Childhood adversities have been linked to externalizing problems in adolescence. However, studies focusing on early adolescence are rare. Even less empirical attention has been given to the unique and joint influences of children's and maternal childhood adversity on children's externalizing behavior, particularly with a keen focus on the nature…

Guided by models of family unpredictability, this study was designed to identify the distinctive sequelae of disorganized interparental conflict, a dimension of interparental conflict characterized by abrupt, inexplicable changes in parental emotional lability, conflict tactics, and verbalizations. Participants included 208 kindergarten children…

The impacts of violence for young children and their caregivers are multidimensional. The story of 2-year-old Tyronne, his mother, Josephine, and his father, James, illustrates the use of a relationship-focused treatment, child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), in addressing the traumatic consequences of exposure to violence. This family's story…

Trends in family formation during the past several decades have increased children's exposure to mothers' partnership instability, defined as an entrance into or exit from a coresidential union or a dating partnership. Instability, in turn, is associated with negative outcomes for children and adolescents. This study uses data from the Fragile…

This study, with 46 offending fathers/stepfathers, 47 mothers, 48 sexually abused adolescent daughters, and a control group, found increased behavioral and self-esteem problems in the abused daughters and differences in the familial environments of the 2 groups. Mothers in the incest group reported that daughters had more conduct problems than…

To understand the origins of demonstrated tracking deficits possessed by parents of problem children, a study examined in detail possible differences between a sample of parents with behavior-problem children and a sample of parents with "normal" children. Subjects were 48 mothers who had children between the ages of 4 and 10. While…

Differences in depression between Puerto Rican and non-Latina White mothers providing care to their adult child with mental retardation were examined. The focus of this study is on how family problems may mediate the effect of the adult's behavior problems on the mother's level of depressive symptoms and how this process differs across the two…

Summarizes a study of the Family Union, an agency intended to provide services to prevent the placement of children of client families in New York City's Lower East Side into foster care. Discusses child welfare policy recommendations and research opportunities. (BB)

The Parent Perception Inventory (PPI), used to measure children's perceptions of parental behavior, was administered to children in 12 physically abusive families, 15 child problem behavior families, and 16 nondistressed families. All families were single parent, mother-headed, and impoverished. Data from the present sample were compared with data…

This study of parenting stress, child behavior, and dysphoria among 150 families found that parents of children with autism and behavior disorders reported more stress than parents of Down's syndrome or nondisabled children. Mothers of Down's syndrome children did not differ from mothers of nondisabled children on any measures. No major age or…

Exploring the stresses and dangers substitute mothering may pose to a toddler's personality development, this paper points out behavioral hallmarks of toddlerhood, describes the main developmental tasks toddlers have to master, and discusses factors that facilitate healthy development during this phase. Special emphasis is given to the most…

This report describes an attempt to implement a cost-effective social learning intervention program for home use in which behavior modification techniques were taught to parents of 12 conduct-problem children (ages between 3 and 11 years) by psychologists at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Mother and father and mothers-only treatment…

Examined whether children of alcoholic mothers were more psychologically damaged than children of nonalcoholic mothers. The subject families' potential for creating a good upbringing environment and subjects' childhoods were studied. Found that children of alcoholic mothers develop social maladjustment problems and addictions, and have a high rate…

This longitudinal study identified hard-to-manage older toddlers and younger preschoolers, assessed the developmental course and prognostic significance of their difficult behavior, and delineated family factors possibly associated with early and persistent problems. Obtained from parents, teachers, and observers, cross-situational and…