It is estimated that up to 25% of all children growing up worldwide experience child maltreatment, making it a global emergency with substantial individual and public health consequences. This... Show moreIt is estimated that up to 25% of all children growing up worldwide experience child maltreatment, making it a global emergency with substantial individual and public health consequences. This chapter addresses one of the most societally pervasive consequences of child maltreatment which is known as the "cycle of victimization." This concept depicts the increased risk of maltreated individuals to victimize others later in life, both within and outside the family environment. To understand the architecture of this victimization cycle, the chapter further sheds light on neurocognitive mechanisms aiding different forms of victimization and the buffering role of social support that could help break the cycle of victimization. Advancing our understanding of these complex and interrelated mechanisms will ultimately facilitate the design and implementation of more targeted early treatments and (preventive) interventions and support a move toward a safer society. Show less
Vermeulen, S.; Scheuplein, M.; Harmelen, A.L. van; Alink, L.R.A. 2023
Adapting education to students’ diverse educational needs is widely recognised as an important, but also complex aspect of effective teaching. In this chapter, we provide insight into how Dutch... Show moreAdapting education to students’ diverse educational needs is widely recognised as an important, but also complex aspect of effective teaching. In this chapter, we provide insight into how Dutch primary school teachers implement differentiation based on students’ current mathematics achievement level. We review evidence from four independent samples in which the same teacher self-assessment questionnaire was administered (N = 907 teachers in total), supplemented with qualitative data from various perspectives: external observers, students, and teachers. Based on these sources of information, we identify the following general patterns. Teachers generally implement achievement-based differentiation at least to some extent. That is, student achievement is monitored, and efforts are taken to adapt instruction or practice to students’ current achievement level. This is often organised using within-class homogeneous achievement groups. While low-achieving students regularly receive additional instruction, specific instruction for high-achieving students is uncommon. Refined, qualitative strategies to diagnose students’ individual educational needs and to adapt education to these individual needs are also used relatively infrequently. These relatively infrequently used strategies point to areas for improvement. Furthermore, the flexibility of within-class achievement groups seems to vary and deserves more attention in future research and practice. Show less
Wubbels, T.; Mainhard, M.T.; Brok, P. den; Claessens, L.; Tartwijk, J. van 2022
In this chapter we review the evidence for the role of oxytocin in parenting, and discuss some crucial but outstanding questions. This is not meant to be a comprehensive review of all studies on... Show moreIn this chapter we review the evidence for the role of oxytocin in parenting, and discuss some crucial but outstanding questions. This is not meant to be a comprehensive review of all studies on oxytocin and parenting in general. Instead, special attention will be paid to a dimension of parenting that has been largely neglected in behavioral and neurobiological research on parental caregiving, namely protection. Parental protection has received considerable attention in animal research but, despite its evolutionary importance, not in studies on humans. It is argued that oxytocin may have specific significance for the protective dimension of parenting. The effects of exogenous oxytocin may be dependent not only on contextual factors, but also on personal characteristics, most notably gender, on endogenous levels of oxytocin, and on early childhood experiences. Examining the contextual, personal, hormonal, neural, genetic, and behavioral mechanisms of protective parenting in tandem is essential for the development of a comprehensive theory of protective parenting, and for the identification of "biomarkers" for insensitive and unprotective parenting that should be taken into account in preventive parenting interventions. Show less
Duijvenvoorde, A.C.K. van; Blankenstein, N.E.; Crone, E.A.; Figner, B. 2016
Adolescence is the transition period between childhood and adulthood during which individuals gain independence and develop mature social goals. The age range of adolescence differs between... Show moreAdolescence is the transition period between childhood and adulthood during which individuals gain independence and develop mature social goals. The age range of adolescence differs between countries and cultures, but it is generally agreed upon that, in Western societies, adolescence encompasses the period of approximately ages 10 to 22 years (Blakemore & Robbins, 2012; Crone & Dahl, 2012). The onset of adolescence commences at the start of puberty, which is the phase in life during which rapid increases in gonadal hormones result in changes in physical appearance, such as voice changes in boys and breast development in girls, but also behavioral and brain changes (Blakemore, Burnett, & Dahl, 2010). That is, it has been found previously that pubertal hormones have a massive infl uence on the developing brain structure and function (Peper & Dahl, 2013). Puberty thus marks the fi rst phase of adolescence and starts approximately around ages 10-11-years, on average 1.5 years earlier for girls than for boys, and lasts until approximately age 15-16 years (Blakemore et al., 2010). The second phase of adolescence (16-22 years) is characterized by the development of mature goals and gaining independence from parents. The end of adolescence is mostly culturally defi ned and is dependent on when individuals obtain a mature role in society (Crone & Dahl, 2012). Show less
Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.J.; IJzendoorn, M.H. van 2016
