Jackson S, Martin P Y
Department of Social Policy and Applied Social Studies, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, U.K.
J Adolesc. 1998 Oct;21(5):569-83. doi: 10.1006/jado.1998.0178.
The Children Act 1989 requires local authorities in England and Wales to look after children whose parents are unable to do so and to promote their welfare. Despite a variety of initiatives over recent years by central government, local authorities, researchers, practitioners and trainers, the outcomes for the majority of young people who spend any length of time in care continue to be poor. The studies described in this paper sought to trace a group of more successful people who had grown up in care, using educational achievement as a marker. In an attempt to find out what were the qualities and circumstances that helped them to do better, 105 completed a postal questionnaire and a subgroup of 38 "high achievers" participated in a more intensive study. These were compared with a matched group of ex-care people who had not reached the threshold for inclusion in the study. The pre-care background and experiences of the successful group were found to be typical of children in the care system generally. A risk and resilience framework was used to identify the protective factors which enabled this small group to achieve a life trajectory very different from that of their siblings and peers. From their own accounts, success in education was a crucial factor. The implications for child care practice and decision-making are discussed.
1989年《儿童法》要求英格兰和威尔士的地方当局照顾其父母无法照顾的儿童，并促进他们的福利。尽管近年来中央政府、地方当局、研究人员、从业者和培训师采取了各种举措，但大多数在照料机构度过一段时间的年轻人的结局仍然不佳。本文所述的研究试图追踪一群在照料机构中成长起来的较为成功的人，以教育成就作为一个标志。为了找出帮助他们取得更好成绩的品质和环境，105人填写了邮寄问卷，38名“高成就者”组成的子群体参与了一项更深入的研究。将他们与一组未达到纳入研究门槛的对照照料机构出身的人进行了比较。研究发现，成功组在进入照料机构之前的背景和经历通常是照料系统中儿童的典型情况。采用了一个风险与复原力框架来确定使这个小群体能够实现与他们的兄弟姐妹和同龄人截然不同的人生轨迹的保护因素。从他们自己的叙述来看，教育上的成功是一个关键因素。文中还讨论了对儿童照料实践和决策的启示。
