Helena Grangeia

Family foster care (FFC) is associated with positive developmental outcomes for children. However, the recruitment and retention of foster families prepared to respond to children's needs are a cross‐cutting challenge worldwide and require a better understanding of which factors may influence it. This study analysed the associations between personal characteristics, perceptions about FFC and intention of becoming a foster family in a community sample. A total of 348 Portuguese adults completed an online cross‐sectional survey. Participants completed the Integrated Model of Family Foster Care‐Perceptions about Family Foster Scale (MIAF‐PFFS; ProChild CoLAB & SCML, 2024), comprising five dimensions (perceptions about caregiving, about foster children, about the biological family, about the foster family and about the decision‐making process) and answered two questions reporting on their intention of becoming a foster family. Female participants, with higher education, and with children reported higher intention for fostering. More adequate perceptions about caregiving, the biological family and the decision‐making process were associated with higher intention for fostering. Regression analyses showed that being female, having children and more adequate perceptions of caregiving of foster children were the factors that most contributed to the intention for fostering. These results highlight how specific perceptions of FFC can enhance individuals' intention for fostering, thus informing targeted recruitment strategies.

Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV) has been a permanent concern in contemporary society. This study aims to provide a global understanding of the TFSV phenomenon in Portuguese context. Using quantitative analyses, the rate and prevalence of victimization, victim characteristics, and technology use were examined. An online questionnaire was completed by 500 people (75.8% female) aged 18–70, mostly cisgender (96.2%), and heterosexual (85.8%). The main results point to a high victimization global rate (72%) as well as in the last 12 months (70.8%). There were no significant differences between the sexes except in sexual aggression/coercion, with more females suffering the more severe type of TFSV. However, the gendering of TFSV emerges with specific behaviors. Females tend to be more sexually harassed, only females report non-consensual sexual experiences with someone they met online, and males tend to report receiving offensive content about their gender/sexuality. Younger people tend to report a higher rate of victimization. The regression model with only victim characteristics is more predictive of TFSV victimization, with younger and heterosexual victims as significant predictors. This study argues that the culture of harassment is deeply rooted and finds an easy way to be disseminated in the digital world.

Background The All4Children project addresses the urgent need to transition from institutionalization to family-based care for out-of-home children in Portugal. Despite evidence highlighting the detrimental effects of institutionalization, only a small percentage of children (less than 4%) are currently placed in family foster care in the country. In response to European directives for deinstitutionalization, Portuguese legislation now prioritizes non-kinship family foster care as the preferred alternative for young children in need of care. To facilitate this transition, the Integrated Model of Family Foster Care (MIAF) was developed, offering a comprehensive framework covering the entire spectrum of family foster care. Objective This research aims to investigate the initial implementation stage of the MIAF to promote high-quality family foster care in Portugal. Method The study will conduct a mixed-method and longitudinal research project in family foster care agencies across different regions of Portugal, focusing on evaluating the implementation and outcomes of the MIAF model using a multi-informant and multi-method approach. The participants will include caseworkers, children aged 0-9 years entering foster care, and their respective foster families enrolled in the MIAF program. Process evaluation will assess fidelity, feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of MIAF modules, while outcome evaluation will examine child safety, stability, well-being, as well as foster family well-being and quality of relational care. Outcomes The insights gained from this research initiative will serve as a foundation for the ongoing enhancement of MIAF. Consequently, this project has the capacity to advance evidence-based child welfare practices by refining processes and strategies to better serve vulnerable children and youth. Conclusion Facilitated by a multidisciplinary team, this project will contribute to advancing research in the field, enhancing practice, and informing policy during a pivotal stage of deinstitutionalization in Portugal.

In Portugal, stalking has recently been recognized as a crime. This study used an online survey to ask 3,367 college students about their experiences of persistent harassment and targets’ and perpetrators’ perceptions of fear and conduct legitimacy. Targets (34.5%) typically mentioned that they had experienced a frightening experience but considered it to have been wrong but not very serious. Perpetrators (8.9%) mostly perceived that their targets had not experienced fear and judged their own conduct to have been normal. Ordinal logistic regressions indicated that intimate partner stalking, targets’ fear, and threatening and violent behaviors predicted less conduct legitimization for both targets and perpetrators.