Landis Family Case Study
Systems diagram
As described is the case study, Ted Landis and Trisha Landis are the young members of the Landis family. They are children of John Landis and Maggie Landis. Apart from being in school, they are engaged in different activities which can be described by the following systems diagrams.
Ted
Figure 1: Ted’s Systems Diagrams
Trisha
Figure 2: Trisha’s Systems Diagram
Types and levels of Systems
Using Ted’s case, two different systems which can be derived are family system and institutional system. According to Social Systems Theory, the family system is a complex system consisting of several components which have the ability to influence one another’s actions and behavior. Family is regarded as a basic social unit, and most influential paradigm of social work practise due to its ability to shape personality, views, values and morals of its members. Ted being a member of the Landis family, means that his parents have the ability to influence his character and actions. Family is a micro-level system as is it surrounds and influences an individual directly. The institutional system, on the other hand, includes smaller groups of aspects such as local schools, religious centres and organizations which influence one’s actions. Ted’s actions are influenced by his high school and the Catholic Church he is attending with his family. An institution is a mezzo-level issue, which falls in between the micro and macro levels.
Although the microsystem and mezzo system are concerned with day-to-day practise and community factors, respectively, the two share similar aspects. The two have the ability to influence one another. The church, for example, can influence family and individual ideals. On the other hand, an individual can, in one way or another, have a direct influence on the activities of a local church.
Biological changes during adolescence
Unlike other adolescents, Ted has not experienced biological changes, but he has undergone a sudden behavioural change. Ted’s peers have experienced a major growth spurt and a deepened voice. These peers have undergone a genetic makeup of their body cells which had caused them to experience tremendous growth both physically and sexually. Apart from these secondary sex characteristics, the peers must have also encountered primary sexual characteristics which are not stated in the case study. Primary sex characteristics refer to changes in the sexual organs themselves. At 15, Ted is about to experience these biological changes just like his squints.
Ted’s current perception of reality and his behavior
According to social constructionism theory, people then to develop knowledge of the world in a social context, and that much of what is believed as reality is actually social constructs. Cooley’s Looking Glass Self, on the other hand, argues that a person’s self grows of society’s interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others. Regarding Ted’s scenario, his sudden behavioural change could have been influenced by the group of friends whom he associates with of late. His desire to play football was influenced by the same friends likewise to alcohol-drinking. He has chosen to indulge himself in “realistic” habits that are apparently influencing him in a negative way.
Trisha’s relationship with her parents
Trisha is evidently having a cold relationship with her parents on sexuality matters, an issue which is affecting her emotional development. Since parents are the closest people to their children, they should always be open to talk to them on the issues of sex and sexual relationships. John and Maggie are seemingly shying away from this essential role. As a result, Trisha feels frustrated and not sure on whether to get into a sexual relationship or not. As a sign of a rebellion against her parents, Trisha has stopped attending church services with the family. This shows that she is disturbed emotionally and is ready to take any critical action due to the missing between her and her parents.
Sex education
In order to improve the sexual health of their daughter Trisha, Maggie and John need to use authoritative and permissive parenting styles. According to studies, these parenting approaches are associated with improved quality of the parent-adolescent relationship. Considering the current situation of Trisha, Maggie and John should apply the two styles at the same time. With the authoritative approach, they will able to instil positive behaviour on their child and giving them the ability to prevent future problems that may face her. With the permissive approach, they will be able to acknowledge Trisha’s feelings as an adolescent without being so much strict on her. Too much strictness normally triggers repulsion.
Erickson Process
Trisha and Ted being between the ages of 12 and 18 means that they are at Stage 5 (Identity vs. Role Confusion) of the Erickson process. This is the adolescence stage, where children’s main task is developing a sense of self.
Smoking incident and Kohlberg Theory
With regards to his recent smoking incident at school, Ted can be declared to be at the Conventional Level of the Kohlberg stages of moral development (Ashford, LeCroy, & Winston. 2012). His ethical thinking is seemingly tied to the group of friends he has associated himself with. He wants to engage in smoking in order to maintain the newly-found friendship with his peers. This is the primary characteristic of the conventional level of the theory.
Diversity issues
The diversity issues that have adversely affected Trisha and Ted are religion and gender. The Catholic faith that the Landis family are subscribed to is influencing the types of relationships and activities Trisha and Ted are engaged. Gender has impacted how they socialize with friends and types of relationship to have.
The best suicidal assessment tool
The best screening tool that can be used to assess Ted’s suicidal risk is the Behavioral Health Screen (BHS). BHS is suitable for adolescents as it is able to identify factors that can trigger a suicide among the group. BHS is a key survey administered to a suspected individual. It consists of psychiatric symptom scales and risk behaviors covering all the psychosocial areas. The tool can be able to identify factors such as substance abuse, feeling of distress and bad peer influence that can drive Ted into suicide.
Strategies to enhance resiliency
Some of the biological, psychological and sociological risks that have influenced Ted and Trisha’s wellbeing include age, substance abuse, social relationships and addiction to TV. Age is a risk factor for them due to the virtue of being adolescence. Regarding substance abuse, Ted has descended from being a good boy to smoking cigarettes with his friends. His addiction to TV is another factor which has put him away from his family. The fear of getting into sexual relationships against the wish of their parents is also another factor that has negatively affected Trisha. To ensure resiliency on these factors, some of the strategies that need to be implemented is social problem solving and therapeutic interventions. Social problem solving entails correcting the cold relationship that the children have with their parents. This will help them solve issues related to pre-marital sexual relationships and addiction to television. The problem of smoking can be best solved using replacement therapy and cessation treatments.
Reference
Ashford, J. B., LeCroy, C. Winston. (2012). Kolhberg and human behaviour in the social environment. New York: Leila Riskin, 5th Edition, 200-285.