April Chiung-Tao Shen

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National Taiwan University | NTU · Department of Social Work

Purpose This study examined the association between a child’s or adolescent’s witnessing or direct experience of interparental violence on the manifestation of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in young adults in Taiwan. It then analyzed the role of social support as a mediator and gender as a moderator in this association. Method This was a c...

It has been established that post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) contribute to an increased risk of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders. Research has shown that this is particularly true for adult females. However, limited research exists regarding whether PTSD predicts alcohol use among youth, nor has it adequately addressed whether gender pl...

Background Research evidence has demonstrated a direct link between ACEs and harsh parenting. However, the mechanisms linking paternal ACEs to harsh parenting have remained largely unexplored among Asian populations. Objective In the current study, we examined the relationships between parental ACEs and harsh parenting and explored the potential me...

Objective We examine the impacts of parental marital happiness on child outcomes. We also examine the potential mediating role of parenting styles in the relationship between marital happiness and children's behavioral outcomes. Background Parents' marital happiness lays a crucial foundation for successful parenthood, which contributes to children...

This study examined the peer victimization trajectory and maladjustment outcomes among early Taiwanese adolescents. Data were extracted from a large-scale longitudinal study with a national representative sample. A total of 1691 school students in 4th, 6th, and 8th grade were analyzed. Using latent profile analysis, students were classified into fo...

Previous studies have shown that strong parent-youth relationships serve as a protective factor inhibiting early alcohol use onset among youth, while parental alcohol use as a risk factor. However, little is known about the moderating effect of parental alcohol use on the relationship between parent-youth relationships and youth alcohol use. Using...

This qualitative research aimed to examine stigma of male IPV survivors in Hong Kong and Taiwan context, in particular, three aspects: 1) anticipated stigma and stigma internalization; 2) interplay of hegemony masculinity and cultural stigma in relation to violence against men; 3) their journey of from living in stigma to transforming stigma. 17 Ch...

Background Little is known about the patterns of child maltreatment change over time and vary according to gender and child protective services (CPS) experience in Taiwan. Objective To examine the latent status and the trajectories of child maltreatment and to identify effects that gender and CPS have on these statuses and trajectories in Taiwan....

Based on system theory, this study aims to investigate the factors contributing to quality co-parenting after divorce. Co-parenting after divorce refers to the relationship of divorced parents continuing to participate in child rearing, i.e., a high quality co-parental relationship combined with low inter-parental conflict and high mutual support....

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a major global public health concern. Few studies, however, have examined profiles of TDV in Chinese societies and how these profiles might be associated with teens’ mental health. The current study analyzed a sample of 891 middle and high school students with dating experience in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Laten...

We examined multidimensional factors within four systems (individual, family, school, and community) that influence internet addiction across time among children through adolescence in Taiwan. We hypothesize that internet addiction increases from childhood to adolescence and that resilience, child neglect, positive school experiences, and community...

This study aims to examine the associations between child maltreatment (physical and psychological neglect and abuse), dysfunctional family environment (inter-parental violence, parental substance abuse), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and children’s bullying perpetration, and the potential mediating effect of PTSD in the associations. We c...

The Chinese ethnic group is the largest ethnic group in the world, and the Chinese people have been living and migrating to various countries globally. Although there has been research advancement on Chinese families, very limited attention has explored the nuances within this ethnic group. Based on Bronfenbrenner’s (1977; 1995) theoretical framewo...

Reopening colleges and universities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a special challenge worldwide. Taiwan is one of the few countries where schools are functioning normally. To secure the safety of students and staff, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan established general guidelines for college campuses. The guideline...

This study aims to examine the prevalence of multiple types of child victimization and the effects of multiple types of victimization on children’s mental health and behavior in Taiwan. The study also examines the child-protection rate and its correlates among children experiencing various types of victimization. This study collected data with a se...

This study examines the moderating effects of both emotional intelligence and social intelligence (social awareness and social information processing) on the relationship between peer victimization and internet addiction, and on the association between peer victimization and psychological distress. We collected data from a national proportionately-...

Objectives: This study aims to examine the prevalence rates and depression underlying adolescent dating violence in three different Chinese societies: Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Methods: Data were collected via self-report measurements from a probability sample of 3,138 students in 42 middle and senior high schools. The measures included Dati...

Background Although research on the negative effects of childhood poly-victimization is substantial, few studies have examined the relationship between poly-victimization and younger children’s physical health and diseases. Objective This study examines the associations between poly-victimization and children’s health problems requiring medical at...

The current study examines the relationship between parents' and children's reports of parenting and their effects on children's mental health symptoms. Six hundred and sixty-six parent-child dyads in Taiwan participated in this study. The parents and the children filled out the parenting questionnaires, and the children also reported their general...

This study examines the multiple models and context of dual-violence families. This study collected qualitative data from families who (were) reported incidents of family violence to Family Violence Prevention and Intervention Center. A semi-structure interview guide was designed to collect qualitative data regarding the context of marital violence...

The current study aimed to examine how both psychosocial variables (authoritative, authoritarian, and shaming, and parent-child relationships) and psychological symptoms were associated with Internet addiction, while controlling for the sociodemographic variable (child gender). A national proportionately-stratified random sample of 6,233 fourth-gra...

This study explores the effects of romantic involvement and dating behaviors on adolescent academic and psychosocial functioning in Chinese societies, where adolescent dating is generally discouraged and believed to bear adverse outcomes. Adolescents (male = 48.6%; MeanAge = 15.20 years) from Taiwan (N = 1,081) and Mainland China (N = 684) were rec...

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of family acceptance on the physical and mental health of LGB adults. Methods: Valid questionnaires were collected from 620 research participants, including 300 lesbians and gays, 125 bisexuals and 195 heterosexuals. The data were analyzed by MANOVA to examine the differences in the self-rated physica...

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of family acceptance on the physical and mental health of LGB adults. Methods: Valid questionnaires were collected from 620 research participants, including 300 lesbians and gays, 125 bisexuals and 195 heterosexuals. The data were analyzed by MANOVA to examine the differences in the self-rated physica...

This article introduces the pioneering position of the full-time Mediator-Judge created by the Family Division of the Taipei District Court in 2014. The Mediator-Judge participates and assists in mediation proceedings, and leads the mediation administrative team to make reforms, including mediation case flow, recruitment and dismissal of mediators,...

This study aims to carry out an outcome evaluation of the mandated parenting education programs in Taiwan. The indicator of the outcome evaluation is whether there are new reported child abuse incidents after the clients have completed the mandated parenting education programs. This study invited social workers who were in charge of implementing th...

This study examines the moderating effects of both emotional intelligence and social intelligence (social awareness and social information processing) on the relationship between peer victimization and internet addiction, and on the association between peer victimization and psychological distress. We collected data from a national proportionately-...

Problems for social work are even more complicated than ever and staffs gradually pay attention to the phenomena that employees did not use evidence to guide their decision and practice.The evidence-based social work should be strengthened.The educators and researchers in social work should master and apply the professional evidence producing metho...

The purpose of this study is to examine the parental actions affecting children’s adjustment during the divorce process, in order to establish parenting education programs for couples filing for divorce in Taiwan. The present study collected qualitative data from 9 adult children of divorced parents and 14 judges who had attended focus groups. The...

The current study aims to clarify the associations as well as the pathways through which parenting and children's emotional intelligence (EI) may influence children's mental health with a cross-sectional sample of 675 school pupils (fourth grade, mean age = 10.4 years, 310 boy, 356 girls and 9 unidentified) in Taiwan. Hierarchical regression and pa...

In Taiwan, a systematic way and integrative system for interviewing child victims or witnesses has yet to be established. Child victims or witnesses still have to go through a long process when involved in the legal system. They are typically interviewed several times by various systems (first by social worker, then police officers, yet again prose...

Parenting has long been a subject of great interest to researchers, clinicians, educators, and ordinary families, because of its concurrent and long-term influence on children’s development and psychological health (e.g. DeHart, Pelham & Tennen, 2006; Fletcher et al., 2008; Zhu & Liang, 2007). However, parenting research rarely examines the links b...

Problems for social work are even more complicated than ever and staffs gradually pay attention to the phenomena that employees did not use evidence to guide their decision and practice.The evidence-based social work should be strengthened.The educators and researchers in social work should master and apply the professional evidence producing metho...

This research aims to understand the causes of violence, challenge of services and the current preventive strategies for cases of intimate partner violence not resulting from power and control model. The research used in-depth interview and focus groups to comprehend opinions of judges and social workers in Taipei and Taipei Cities for research que...

Background: Existing literature on adolescent dating behavior and its correlates rely primarily on samples from Euro-American societies, where adolescent dating is normative. So far, little attention has been given to the romantic relationships among adolescents in Chinese societies, although evidence has suggested that the social realities and cul...

This workshop features three presentations regarding Chinese parenting, based on three empirical studies conducted in the UK and Taiwan. The descriptions for each study are as follows. The first study presents cross-cultural comparisons of both reported and observed parenting across three cultural groups: Taiwanese (N=30), Chinese immigrants in the...

Students with physical symptoms and diseases may be at an increased risk of peer victimization. This study examined the associations of several medical conditions (obesity, asthma, allergy, epilepsy, and diabetes) with experience of physical, verbal, and relational victimization among children. A sample of 6,233 fourth-grade students from 314 eleme...

This study examines (1) the associations between multiple types of child maltreatment and Internet addiction, and (2) the mediating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on these associations. We collected data from a national proportionately stratified random sample of 6233 fourth-grade students in Taiwan in 2014. We conducted bivariate...

Gender differences have long been documented in various aspects of children’s social development, including peer relationships (e.g., see Rose and Rudolph, 2006, for a review). However, research on gender difference on Chinese children’s peer relationship remain sparse, and even less studies have examined how Emotional Intelligence and Social Intel...

This study examines (1) associations between four types of family and peer victimization and child internet addiction and (2) the mediating effects of psychological symptoms on these associations. Data were collected from a national proportionately-stratified random sample of 6,233 fourth-grade primary school students in Taiwan in 2014. Bivariate c...

Based on an integrative framework, this study addresses the beliefs that a group of social work students from Taiwan had about wife beating. A self-administered questionnaire was filled out by 790 students (76.5% female, 23.5% male) spanning all 4 years of undergraduate studies. The results show that male students exhibited a greater tendency than...

Child protection services, legal and, mental health practitioners had been longing for a systematic way and integrative system for interviewing child victims in Taiwan. Child victims or witness in Taiwan still have to go through a long process and typically interviewed several times by different systems (social worker, police officers, lawyers, pro...

The main goal of this research project is to establish a large-scale longitudinal database on Taiwanese children to examine the complicated associations between violence exposure in different contexts (family, school and community) and various child developmental outcomes (including physical and psychological health, internet addiction, substance a...

Using within-group designs allow researchers to investigate the impact of cultural factors on particular issues and to examine whether these “mainstream” constructs and findings are applicable to minority groups (Chuang, 2006). Past research on Asian family socialization and Chinese child development were grounded in Confucianism. Confucian teachin...

Interviewing child victims is a challenging task, given children’s cognitive, linguistic and sensory-motor development. Research over the past decades demonstrated that children can be competent informants when interviewed appropriately. Several interview protocols have thus been developed by researchers as well as experts in the field to safeguard...

Child maltreatment is a global social and health problem. Despite evidence found in the associations among risk factors, child maltreatment, and children’s behavioral and health outcomes, the causal pathway is still uncertain. Therefore, the main goal of this research project is to establish a large-scale longitudinal database on Taiwanese children...

This study has examined the effects that young adults' experience of dating-violence victimization can have on their manifestation of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. This study has also examined the possible roles that cultural beliefs can play in dating-violence experience, coping choices, and PTSD symptoms. This study has used self...

Purpose: This study examines the prevalence rate of dating violence and types of coping strategies adopted by Taiwanese college students when facing dating violence. Methods: The research design of this study was cross-sectional and correlational. Self-reports and pen-and-paper questionnaire were employed to collect data from a national stratified...

In Chinese societies, violence among adolescent dating partners remains a largely ignored and invisible phenomenon. The goal of this study is to examine the relationships among gender-role beliefs, attitudes justifying dating violence, and the experiences of dating-violence perpetration and victimization among Chinese adolescents. This study has us...

This article presents a qualitative analysis regarding the help-seeking behaviors of female dating-violence victims from a cultural perspective. A semistructured, in-depth interview was used to collect data from 10 female victims (aged 20-28). Findings indicate that Taiwanese dating-violence victims tend to seek informal help rather than formal hel...

Based on the concept of resilience, this study aimed to understand the process through which young adults overcame the adversity of experiencing both parental marital violence and child maltreatment during childhood. Qualitative method and semi-structured guidelines were employed to interview six young adults. Research participants were aged betwee...

Although there are studies that have investigated the prevalence of dating violence among Taiwanese and U.S. college students, the mental health consequences of the victimization have not been investigated and compared between the two groups. The study explored the prevalence of mutual dating violence (MDV) and the relationship between victimizatio...

This study investigated the joint long-term impact of witnessing interparental violence and experiencing child physical maltreatment on young adults' trauma symptoms and behavior problems. It also explored Chinese traditional beliefs as a possible contributor to young adults' trauma and behavior. This study used self-reporting measures to collect d...

Both Western and domestic empirical studies provide overwhelming evidence that marital violence and child abuse often co-occur in the same families. Moreover, the experiences of dual-violence have negative and long-term impact on children. However, marital violence and child abuse were often intervened by separate systems and practitioners that mig...

This study examined the joint impact of experiencing both interparental violence and child physical maltreatment on young adults' self-esteem. It also tested the hypothesis of parental and peer relationship qualities as mediators in the relationship between childhood histories of family violence and adult self-esteem. Data were collected from a nat...

English This study aims to examine factors associated with marital satisfaction in the context of cultural shifts. Results showed that couples in Taiwan have adopted a conjugal model rather than the traditional culture in evaluating their marital relationship. The spousal relationship has become the primary dyad in marriage, but the extended famili...

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the long-term effect of witnessing marital violence and experiencing child abuse on young adults’ adjustment. In addition, this study explores Chinese traditional beliefs as a possible contributor to long-term adjustment of experiencing dual family violence. Method: This study uses self-report measures to...

This study aims to examine the relative importance of demographics and relationship predictors of marital satisfaction among Taiwanese couples. Quantitative data was collected from a probability sample of 226 married couples from eight major cities in Taiwan. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses confirmed the hypothesis that subjective mar...

This study aimed to examine the relationship between family life cycle and marital satisfaction. In this study, quantitatve data was collected from a proportionate stratified community sample of 221 married couples in eight major cities in Taiwan by using the instrument of ”Multi-Dimensional Marital Satisfaction Inventory.” The family life-cycle va...

Purpose: When domestic violence occurs in the family, the negative consequences may not be limited to the married couple. Domestic violence may also have a deep and negative impact on children who are exposed to it. However, the study and service of children exposed to domestic violence is still in the beginning stages in Taiwan. Therefore, this st...

This study aimed to examine gender differences in marriage among Taiwanese couples. Quantitative and cross-sectional data were collected from a community sample of 100 married couples in Taiwan. In general, the Taiwanese participants (85%) expressed satisfaction with their marriage, with men reporting higher satisfaction levels than women. Moreover...

This study develops and establishes a multi-dimensional and standardized marital satisfaction inventory in order to assess and understand the marital relationship in various areas of marriage for couples in Taiwan. In this study, quantitative data was collected from a proportionate stratified random sample of 226 married couples in eight major citi...

This study aimed to examine the applicability and relevance of western measures to assessing marital relations for couples in Taiwan. In this study, a well-established marital satisfaction assessment instrument (ENRICH) was translated and adapted into a Chinese version to examine whether the western measures are applicable, reliable, and relevant t...

This analysis compares the results of an open-ended study on the effects of informal caregiving with data obtained from a separate investigation that used the same sample but employed fixed-item measures of burden. Informal caregivers (N = 229) were interviewed with both approaches six weeks after the patients (care receivers) were discharged from...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Minnesota, 1999. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 110-119)