CHILDREN AND FAMILY CARE - Essay Example

? Running Head: CHILDREN AND FAMILY CARE Within the summary section, it is inherent to acknowledge the fact that young people and parents experience various hitches in their relationship at a given household setting. According to O’Byrne and Milner (2009), interrelatedness between parents and children plays a significant role in a minor’s development into adulthood. Family units usually work as a system whereby various parties and social aspect interact with each other in order to provide a stable environment for child support. In some instances, parents may possess character traits that affect their role of discharging parenting responsibilities to their minors. O’Byrne and Milner (2009) says that as a social worker, analysis of practical situations leads to development of objective understanding on the nature of environments where children develop within any given family setting. In this context, the essay focus on the nature of nurture within a subject teenage daughter named Tara, within an unfavorable household setting with her mother Gina. The social work assessment in this context provided a detailed analysis of actual happenings within a dysfunctional family setting. Tara features as the main subject through which one can get to appreciate importance of essential child needs during development period. The problem in subject started when Gina’s parents separated when 14 years after Gina’s birth. As a result, Gina started embracing negative habits within her society. In the process, she started experimenting on alcohol and other drugs. Consequently, poor self control attributed to intense drug abuse translated into negative sexual behaviors. At this juncture, a series of undesirable events manifested in Gina’s life including child birth at age of 19 years, confession of her unapproved sexuality, mental breakdown caused by excessive depression and finally getting her second child out of a one night stand. Gina is a heavy drinker who spends a substantial amount of money on alcohol and other drugs. In the long run, lack of responsibility as a parent presents difficulties to her daughter Tara as a young teenager needing family support and assurance of social stability. Relevant social care authorities have tried to engage their efforts into mitigating Gina’s problems as a mother. However, Gina remains introverted and could choose to keep her own problems as private matters. Based on the core assessment report, it is evident that Tara has various necessities as a child undergoing teenage growth. An example of Tara’s developmental need features as her health status seems inappropriate and unsuitable for her age. Tara is underweight with respect to her age. However, Tara appears unaware of the fact that her body weight falls below health expectations. On the other hand, the subject’s mother remains oblivious of her daughter’s health well being. She responds by insinuating that Tara is a healthy child because she has not portrayed any medical complications. Howe et.al (1999) insinuates that Gina’s mother is not in a position to supplement health diet for her family. Tara reports to depend on random snacks and chocolate on several occasions during dinner time. Apart from physical needs, Tara’s family setting deprives her of the much needed emotional atmosphere for stable development. In the process of social work assessment, Tara demonstrated significant degree of anxiety and emotional discomfort when responding to questions concerning her family. As a teenage girl, Tara started experiencing her first menstrual periods. According to Department for Children, Schools and families (2010), these periods are usually accompanies with hormonal imbalances, which causes fluctuation in moods on a subject. Based on the immediate environment within her family, Tara experiences difficulties in approaching her mother about the issue. As a result of constant emotional distress, Tara has not developed many constructive relationships with other members of the society. Actually, Tara admitted that she has few friends in school and at home. Based on these two cases, it is appreciable that Tara lacks essential family care services. Bronfrenbrenner (1979) says that in order to acknowledge the role of basic care in child development, it is necessary to evaluate Tara’s case from a theoretical perspective. In this regard, the essay appraises application of social theories in addressing developmental attributes of youth within dysfunctional family households. Within the broad spectrum of parenting capacity, the core assessment shows that Tara lacks the basic care appropriate for ideal households. According to Department of Health (2005), basic needs entail elements like food, decent housing and physical components like clothing and hygiene. Tara’s teachers at school reported that the teenager had a distressing personal order. This means that hygiene issues were not addressed within the family setting. In addition, Gina’s house was generally cold during winter, and the parent did not ensured presence of appropriate mechanisms meant to supplement physical warmth during cold seasons. According to Howe et.al (2009), social and parenting theories postulate that child development should take into consideration ability to provide basic needs. Good health habits featured as one of the most emphasized basic need within a household comprising of growing children. In this context, presence of clean living environment and clean clothes fall under this category of decent health habits. Tara lacks the necessary cleanliness within their home. In addition, lack of other basis needs like food and proper shelter signifies that the social workers arrived at an objective conclusion during the assessment in subject. Therefore, lack of appropriate basic care is responsible for the personal odor and unkemptness seen on Tara in school. With respect to child safety, legal and social institutions emphasize that minors have a right to enjoy physical and emotional safety within a family setting. According to Department of Health (2000), caregivers are charged with the responsibility of ensuring provision of these safety services at home. Based on information from the core assessment, Gina has failed to supplement appropriate safety measures within her household. Tara reported of constant arguments with her mother. On the other hand, Gina is usually drunk and cannot be able to manage imminent conflict of interests with her daughter. As a result, Tara prefers to stay with her friends across the streets in order to escape emotional stress associated with heated arguments at home. In addition, Tara provided an insight of pronounced incidences of physical abuses from her mother whenever Gina arrives home drunk. In this regard, these two cases indicate that Tara lacks appropriate sense of security and safety within her home. According to Department of Health (2000), children within dysfunctional family settings are usually victims of safety related problems. Physical and emotional abuses at home can cause development of psychological trauma among children. Tara prefers leaving the house whenever she has quarrels with her mother. In this case, subsequent emotional discomfort after misunderstandings causes long lasting sadness and heartbreaks on the teenager. Social theories assert that legal authorities can direct parents and other caregivers on ways meant to provide safety to children. Department of Health (2000) says that depressed and irresponsible parents may disregard such directions; hence endangering lives of their children. With respect to assessment report in subject, drug and alcohol group has tried helping Gina reduce her alcohol abuse habits. Despite these efforts, Gina ignores such advices and continues with her negative behavioral patterns. As a result, drunkenness and emotional instability endangers Tara’s safety and physical wellbeing within their family unit. In the context of parenting styles, typical social theories puts significant emphasis on issues relating to mental and emotional needs of parents. In order to foster development of a warm emotional atmosphere, parents should employ techniques meant to demonstrate support and friendliness towards the young ones. According to Bowlby (1982), constructive conversations usually serve as the best mode of getting to learn issues affecting teenagers at personal levels. In this case, parents should be able to structure systematic relationship structures aimed at responding to the changing emotional needs of their children. From the core assessment, Gina has failed to provide emotional friendliness and support for her daughter. Bowlby (1982) insinuates that frequent arguments usually destroy interpersonal bonds existing between Tara and her mother. In the process, these discomforts hinder development of appropriate emotional atmosphere within their family setting. In such instances, Gina may improve the situation by use of friendly communication skills like tonal adjustment and display of respect towards her daughter. According to Department of Health (2005), teenagers are unstable and reactive individuals under constant threat from negative influences around the immediate environment. This group of individuals is not in a position to make informed decisions because of their limited knowledge in social and psychological issues. Therefore, parents and other caregivers ought to provide necessary guidance and direction towards development of positive attributes and character traits within a young person. Training and guidance usually takes facets like cultural values and desirable psychological characteristics. Department of Health (2005) says that parents should usually promote values of honesty, discipline and responsibility in their children. In addition, parents can address emotional fluctuations of their teenage children through counseling and constructive conversations. With respect to Tara’s case, Gina failed to provide direction and guidance to her daughter. Regular drinking habits of her mother could not serve as an exemplary illustration to the fragile teenager. In this regard, assessment arrived at an objective analysis after indentifying lack of parental guidance within Tara’s family. From information contained in the assessment report, Tara experienced limited stimulation both in social and emotional aspects of her development. Lack of constructive relationship at home served as a hindering factor in stimulation development. In the process, the daughter developed low self esteem and decline in personal confidence. Tara could not feel comfortable participating in extra curriculum activities in school. Tara lacked games kits and decent school uniform because her mother could not allocate funds for purchase of educational logistics. In addition, Tara lacked books and other provisions; hence could not develop appropriate stimulation for her progress in academic and social objectives. According to Department for Children, Schools and families (2010), theoretical framework suggests that parents should supplement all logistical supports meant to enhance development of stimulation in their children. At a teenage age, children usually need physical activities and mental stimulation for their development. In this context, Gina failed in her role as a parent in developing stimulation and interest in her daughter. Presence of stability at home serves as an element enhances a sense of security and belonging in the household. Gina proved her irresponsible behavior through constant drinking and strangers’ invitations to their home. In addition, Gina had failed to pay house rent for a period of five months. Failure of rent payment alone presented a serious instance of instability. As a result of irresponsibility in house rent payments, Tara’s family moved from one house unit to another. According to O’Byrne and Milner (2009), constant movements created inconvenience in terms of settlement and the need to adjust into new environments of living. Social knowledge requires parents and caregivers to accord their children with stable living environments. In actual practices, legal authorities and social organizations requires that parents should move into permanent housing upon establishing a family unit. Stability plays a significant role in developing secure and stable emotional atmospheres within a child’s surrounding environment. In this case, one can acknowledge the fact that Gina failed in supplementing appropriate stability to her children, especially Tara. As a conclusion, the case study presents situations where family units play a role in negative child development. Social work seeks to indentify and address issue related to dysfunctional social relationships. In this case, numerous aspects of child development feature as the reasons responsible for difficulties facing Tara’s teenage growth. Extrapolation on theoretical framework shows that all these parenting capacity needs are necessary in ensuring existence of a family system for child development. Reference List Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and Loss, (2nd edition). New York: Basic Books Bronfrenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge: Havard University Press. Department of Children, Schools and Families. (2010). Working together to Safeguard Children: A guide to Inter-Agency Working to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children. Nottingham: DCSF Publications. Department of Health. (2000). Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families. London: The Stationary Office. Department of Health. (2005). Every Child Matters. London: HMSO Publishing. Howe, D., Brandon, M., Hinings, D., and Schofield, G. (1999). Attachment Theory, Child Maltreatment and Family Support. Pittsburgh: Palgrave Macmillan O’Byrne, P. & Milner, J. (2009). Assessment in Social Work (3rd edition). Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan Publishers. Read More