Ecological Perspective Essay

The framework guiding this writer’s work with the case is the ecological perspective. The children were removed from their home due to their environment which affected the children’s behaviors in a negative way. The ecological perspective is appropriate for this case because it involves looking at the individual’s behavior as a result from the environment Stephanie was in, including her home, school, and neighborhood. In an article written by Fraser, he stated that “throughout the life course, successful family, school, and work experience have bases in early childhood opportunities for social participation and the development of a broad range of social and cognitive skills that promote building attachments to other children and adults” (Fraser,

In analyzing Stephanie’s risk and protective factors, her risk factors have outnumbered the protective factors. Some of the most relevant risk factors in Stephanie’s family include poor parent-child interactions, family structure, parent’s history of abuse, parental separation/divorce. Growing up, children learn how to interact with others by how they are raised within their environment. Barbara H. Fiese and Marcia A. Winter stated that, “children are proximally influenced by parenting through consistent exposure to supportive interactions or through direct contact” (Fiese & Winter, 2010). In reviewing Stephanie’s past history, it seems as if she did not get did get much exposure to supportive interactions from her parents as evidenced by mothers observed behaviors. Stephanie was neglected physically and possibly emotionally which has impacted her ability to properly interact socially and her lack of self-esteem. In not having that positive interaction with her family, it caused turbulence in her other aspects of her life such as making meaningful relationships with peers.
This writer believes that the family systems theory would fit best practice for this child’s case. This theory was developed by Murray Bowen in 1950. Family systems theory first obtained from family therapy. In an article published by Lee Combrinck-Graham, he explained that the theory’s background began after the World War II when “psychologist and psychiatrist strove to comprehend the multiple influences on human behavior and human adjustment” (Combrinck-Graham,