Programa Cognitivo Conductual para el Tratamiento de Niñas en Condición de Riesgo Social, Internadas en un Centro de Protección. Un Abordaje Individual y de Grupo

Abstract

This work has been titled “Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Girls at Social Risk Conditions Program admitted to a protection center. An individual and group approach”. The aim of the study is to identify the causes of problems in the relationships between girls and their caregivers. Its purpose is to provide techniques derived from the study, which can be applied by all staff to the care of children, to improve relations between them, using a practical function manual as an important source of daily support and prevention.

The study is qualitative research method and corresponds to a case study. The results from different collections of data applied to a group of eight girls and adolescents are compared with data of cases of two children who were part of the same study group. Additionally, a questionnaire was applied to the caregivers and their responses were compared with those of the children.

It was found that relationships between children and their caregivers are affected by the misconduct of girls, which are regulated by their cognitive structure. Their automatic thoughts and core beliefs dominate their reactions to annoying situations, because of their past experiences in dysfunctional family and social environments. In addition, caregivers also influence the type of relationship they develop with the girls because they lack the basic knowledge about the cognitive structure of the minor, neither attend the emotional needs to help them adapt and accept the rules.

Based on the results recommendations were made to the cognitive restructuring of automatic thoughts and relationships between children and their caregivers, using techniques presented in the Cognitive Behavioral Manual to Manage Relations of Girls at Social Risk Conditions, provided as part of this work.