Social Work Research

doi: 10.1093/swr/svt040pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1093/swr/svt048pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1093/swr/svt044pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1093/swr/svt052pmid: N/A

Williams, James Herbert

doi: 10.1093/swr/svu007pmid: N/A

Davis, Larry E.

doi: 10.1093/swr/svu003pmid: N/A

Ryan, Joseph P.; Abrams, Laura S.; Huang, Hui

doi: 10.1093/swr/svu004pmid: N/A

Rising costs, inefficient systems, and high recidivism rates have recently challenged the social and economic value of secure confinement for juvenile offenders; however, current empirical evidence is inconclusive concerning the value of placing violent youth offenders in secure settings to deter them from future involvement in crime. Using propensity score matching and survival analysis, this study examined the risk of recidivism for first-time violent juvenile offenders assigned to one of three judicial dispositions in Los Angeles County: in-home probation, group-home placement, or probation camp (a secure setting). Approximately half (48) of first-time violent offenders experienced a subsequent arrest, and the risk of re-offending varied by disposition. Compared with in-home probation, the likelihood of recidivism was 2.12 times greater for youths assigned to probation camps and 1.28 times greater for youths assigned to group homes. African American adolescents, Hispanic adolescents, and adolescents with an open child welfare case were also at an increased risk of recidivism. The findings from this study indicate that in-home probation is a more sensible and effective approach to interrupting criminal trajectories of first-time violent offenders as compared with out-of-home placements. Implications for research, system collaboration, and the training of social work professionals are discussed.

Chowa, Gina; Ansong, David; Despard, Mathieu R.

doi: 10.1093/swr/svu002pmid: N/A

In recent years, discussion about the financial capability of rural households has increased. Although studies have conceptualized what financial capability means, there is a dearth of empirical evidence that addresses how the different components of financial capability interact to improve savings outcomes, especially in rural households in sub-Saharan Africa. In this article, the authors use data from an asset-building project in Masindi, Uganda, and a multilevel logistic regression approach to model the likelihood of households contributing to a savings account in a bank. The advantage of a multilevel modeling approach is that it will allow for understanding how contextual factors, such as proximity to the bank and the presence of informal savings mechanisms, affect how households save. Findings suggest that community characteristics affect rural households' financial capability. The study also shows that financial education and the existence of informal savings groups are associated with the households' saving behaviors and that internal and external factors are important in shaping them. The implications of the findings and the importance of using the correct method of analysis are discussed.

Wang, Wei Chun; Worsley, Anthony; Cunningham, Everarda; Hunter, Wendy

doi: 10.1093/swr/svu005pmid: N/A

Retirement is an important phase in people's lives. Life after retirement is less likely to be healthy and satisfying without planning. This study investigated retirement planning patterns among middle-age Australians and the relationships between these patterns and demographics, problem-solving skills, attitudes toward the future, and the presence of long-term illness. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a random sample of Australians ages 40 to 70 years in Victoria. A total of 729 usable questionnaires were obtained. Latent class analysis was conducted separately for men and women because of known gender differences in retirement-planning behaviors. Four types of retirement planning for both genders were identifiednamely, fully planned, physically and mentally planned, financially planned, and unplanned. Membership of these groups was associated with age, income, problem-solving skills, attitudes toward the future, and the presence of long-term illness. The findings suggest that middle-age people should be encouraged to engage in multifaceted retirement planning to have a healthy and active retirement life. This may be improved by attempts to change attitudes and to improve problem-solving ability. The findings also highlight the need for social policies to provide adequate, readily available information to support planning for retirement.

Wolf, David A. Patterson Silver; Dulmus, Catherine N.; Maguin, Eugene; Fava, Nicole

doi: 10.1093/swr/svu006pmid: 25400495

Barriers to adopting evidence-based practices into real-world mental health organizations have received considerable attention and study. One particular attempt is Aarons's Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS), which measures a worker's attitudes toward adopting new treatments, interventions, and practices. This study follows Aarons's work by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis of the EBPAS administered in a large child and family human service agency in New York state (N 1,273). Replicating Aarons et al.'s four-factor model of the EBPAS, the authors found that, within the model, the pattern of factor loadings that was apparent in previous investigations held for their data as well. That is, the factor loadings of items within the Divergence subscale were larger for items 5 and 7 and smaller for items 3 and 6. The authors found that both of their alternative models, one that added a residual covariance to items in the Divergence factor and a five-factor model that divided the Divergence factor into two factors, fit their data better than Aarons et al.'s model. They also investigated measurement and structural invariance for workers in community-based and in residential programs using a multiple group analysis. Measurement invariance was supported but factor means and correlations differed.