. Some target youth in foster care directly, or target other vulnerable populations that have similar risks as youth in care (e.g., runaway and homeless youth, youth involved in the juvenile justice system and other vulnerable or minority populations). However, these programs are diverse in terms of the extent to which they address relationship skills and relationship education, and in their level of evaluation evidence. Child Trends developed six categories to describe the types of programs selected for the review based on the goals of the project, and the diverse characteristics of the programs that were identified. (Contains 1 exhibit.) [This paper was prepared for the It's My Community Initiative. For the main report "Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review," see ED538385.]
Child Trends. 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 350, Washington, DC 20008. Tel: 202-572-6000; Fax: 202-362-8420; Web site: http://www.childtrends.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Authoring Institution: Child Trends
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A