Reviews the literature concerning school-family intervention, and presents a treatment model in which the therapist first interdicts, and then gradually restores school-family communication, as necessary changes are effected in both systems. (BH)

This paper reviews family therapy with chronically dysfunctional families including the development of family therapy and current trends which appear to give little guidance toward working with severely dysfunctional families. A theoretical stance based upon the systems approach to family functioning and pathology is presented which suggests: (1)…

Using wife battering as a representative presenting problem, this paper presents an interactional, systematic framework of the therapist's management of clients who are involved in life-threatening situations, e.g., cases including suicidal threats, drug abuse, alcoholism, or child or spouse abuse. Several linear-causal theories of addressing…

Describes the Family Environment Scale (FES). Discussion of family member's real and ideal family environment identifies areas of agreement and disagreement about actual and desired aspects of family functioning. This procedure can focus each therapy session on specific interpersonal issues and encourage family members to take an active part.…

Indicates that victims and perpetrators of child abuse in institutions are similar to victims and perpetrators of abuse in the home and that, therefore, systems therapy may be similarly effective in institutions as it is in homes. Describes one program that tries to alleviate stresses that lead to abuse. (Author/GC)

Understanding and developing skills in working with families are important for school psychologists. By viewing a child's problems from a family systems framework, new interventions such as short-term family therapy can be employed. Training programs should include courses in family therapy. (JAC)

The truncated nuclear family consists of a two-generation group in which conflict has produced a polarization of values. The single-parent family is at special risk. Go-between process enables the therapist to depolarize sharply conflicted values and reduce pathogenic relating. (Author)

This paper discusses the concept of a family system in terms of an interactive system of interrelated, interdependent parts and suggests that VHS movies can act as perturbations, i.e., change promoting agents, for certain dysfunctional family systems. Several distinct characteristics of a family system are defined with particular emphasis on…

This paper describes the application of a systems approach model to assessing families with a labeled noncompliant child. The first section describes and comments on the applied methodology for the model. The second section describes the classification of 61 families containing a child labeled by the family as noncompliant. An analysis of data…

A child's school disorder can, and most often does, exist within the complexity of the family's transactional patterns and must be dealt with in this context. To do so, a conceptual model of family dynamics is needed. Minuchin (1979) offers a theoretical framework to help structure such a model. He and his colleagues identified five common…

Program is based on Family Systems Theory. Families are seen from three to seven sessions for evaluation and counseling. Gears interventions toward mobilizing family resources to having parents take responsibility to negotiate an agreement putting their child's interests first. Makes recommendations to the court. Preliminary results are positive.…