TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Self-perception among children exposed to family violence: a pilot randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of a strengths-based camp intervention
JO  - Child and youth care forum
A1  - Hasselle, Amanda J.
A1  - Howell, Kathryn H.
A1  - Gilliam, Hannah C.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - Self-perception is an important internal resource, and violence exposure can negatively impact children's view of themselves. Although camp interventions can enhance self-perception, research has not yet examined whether camp interventions improve self-perception among children affected by family violence. Camp-based interventions promote health equity by addressing common barriers to service engagement.     Objective    Using a non-masked, parallel randomized controlled design, this pilot study evaluated whether a camp-based intervention (i.e., Camp HOPE) enhanced self-perception among youth exposed to family violence.     Method    Participants included 47 children aged 7-12 (M = 9.55, SD = 1.63; 79% Black/African American) and one of their adult caregivers seeking services from a Family Justice Center. Children were assigned to the camp (n = 23) or waitlist control (n = 24) condition using block randomization. Caregiver-child dyads completed evaluations at baseline, 2-month follow-up, and 5-month follow-up. Children reported on three self-perception domains: Social Competence, Behavioral Conduct, and Global Self-Worth (GSW). Piecewise latent growth curve models evaluated between-group differences in self-perception at 2- and 5-month follow-up.     Results    Findings from intent-to-treat analyses indicated that Camp HOPE may have a temporary, negative impact on children's GSW (Diff. = − 2.65; SE = 1.22; p = 0.029; g = 0.63). Supplemental "as-treated" analyses revealed no significant differences between children who attended and did not attend the camp.     Conclusions    Results are inconsistent with previous findings that camp interventions enhance self-perception, raising important questions about the unique experiences of youth exposed to family violence. Given these findings, Camp HOPE America might consider modifications to enhance effectiveness.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1053-1890
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10566-023-09744-x
ID  - ref1
ER  -