Examine Research on Applications of Lifespan Psychology
The purpose and focus of this week assignment is to select a program or an agency that conducts research on lifespan psychology to create applications that strengthen public policy and programs. The program selected for this assignment is the Children defense fund program. The Children Defense fund is a nationwide organization put in place to ensure that every child is treated fair and has an effective and promising start in life, regardless of their race, background or disability.
The Children Defense fund program work he psychologists, and policy makers and the community to conduct research on lifespan development for the purpose of creating applications to strengthen public polices and programs.
The Children Defense program is funded by corporate grants and donations made by individual other organizations. The program employs trained social workers and child protective service men and women to assist families with children who are believed to be at risk of some type of maltreatment. Slep & Heyman (2002), states that “maltreatment is an act of physical, mental, and psychological abuse” (Slep, & Heyman, 2002).
There are four common forms of maltreatment or abuse. According to Slep & Heyman (2002), each form can have a critical affect a child’s mental or physical behavior development during his or her lifespan (Slep, & Heyman, 2002). The four common forms of maltreatment are defined in the outline below:
Physical abuse: This act can be an intentional or unintentional act of violence frequently inflicted upon a child, such as hitting, kicking, or biting.
Neglect: Failing to provide a child with food, clothes, shelter, or medical.
Sexual abuse: Sexual misconduct with ...
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...e funds program. Again, the Children Defense fund is a nationwide organization put in place to ensure that every child is treated fair and has an effective and promising start in life, regardless of their race, background or disability.
In this Assignment I have selected the children defense fund program for my topic, my focus was to explain the programs purpose, and how it relates to lifespan development, and public policies and applications. What I understand about public policy and lifespan psychology is that the Children Defense fund program work closely with policymakers and psychologists to create innovated policies and practices to strengthen lawmakers and the community. Therefore, the main priorities for policies and practices are to help put an end to child poverty, to ensure that every child receives quality education and healthcare, and child protections.
Each of the 50 states has an agency responsible for protecting children. In Los Angeles, California, this agency is known as DCFS (Department of Children and Families Services). The Los Angeles Department of Family Services has recently made the news after a class action law suites ranging in the millions has left locals wondering whether or not DCFS is actually protecting the children they take into their custody. With the increasing number of cases each day, concerns are being raised as to whether the rights of parents are being violated. It is common knowledge that there have been serious accuracy flaws resulting in the wrongful termination of many parents’ rights. However, little is being done to fix these errors and give parents their children back. Child Protective Services is the most needed yet unwanted Agencies in each state. While a system is necessary to intervene and protect children who are abused, there are speculation on the procedures and policy the state uses. While interventi...
For my reflection paper I chose to write about chapter 9 that talks about lifespan development. This chapter grabbed my attention and I found it most interesting. In the textbookit discusses how there are certain factors that uncontrollably make us who we are. Those factorsare "unique combination of genes you inherited from your biological mother and father. Another is the historical era during which you grew up. Your individual development has also been shaped by the cultural, social, and family contexts within which you were raised." (Pg.352) The patterns of our lives are because of developmental psychology. "Developmental psychology is a scientific approach which aims to explain growth, change and consistency though the lifespan. Developmental
Steinberg, L., Bornstein M.H., Vandell, D.L., Rook, S.R., (2011). Lifespan Development: Infancy Through Adulthood. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Hiller, S. M., & Barrow, G. M. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Child Abuse is behavior by and adult that harms a child’s physical, mental, or emotional health and development. Some types of child abuse are neglect, and physical abuse. An example of neglect would be medical neglect. This is where the child does not get the proper medical attention needed. Some examples of physical abuse would be sexual and physiological.
Downs-Whitelaw, S., Moore, E., &McFadden, E. J. (2009). Child welfare and family services: Policies and practice, USA: Parson Education Inc.
Downs, S., Moore, E., McFadden, E., & Costin, L. (2004). Child welfare and family services: Policies and practice. (7th. Ed., pp. 319-363) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
All the benefits provided by CAPTA are important, but one highly important benefit CAPTA provides for infants and children is that all allegations of child abuse and neglect must be investigated to ensure the well-being and safety of every infant and child. After allegations of child abuse and neglect are reported an investigation is the next step in protecting every child. Another benefit of CAPTA for infants and children is that if the heart wrenching experience of child abuse or neglect occur the state CPS systems and private organizations are trained and prepared to provide treatment for the child. In a like manner, CAPTA provides benefits for women and families by providing support and services that address domestic violence. CAPTA also promotes family involvement in all aspects of a CPS case involving child abuse and neglect. The states benefit by the foundation that CAPTA sets regarding the functioning of CPS systems and in a financial aspect. CAPTA provides funding to “Support child abuse and prevention activities by funding discretionary grants to states and/or public or private agencies or organizations” (California Department of Child Services, 2011). Everyone benefits when CPS systems according to CAPTA policies, “The act’s sponsors meant to feature three important themes of CPS reform in these amendments, including encouraging the involvement of family members in a child welfare agency’s decisions process; promoting and enhancing COS collaboration with domestic violence services and substance abuse treatment programs, and increasing the use of differential response by states through the use of noninvestigative/nonaccusatory approach to responding to reports of child maltreatment” (American Bar Association,
Kent, Adam. 2009. “Vulnerable Youth and the Transition to Adulthood.” Table 1. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of Human Services Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC. http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/09/vulnerableyouth/3/index.pdf.
Physical abuse is any non-accidental physical injury to a child. Physical abuse is an injury that results from physical aggression. Types of physical abuse can consist of beating, whipping, hitting, pinching, biting, or spanking.
Physical Violence is classified as an act of intentional violence that involves the use of force which could possibly result in physical harm, disability, or even death to the victim. According to Loveisrespect.org, “examples of physical abuse include hitting, scratching, shoving, grabbing, biting, throwing, choking, shaking, kicking, burning, physical restraint, use of a weapon, or otherwise causing intentional physical injury to the victim”
In my 18 years of life, I’ve gone through a multitude of stages and phases of development. As I end my adolescence and enter my early adulthood, I reflect on my development and see how certain theories of Lifespan Growth and Development can be applied and witnessed throughout my life.
Berger, Kathleen S. The Developing Person Throguh the Life Span. 10th ed. New York: Worth Publishers, 2011. 350-72. Print.
Physical abuse is one of the most common forms of child maltreatment. It can begin as soon as conception and includes any deliberate act of violence that is meant to injure or kill a child. (Encarta 1) Over 500,000 children are physically harmed each year. In 1991, 25% of American adults admitted to being beat by a parent or a caretaker in their youth and unfortunately the numbers have increased since then. (Shepard 305) ...
Secondly, physical abuse is purposely causing physical harm or injuries to a child. Being physically abused includes being hit, kicked, or shaken. Parents who are abusive to their children often claim that their abuse is a form of discipline. There is a significant difference in abusing your child and trying to show them discipline. The whole point of using discipline is to show a child right from wrong. It becomes physical abuse instead of discipline when your...