Used structural equation techniques to evaluate model predicting children's (n=1,742) developmental status, taking into consideration demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of mother and her household, characteristics of child at birth, and quality of home environment. Children's developmental status was related strongly and positively to…

Used nationally representative sample of Australian adults and their parents to examine degree to which sociodemographic background, childhood home environment, and parental religiosity affect religious beliefs of adult men and women. Found that parental influence remained the prime predictor of current religious belief among Australian adults.…

Explored the relationship between two types of childhood family aggression and severe marital aggression in the next generation of adults (N=2,143). Results indicated that observing hitting between one's parents is more strongly related to involvement in severe marital aggression than is being hit as a teenager by one's parent. (LLL)

Investigated relationship between family experiences and school adjustment in two-year longitudinal study of community sample of fourth- to sixth-grade students (n=159). Initial ratings of family organization and parent-child relationships were both related significantly to follow-up indices of school adjustment obtained two years later.…

Examined data from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to investigate relationship between infant affect and quality of home environment. Found that infant irritability was negatively correlated with quality of home environment in both low-risk and high-risk families. Infant positive affect was more strongly related to quality of care in…

Examines whether older siblings (as orientational others) influence the timing of younger siblings' first intercourse. Results, based on 183 pairs of independent interviews, indicate that older brothers' sexual behavior has a significant influence on the timing of young siblings' initiation of sexual intercourse. Addresses the interaction of these…

Compared conflict resolution in male (N=130) and female (N=158) Quaker adults to the national study on family violence. Results generally showed no differences in the violence rates; however, Quaker fathers reported more acts of overall violence toward their children and Quaker sibling violence was higher than the national sample. (LLL)

Families of female juvenile status offenders were administered the Moos Family Environment Scale. The families could be described as moderately cohesive and adaptive. Results suggest that the dysfunctioning family may not be the primary cause of status offenses and that family-oriented treatment is possibly not the choice treatment for status…

Using merged data on adolescents (N=860), research looks at how community resources affect adolescent risk-taking attitudes and problem behavior. Determined that among high-risk adolescents, selected community resources have significant associations with adolescent outcomes. Residential stability decreases both adolescent risk-taking attitudes and…

Examines the effects of mothers' strategies of combining employment and welfare receipt during the first three years of their child's life on the child's cognitive development, behavior problems, and home learning environment at ages five and six. No negative association was found on most child outcomes with a mother's employment whether or not it…

Developed and tested a multivariate model of marital adjustment among 92 couples in dual-earner marriages. For both genders, higher levels of occupational commitment by wives adversely affected marital adjustment, whereas both men and women perceived that marital adjustment was unaffected by the occupational commitment of husbands. (Author/NB)

A study of parent-absent families in which a mapping sentence is presented which distinguishes between six facets concerning the nature of the absence and two facets which relate to its effects. On the basis of these concepts comparative studies can be conducted and findings generalized. (Author)

This paper examines the deterrent value of the actual use of force and the implied deterrent of its threat, as well as the outside supports of the use of force in the family. The role of force in socialization is discussed. (Author)

Explores whether the effects of sibling birth are mediated by associated changes in the family environment and changes in family members' interaction patterns. Data from a national longitudinal survey indicate that the birth of a sibling lessened positive interactions with the older child and mothers increasingly adopted controlling parenting…

Compared marital adjustment of 210 employed wives with no children, infants, and/or preschoolers. Although childless wives reported higher levels of marital adjustment and emotional quality of home environment than did mothers, differences were primarily due to mothers with two children and mothers with male children. (NRB)