Sports are activities enjoyed by many across the globe, regardless of age. The existence and promotion of youth sports has often been based on various assumptions about its value and role in society. Sports participation is assumed to be fun and good and is assumed to contribute to the development of young people. As a result, sports are often seen as an essential part of life for youth. Participation in sports and physical activity is assumed to help young people to develop in a context in which they are able to learn important positive societal values (Fraser-Thomas et al., 2005; Holt, 2008). Although there is a widespread belief in the positive dimensions of sports participation for young people, there is a need for research and theory that identifies and critically looks at the processes through which sports participation by youth is experienced and shapes their lives (Coakley, 2011). I return to this critical perspective after I elaborate on the ways sports are viewed as important effective activities for positive youth development.
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Background Little is known about the nature and reactions to sexual abuse of children with intellectual disability (ID). The aim was to fill this gap. Method Official reports of sexual abuse of children with ID in state care were examined (N = 128) and compared with children without ID (N = 48). Results Clear signs of penetration or genital touching by male (adolescent) peers or (step/foster) fathers were found in most ID reports. Victims often received residential care and disclosed themselves. Type of perpetrator seemed to affect the nature and reaction to the abuse. Cases of children with and without ID seemed to differ in location and reports to police. Conclusions Screening of (foster)homes seems crucial. Residential facilities should find a balance between independence of children and protection. Care providers should be trained in addressing sexual issues and sexual education, accounting for different types of perpetrators (peers/adults). Uniform reporting guidelines are needed.
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When it comes to hard to solve problems, the significance of situational knowledge construction and network coordination must not be underrated. Professional deliberation is directed toward understanding, acting and analysis. We need smart and flexible ways to direct systems information from practice to network reflection, and to guide results from network consultation to practice. This article presents a case study proposal, as follow-up to a recent dissertation about online simulation gaming for youth care network exchange (Van Haaster, 2014).
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Background: Concepts such as participation and environment may differ across cultures. Consequently, to use a measure like the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) in other than the original English-speaking contexts, cultural adaptation needs to be assured. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally translate and adapt the PEM-CY into German as it is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Methods: Fifteen parents of children and adolescents with disabilities from three German speaking countries participated in three rounds of think-aloud interviews. We followed the procedure of cultural equivalence guidelines including two additional steps. Data was analyzed by content analysis using semantic, idiomatic, experiential and conceptual equivalence. Results: Results show adaptations mainly focused on experiential and conceptual equivalence, with conceptual equivalence being the most challenging to reach. Examples of experiential equivalence included adapting the examples of activities in the PEM-CY to reflect those typical in German speaking countries. Conceptual equivalence mainly addressed aspects of “involvement” and “environment” of children and adolescents and was reached through adaptations such as enhanced instructions and structures, and additional definitions. Conclusions: This study presents a cross-cultural translation and adaptation process to develop a German version of the PEM-CY that is suitable for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Using a modified cultural adaptation process, a culturally adapted version of PEM-CY (German) is now available for research, practice and further validation.
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Background: Concepts such as participation and environment may differ across cultures. Consequently, to use a measure like the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) in other than the original English-speaking contexts, cultural adaptation needs to be assured. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally translate and adapt the PEM-CY into German as it is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Methods: Fifteen parents of children and adolescents with disabilities from three German speaking countries participated in three rounds of think-aloud interviews. We followed the procedure of cultural equivalence guidelines including two additional steps. Data was analyzed by content analysis using semantic, idiomatic, experiential and conceptual equivalence. Results: Results show adaptations mainly focused on experiential and conceptual equivalence, with conceptual equivalence being the most challenging to reach. Examples of experiential equivalence included adapting the examples of activities in the PEM-CY to reflect those typical in German speaking countries. Conceptual equivalence mainly addressed aspects of “involvement” and “environment” of children and adolescents and was reached through adaptations such as enhanced instructions and structures, and additional definitions. Conclusions: This study presents a cross-cultural translation and adaptation process to develop a German version of the PEM-CY that is suitable for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Using a modified cultural adaptation process, a culturally adapted version of PEM-CY (German) is now available for research, practice and further validation.
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Communicative participation is the most important outcome of speech and language therapy, but there are no measurement instruments for children, adolescents, and young adults. This paper describes the development of MyCommunication-Youth: an item bank to measure self-reported communicative participation in children, adolescents and young adults with various communication disorders.
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Objective: Despite the common occurrence of lower levels of physical activity and physical fitness in youth with spina bifida (SB) who use a wheelchair, there are very few tests available to measure and assess these levels. The purpose of this study was to determine reliability and the physiologic response of the 6-minute push test (6MPT) in youth with SB who self-propel a wheelchair. Methods: In this reliability and observational study, a sample of 53 youth with SB (5-19 years old; mean age = 13 years 7 months; 32 boys and 21 girls) who used a wheelchair performed 2 exercise tests: the 6MPT and shuttle ride test. Heart rate, minute ventilation, respiratory exchange ratio, and oxygen consumption were measured using a calibrated mobile gas analysis system and a heart rate monitor. For reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), SE of measurement, smallest detectable change for total covered distance, minute work, and heart rate were calculated. Physiologic response during the 6MPT was expressed as percentage of maximal values achieved during the shuttle ride test. Results: The ICCs for total distance and minute work were excellent (0.95 and 0.97, respectively), and the ICC for heart rate was good (0.81). The physiologic response during the 6MPT was 85% to 89% of maximal values, except for minute ventilation (70.6%). Conclusions: For most youth with SB who use a wheelchair for mobility or sports participation, the 6MPT is a reliable, functional performance test on a vigorous level of exercise. Impact: This is the first study to investigate physiologic response during the 6MPT in youth (with SB) who are wheelchair using. Clinicians can use the 6MPT to evaluate functional performance and help design effective exercise programs for youth with SB who are wheelchair using. Keywords: 6-minute push test; adolescent; disabled children; spinal diseases; wheelchairs.
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A case study and method development research of online simulation gaming to enhance youth care knowlegde exchange. Youth care professionals affirm that the application used has enough relevance as an additional tool for knowledge construction about complex cases. They state that the usability of the application is suitable, however some remarks are given to adapt the virtual environment to the special needs of youth care knowledge exchange. The method of online simulation gaming appears to be useful to improve network competences and to explore the hidden professional capacities of the participant as to the construction of situational cognition, discourse participation and the accountability of intervention choices.
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The present study evaluates the Youth Initiated Mentoring (YIM) approach in which families and youth care professionals collaborate with an informal mentor, who is someone adolescents (aged twelve to twenty-three) nominate from their own social network. The informal mentor can be a relative, neighbour or friend, who is a confidant and spokesman for the youth and a co-operation partner for parents and professionals. This approach fits with the international tendency in social work to make use of the strengths of families’ social networks and to stimulate client participation. The current study examined through case-file analysis of 200 adolescents (YIM group n ¼ 96, residential comparison group n ¼ 104) whether the YIM approach would be a promising alternative for out-of-home placement of youth with complex needs. A total of 83 per cent of the juveniles in the YIM group were able to nominate a mentor after an average of thirty-three days. Ninety per cent of the adolescents in the YIM group received ambulatory treatment as an alternative for indicated out-of-homeplacement, while their problems were largely comparable with those of juveniles in Dutch semi-secure residential care. Results suggest that the involvement of important non-parental adults may help to prevent out-of-home placement of adolescents with complex needs.
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BACKGROUND: Communicative participation is the most important outcome of speech and language therapy, but there are no measurement instruments for children, adolescents, and young adults. This paper describes the development of MyCommunication-Youth: an item bank to measure self-reported communicative participation in children, adolescents and young adults with various communication disorders.AIMS: 1) To develop a comprehensive, comprehensible item bank for measuring communicative participation in children, adolescents, and young adults with communication problems. 2) To assess the content validity of the item bank in a sample of these groups. 3) To define criteria for the minimal age at which children with communication difficulties can self-report their communicative participation.METHOD: Based on a literature review and two concept elicitation studies three initial versions of item pools were developed: one for children, one for adolescents and one for young adults. These pools were pilot tested, using cognitive debriefing interviews, on comprehensibility and comprehensiveness in a diverse group of participants with communication difficulties, whereafter a second version of the item pools were created. Hereafter, the content validity was assessed in the target population and in a group of speech and language therapists.RESULTS: Initially, three item pools were created for children (58 items), adolescents (78 items), and young adults (84 items). In the pilot test with 33 children adolescents and young adults with communication difficulties, items were revised for comprehensibility, some items were added for comprehensiveness, and some items were deleted because they appeared irrelevant, resulting in updated pools of 50, 69, and 72 items. In the content validity study, cognitive interviews with 27 participants and a focus group with 8 professionals identified additional revisions. Most items were comprehensible, but some were irrelevant for specific subpopulations of communication difficulties. Two new items were added after the input of professionals, whereafter the item bank was found comprehensive.CONCLUSIONS: MyCommunication-Youth is an item bank for measuring communicative participation in children, adolescents and young adults with various communication difficulties. Three versions of the instrument were created: MyCommunication-Children of 49 items, MyCommunication-Adolescents of 70 items and MyCommunication-YoungAdults of 73 items. The item bank is comprehensible, relevant and comprehensive according to the target population and target professionals.
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