Addresses design and evaluation issues of community-based programs for families experiencing marital separation and divorce. Reviews and discusses general programmatic issues; presents specific community-based program, The Orientation for Divorcing Parents; details evaluation of this program; and discusses implications of this literature review…

Examined effect of initiator status on well-being and stress in 80 divorced parents at 6 to 12 (T1) and 18 to 24 (T2) months after the divorce. Found that initiators and noninitiators shared similar emotional responses to divorce but that initiators reported more change, stress, and personal growth at (T1), while noninitiators reported higher…

Examined relationships among dimensions of former spouse relationship and children's social competence postseparation and explored impact of community-based, educational prevention program for divorcing parents on quality of former spouse relationship. Findings from 113 program participants and 80 separated and divorcing nonparticipants revealed…

To explore the link between interparental hostility and adolescent problem behaviors, the current study examines four important maternal parenting dimensions as potential mediators: acceptance, harshness, inconsistency, and psychological intrusiveness. With a primary sample of 1,893 sixth-grade students, the measures included adolescent and…

Examined three dimensions of divorce-related stressors (occurrence, perceived disruptiveness, and area of life change) in 80 divorced parents 6 to 12 months post decree. Findings showed men and women generally reported similar levels of stress associated with divorce-related experiences. Results support importance of area of life change and…

Findings support the pattern of independent, additive effects of individual family stressors. There was no evidence that the effects of poor parenting, overt interparental conflict, and family economic hardship exacerbate one another, or that the converse serve as buffers. This model explains more variance in externalizing problem behavior for…

Outlines common custody, visitation, child and spousal support, and property arrangements and identifies factors which correlate with various arrangements. Based on review, questions are raised that family life educators, therapists, and policy advocates should consider when planning and implementing their interventions, and possible program…

The well-being of parents and children and the quality of the parent-child relationship during divorce deserve attention. This study examined the relationship between aspects of parent-child relationships and the well-being of parents during marital separation and investigated the effects of a 5-week community-based educational intervention for…

Examination of the social and emotional well-being of 177 divorced mothers and fathers with live-in children revealed no differences between their reports of psychosomatic symptomatology, life satisfaction, life-area rankings, family cooperation, social support, and ex-spouse contact satisfaction. More health improvements and family esteem were…

Reviews legal issues related to child custody decision making during and following divorce, and abstracts relevant information from all states. Discusses best interests of the child (BIOC) standard, legal standing of third parties litigating with natural parents, rights and responsibilities of noncustodial parents, and the role of alternative…