The Effects of the Constructed Family Therapy Assessment Model for High-school Dropouts in Taiwan

Abstract

Background?The purposes of the research were to construct a “family therapy assessment model for the drop-out students in the middle way school†, and to evaluate the effects of the model. Method?The qualitative research method was adopted and the systemic theory was used to analyze the data. The family therapy assessment model was applied to 10 dropouts’ families, including home visit, 1.5 hours family interview, and 30 minutes family negotiation. All of the interview and negotiation were recorded and analyzed to provide the school staff the intervention maps. After one year’s intervention, the improvement of the dropouts’ behaviors as well as the family functions and relationships were evaluated. Findings? 1. The family therapy assessment showed (1) Parenting monitoring function badly. (2) Families had insecure attachment issues. (3) Rigid family interaction patterns reflected ineffective family communications and the parenting authorities failed. 2. The dropouts’ behaviors and the family function and relationship improved. Discussion? The assessment model for the high school dropouts was well built to improve the family health and the adolescents’ behaviors. It could be a potential model for other schools to use it. The rigid family interaction patterns, insecure attachment, and lack of parents’ monitoring in the dropouts’ families found implied a clinical intervention map.