Development within development: The needs of children in one nation’s race to first world status Julie Cooper Altman, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, U.S.A. Fulbright Scholar, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad Presented at Social Work Social Development 2012 Stockholm, Sweden 11 July 2012

Children, Poverty, Marginalization and Risks Capacity to learn, grow, develop influenced by a plethora of factors: – Biological – Psychological – Familial – Social – Cultural – Environmental

Study Question What are the context and norms in which children in one high-risk Trinidadian community are reared?

Study Data - Beetham Community Extensive review of literature (Cambridge, 2003) Prolonged community engagement Multiple interviews with parents (n=28) Multiple interviews with children (n=42) Multiple interviews with parenting experts (n=12) Semi-structured community observation Focus groups

Data Analysis Qualitative data and field notes were transcribed, coded and analyzed using the constant comparative method Quantitative data were coded and analyzed using SPSS

Study Findings – Risk Factors (1) Risk factors children regularly exposed to: – Witnessing violence and criminal activity – Poverty – Low educational attainment among family members – Unsafe and toxic living environments

Study Findings – Risk Factors (2) Child abuse and neglect Community stigma Discrimination and social exclusion Inadequate educational resources

Study Findings - Risk Factors (3) – Increasing lack of adults able to fill child-rearing roles; erosion of child-shifting norm – Rising crime rate / community distrust / social isolation – Dearth of positive socialization experiences

The intersection of child development and social development Children’s needs are greater; require more, not less, discipline and nurturing Parents’ anxiety and confusion lead to inappropriate use of fewer alternatives, poor role modeling, fear Community norms and supports are changing rapidly Increasing view that corporal punishment is not child abuse