OAR@UM Community:/library/oar/handle/123456789/3212025-12-22T23:39:50Z2025-12-22T23:39:50ZHidden violence in the disability care system/library/oar/handle/123456789/1424082025-12-22T10:35:13Z2025-12-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Hidden violence in the disability care system
Abstract: The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) recently released its major study ‘Places of Care = Places of Safety? Violence Against Persons with Disabilities in Institutions’, a report that exposes the deep and systemic risks faced by disabled people across Europe when they reside in institutional settings.
As the principal investigator for the Maltese component of this project commissioned by FRA, and conducted through Aditus Foundation, I was confronted with findings that demand urgent national reflection. [extract]2025-12-01T00:00:00ZRomance fraud : its repercussions on victims’ wellbeingGauci, ChristineVella, Mary Grace/library/oar/handle/123456789/1423642025-12-19T13:25:06Z2025-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Romance fraud : its repercussions on victims’ wellbeing
Authors: Gauci, Christine; Vella, Mary Grace
Abstract: This research examines the consequences of online romance fraud on the well-being of Maltese middle-aged women. Qualitative data was gathered through interviews with female victims of romance fraud, aged 40 to 60, and professionals in law enforcement, psychiatry, and social well-being. The findings explore the impact on victims' self-perception, personal attributions, and biopsychosocial well-being. It also delves into trauma, perceptions of the criminal justice system, protective factors, coping mechanisms, and recovery. The study highlights the diverse risk factors and circumstances faced by victims, providing a multidisciplinary understanding of this complex issue. The research concludes with recommendations for policy and practice.2025-01-01T00:00:00Z‘Parents as partners’ coparenting programme with parents of infants with a highly reactive temperament : a randomised controlled studyLanfranco, Ingrid M.Abela, AngelaCowan, Philip A.Cowan, Carolyn Pape/library/oar/handle/123456789/1423102025-12-17T11:04:13Z2025-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: ‘Parents as partners’ coparenting programme with parents of infants with a highly reactive temperament : a randomised controlled study
Authors: Lanfranco, Ingrid M.; Abela, Angela; Cowan, Philip A.; Cowan, Carolyn Pape
Abstract: The ‘Parents as Partners’ (PasP) coparenting programme was delivered to heterosexual
parents of infants they described as showing a highly reactive temperament (HRT) following
the completion of the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire–Revised (IBQ-R) during a standard
post-natal visit in their local Health Centre Well Baby Clinic in Malta. Fifty-two participating
Maltese couples, all coparenting a highly reactive infant of 8 to 12 months, were randomly
assigned into an experimental (n = 30 couples) or control group (n = 25). The IBQ-R,
Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS), and Parental Stress Index (PSI-4 SF) at pre- and
post-intervention periods were filled out by randomised participants. Intervention group
couples followed the 16-week PasP programme. All randomised couples were followed
by a case manager monthly. Post-intervention results compared with controls showed
reduced couple conflict occurring in front of the child, reduced parent–child dysfunctional
interaction, and a reduction in negative child reactivity. Implications point to the importance
of including fathers and reducing coparenting conflict in interventions designed to reduce
behavioural difficulties in infants and young children.2025-01-01T00:00:00ZBeyond the surface : an exploration of family secrets as entry points into complex family dynamicsCamilleri, RosienneSammut Scerri, Clarissa/library/oar/handle/123456789/1422062025-12-15T13:42:54Z2025-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Beyond the surface : an exploration of family secrets as entry points into complex family dynamics
Authors: Camilleri, Rosienne; Sammut Scerri, Clarissa
Abstract: This paper explores how family secrets, silences, and disclosures encountered during childhood serve as pivotal elements
in understanding complex family dynamics, as revealed through a qualitative study involving seven adult participants.
Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted to examine the participants’ experiences
of secrecy within their families. The findings suggest that family secrets, rather than being isolated occurrences,
function as ‘entry points’ into more intricate and often hidden family dynamics and underlying issues. These secrets unveil
deeper layers of family relationships and communication patterns, providing a portal into unresolved conflicts and unspoken
tensions. Participants’ narratives disclosed a broad spectrum of themes, including parental depression, life-threatening
illness, paternity uncertainty, financial struggles, infidelity, violence, abuse, and inheritance disputes. The enduring impact
of these secrets on the participants’ development, maturation, and relational functioning stresses the importance of addressing
such dynamics in systemic therapeutic interventions.2025-01-01T00:00:00Z