Family Structure Pathways and Academic Disadvantage among Adolescents in Stepfamilies*

Using National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data, this research documents the prevalence of the different stepfamily forms in which American adolescents live, examines the family structure pathways through which adolescents traveled to arrive at their current family form, and explores the effects of these pathways on grades, school‐related behavior, and college expectations (N = 13,988). Compared to those who have always lived with both biological parents, youth in pathways including divorce/separation or a nonunion birth experience significantly lower academic outcomes, while those whose pathways include parental death do not. Specific effects vary, however, according to the outcome examined. For example, the combination of divorce/separation and movement into the least common of family forms is associated with particularly poor GPA outcomes. Divorce/separation is also more detrimental than nonunion birth for college expectations, particularly when coupled with a transition into a stepfamily based on cohabitation. Divorce/separation and nonunion birth have similar, negative effects on school behavior problems. Overall, results indicate that living in a stepfamily does not benefit youth, and can in some ways disadvantage them, even compared to their peers in single‐mother families. This is especially the case if youth transition into a stepfamily following a combination of stressful family experiences. These findings underscore the importance of examining family effects from a longitudinal perspective.     

The Reaction of Friends and Family to Divorce

Research on the divorcee's relationships with family and friends has suggested their helpfulness in the divorced person's adjustment to a single life. Little research has compared the impact of family and friends on the divorcee in Canada with Uie impacl of family and friends of the divorcee in he U.S..The resent study was 4 designed to compare the effects of friends and amily on the di- vorced person in a Canadian and a U.S. spple. Differences were noted in the intensity of family approval for the divorce and in family help offered to the divorcee In Ule two samples. Friends of separated persons in the U.S. sample were less disapproving of di- vorce and gave more emotional support. The influence of friends were thought to account for the more favorable attitude by the U.S. sample toward remarriage.     

Marital Therapy — Practical Approaches to Longstanding Problems*

This paper details a practical guide to the therapy of certain longstanding marital problems. Bateson's (1972) notions of schismogenesis and restraint provide the basis for an understanding of these problems and their presentation for therapy in terms of a classification of processes. A series of hypotheses, derived from this classification of processes, is developed for highly competitive marriages, dominant/submissive marriages and for marriages with closeness/distance problems. These hypotheses enable the therapist to avoid inadvertently participating with couples in ways that perpetuate these problems. Intervention procedures that enable the therapist to participate with couples in ways that favour a more mutually satisfying resolution of such problems are discussed.     

Family Assessment and Intervention for Early Adolescent Problems*

The clinical assessment of adolescent problems is most effective when conducted in view of developmental tasks, family interaction, and peer group influences. For early adolescents, developmental issues need to be resolved within a supportive family milieu before satisfactory differentiation toward a peer group can occur. An assessment-intervention model for initiating treatment with early adolescents and their parents is presented. The combined collaborative-conjoint method was operationalized by interdisciplinary professional teams in a community health setting. The treatment model's effectiveness was evaluated by self-reports and statistical comparisons in 50 cases over a two year period. The results are discussed and illustrated in two case studies.     

Adolescents' Self-Reported Risk Factors and Desire to Talk About Family and Friends

Summary

Adolescents entering an urban mental health program completed Adquest, an 80-item self-report inventory asking about important areas in their life such as school and education, work, health, sexuality, substance abuse, personal and family life. This article examines how much adolescents wanted to talk about family and friends with their counselors, gender and age differences in this desire, and how that is mediated by behavioral risk factors. Irrespective of the existence of coping problems and behavioral risks, adolescents expressed a strong desire to discuss family, and, to a lesser extent, friends, in counseling. From a clinical standpoint, this finding highlights Adquest's limitations because it is based on an individual, behavioral risk paradigm rather than on more systemic factors in the lives of these adolescents. Implications regarding the use of practice-based research to facilitate reflective practice are discussed.     

Behavioral Approaches to Marital Discord and Conflict*

This paper reviews the empirical research in behavioral approaches to marital therapy. The level of product of current research designs has not yet advanced significantly beyond the non-factorial single-group design, and the breadth of treatment populations employed thus far has been restricted. The power of the behavioral method is found in its theoretical base, observational and treatment-relevant assessment, procedural specificity, and quantification of outcome. The outcomes of treatment, though relatively small in number, thus far, have been almost universally positive and encouraging.     

Disabling Spaces and Spatial Strategies: Feminist Approaches to the Home Environment of Family Caregivers of People with Dementia

ABSTRACT

The home environment becomes very important for family caregivers of people with dementia as a place of safety, retreat and care provision. Using a gender-based perspective, the authors analyzed thirteen interviews with family caregivers to understand how they perceived their home space. The data was analyzed thematically with the help of adjacency diagrams. Our analysis identified three main themes: compact layout, spatial flexibility, and the wider neighborhood. Given the gendered nature of caring, the findings are discussed drawing on the work of feminist architects regarding the home environment. The authors argue that feminist architectural approaches can usefully inform spatial strategies regarding dementia, ageing friendly housing, accessible living and the wellbeing of the caregiver. Different bodies and users’ needs should be at the epicenter of design, as opposed to conventional design and the current practices by developers, which may create a series of disabling spaces.     

农村留守儿童家庭教育的现状、问题及对策

随着中国社会经济的飞速发展,城市里的农民工越来越多,留守儿童的数量也随之增加,由于留守儿童在家庭教育中存在一些问题,导致各类相关问题也日渐突出。文章阐述了农村留守儿童家庭教育的现状,分析了留守儿童家庭教育中存在的问题,提出了解决的对策。     

Family Therapy for Disturbed Children: Some Experimental Results in Special Education*

The assumption that family attitudes play an important role in motivating children to learn is widely held. It is believed that poor family attitudes can offset the effects of the best educational program. This study employed psychotherapy to influence attitudes of families with a child in a school for the emotionally disturbed. The results indicated that family therapy improved the classroom behavior of the children as well as behavior observed by their parents at home.     

大学生同辈交往现状及其影响因素

大学中极端伤害案件的发生促使人们更加关注大学生同辈交往情况。对522名大学生的调查发现,超过七成的大学生朋友数量在2-5人。影响大学生朋友数量的因素包括家庭经济地位、对学校生活的满意度和掌控度、交友原则是否明确、每天上网时间、在参加的学生组织中的身份等。     

Bullying Behaviour in Children and Adolescents in Ireland

SUMMARY: This article comprises an overview of bullying behaviour of Irish children. Data from Irish studies are compared with international findings. Results in relation to personality factors of children involved in bullying behaviour are published for the first time. There are also some preliminary results from the author's recent nationwide study of bullying behaviour.     

Family Contributions to Self Help Schooling in Malawi and Kenya*

Abstract In the 1980s and 1990s African societies responded to reduced state educational capacity by expanding the reach of civil society‐non‐state societal organizations that sought to organize individuals and mobilize local resources for education and development. In this paper, I argue that rural African families were differentially prepared to respond to these changes in state‐society relations. I develop a model of family contributions to self help schooling that integrates a range of theoretical perspectives emphasizing the importance of social capital, family economy, family background, and family structure. Then, I utilize original, household survey data to apply the model across diverse national and regional contexts. One major analytical finding points to the importance of family memberships in local civil for predicting self help schooling. Another contribution of the paper is that it demonstrates both similarities and differences in factors influencing family contributions to self help schooling across nations and regions.     

Risk Factors for Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Behavior Problems in Children and Adolescents Following a Home Fire

Based on a model of (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) PTSD by Green, Wilson and Lindy (1986), fifty-six children ages 6 to 17 years were interviewed at five months (T1) and 9 months (T2) after a fire in their homes. Outcome variables were PTSD and behavior problems. Major correlates of the outcome variables, include guilt at T1, worry about other family members at T2, and lack of satisfaction with family support at both times, as well as the attribution that another child did it. The stressor variable, present at the fire, became significant only at T2. The greatest variance in the PTSD scores occurred at T2 suggesting delayed onset or delayed reporting by children. Children may process traumatic events in a different cognitive fashion and in a different time frame than adults. Implications of these results are considered within the context of social work and nursing.     

超越单一家庭与结构范式:青少年家庭治疗综述

通过回顾2009年至2019年间国内外发表的文章,发现这些文章基于元分析、系统文献综述或对照试验的研究方法,证实了各种家庭治疗或基于家庭的干预方式在帮助困难青少年家庭方面的有效,揭示了青少年家庭治疗正在从单一家庭与结构范式逐步向多元支持与综合范式过渡的发展趋势。运用系统回顾的方法,聚焦于回顾国内外研究中有关青少年的外显问题如情绪问题、行为问题及意志障碍,并期望通过探究家庭治疗在解决不同问题上的有效性,为我国青少年家庭治疗提供实践证据和前瞻性指导。     

The Functional Approach to Using Dreams in Marital and Family Therapy*

This paper presents a process based method for using dreams as an adjunct to marital and family therapy. Based on the functional orientation in psychology, this approach identifies and emphasizes personality and life area strengths rather than weaknesses. Dreams are viewed as pictures of feelings and as guides to the emotional dynamics operating for each individual in a family system. The process variables of expression, feeling, clarity, activity, and contact levels are emphasized. A case study illustrates the application of this approach in the treatment of a disturbed family system.     

Exposure to Parent and Peer Alcohol Use and the Risk of Drinking Onset and Escalation Among Adolescents

Although the rate of alcohol use among adolescents has declined, it remains their drug of choice. Parent and peer alcohol use are powerful risk factors for youth alcohol use. However, questions remain about how these factors influence underage drinking. The present study investigates the relationship between exposure to parent or peer alcohol use and two stages of adolescent drinking—onset and escalation—overall and at five age points during adolescence. Participants were 9348 adolescents in Waves I (WI) and II (WII) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, whose parents completed interviews at WI, and who identified themselves as either non-drinkers or experimental drinkers at WI. Reports of WII alcohol use were used to measure onset among WI non-drinkers and escalation among WI experimenters. Risk ratios were calculated to assess the overall impact of exposure to parent or peer alcohol use on onset and escalation, and at five age points (i.e., ≤?13, 14, 15, 16, and ≥?17). Findings show that exposure to either parent or friend alcohol use increased the risk of onset and escalation. Age-based analyses reveal a more nuanced relationship, showing variability in the nature and strength of influence by stage of drinking and by age. This study highlights the relevance of both parent and peer modeling on youth drinking throughout adolescence. Implications in advancing prevention and treatment include parental education about the impact of their own behaviors and the importance of monitoring teens’ friendships.     

Counselor Involvement in Marriage and Family Counseling*

Using a communications framework, a rationale is suggested for determining when a counselor's use of four basic communication styles is likely to be helpful, neutral, or harmful. High disclosure counselor styles are generally seen to be less harmful than may have been previously supposed. Counselor involvement in the style of the high disclosure speech, which conveys an attitude of openness to the clients' reality, is seen as the most. effective form of confrontation. Withholding self by failing to use high disclosure styles, especially in the presence of high rapport, is considered less than satisfactory counselor activity     

Psychological,Cultural and Family Factors in Incest and Family Sexual Abuse*

This paper reviews clinical experience and research evidence about father-daughter incest and family sexual abuse and suggests six factors important in its etiology: 1) the personal characteristics of the offender, 2) the role of the mother, 3) a milieu of abandonment, 4) subcultural isolation, 5) poor family sexual boundaries, and 6) opportunity factors.