Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to offer some conceptual and methodological instruments necessary to know and understand psychological processes characterizing situations of psychosocial risk during development, according to the perspective of developmental psychology.
In particular, expected learning results are:
1) Knowledge and understanding of the concept of psychosocial risk during development and constructs which are correlated to it, in light of the main theoretical approaches from the literature and some methodologies enabling to evaluate it.
2) Knowledge and understanding of some processes characterizing psychological development during childhood and adolescence, relating to the cognitive, social, and emotional domain.
3) Knowledge and understanding of psychological processes, theoretical frameworks, and interventions concerning situations of psychosocial risk during childhood (e.g., children with parents affected by psychopathology, maltreated and abused, belonging to minorities, with separated or divorced parents, adopted, etc.) and during adolescence (e.g., adolescents belonging to minorities, with antisocial and deviant behaviours, using substances, in front of a complex society, etc.).
4) Ability to identify, in the above mentioned situations of psychosocial risk, risk and protection factors that can play a role in diminishing psychological vulnerability and promoting psychological resilience during development.

Program

The syllabus is divided into three parts:
(A) Psychosocial risk during development.
Basic constructs: adjustment, risk and protection factors; stress and traumatic events; psychological vulnerability and resilience.
Definitions, theoretical models, role of individual and contextual factors, evaluation instruments.
(B) Psychosocial risk during childhood.
Psychological processes during childhood: development in the cognitive, social, and emotional domain.
Situations of psychosocial risk during childhood: children with parents affected by psychopathology, maltreated and abused, belonging to minorities, with separated or divorced parents, adopted, etc.
Maltreated and abused children: definition and characteristics of violence towards children; traumatic consequences of violence both at short and long term concerning psychological development.
Adopted children: definition and characteristics of the adoptive bond; consequences in terms of psychological development.
(C) Psychosocial risk during adolescence.
Psychological processes during adolescence: development in the cognitive, social, and emotional domain.
Situations of psychosocial risk during adolescence: adolescents belonging to minorities, with anti-social and deviant behaviours, using substances, in front of a complex society, etc.
Adolescents belonging to minorities: non accompanied foreign minors, the emigration process, intergenerational conflicts, school as an integration agency.
Adolescents with antisocial and deviant behaviours: definition of antisociality and deviance, explanations, interventions.
Adolescents using substances: definition of dependence, risk and protection factors, prevention and treatment, new dependences.
Adolescents in front of a complex society: school and job paths as risk and protection factors.

Texts for the exam:
Di Blasio, P. (2000). Psicologia del bambino maltrattato. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Inguglia, C., & Lo Coco, A. (2013). Resilienza e vulnerabilità psicologica nel corso dello sviluppo. Bologna: Il Mulino. Chapters: Introduction, 1, 2, 3, 4.
Rosnati, R. (2010). Il legame adottivo. Contributi internazionali per la ricerca e l’intervento. Milano: Edizioni Unicopli. Chapters: 1, 2, 3.
Speltini, G. (2016). L’età giovanile. Disagio e risorse psicosociali. Bologna: Il Mulino. Chapters: Introduction, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Examination Methods

Written exam with open-ended questions (duration: one hour; question format: ten definitions and four open questions), eventually associated with an oral exam (requested by students and/or by the teacher).