10 June 2021 (Thursday)

16:10 - 17:30

Good Family Practices & Intergenerational Issues

Anton Nam-sing Wan
General Secretary at Family Value Foundation of Hong Kong
Affirming husband’s fathering role: Hong Kong’s experience in promoting co-parenting in newborn years
First local Centre for Fathering (the Centre) opened in April 2017. The Centre seeks to advocate and involve fathers to take an active role in their children’s lives and promote the importance of fathering in child development. The Centre also promotes that every mother has a big part to play in helping her child’s father succeed in fathering.
Expectations for fathers’ high involvement with their children increased and a husband’s ability to be a competent father is highly connected to the way his wife promotes, helps, and sets him up for success in performing fathering roles. Couples are well trained with knowledge, skills and attitudes on how important the wives in fostering a fruitful father-child relationship. The whole project stressed wives' trust in their own husband’s ability to be a great father will be such a blessing to them.
Anton Wan is interested in the holistic development of our future generations and is especially committed to promoting the importance of fathering role in child development. This evidence-based programme promoting mum-dad partnership began in 2019 after an in-depth exercise in reviewing related research literature on coparenting and fathering has completed.

Chung-Hsin Chu
Research Fellow at Child Welfare League Foundation
A Study on Child Welfare League Foundation’s Enhancing Parenting Skills Services for High-Risk Families in Taiwan
Background: We identified and targeted families at high risk of child maltreatment via referrals from social, educational, public health, and other departments. There were frequent home visits and relevant resources provided to the families.
Objectives: We examined how we have implemented and sustained the program in Taiwan over the past 15 years.
Methods: 1. We collected and analyzed 358 cases from the program. We focused on the demographics of the families who needed support to enhance their parenting skills. 2. We held a focus group with senior social workers and supervisors.
Results: 1. There’s a higher percentage of adolescents in the high-risk families which often led to parenting issues. 2. We organized the practical ways to enhance parenting skills implemented by Child Welfare League Foundation and gave suggestions.
Conclusions: 1. Enhancing parents’ motivations to change and dealing with their needs are crucial to a parenting support program for high-risk families. 2. Developing adolescent empowerment projects can empower the adolescents to become independent, and let parents see their children’s strength.

Lo Hay Ming Herman
Associate Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Supporting parents of young people after social unrest in Hong Kong using mindfulness
Background: After Social unrest happened in Hong Kong in 2019 become a threat to public mental health, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. Based on previous literature, a supportive family environment is the most consistent factor that can protect young people who were exposed to conflict and violence from mental health problems.
Objectives: This study investigated the outcomes of a brief mindful parenting program on parent mental health and family functioning.
Methods: Using a pragmatic, randomized wait-list controlled trial design, 90 parents were randomized into intervention group and wait-list control group.
Results: We found a significant improvement in family functioning among parents reporting low or above depressive symptoms at pretest from intervention group, compared with control group (F=4.41, p=.04). We further controlled the child and parent initiated conflicts as covariates, a significant reduction of depression was found in the parents from intervention group, compared with the control group (F=5.68, p=.02)
Conclusions: We found preliminary evidence that a brief mindful parenting program can strengthen parent and family mental health at times of social unrest.

Shu Huey Wu
Research Fellow at NTU Children and Family Research Center/Good Neighbors Taiwan
Prediction of Social Inclusion by E-Inclusion in Taiwan’s Elderly
Digital aging as an essential component of active aging. In recent years, the development of the information society has become higher and higher. The development of the Internet and digital technology have far-reaching influence in our daily life. E-inclusion refers to the situation where everyone in society can participate in the information society. And in an aged society, whether E-Inclusion of the elderly affects social inclusion.
Research purposes:
(1) To explore the E-Inclusion ability of the elderly in Taiwan and whether it has a positive prediction for the social Inclusion of the elderly;
(2) From the relationship between m E-Inclusion ability and social Inclusion of the elderly, ICT technology is used as a promoter of social inclusion in daily life.
Design and method: Secondary data analysis
Research Data From the survey of 2019 Digital Opportunity Survey for Individuals and Households (National Development Council, 2020). To Analyze the status of E-Inclusion ability and social Inclusion of elderly people over 65 years old and the relationship between E-Inclusion ability and social Inclusion.
Result:
This analysis found that although the Internet usage rate of elders over 65 years old has not reached 50%, it has doubled in the past 5 years. It is also found that there is a positive relationship between the E-Inclusion ability of the elderly and social Inclusion. The elderly with higher E-Inclusion ability also have higher levels of social Inclusion in health, social participation, economic participation, and civic participation.
Implications: This study suggests:
(1) Pay more attention to the improvement of the digital ability of elderly people over 75 years old.
(2) Use ICT as a promoter of social inclusion. Young volunteers are encouraged to cooperate with the elderly. In this process, not only skills are transferred between participants, but the interaction will break the social barriers between generations.

10 June 2021 (Thursday)

16:10 - 17:30

Marriage & Divorce & Parenthood

Tan-Chi Yang
Researcher at Child Welfare League Foundation
An analysis of the stages in the Family Centered Support Program for Orphaned Children after the 921 Earthquake
Background: CWLF analyzed the Family-Centered Support Service for Orphaned Children in kinship care after the 921 Earthquake from 1999 to 2019.
Objective: Analyze the different services that social workers provided for children of different ages. The analysis also compared some key factors such as the children’s age and family dynamics.
Methods: This research includes a quantitative research study which analyzed 113 children’s case records and in-depth interviews with 2 experienced social workers.
Results: For children under 10, social workers would initially focus on supporting the caregivers by helping them enhance parenting skills and adjust to taking care of the children. At a later stage, the social workers would focus on helping the children process grief and gain new perspectives. For teenagers (ages 11 to 20), the social workers would provide mental and emotional support or guidance to help them deal with everyday problems such as relationship troubles and family conflict.
Conclusions: A holistic family-centered program is necessary in order to help orphaned children adjust to kinship care. By focusing on various aspects, the social workers can address other equally essential areas other than children’s basic needs such as family dynamics and caregivers’ needs.

Doris Chu & Yu-Shu Chen
Professor at National Chung Cheng University & Associate Professor at Central Police University
The Relationships between Adverse Childhood Experience, Intimate Partner Violence Victimization, Family Support, and the Challenges for Re-entry: An Examination of Female Inmates in Taiwan.
Background: Adverse childhood experience (ACE) and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization may post more challenges for incarcerated women’s re-entry. Studies reveal that family support is critical to successful re-entry for formerly incarcerated individuals. Nevertheless, few studies have simultaneously examined the linkage between ACE, IPV victimization, family support, and perceived challenges of re-entry among female inmates.
Objective: To bridge the gap in the literature, we examined the relationships between ACE, IPV victimization, family support during incarceration, and perceived challenges of re-entry. We also assessed whether family support mediates the relationship between ACE, IPV victimization and perceived challenges of re-entry.
Methods: Data were analyzed based on surveys conducted with 686 incarcerated women in several female prisons in Taiwan. Structural equation modeling was employed in the current study.
Results: It was found that individuals who experienced childhood maltreatment and IPV victimization were less likely to perceive instrumental and emotional support provided by their family, which poses more challenges for their re-entry.
Conclusions: Early interventions and promotion of family connection may help female inmates tackle the challenges of re-entry.

Shou-Chun Chiang
Doctoral Student at the Pennsylvania State University
A Six-Year Longitudinal Study of Parenting and Depressive Symptoms among Taiwanese Adolescents
Background: While parenting has been linked to adolescent mental health, the relation between parenting and depression from early to late adolescence has been less studied.
Objective: This study investigated the impact of parenting styles on the longitudinal development of depressive symptoms among Taiwanese adolescents.
Methods: We analyzed 2,690 adolescents from the Taiwan Youth Project. Participants are 7th to 12th adolescents who self-reported their depressive symptoms over six years. Latent growth modeling was used to examine the development of depressive symptoms across adolescence.
Results: Results indicated that from the 7th to 12th grades, the degree of depressive symptoms followed a nonlinear growth curve that increased during early to middle adolescence and declined until late adolescence. Harsh discipline accelerated the growth rate of depressive symptoms over six years. In contrast, parental support and monitoring decreased the initial level of depressive symptoms.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that parenting styles had different influences on the initial level and longitudinal changes of depressive symptoms among Taiwanese adolescents. These results have empirical implications for understanding the developmental trajectories and prevention of adolescent depression.

10 June 2021 (Thursday)

16:10 - 17:30

Child & Youth Development & Others

Yu-Lun Tsai, Jen Jiuan Liaw, Ti Yin, Hsian-Yun Lan
Doctoral Student at National Defense Medical Center
Effects of Different Levels of Physical Activity on Quality of Life in Adolescents
Background: Quality of life has been increasingly used as a health outcome. Levels of physical activity is one of the importat factors influencing health. However, less physical activity becomes a common life style pattern today.
Purpose: The study aims to explore the effects of different levels of physical activity on quality of life in adolescent college students.
Methods: The study used cross-sectional design to recruit healthy adolescents by using convenience sampling in Taiwan. Questionnaires were used to collect data. The International Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being Questionnaires were used to measure physical activity and quality of life, respectively. Physical activity was categorized as there levels: light, moderate, and heavy. Data were analyzed by using generalized linear model.
Results: There were total 250 college students participating in this study. The finding showed that the participants with heavy level of physical activity had significantly higher quality of life (β= 7.30, p <0 .01). The total METs was positively associated with quality of life (β= 0.001, p <0 .006).
Conclusion: The adolescents with higher level of physical activity had significantly higher quality of life. To promote health in adolescents, health-care providers need to provide interventions to enhance physical activity.

Yu-Lun Tsai, Jen Jiuan Liaw, Huai-Shuo Huang and Luke Yang
Doctoral Student and Professor at National Defense Medical Center
Effects of Using Screen Time on Sleepiness During the Day and Depression in Youth
Background: Using screen becomes a common life style for most youth people today. The use of screen increases immobility time for most youth. Few studies explore how the time of using screen influence sleepiness during the day and depression in the youth.
Aims: The study was to explore the effects of using the screen time on sleepiness during the day and depression symptoms in the youth students.
Methods: The study used cross-sectional design to recruit healthy college students by using convenience sampling. Screen time was assessed via self-report diary. Questionnaires was used to collect data. Sleepiness and depression were measured using Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (C-CES-D), respectively. Data were analyzed using generalized linear model.
Results: Totally 150 college students participated in this study. The finding showed that the participants using more screen time had higher Sleepiness (β= 0.06, p =0 .58) and depression (β= 0.163, p =0 .36) scores, but without statistical significance.
Conclusion: The use of screen time did not significantly influence sleepiness during the day and depression due to small sample size in the youth. More studies are needed to explore the influences of using screen time on sleepiness and depression.

Meng-Jung Lee
Assistant Professor at Soochow University
The protective effects of family and school supports on youth depressive symptoms under multilevel family risk: a moderated mediation model
Supports from parents or school have been explored to prevent youth depressive symptoms but less was known about the combined protective effects of family and schools on youth psychological outcomes under different family risk levels. This study aims to test the multi-facet protective effects of family and school on youth mental health corresponding to family risk levels. The analytical sample consisted of 1,712 randomly sampled junior and senior high school students in Taiwan (48.31% girls). A moderated mediation model was employed to investigate the research questions. The mean of youth depressive symptom was 12.86 (range 6-30, SD=6.15). The significant mediation effect of teacher support between each family support and youth depressive symptoms provides empirical evidence of Bronfenbrenner’s mesosystem theory that incorporation of family and school can benefit on youth mental health. Additionally, both mother and father support were associated with lower youth depressive symptoms. Notably, grandparent support can significantly prevent youth from depressive symptoms in high-risk families. The finding suggested that future youth mental health promotion program should include grandparents, especially among high-risk families.

11 June 2021 (Friday)

12:00 - 13:05

Family First: Supporting Asian Families in the Era of Inclusive Growth

Li-Chi Chiang
Professor at National Defense Medical Center
Family Empowerment for Children with Moderate to Severe Asthma: A Qualitative Study
Background: Each family has their unique problem and inner power to handle chronic disease.
Objective: To explore the experience of families with asthmatic children during family empowerment process: listening, dialogue, reflection, and action.
Method: A qualitative study was conducted and recruited seven illegible families. The four times in-depth interview at home was conducted during six months for family empowerment. The content analysis was used to analyze the data.
Results: The 13 themes during family empowerment was retracted, including: Listening phase: 1. Worried and fear of asthma attack, 2. Negative emotion on self-concept, 3. Inconsistent asthma management; Dialogue phase: 1. Horizontal inequity, 2. Vertical inequity, 3. Increasing family caring burdens; Reflection phase: 1. Motivate family members’ appraisal, 2. Reconsideration about the care roles, 3. Mobilize family resources; Action phase: 1. Initiate the consistent asthma self-management, 2. Reassign and balancing the family care burdens, 3. Inclusive each other for mastery asthma management, 4. Self-reinforcing the families’ decisional actions.
Conclusion: Based on the Frere’s empowerment process, we promote children with asthma and their families to have the opportunity to re-examine their strengths, find ways to solve problems, communicate effectively with each other, and making family contract to reinforce the self-management of asthma.

Lanying Huang
Associate Professor at National Taipei University
Working with Families of Substance Abuse Youth in Taiwan: State of Art and Way Forward
Background: Existing evidence shows that substance abuse among children and youth is not only a public health issue, but also issues of developmental rights and social welfare. Current risk assessment tools also acknowledged the significance of family factors and parenting skills on predicting substance abuse behaviors.
Objective: This study aims to review the role of families on intervention programs in schools, communities, courts and institutions, in order to develop the family empowered programs.
Methods: Accounts are collected from 28 key informers, including scholars, policy makers and frontline practitioners in the field of youth delinquency through face-to-face interviews and one focus group.
Results: First of all, the families of at-risk youths are often vulnerable, disadvantaged, or under resourced. The current compulsory parent education or support system is insufficient at best or burdensome at worse. Deterrence or sanction focused youth court system might further weaken the relationship between youths and their families.
Conclusions: The current intervention program focuses more on changing youths’ attitude and behavior than addressing family factors. Therefore, family relations are weakened and the role and function of parents are overlooked. A crossover youth model in both social welfare and youth justice system is needed to address the current service gap.

Chen Fen Ling
Professor at National Taipei University
Children and Young People’s experience during COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan
Since the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 pandemic, one of the greatest health, social and economic challenges in history, changes our lives dramatically. People are worry about its challenge on economy, employment and health. However, it is also important to acknowledge from the viewpoint of children and the youth. The purpose of this report is to reflect the views and experiences of children and young people during COVID-19 Pandemic.
The life of children and young people during COVID-19 survey ran by King Car Cultural & Educational Foundation and our researchers in April 2020 and had 12,693 participants aged during 11-18 years old from around Taiwan. It was the first survey in children and the youth in Taiwan. Our aim was to understand how children and young people coped with the COVID-19 pandemic, to what extent their lives have been affected by the disease, and whether they follow the rules of the government. The analyses will also include the difference between genders, age groups and regions.

11 June 2021 (Friday)

12:00 - 13:05

Child & Youth Development & Others

Han Wen-Jui
Professor at New York University
Parental Precarious Work and Family Poverty Experience in the First Six Years of A Child’s Life
Background: Precarious parental work has become prevalent as technological and digital advances have transformed how we work and how much we earn, which in turn shapes family resources.
Objective: We examined the association between precarious parental work and a child’s poverty experiences during early childhood.
Methods: Using the United States Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), we used four indicators with the Latent Class Analysis (LCA) – occupation prestige, wages, work hours, and work schedules -- to distinguish patterns of precarious employment. We then used multivariate regression analyses to examine the links between precarious parental work and family’s poverty depth, volatility, and duration.
Results: The LCA identified diverse sets of precarious parental employment patterns ranging from part-time low-wage low-skilled jobs with nonstandard schedules to full-time high-wage high-skilled jobs with standard schedules, and about two-thirds of the children who had parents worked at jobs with a certain degree of precarity. Parents engaging in precarious work significantly increased the probability of children experiencing economic stress.
Conclusions: Results in this paper shed new light on the sensitivity of families’ economic status to the precarious work conditions that have been on the rise in a society increasingly characterized by income inequality.

Yih-Tsu Hahn and Doris Chu
Associate Professor at Shih Chien University and Professor at National Chung Cheng University
Perceived Social Network and Support Functions among Substance Abusers: Does the Gender Matter?
Objectives: Social support plays an important role in the recovery of substance abuse. Studies show that the more people in the network with positive functions, the better the treatment outcomes. However, only few studies have focused on gender differences in the treatment context in Taiwan. This study examined the size and composition of social network, and the functions of social support between male and female substance abusers in the recovery process.
Method: Participants included one hundred and forty participants (120 males and 20 females) with a drug and alcohol abuse history who lived in several private treatment communities in Taiwan. A series of questionnaires, including self-reported mapping of social network size and a 16-item measure of perceived social support function, were conducted with the participants. The total social support index was calculated based on the size of social network multiplied by the categorized social support function. Results: The total social support index of females was found to be significantly higher than that of males (p<0.05). The sampled male participants perceived higher concrete social support functions, such as helping solve problem or providing financial support. The females perceived more passive support functions, such as receiving guidance and getting encouragement from their social network.
Conclusion: Gender differences should be taken into consideration while implementing substance abuse interventions.

Ying-Yi Su and Chiao-An Liao
Superior Specialist & Specialist at Taiwan Fund for Children and Families
A Study of Factors Influencing Life Adaption of Contemporary Impoverished Youth after Graduation- An Instance of TFCF Youth Capacity Building Program Participants
There are many young people who are unemployed or low-paid in contemporary. Terms such as working poor、the precariat、the collapsed generation have appeared , describing the situation of youth(Lee,2014). There are more restrictions faced by youth from needy families, such as lack of resources for career development. Therefore, Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) started inviting youth in colleges from needy families to join empowerment-oriented Youth Capacity Building Program. Taiwan scholars pointed out children’s perception of family economic support affect their youth adaptation (Chen &Chen, 2019).Thus, TFCF implement this life adaptation tracking research.
Objective: This study explores the influencing factors of life adaptation of impoverished youth, and to understand the impact on life adaptation of participating in empowerment-oriented program.
Methods: This study is a qualitative research, which uses purposive sampling to select 6 people who have participated in the program and graduated from colleges, and conduct in-depth interview to collect their thoughts on their own life adaptation.
Results: This study found the factors affect life adaptation of youth include "resilience", "friendship support", "positive experience of helping others", and "experience in participating in empowerment-oriented programs which impact on career development, interpersonal interaction, and problem solving."
Conclusions: These findings shows suggestions for youth service, which are "cultivate resilience in adversity experience”, "enhance the belonging and support network "and "increase user participation".