Ann Buchanan

• PH.D, CQSW
• Professor Emeritus at University of Oxford

This article summarizes the situation of unaccompanied child (UAC) refugees in Greece in 2017/2018. It notes the number and characteristics of these children, the challenging situation in responding to their needs in a country where many native children are living in poverty and deprivation following the EU austerity measures. This article also out...

This article reviews the major findings of two large-scale studies on adolescent–grandparent relationship conducted in the UK and in Israel. The Israeli study followed the UK study, deepening the investigation of some of the major themes uncovered in the British study. Both studies reveal that grandmothers and grandfathers are highly involved in ad...

This special issue on Grandparents highlights the increasing role that they are taking in raising the next generation, not only in the United Kingdom, but across the world. Why are grandparents playing a major role in rearing the next generation? Firstly, older people are living longer and are healthier so they are more available. Also rising divor...

This chapter illustrates how grandfatherhood has been shaped by tradition, social conditions, and attitudes to older men. Vignettes from different periods in the history of England and the USA indicate that the key influences in the social construction of grandfatherhood are the expectations of men’s behaviour at any given time; their access to own...

This chapter draws on an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) study which used a representative sample of over 1500 young people (aged 11 to 16) who completed a questionnaire on their relationship with their grandparents. In addition, thirty young people were also interviewed in depth. The original study did not explore the association betwe...

This chapter uses material from Netmums’ ‘Coffeehouse’ discussion forum on issues raised by parents relating to grandfathers. The main themes emerging were as follows: parents discouraging access because of difficult intergenerational relationships or concern about the parenting competence of the grandfather; the increasing number of grandfathers c...

Although most grandfathers, across both history and societies, have shown an interest in their grandchildren, today we appear to be witnessing a major change from the stern patriarch towards a more nurturing, caring figure. This chapter discusses the extent of grandfather involvement, changing cultural factors in relation to the role of the grandfa...

This paper, based on an international study of declining fertility, highlights the impact on children, parents and policy. Though in general, fewer children per family, are associated with young peo-ple's increased health, well-being and education, the increase in the numbers of elderly will put pressure on women to carry the burden of, not only ca...

This chapter analyzes the importance of protective factors in family relationships. In Confucian societies, where services for older people may be limited, intergenerational family relationships are crucial in providing care for the elderly. Confucian societies are better at recognizing the protective influence of the family, but scholars from thes...

This book is the result of a seminar (‘Social @ Sciences: Why Does Science ?’ - ISS April 16, 2014). ISS invited from academia, from the community, policy-makers, the and other relevant organisations to the social impact and valorisation science.

This paper, written by the current Chair of the Evaluation Committee of Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), highlights the findings from the impact studies commissioned by the Committee over the last six years. The first part of the paper outlines the context to the new focus on ‘impact’. In particular it notes how developments in knowledg...

As someone who has spent much of her life working with, and researching into children and their well-being, I think now is the time to look to the future. What impact will declining fertility rates have on the world’s children? In a world where there are more lone children or children with only one brother or sister how will this impact on their de...

In the previous chapters, international scholars have given evidence that low fertility rates and childlessness are rising around the world. But how does this play out in real life, where young mothers are daily making decisions to have or not to have more children? What reasons do current mothers give for having fewer babies, and what do they see...

While many are concerned about global overpopulation and its impact, this book takes another view. Silently, with little fanfare, a dramatic change is taking place: people are having fewer children. The UN World Fertility Patterns (2007) note that in the world the total fertility rate (TFR), or the lifetime number of children women are calculated t...

This final chapter sums up some of the key findings and seeks a possible direction in the fast-changing scenarios. In the first part of the chapter, we summarize conclusions to the questions raised in Chapter 1. In the second part, we look into the crystal ball and suggest possible directions for the future.

As David Reher notes in Chapter 2, ‘throughout history the family has been a cornerstone of society’. It has been responsible for having and raising the next generation, educating the young and supporting its vulnerable members. For many women in the past, in both the developed and developing world, looking after children and caring for those who c...

Substantial research literature confirms that parental break-up may seriously affect the well-being of their children. Research is less clear on the benefit to children of contact with their non-resident parent. This undermines decision-making in a child’s ‘best interests’ and throws doubt on the possible value to children of legal processes. The a...

This study, which used a community sample of 13–15 year old adolescents (N = 391), sought to establish the extent to which negative parenting styles are linked to increased likelihood of abnormal psychological functioning in young people, and the likelihood of negative parenting by one parent being replicated by the other. Findings suggest that neg...

There is limited research on the links between grandparenting and adolescents' well-being, especially from the perspective of the adolescents. The study examined whether grandparent involvement varied in two-parent biological, lone-parent, and step-families and whether this had a different contribution to the emotional and behavioral adjustment of...

This study used longitudinal data from the National Child Development Study to explore factors associated with aspects of fathers' involvement with their children at age 7, 11 and 16 years in intact families. Father involvement was predicted by different factors at different ages but generally it was continuous and multidimensional, and strongly as...

The study, using data from 801 11-16-year-olds clustered in 68 schools across England and Wales, tested whether closeness to grandparents moderates the association between contextual stress and adolescent psychopathology and prosocial behavior, measured with the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). Contextual stress was measured at both...

• Summary: Data from 391 students aged 13—15 were analysed using bivariate analysis to determine the extent to which student self-report of ‘negative’ parenting styles was associated with psychological functioning, as defined by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) (Goodman, 1997) and with self-report of socio-economic status. • Findi...

With people living longer and more mothers working, there is some evidence that grandparents are more involved in rearing the next generation. Although there is research in the United Kingdom on kinship care, there is no national research on the extent of grandparent involvement from the perspective of young people. This, the first national survey...

Background and Purpose: With diversifying families, increased life expectancy, growing numbers of dual-worker households and higher rates of family breakdown, grandparents are now playing an increasing role in their grandchildren's lives. Despite growing importance there has been little empirical research on adolescent-grandparent relationships,...

This paper describes the parenting characteristics and behaviour among Chinese families. Specifically it explores some alternative parenting concepts which may be culturally more accurate in describing the non-western parenting behaviour among Chinese parents and children. It outlines key research literature on Chinese parenting in relations to 1)...

There is limited research on adolescent-grandparent relationships, especially from the adolescent perspective and on large-scale samples. The study examined the associations between the adolescent-grandparent relationship (i.e., importance of, emotional closeness to, and respect for grandparents' views) and the characteristics of the adolescent, gr...

With diversifying families, increased life expectancy, growing numbers of dual‐worker households and higher rates of family breakdown, grandparents are now playing an increasing role in their grandchildren’s lives. Despite growing importance there has been little empirical research exploring how grandparental involvement impacts on young people’s w...

There is limited research on the links between grandparenting and adolescents' well-being, especially from the perspective of the adolescents. The study examined whether grandparent involvement varied in two-parent biological, lone-parent, and step-families and whether this had a different contribution to the emotional and behavioral adjustment of...

Far generations Gypsies have suffered from oppression and discrimination. Five centuries of slavery, attempted genocide during the Holocaust, forced assimilation and separation under communism have all been part of their history. In some areas of Eastern Europe, 90 per cent of children in state care are of Gypsy origin. In post-communist Eastern Eu...

This paper is based on the findings of a major literature review undertaken for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2003/4 [Buchanan, A., Bennett, F., Smith, T., Smith, G., Ritchie, C., & Harker, L. (2004). The Impact of Government Policy on Children and Families at Risk of Social Exclusion. London, Social Exclusion Unit. www.socialexclusion...

This paper is based on a literature review undertaken for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2004 (Buchanan et al., 2004) on the impact of government policy in England and Wales for children aged from birth to thirteen at high risk of social exclusion as recorded up until May 2004. It describes the concept of 'social exclusion'; its meaning...

Without Abstract

• Summary: This article reports the findings of a small study on families in receipt of social services’ support (Buchanan et al., 2001b), which was commissioned in the UK by Barnardo’s and Wiltshire County Council. Children’s well-being was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and parental well-being was assessed using...

Few studies have investigated the individual long-term contributions that mothers and fathers make to their children's schooling. (1) To explore the role of early father involvement in children's later educational attainment independently of the role of early mother involvement and other confounds, (2) to investigate whether gender and family struc...

Using longitudinal data from the British National Child Development Study which traced some 17,000 children born in England, Scotland and Wales in one week in March 1958, this study investigated the role of early father’s and mother’s involvement in social and economic disadvantage (experience of homelessness, state benefits receipt, and subsidized...

It has been suggested that bullying behavior at school may be linked to parenting and family characteristics. Based on data from 1,147 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years in Britain, this study explored whether father involvement can protect against offspring bullying behavior. Results showed that low father involvement and low mother involvement contr...

This study of 2,722 British adolescents aged 14–18 years explored whether paternal involvement can protect against low levels of well‐being even when maternal involvement and risk and protective factors are controlled for. Results showed that although both father and mother involvement contributed significantly and independently to offspring...

Data on 8441 cohort members of the National Child Development Study were used to explore links between father involvement at age 7 and emotional and behavioural problems at age 16, and between father involvement at age 16 and psychological distress at age 33, controlling for mother involvement and known confounds. Father involvement at age 7 protec...

It has been suggested that bullying behavior at school may be linked to parenting and family characteristics. Based on data from 1,147 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years in Britain, this study explored whether father involvement can protect against offspring bullying behavior. Results showed that low father involvement and low mother involvement contr...

To assess the relationship between risk and protective factors and the continuity of psychological problems from age 7 to age 33. Data on 5,591 cohort members of the National Child Development Study were used to track continuity and discontinuity between internalizing and externalizing problems at age 7, as assessed by the Rutter 'A' Health and Beh...

Based on data from 2,722 British adolescents aged 14–18 years, this study explored whether perceived father involvement can be associated with school attitudes even after controlling for perceived mother involvement. Multiple regression analysis showed that both father involvement and mother involvement contributed significantly and independently t...

The authors used data for 2,722 British adolescents, ages 14–18 years, to explore whether work-related skills and career role models are associated with career maturity when sociodemographic characteristics (age, socioeconomic status, gender, family structure), family support (mother involvement, father involvement), and personal characteristics (s...

This study drew on data from the National Child Development Study to explore the role of father involvement and mother involvement at age 7 in father-child and mother-child relations at age 16, and the role of closeness to father and closeness to mother at age 16 in quality of relationship with partner at age 33. Closeness to mother was associated...

This study used longitudinal data from the National Child Development Study in the United Kingdom to investigate childhood predictors of labor force participation outcome (unemployed versus employed or self-employed) at age 33. In women, only general ability at age 11 was related to labor force participation at age 33, whereas in men labor force pa...

This longitudinal study investigated the role of early father involvement (at age 7) in juvenile delinquency controlling for the effect of mother involvement at age 7 and other risk and protective factors. For both genders, family size in childhood and low academic motivation in adolescence were positively related to trouble with the police at age...

This study drew on data from the National Child Development Study to explore the role of father involvement and mother involvement at age 7 in father- child and mother-child relations at age 16, and the role of closeness to father and closeness to mother at age 16 in quality of relationship with partner at age 33. Closeness to mother was associated...

It has been suggested that bullying at school and low social support are related to relatively poor mental health in schoolchildren. Based on data from 1344 adolescent boys aged 13–19 years in Britain, this study explored whether father involvement, as an underestimated—in the related research—source of social support, can protect against low level...

This study of 2722 adolescents aged 14-18 years explored whether parental involvement can protect against adolescent suicide attempts. Compared to their counterparts suicide attempters were more likely to have been in trouble with the police, to report lower levels of parental interest and academic motivation, and to report suicidal ideation and us...

This study, using data from 5,689 cohort members of the National Child Development Study, explores the impact of both structure of parenting family and contextual factors on attitudes towards marriage at age 33. Traditional attitudes to marriage were positively related to religiosity and negatively related to high non-verbal skills in childhood and...

This study uses data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) to track behaviourally disturbed children at 7 through to adolescence in order to assess the extent to which clusters of protective factors can offset the negative effects of clusters of risk factors. Behavioural measures at ages 7, 11 and 16 from NCDS were used to identify child...

Data from the National Child Development Study were used to examine the relationship between parental background and expectations of familial emotional support in adulthood. After adjusting for social class, employment, qualifications and presence of children in adulthood, acid relationships with parents in adolescence, this study showed that men f...

To assess whether the structure of the parental background (birth, restructured, widowed, single) or the context (severe social disadvantage or care) in childhood is associated with psychological problems in adolescence and adulthood. Data on 8,441 cohort members of the National Child Development Study were used to explore the impact of parental ba...

Using data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS), Ann Buchanan explores the links between children who have been ‘in care’ (as they were known pre-Children Act 1989), life satisfaction in adult life, psychological problems at 16 and depression at 33. In adult life, children who had been in care were less satisfied with their lives and we...

Based on longitudinal data from the United Kingdom's National Child Development Study, the current study explores the relationships between different types of family difficulties and conflict, parenting experiences, maladjustment at 16, and the risk of depression in adult life. This study found significant associations between several measures of e...

It is now more than 30 years since Henry Kempe was credited with “rediscovering” child abuse (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemueller, & Silver, 1962). Since then, there has been a sustained international effort to afford effective protection to children. Yet, today, a large number of children continue to suffer. What is worse, when these children...

Data from the National Child Development Study are used to assess the risk of high Malaise scores (indicating a tendency towards depression) amongst young adults at age 23 and 33. Results indicate that adults who have been in care are more likely to have high Malaise scores than are those who have not been in care. For men this risk increases as th...

This paper describes a project to inform and to elicit the views on The Children Act 1989 of forty five young people who were currently being looked after by English local authorities in out-of-home-care. The full findings are reported elsewhere (Buchanan, Wheal, Walder, Macdonald, & Coker, 1993).One of the key principles of The Children Act 1989 w...

Throughout the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, a large ethnic minority group, generally known as Gypsies, has for generations suffered from severe discrimination and social ostracism. Ann Buchanan learnt, during visits to child care establishments in the region, that up to ninety per cent of children in state care were children of Gy...

One of the central principles of the Children Act is to hear the voice of the child, yet little account has been taken in the extensive monitoring programme of the views of young people in residential and foster care. Ann Buchanan presents the views of some young people on life under the Act.

Twelve children (age range 3–10 years) who had been referred to the Reading Child and Family Guidance Clinic with a variety of presenting problems, but who were also reluctant to go to bed, were offered the opportunity to try to establish a bedtime routine. It was felt that a behavioural approach, focussing on one major problem area, would have a g...

Rigorously collated information on 40 members of one kindred (not previously studied) and on their spouses and cohabitees, revealed that massive multiagency support had failed fully to ascertain and prevent extensive child abuse over at least three generations. Furthermore, five other large battering families have been closely associated (by cohabi...

This clinical and epidemiological study appears to be the first to attempt intensive assessment of the extent of severe child abuse in a defined population. The methods of case detection which had to be adopted were those of person and family record linkage1. The clinical part of this study of child abuse was carried out by a psychiatrist (J. E. Ol...

The survey of 140 children under 16 in two subnormality hospitals showed that 3 per cent of the children had definitely been rendered mentally handicapped as a consequence of violent abuse, and that a possible maximum total of 11 per cent might have been thus rendered mentally handicapped. In 24 per cent of the children, neglect was considered to b...

The Children Act 1989 provides the legal framework to deal with the disputes of families who are separating and cannot agree the residence and contact arrangements for their children. In contested proceedings children are normally the subjects of a welfare report, written by a Child and Family Reporter (formerly Family Court Welfare Officer), who a...

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Southampton, 1990.